April 28, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



30'J 



cellent situation between them for a raised bed of Cucumbers. 

 Late Peas, as Knight's or British Queen, will answer as well. 

 The sticks, however, should not exceed 6 or 7 feet high in this 

 case, and the Bunners should be kept topped constantly. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



Commence disbudding Peaches and Nectarines in good time. 

 If possible, do not suffer the green fly to establish itself even 

 for a day. Thin out the suckers of the double-bearing Rasp- 

 berries to about three of the strongest ; these should be staked 

 out thinly, and the soil should be well manured. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



The long continuance of drjing winds and bright sunshine 

 will have been exceedingly trying to large-sized evergreens that 

 have been recently transplanted, and the attention and ex- 

 pense in watering, &c, these will have required to carry them 

 safely throngh, may probably convince many persons of the im- 

 propriety of removing large plants in winter or spring. Those 

 who have an opportunity of judging between September and 

 winter or spring-transplanted shrubs and trees, will agree with 

 me that early in autumn is the beBt season for effecting the 

 removal of plants of any size. Nothing but the most careful 

 attention will save those that have been recently transplanted, 

 and besides keeping the roots regularly moist, watering the 

 plants overhead with the garden engine towards evening will 

 be necessary in the case of such as may appear to be suffering 

 from the drying weather, and every plant should be examined 

 daily and carefully so that nothing may be allowed to suffer 

 through neglect. Take advantage of the present favourable 

 weather for the destruction of weeds, &c, to clean shrubbery 

 and herbaceous borders ; indeed, it will be advisable to run 

 the Dutch hoe over these, if merely to lighten the surface. 

 Bedding plants must not be rashly exposed for the preBent, as 

 the weather we are experiencing would soon effectually dry the 

 tissues of the plants that have been growing in a moist, rather 

 warm atmosphere. The season, however, is far advanced, and 

 the process of hardening should be commenced as soon as the 

 weather will permit ; but for the present shade slightly during 

 bright sunshine, and expose freely to air such plants as are 

 established, carefully avoiding Cold drying winds. Highly- 

 dressed lawns should be mowed at least once a-week at this 

 period, for a well-kept lawn is always a most pleasing object. Let 

 the dressing of herbaceous or mixed beds or borders be finished 

 without delay, and prepare stations where blanks exist, to 

 receive Verbenas, Fuchsias, Heliotropes, Calceolarias, See., now 

 in the course of hardening for this purpose, and for forming 

 masses. Self-sown annuals, the MimuluB family, the Forget- 

 me-not, and other useful little plants, also Pansies, may, 

 when we have a change in the weather, be transferred with 

 balls to fill up blanks. See that runners of the Neapolitan 

 Violets are provided for the next winter. Many excellent her- 

 baceous plants have been lost or rejected to make way for mere 

 novelties, but they are again coming into fashion. It some- 

 times happens that Pansies assume a straggling habit ; in such 

 cases the shoots must be pegged down to the surface of the bed 

 in order to prevent their being broken by the wind, which is 

 very apt to be the case. The beds ought also to be examined 

 constantly, and every means used to entrap snails and other 

 destructive vermin; if not attended to the chances of obtaining 

 perfect blooms wilt be small indeed. As seedlings flower, re- 

 move the bad ones, and take cuttings of those which it is de- 

 sirable to retain, as there is great risk in removing seedling 

 Heartsease when in flower. In many parts of the country 

 seriouB loss will be experienced from the injury the Tulip bulbs 

 have sustained in consequence of the cankered state of the 

 foliage and the very unsatisfactory season ; unremitting at- 

 tention must be paid to the removal of all diseased parts and 

 thorough cleanliness of the beds. Protect as usual from frosts, 

 and attend to the fastening of the elongating flower-stalks. Let 

 seedling Ranunculuses in pans have the benefit of warm showery 

 weather when it arrives. In the case of Carnations and Picotees 

 do not allow the surface soil in the pot to become hard ; stir it 

 from time to time, and finish putting in the supporting sticks 

 without delay. Pinks will also require small rods, as they are 

 now spindling fast. Dahlias may now be planted-out and pro- 

 tected, by inverted pots or other means, jjuring the night. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



No tribe of plants is better adapted to keep up a constant 

 display in the conservatory than the Azaleas. The numerous 

 varieties of A. indica are remarkable for brilliancy of colour, 

 whilst the hardy American species delight with their agreeable 

 fragrance. The principles followed with regard to the Camellia 



to produce winter flowers are, in the main, applicable to the 

 Azalea indica. Forcing iDto wood in good time in spring, a 

 trifling amount of check to form the bud, and a partial rest for 

 a considerable time before excitement, are the main features. 

 The Azalea, however, will endure more heat than the Camellia, 

 and with rather less shading. The plants intended for flower- 

 ing next January and February should be forced into growth 

 without delay. Continue to remove from among Heaths and 

 New Holland plants all late-flowering subjects, or such as 

 have already flowered, and young stack required for another 

 season ; place them in cold pits or frames, and while there 

 encourage their growth by timely shifts ; and to those that are 

 not intended to be repotted, but are now making their growth, 

 and have their pots pretty full of roots, apply liquid manure 

 methodically, and with moderation. Pinch back in due time 

 luxuriant-growing shoots to produce a regular and sturdy 

 growth. The early-flowering plants of Primula sinensis, now 

 exhausted, Bhould be removed to a cool pit or frame, likewise 

 early-blooming Cinerarias and other fading stock. It is of the 

 utmost importance to have a pit or frame for this purpose, as 

 it enables the cultivator to thin out the remaining stock now 

 in rapid growth. 



STOVE. 



Syringe stove plants in general in the morning and evening. 

 If any room can be spared in other structures, a few of the com- 

 moner or hardier plants should be removed. Continue to in- 

 crease the temperature gradually, more especially when it can 

 be done, as at present, by solar heat, accompanied by a very 

 considerable amount of atmospheric moisture. This will be 

 best accomplished from 3 to 6 B.M., when the thermometer may 

 Bink to 65° for the night. Employ sweet and healthful soils, 

 and perfect drainage, and frequently use weak and clear liquid 

 manure during the growing season. Persevere in keeping down 

 insects, which, if allowed, will now increase with great rapidity. 



FORCING TITS AND FRAMES. 



See that the growth of Balsams, Cockscombs, Globe Ama- 

 ranths. &c, is duly encouraged, and another succession sown. 

 — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



A vert, trying week, with bright sun, generally cold nights, 

 and a dry atmosphere, which prevented vegetation making 

 rapid progress. In the middle of the night, between Friday 

 and Saturday, we had a shower of rain, which acted like a 

 heavy dew, refreshing the foliage, and making mowing with 

 the scythe in the morning a pleasure rather than a pain. 



A few of our largest early Cabbages have bolted, and have 

 been cut down close to the ground. The bulk, we hope, will 

 stand well, and are turning in. Could we have given water, 

 or even cooled the foliage a little, we do not suppose, from 

 their appearance, that we should have had a bolted head. The 

 propriety of keeping such plants at all, after cutting off the 

 head when it shows a flower-stem, is rather problematical. 

 Whether or no the plant will throw out some three or more 

 Cabbages from its base greatly depends on cutting down rather 

 l 0W _ B ay 2 or 3 inches from the surface, so os to leave a few 

 broad healthy leaves. If cut higher up there will be plenty 

 of fresh shoots formed, but almost every one will be sure to 

 run to seed, instead of turning in and cabbaging. Even 

 when cut down rather closely this will often happen, the plants 

 yielding plenty of shoots, which are very nice when cut Bhort, 

 but fail to cabbage. We have cut down one bolted plant, 

 and ere long we have obtained, perhaps, three nice little Cab- 

 bageB. We have cut down two or three more, as much similar 

 as possible, and no coaxing would make these plants yield 

 Cabbages as fast as the shoots showed ; and onwards, if kept to 

 the end of the season they would yield nothing but shoots, 

 with the flowering part at the end of them. We can assign for 

 the difference no reason that would be at all satisfactory. It 

 would appear that once the plant resolves to bloom, the ten- 

 dency is too strong to be easily neutralised. We think that 

 two or three per cent, of our earliest Cabbages have shown this 

 tendency ; in the second and third lot there seems as yet to be 

 no disposition to do bo. Until the late hot weather there waa 

 no appearance of bolting. Most likely a manure watering 

 would have prevented it altogether, but this we could not 

 manage, as water, until rain come, is too scarce. We did the 

 next best thing, forked over all exposed ground between the 

 rows, which seemed to refresh them much. 



Cauliflowers and Atmospheric Moisture.— Several times lately 



