JOURNAL OP HOETICULTUEB AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



i: May 23, 1887. 



exoegsive flow of sap. It is in vain to euppose that a branch 

 already too strong will exhaust itself by throwing out a number 

 of vigorous young shoots ; on the contrary, the latter, if suf- 

 fered to remain, will establish fresh channels for a flow of sap 

 adequate to maintain their excess of vigour, and this appropri- 

 ation must of course take place at the expense of the weaker 

 portions of the tree. The fruit of Peach and Nectarine trees 

 may now bo partially thinned ; that of Apricots should bo 

 finally regulated. Raspberries usually send up many more 

 shoots than are ultimately required ; the weakest should be 

 removed. Let mulchings be applied where borders are shallow, 

 or in any degree exhausted. 



FLOWEK OAEDES. 



Newly-planted shrubs will require thorough watering in 

 periods of drought. Masses of American shrubs under or 

 near large trees should have a top-dressing of some kind to 

 keep them cool, and to compensate for the exhaustion occa- 

 sioned by the roots of the trees. A coating of bog earth, 

 sphagnum, half-rotten leaves, or old tan, will be perfectly suit- 

 able. Conservative walls, trellises, or ornamental arcades, 

 should have close attention at this period. The more tender 

 kind!) of plants newly planted out should be protected from 

 sun and wind, and if cold nights occur, and mats cannot be 

 had. Laurel boughs will answer the purpose admirably. When 

 the various beds are filled the surplus plants will be invaluable 

 for planting on rookwork, and for mixing with herbaceous 

 plants in borders, arranging each plant according to the height 

 it will ultimately attain, and keeping the very dwarf kinds in 

 front. Examine choice Roses in order to ascertain that their 

 buds are not injured or destroyed by miiRgots, and water 

 with manure water during dull weather. Divide Neapolitan 

 Violets, transplant into rich borders, and shade with a few 

 boughs until the plants are rooted. Sow Brompton Stocks, 

 Sweet Williams, single WaUflovrers, (tc. Tie up Pinks and 

 herbaceous plants as they require it. Rake and clean shrubbery 

 borders. Continue to tie up Carnations as they spindle, occa- 

 sionally examining the knots and easing these when required ; 

 keep the pots free from weeds, and water with soft or pond 

 water. It is injudicious to give what is termed " a little and 

 often ;" when water is applied give sufficient to moisten the 

 whole mass. Pinks are rapidly advancing; tie to neat, thin 

 sticks ; reduce the spindles, or flowering shoots, to one or at 

 most two ; supply the plants liberally with water as the buds 

 appear. Continue to propagate Pausies, transplanting seed- 

 lings as they become large enough. Attend to the directions 

 given last week as to shading, watering, fertilising, i-c. Some 

 persons are in favour of watering in the morning out of doors, 

 and others prefer the evening ; we like the morning, as a gene- 

 ral rule, more especially for plants which have been recently 

 planted out, such as bedding plants in the flower garden, and 

 young vegetables transplanted from the seed-beds in the kitchen 

 garden. To saturate the soil in such cases is in our opinion 

 highly improper, as leading to a considerable waste of the ac- 

 cumulated ground heat, also as tending to exclude the genial 

 influence of the atmc sphere. With regard to young stock of 

 the above kind, frequent sprinklings are all that are required ; 

 in fact, a kind of cutting treatment, chiefly in order to prevent 

 undue perspiration of the leaf. If this waste is prevented 

 through the day by early morning watering, the plants may 

 safely be left to the dews during the night. Fine-rosed pots 

 should at all times be used, and light sprinklings repeated will 

 prevent the soil from becoming puddled. 



GBEF.NHOUSH AND CONSEHVATORT. 



Towards the end of the month some of the hardier stock in 

 these structures, such as the hybrid Rhododendrons, Camellias 

 forming buds, and Orange trees in tubs or pots, may be set out 

 of doors. This will give liberty to such of the stock as must be 

 suffered to remain, both on account of their tenderness and of 

 the display they make. A sheltered spot should be selected, 

 but by no means under the drip of trees. A temporary awning 

 should bo suspended over them for a week or two at first, 

 but it must be very thin. When they are reconciled to the 

 change, such as the Orange trees may be removed to other 

 situations in the open air. Heaths in full growth will at this 

 period require abundance of water, at least in bright weather. 

 Many good specimens are lost through imperfect watering. 

 The Erylhrina crista-galli is a fine old plant : cuttings may be 

 made of the yoabg Shoots of subjects which have been 'headed 

 down. The old plants started in heat in January, and now ex- 

 hausted Witli flowering, if removed to a cool and light green- 

 house and suffered to go to rest, will bloom well a second time 



in September by the excitement of heat and moisture after 

 resting a few weeks. 



STOVE. 



The increase of temperature previously recommended, and 

 absolutely indispensable in order to have many plants in per- 

 fection, will encourage the attacks of red spider, unless a 

 keen eye is kept on every plant, in fact, on every leaf, and it 

 allowed to go on unchecked it will soon destroy the foliage. 

 Use the syringe daily, especially in fine afternoons, and this 

 will do much to prevent the enemy appearing ; but after it has 

 done so recourse must be had to effective applications without 

 delay. A rule in gardening, which ought always to be acted upon, 

 is never to allow an hour, still less a day, to pass without making 

 an attack upon some kind of insect on the very first discovery. 

 The rapidity with which their multiplication proceeds, and of 

 which all gardeners are well aware, should prompt to immediat* 

 action. Such of the stove plants, or those belonging to an in- 

 termediate-house, as have made a good and early growth, may 

 now be removed to a cooler house, which will arrest their rapid 

 vegetation in some degree, causing robustness of habit, and in 

 many a tendency to produce autumn and winter flowers. Every 

 attention should also now be paid to keeping down vermin 

 amongst Orchids. There is nothing better than fresh, sweet 

 bran for snails and slugs. This may be placed about the pot* 

 either in oyster shells or crocks in the afternoon, and should 

 be examined by candlelight, at eight or nine o'clock. 



PITS AND FIUMES. 



After the stock for the flower-garden masses has been re- 

 moved, all the surplus Verbenas, Fuchsias, Pelargoniums, 

 Calceolarias, Petunias, &a., remaining in store pots should be 

 potted forthwith in three-inch pots, and their cultivation should 

 receive every attention. As soon as they grow freely they ought 

 to be stopped, and be made to form bushy plants. These will 

 form a reserve to succeed plants in full bloom at this period, 

 and also to fill up gaps as they occur in the beds or borders. — 

 W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



The work has been for the most part a continuation of that of 

 the previous week. As soon as the thunder-showers ceased every 

 exertion was made to bring up arrears, and far enough behind 

 we are, when we must confess that up to the time of writing 

 this, even our flower-beds have not been levelled, though 

 several times turned roughly ; and without the loss of a singlo 

 minute, the character of the winter and spring has rendered 

 much out-door work rather behindhand, where there was not 

 additional assistance. Our chief work in the kitchen garden has 

 been sowing succession crops of Peas, Beans, Lettuces, Cauli- 

 flowers, Turnips, Radishes, &c., and more especially Dutch- 

 hoeing all advancing crops, whether weeds appeared or not. 



Temporary IlothccU. — Wo are not at all sorry — quite the re- 

 verse — that some correspondents tell us we shall do much 

 mischief by speaking of such beds as wo sometimes do — made 

 of litter and droppings as they come from the stables week after 

 week, with less or more of short grass ; and they end by advis- 

 ing us to recommend the good old plan of turning, and water- 

 ing, and sweetening such dung before making it into a hotbed, 

 " for then even young gardeners would not kill their plants 

 with steam, gases, i'C." Now, be it understood that we have 

 no objection to all this labour, care, sweetening, and decompos- 

 ing the materials so used ; and no one has more clearly stated 

 that the vapours from rank dung and grass will kill all veget- 

 able life to which they can have free access, except some hard- 

 stemmed plants, such as the Pine Apple ; and therefore we have 

 been careful that when beds are made in this way there shall 

 be a sulfident covering of old dung, half-decayed leaves, or soil, 

 that, whilst receiving the heat produced, will keep down all 

 noxious steam. Whilst so used the bed made from fresh 

 material is just as safe as one made from dung which has been 

 frequently turned and sweetened for several weeks, and thna 

 has dissipated in the general .atmosphere a good portion of ite 

 heat instead of this being turned to use at once. On carryiiig 

 out our directions there can be no danger, and we economise 

 the heat from decomposing material which in sweeteningare 

 sent into the air. We also know that this sweetening process 

 reduces the manure to something like a third of its bulk — a 

 matter of importance where scarcely ever enough in its rough 

 state can be found, and where bulk and a temporary heat must 

 be made the most of. 



