Jane 6, 1867. 1 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTTJKE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEB. 



396 



the fruit is finer than that of Sir Charles Napier on the whole, 

 and as good in flavour. The plants are very promifing this 

 year again, and on Bome of them I could count from four to 

 five hundred blossoms. 



I may take this opportunity of stating that La Constante 



Strawberry, thirty plants of which were kindly sent to me by 



M. De Jongho, of Brussels, have turned out remarkably well, 



the fruit is fine and hamlsome, and, without doubt, by far the 



' moGt delicious-flavoured I ever tasted. — J. H. 



[Our correspondent lives in a climate and on a soil in the 

 Isle of Wight that are most favourable for Strawberries. — Eds.] 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



Those who are interested in the trials of the various sorts 

 of early Peas will have an opportunity of comparing them at 

 Cbiswick during the next ten days or a fortnight, and of judging 

 the relative merit as to earliness of the competing sorts — 

 Dillistone'K Early, Carter's First Crop, Sutton's Ringleader, 

 and Veitch'a Early. All of these bloomed on the same day, 

 slatted on the same day, and are at present to all appearance 

 " as like as two Peas." Dickson's First and Best is about two 

 days later in blooming. 



Tnn Strawberry May Queen was gathered at Chiswiok 



on the 3rd of June. 



The following Floral and Horticultural Societies have 



announced their intention to hold exhibitions and meetings 

 during the present month : — 



Jtmc, 4th tn 8th Royal Horticultural. 



„ 7th to IStli Manchester. 



„ Uth Hnlifnx. 



„ „ West London Rose Show (Ealing). 



„ Wolverhampton. 



„ 13th, Uth Leeds. 



., 19th Royal Botanic of London. 



,, „ Rovftl Jersev. 



., I9th, 20th York GrnnrtFlnral and Horticultural Fete. 



„ 25th Bristol and Clifton. 



„ „ Fermoy (Irelnnil). 



„ ., Royal Oxfordshire. 



„ 26tb Maidstone. 



„ „ Nottingham. 



„ ,1 Wrexham. 



We shall be glad to insert the dates of the Shows of any 

 other Societies. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KIXrUEN GARDEN. 



Tee late frosts have so injared and in many cases destroyed 

 Dwarf Kidney Beans, Scarlet Runners, Lettuces, &c., that it is 

 advisable to have recourse to any means of hastening germina- 

 tion, an object which is best attained by soaking the seeds. A 

 fortnight may in general be recovered by having recourse to 

 the steeping process. There is sometimes sufficient moisture 

 in the ground for the first stages of germination, yet by the 

 time that is accomplished, and before the tender radicle has 

 extended itself beyond the reach of such vicissitudes, the 

 drought has overtaken it, and total desiccation is the result. 

 If the seed is on the eve of germination previous to its inser- 

 tion in the soil, and if the soil is newly dug. the young plant 

 will in general establish itself in safety. The plan which I 

 would recommend is to steep the seeds in water at a tempera- 

 ture of about 80°, for about six hours or more, according to 

 the character of the seed, and to place the vessel where it will 

 maintain that temperature; then to strain oil the water and 

 remove the vessel to a more moderate temperature, say 6.5°, 

 until the first signs of sprouting, when the ground should bo 

 instantly prepared and the seeds sown. Brnccoli, the Cape, 

 although a small Broccoli, is one of the most useful kinds in the 

 kitchen garden when a constant succession is required. This 

 is a good time to make a very full sowing to supply the table 

 through October and November. CciuUflourrs sown now will 

 head in November, and may then be housed in cellars, sheds, 

 or outhouses, and continue in use until past Christmas. It is 

 a good plan to sow some Cape Broccoli in drills, prepared after 

 the manner of a Celery trench ; the seed to be dropped in 

 patches about a foot apart, and the seedlings to be afterwards 

 thinned out to about three in a patch. Sow a little more of 

 Knight's Protecting, and a sprinkling of some very late spring 

 Broccoli ; it may serve to prolong the succession next April and 

 May. Cckry, every attention should be paid to the plants; 

 they must have abundance of water in every stage. Those 

 pricked out from the seed-bed should have well-prepared beds, t 



the surface of which, for 2 inches deep, should consist of well- 

 rotted manure, soaked with water, and rolled and pressed level 

 previous to pricking out the plants. If the weather prove 

 sunny they should be shaded with boughs. 



FRUIT GARDEM. 



Proceed with thinning out the superabundant shoots of wall 

 trees, and nail those which it is necessary to lay in. By fre- 

 quently going over these trees confusion is prevented, and on 

 the whole a saving of time will be the result. The fruit must 

 be well thinned, othenvise it cannot be fine — this applies to 

 the fruit of Pear trees, as well as to stone fruit — taking care 

 to leave those that may now be seen to take the lead in swell- 

 ing. The shoots of Pears should not yet be cut back, otherwise 

 the buds that ought to remain as such to form fruit-spurs will 

 be induced to break into shoots. They ought, however, to have 

 as much light as possible, and, therefore, the more advanced 

 of the foreright shoots should be stopped by merely cutting off 

 an inch or two from their points. It is now a good time to 

 scrub the stems of fruit trees infested with scale, for the young 

 insects are issuing from their fastnesses, and are as naked and 

 tender as mites. Apple and Pear trees are about this time sub- 

 ject to the ravages of the caterpillars of the lackey moth (Clisi- 

 ocampa Neustria). They are easily destroyed whilst they re- 

 main in groups, and this they do till after their third moult- 

 ing, they then dissolve partnership, their united efforts in the 

 formation of a web being no longer necessary, and dispersing 

 over the tree in all directions their capture becomes almost im- 

 possible. Vines on walls or buildings must be attended to, as 

 to disbudding, stopping, kc. 



FLOWER GAEDEV. 



The Banksian Rose under glass is now goingout of bloom, and 

 shovJd be pruned at once quite close to the old wood, in order to 

 ensure a good bloom next year, carefully leaving all the strong 

 young wood of this year that is well placed. Plants out of 

 doors must not, however, be cut until the blossoms make their 

 appearance, when all weak wood should be removed. Early- 

 planted beds in the flower garden would be much improved by 

 hoeing them slightly to loosen the surface after the heavy showers 

 of rain, but do not rake them for a few days. Thin out annuals, 

 and transplant choice kinds. Mow lawns regularly during tnis 

 growing weather. Clip edgings, and endeavour to render the 

 whole neat in appearance. When the soil is poor and the 

 lawn looks badly, a thin dressing of nitrate of soda will have 

 an astonishing effect ; apply it in moist weather. Plant out 

 in borders Salvias, Scarlet and other Pelargoniums, Fuchsias, 

 or any of the other surplus plants after the beds are filled up, 

 taking care not to crowd too much. Hardy American shrubs, 

 such as Azaleas and Rhododendrons, on high-dressed lawns, 

 should at this period have thorough waterings in very dry 

 weather. Carnations must be strictly attended to ; a top- 

 dressing of rich compost will be found highly advantageous ; 

 take care that the ligatures are not too tight on the stems, 

 otherwise they are apt to become distorted. Pinks will be 

 blooming, tie some waxed threads round the buds to prevent 

 their bursting. Pansies maybe struck under hand-lights on a 

 shady border; let the cuttings be put in as thinly as possible. 

 Polyanthuses are extremely apt to suffer from the attacks of 

 red spider ; during dry weather shade is absolutely necessary 

 for their successful cultivation. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATOKT. 



Continue to clear away exhausted flowers in the conservatory 

 in order to give place te fine specimens of Fuchsias, Pelargo- 

 niums. Calceolarias, Roses, or other gay and popular flowers. 

 See that Fuchsias have abundant watering. All fires should 

 now be entirely dispensed with, and a light screen of some 

 sort kept at hand to ward oft intense sunshine. Shade the 

 blooms of Pelargoniums as they expand, and lower the tempe- 

 rature as far as practicable to prolong their beauty. Those 

 desirous of obtaining new varieties with greater certainty, 

 should protect them with canvas from bees and other insects 

 which are likely to intermix the kinds. Much care is requisite 

 in this respect, for even at best the hopes of the most assidu- 

 ous are frustrated. Supply them generously with water, and 

 occasionally with liquid manure. 



STOVE. 



Continue to shift young and growing stock, and to remove 

 early-grown plants for autumn or winter flowering to the cool 

 shelves of the greenhouse, in order to harden their wood and 

 prepare them for early excitement. Much of the success in 

 obtaining winter flowers depends upon this. Stanhopeas will 

 now be blooming; the baskets should be well examined, or fine 

 buds will bo lost through contact with the sides. Let the 



