June 6, 1867 ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



397 



forward the crop in sunny weather about a week ; in dull 

 weather they would not forward it at all. The drawback was, 

 that in very bright weather some of the fruit would be scorched '; 

 but this was done to such a trifling extent as would prevent us 

 ^ding serious fault with any one that proposed using them. 

 With strong vigorous rows in the garden of an amateur, who can 

 obtain no litter, i-c, we do not tliink that any mode could 

 be more economical than a few small sticks connected with a 

 ball of small cord. Sixpennyworth of cord will go over a lon^' 

 epace. ° 



ORNAMENTAL DEPARTMENT. 



We have concentrated the chief part of our strength here. We 

 are hurrying on late subjects or those which suffered slightly, as 

 Perilla, Amaranthus, and Iresine, as we find that young plants 

 of these grown to some size, and planted out after the ground is 

 warm, always do best. We have planted Amaranthus melan- 

 cholicus in the end of May, and it dwindled every day, and 

 from the same sowings we have planted-out small plants in the 

 middle and the third week of June, that became better and 

 better until the frosts of autumn came. We mean to try the 

 Coleus, especially the brown one, again, but to plant a fort- 

 night or three weeks hence, when the ground hag become 

 warmer. The worst of using such plants in a composition 

 group is, that the arrangemeut is not complete at once, but we 

 had better submit to this than turn out tender plants too early. 



Amid the press of matters needing attention, we must just 

 for the sake of the less experienced select a few, little in them- 

 selves, but of importance in securing ultimate success— much 

 more important than turning the plants out so early as to 

 astonish your quieter neighbours, and most likely in such a 

 season as this has been to astonish yourself, by having much 

 of your work to do over again. As a fact, we may also mention, 

 that we have seen good plants turned out into beds in the end 

 of April, and plants no better turned out in the end of May 

 and the beginning of June, but from the end of July and 

 onwards the late-planted ones had all the running as they 

 liked to take it. As more important, then, than early planting, 

 we would say — 



_ 1st, Be particular that the ground should be well pulverised, 

 aired, and several times slightly turned over, especially after a 

 hot day — in fact, act as if success depended in digging down 

 sunbeams. 



2nd, Be particular that all plants in pots or otherwise should 

 be well watered before transplanting— that is, as many hours 

 before as will permit of all excess passing away, so that, especi- 

 ally if pricked out in a bed previously, the weight of the soil 

 will not cause it to fall from the irregular ball. Plants with a 

 ball of any kind, if planted with the ball in a dry state, wiU 

 scarcely be made wet by any amount of watering afterwards. 

 In extreme eases of dry balls, it may be necessary to soak the 

 ball in a pail before planting. As respects very tender plants, 

 nse water heated to 75° or 80°. 



3rd, In planting, press the earth to the sides of the ball 

 gently, do not press the ball much downwards, whether there 

 be earth above it or not. Many practical men are in the habit 

 of doing this, and thus crack and break the ball, and strain or 

 destroy the roots, though to keep both entire much consider- 

 ation had been given. 



4th, In planting from pots, if the ball is at all matted with 

 roots, gently disentangle the outside roots, by drawing the 

 points of the fingers along the ball, and then firm the boU at 

 the sides as stated above. 



5th, In watering, use only as much as will settle the earth 

 moistened about the roots, and not deluga the surrounding 

 ground. In dry, sunny weather, give this watering before the 

 earth is all replaced, so that you may put dry soil over the 

 moist soil close to the roots. Bear in mind, that evaporation of 

 moisture from any body cools the substance from which the 

 vapour comes, and the damper the soil and the warmer the 

 weather, the greater the evaporation. 



_6th, Keep the same principle in view in future waterings. 

 Give the plants no more than they will do with without flagging. 

 In bright days, if the leaves look distressed, whilst the roots are 

 moist enough, shade, or syringe overhead, instead of deluging 

 the roots. As to the time for future watering, for six weeks 

 hence it will be best to water in the early part of the day, so as 

 to have the surface soil partly dried before night. When the 

 nights are warmer it is best to water towards evening, and then 

 the plant, uninfluenced by rapid perspiration in the sun's rays, 

 will have more time to absorb the moisture. Remember that 

 the less water tender bedding plants have when first turned 

 cut, the less will the soil be cooled at night. 



7th, Let all plants, especially in exposed places, be secured. 

 For this purpose we know nothing better than small branching 

 twigs, such as the points of Pea sticks. Spruce branches that 

 have lain a twelvemonth in a heap, with a weight over them, 

 as a haystack orcornstack, are the very best for such a purpose; 

 they are full of little twigs, and if taken care of they will last 

 a number of years. When plants grow intertwined among 

 such twigs these become all covered, and the strongest winds 

 will scarcely be able to throw them into unseemly wreaths or 

 heaps. In low protected places, such trouble may be avoided, 

 but we dare not trust a single Calceolaria, or Scarlet Pelargo- 

 nium without such securing twigs. — R. F. 



COVENT GARDEN 5IARKET.— June 5. 



SOPPLV continues fully equal to the demand ; but prices are but little 

 affected. New Potatoes bring from ad. to id. per lb. 



8. d. B. d I 



Apples Jsiove 3 0to4 



Apricots doz 4 



Cherries box 2 3 



Chestnuts bnsh. 



Currants 4 sieve 



Black .". . do. 



Fics doz. 10 15 



Filberts lb. 



Cobs lb. 9 16 



Gooseberries ..quart 4 6 



Grapes, Hothouse, .lb. 5 10 



Lemons 100 5 10 



Melons each 8 Otoia 



Nectarines doz. 15 24 



Oranijes 100 5 10 



Peaches doz. 21 42 



Pears (dessert) ..doz. 



kitchen doz. 



Pine Apples lb. 5 8 



Plnms i sieve 



Quinces doz. 



Raspberries lb. 



Strawberries oz. 6 10 



20 



Walnuts bush. 10 



VEGETABLES. 



Artichokes each 



Asparagus .... bundle 

 Beans, Kidney, per 100 



ScarletPvun.4 sieve 



Beet, Red T. doz. 



Broccoli bundle 



Brus. Sprouts ^ sieve 



Cabbage doz. 



Capsicums 1(10 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Cucumbers each 



pickling doz. 



Endive doz. 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish . . bundle 



s. d. 8. 

 6ton 

 4 7 































6 

 6 



1 

 6 

 



2 

 8 

 8 

 8 

 2 6 



Leeks bunch 



Lettuce.... per score 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustd.& Cress, punnet 



Onions per bushel 



Parsley per sieve 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas per quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



New lb. 



Radishes doz. bunches 



Rhubarb bundle 



Savoys doz. 



Sea-kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes per doz. 



Turnips bunch 



d. 



S too 







TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Books (J roimr, Czardner).—^on can have " The Cottage Gardeners' 

 IJictionarv," free by post from this office if you enclose sixty-eight postage 

 stamps, w-ith your address. (IK. M. P. i.— Johnson's "The British Ferns." 

 It can be had free bypost from this office if you enclose forty-six postage 

 st.amps with your address. (C. F. 7.).— We have a book full of plans, now 

 printing, referring to the laying out of gardens which will appear in a 

 month or two. 



American Scupflixg Hoe {K. il. H.).— We know of no one who makes 

 it in this counti-y. Any whitesmith could make one from the drawing. 



Insect on Vine Stems (J. B. D.).— It is the Vine Scale, Coccns vitis. 

 Scrape off the bark, and paint the stems with a creamy mixture com- 

 pounded of soft soap } lb., flowers of sulphur 1 lb., black pepper in powder 

 J lb., and water 3 gallons. Boil them together twenty minutes. 



Seaweed Manure— Prdnihg-time (A Novicr, North of Ireland).— SeA- 

 weed is an excellent manure both for Sea-kale and Asparagus. It mav 

 be put on now, or at any timo, whilst fresh, and be forked into the soU 

 when the beds are dressed in autumn. Apples, Pears, and Plums are 

 pruned in autumn when the leaves have fallen ; but if summer-removing 

 and pinching of shoots have been duly pursued, little remains for th« 

 knife to do in autumn. 



Cost of EREcrrXG a Vinery {Amateur).— It is quite impossible for ns 

 to state the cost. Apply to builders who advertise in our columns, and 

 to others in your neighbourhood, and then make your selection from the 

 estimates. 



Kitchen Refuse (Tuhc Bill).— The earth is the best and cheapest of 

 deodorisers. Put the refuse on any vacant ground, and spread a little earth 

 over it. 



Ants (H. E.). — They may be driven away by sprinkling a little gnan« 

 over their haunts daily, until they cease to appear. 



Direction [Iuo). — Mr. Dobson, Woodlands Nursery, Isleworth. 



Bean {C. Mar^den). — We are quite sure that it is not a horse bean ; but 

 the best authorities at the Royal horticultural Society could not help lu 

 to identify it without seeing a pod. 



Grapes (Z. Z. Z., Surrpi/).— Write to Messrs. Webber & Co., Fruiterers, 

 Covent Garden, and state what you wish. 



Currants Blooming but Fruitless (G. H. L.). — We can assign no 

 reason under your treatment for the Raby Castle Currant having fruitless 

 flower-stalks, except the rich manuring. Prune in summer as before, 

 but avoid the yearly rich top-dressing for a year or two. 



