326 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ May 5, 1870. 



laid on its side, is also a good trap for them. In all old gardens 

 these intruders are sure to abound. A young gardener was 

 boasting he never saw such a thing about his place. Was it 

 because be did not look for them ? There was no lack of the 

 traces they had left behind them. A toad with his biLht eyes 

 will help to keep them down until he become fat and lazy. 

 When a toad is kept in a frame, he will be thankful, and work 

 all the better, if a small saucer of water is placed for his use in 

 a corner. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



Hoed the ground amongst the Strawberries once more ; it is 

 such a nuisance to have weeds at fruit-gatheriDg time, and the 

 necessity of pulling up weeds and taking them away is always 

 a waste of time and labour. With the free and early use of 

 the Dutch hoe, the rake, with its horrid teeth, need scarcely 

 appear in a garden. 



Strawberries in Pots. — We kept up successions of these. 

 Plenty of water was needed in the bright weather. It is hardly 

 possible to keep away all traces of red spider when the plants 

 are fully exposed to the sun, and to have fine-flavoured fruit 

 that was essential. Hence, though the Strawberries in forcing 

 houses would often more than pay the forcing, still it is un- 

 desirable that they should be there at all if it "can be avoided, 

 and then, when the plants are shaded by Vines, &a., the flavour 

 will be inferior, let the gardener be as careful as he may in 

 watering and air-giving. To have a Strawberry in perfection, 

 plant and fruit should be fully exposed to light. Of course, 

 there may be some trifling exceptions, such as have been 

 alluded to, in sudden changes of weather, but in general every- 

 thing like shade is to be avoided. Though not one in tweDty 

 of us can command a regular Strawberry house, that is no rea- 

 son why we should not insist on its importance. Such a house 

 would never be without its use. When not wanted for Straw- 

 berries it would be just as useful for other dwarf stubby plants. 

 Besides, when there was nothing to shade, there would not be 

 the necessity of having the Strawberry plants so near the glass. 

 With heat and air at command, and all the light possible, the 

 plants would set their bloom as well at 18 and 24 inches from 

 the glass, as they would at 9 and 12 inches, whilst they would 

 be subjected to fewer sudden changes. 



Just now, many with their one little house will have a row 

 or two of Strawberry pots in their greenhouse. Some succeed 

 very well in producing good fruit some weeks before tbey can 

 gather in the open air, and we know the zest and pleasure it 

 gives them to be able to take a few fruit to a sick friend before 

 such can be obtained out of doors. Many, however, succeed 

 very indiffeiently. They have good plants well-ripened early 

 in autumn, they plunge and protect them from severe frost in 

 winter, they top-dress in spring, they water so judiciously that 

 we could not improve upon it, they have excellent bloom', but, 

 after all, it mostly becomes blind— that is, refuses to set, and 

 they have to take out the most of their plants as failures, even 

 though they have kept more heat in the bouse and shut it up 

 early in the afternoon to help them. Now, the extra kiDdness 

 is the chief cause of the failure. The Strawberry, to succeed, 

 must have room, must have free access to light, and whilst in 

 bloom must have air. even if there should be no great openings 

 in cold weather, yet freBh air there must he from openings 

 however small. A close moist atmosphere, the very thing to 

 encourage rapid extension and growth, will, if long continued, 

 be the best means for saturating and cloggiog-np the pollen- 

 bags in the blooms, and preventing the desirable action of the 

 parts of fructification. Extremes meet, and the same result 

 wiH often be the conspquence of the action of a free dry air 

 on the parts of fructification. In such cases— in fact, in the 

 parching weather we lately bad, we have frequently found a 

 gentle dewing of the Strawberry blossom of much benefit; 

 then, when the sun had dried them, the parts of fructification 

 were refreshed and enabled to perform their natural functions. 

 We were first led to adopt this plan many vears ago, from 

 observing that Apricots, Peaches, Pears, and Plums that ap- 

 peared a loDg time in bloom without setting in very dry weather 

 and coldish nights, set very quickly after being refreshed with 

 a gentle, genial shower. It must, however, be remembered, 

 that on the whole we consider dryness better for settirjg than 

 moisture, and continued rains have often ruined the crops of 

 Apricots and other fruit, but there are exceptions to most if 

 not all rules. 



The close moist atmosphere is the cause of failure with 

 many amateurs. A keen enthusiast has several times wished 

 us to Btate his case. In his little house, he has a platform at 

 back that held two rows of Strawberry pots, and a shelf with 



one row in front. He syriDged and shut up in April and May 

 from three to four o'clock in the afternoon, wetting the floor, 

 and generally gave air from 8 to 9 a.m. ; he liked to see his 

 general plants fresh and healthy-looking. The Strawberries 

 bloomed beautifully, but always set most indifferently. He 

 could not give up the damping and the syringiDg, but the 

 Strawberries when in bloom were not touched by the syringe, 

 as the moist atmosphere would be quite enough for them. 

 Instead of shutting up closely at that time, from a quarter to 

 half an opening was left all night, except in very cold nights, 

 and then air was given the first thing in the morning. A little 

 air was also left in front, and if the night was rather cold a 

 lump of coal was set alight in the flue. With no alteration 

 except the above, the Strawberries for some seasons have set 

 beautifully. We are so far wrong, for in watering, a long 

 feather or a dry hand was passed and repassed among the 

 trusses of bloom to help to disperse the pollen. Afier being 

 fairly set and commencing to swell, the Strawberry is not par- 

 ticular as to its position, but to acquire good colour and flavour 

 it must have air and light. 



As we have used no protection for Apricots and Peaches out 

 of doors, we have not yet disbudded any, as the young shoots 

 will be a good protection, and they wilt do no harm as yet. 

 Unless a severe frost come on we shall be safe, and then if it 

 come we must try and neutralise its influence. We have had 

 signs of late of a blackthorn winter, and must, therefore, be on 

 the watch. Disbudded, or rather stopped and removed young 

 shoots freely in the orchard houses, and dressed Vines there 

 by rubbing off extra shoots, these being more forward than we 

 would have wished, thanks to the large squares of glass. Such 

 glass will be an advantage under any circumstances, greatest, 

 perhaps, when air can be given or taken away, but also, no 

 doubt, of value when the air is left on night and day. Such a 

 plan would avoid many dangers. Many of the failures in 

 orchard houses are owing to the want of early air-giving. We 

 knew of a case last May where the attendant in a bright May 

 morning forgot all about the orchard house until between nine 

 and ten o'clock, and then he was pretty well forced to run out 

 again. Every small fruit tumbled from the trees, and dire 

 were the denunciations against orchard houses. Some air 

 ought to have been given by 7 a.m., and a late riser should 

 have left air at the top all night. 



We had hard work thinning Grrfpes, and we must look for- 

 ward to more of it in other houses. To beginners we would 

 say, Thin as soon as you can discern the berries that are fully 

 set ; keep the scissors dry and clean ; leave the outside berries 

 of the bunch at the requisite distance from each other, cut- 

 ting off the inside berries more freely ; touch the bunch with the 

 hand as little as possible, but use a neat forked stick instead to 

 keep it in position, and especially avoid touohmg it with the 

 clothes and the hair cf the head. We cannot use our water to 

 syringe Vines, but in hot weather we can use water on the 

 floor and stage. A great safeguard against red spider is a little 

 air at the top of the house all night. Were we near a coal mine, 

 we would hardly ever shut up a house closely now. Until the 

 weather is warmer we open, however little, early in the morn- 

 ing. We shall give a little air all night before long. Ij3ss than 

 half an inch will keep the apex airy, and prevent accumulations 

 of vapour. 



ORNAMENTAL DEPARTMENT. 



Sowed lots of annuals in the open ground, as we like the 

 ground to be getting warm. Sowed half-hardy annuals under 

 glass, as we find they do better when not too loDg in hand 

 before they go into the ground. Potted many things, and yet 

 we are behindhand, and as we wanted hundreds of small pots, 

 turned out into trenches and earth pits a great number of Scarlet 

 Pelargoniums that had been potted, as in such weather they 

 may stay there for several weeks. These have nice fresh roots 

 in balls, and will begin to throw out more roots all round by 

 lifting time. A little labour is required in thus turning them 

 out, but then we set thousands of small pots at liberty to be 

 used for plants that do not fibre and transplant well, and what 

 we lose in labour we gain in pots and watering, as most likely 

 tbey will receive no more watering until immediately before 

 planting. It is true, we might plant out in the flower beds 

 without so much preparation in previous moving, but then the 

 floral display would be late, and more water vojld be required 

 than when well-rooted strong plants are used. 



We lately mentioned putting a great many Pelargoniums 

 siDgly in small pieces of turf. These have done too well. The 

 turf is now so full of roots, the spongioles hanging out all 

 round, that we fear we must move them into an earth pit, to 



