JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



379 



always endeavour to assist the operations of nature, as wel! as 

 judiciously cheok over-luxuriance even in this respeot. I know 

 of no tree more tractable than the Vine. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



In planting out Verbenas and other mass flowers, the ball of 

 earth should be slightly opened if at all solid. The beds 

 should be well worked, and in a uniform state as regards 

 moisture, and the ball of the plants thoroughly soaked with 

 water a few hours previously. If dry weather prevail for a 

 week or two after planting, let the newly-planted beds be 

 sprinkled two or three times a-day, merely blackening the 

 surface, and in order to prevent its becoming dry, rather than 

 impart any moisture to it, some of the gross kinds of Pelar- 

 goniums may be planted in uudug bods, the solidity of which 

 will check over-luxuriance. The Frogmore Scarlet, however, 

 will require a little cultivation. Tulip roots should be imme- 

 diately taken out of the ground wheu the foliage assumes a 

 yellow, withered appearance. In the present season in parti- 

 cular, from the damaged state of many collection?, this should 

 be carefully attended to. Should the bulbs be in a decayed 

 state, the exterior coverings or skins should be removed, which 

 will, most probably, bring many from a flowering state to that 

 of mere offsets. They may, after being divested of all diseased 

 parts, be put away in a oool, airy situation. Ranunculuses will 

 shortly be in bloom ; these, to keep in perfection for some time, 

 should have a slight awning over them, and an occasional 

 watering between the rows will be of service. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



The early-forced Camellias now showing bud may shortly be 

 placed out of doors. A shady border is frequently resorted to. 

 We would, however, place them faoing the sun, and provide a 

 light canvas soreen to throw over them. All young or other 

 Stock growing forward must now have muoh room. Make it a 

 rule to let no two specimens touch. Take out all rough, ex- 

 hausted, or inferior plants. Very young stock of Ericas, Epa- 

 crises, and small fancy New Holland plants will be best in a 

 pit or frame, placing the lights so as to face the north. The 

 glass must be clean-washed, and the pots raised above the 

 ground level on ashes, or, better still, on tiles. Pinch off the 

 decaying blossoms of hybrid Rhododendrons, give liquid ma- 

 nure, and if wanted for early flowering endeavour to force 

 them slightly into wood. Put some young Thunbergias into 

 their final pots ; for trellising these are useful, and keep up a 

 late display. The Coral tree (Eryshrina Crista-galli) is a fine 

 old plant. Cuttings may be made of the young shoots of the 

 plants which have been headed down. The old plants Btarted 

 in heat in January, and now exhausted with flowering, if re- 

 moved to a cool and light greenhouse, and suffered to go to 

 rest, will bloom well a second time in September by the ex- 

 citement of heat and moisture, after resting a few weeks. 



STOVE. 



Thorough cleanliness, free ventilation, plenty of atmospheric 

 moisture, and occasionally a slight shading in very bright sun- 

 shine, are the chief requisites in this stmcture. No means 

 should be neglected to encourage free growth at this period 

 among the Orchidaceous tribe, in order to have their pseudo- 

 bulbs firm, well fed, and well ripened early in the season. — 

 W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Water Supply. — When last we wrote we were rejoicing in the 

 welcome rains, which did much to refresh the earth, but were 

 not sufficient to yield a supply for future demands. Scarcity 

 of water meets us at every point in a dry summer, as we have 

 nothing but rain water to depend upon. Several of our friends 

 are no betier off than on solves, and tanks and reservoirs are 

 the order of the day. In many cases the tanks are already low. 

 In one case where the want of water is much felt, it is in 

 Berious contemplation to make some fresh and larger tanks. But 

 though standing high, there is a small river flowing at 700 or 

 800 yards distant. We have no doubt that a well and a steam 

 engine to force the water up the hill, would be by far the 

 cheapest arrangement in the end, for securing a good supply of 

 water. In such cases the mansion and offices could also be 

 Bupplied, as even a lj-inch pipe would deliver a great amount 

 of water when constantly in use. There cannot be much 

 objection to a steam engine, except the smoke which more or 

 less must come from it, and even that can be rendered very 

 trifling. Wherever there is a stream handy, and a rivulet can 

 be taken from it, so as to secure a 6 or 8-feet fall, a water-ram 



oould be used, which would work continuously. In many cases 

 where a river falls considerably, a small rivulet may be taken 

 from it, so as to work a breast wheel, whilst the overflow goes 

 on to the general stream. One of the finest examples oi this 

 we have met with is at the Messrs. Burn's, close to the 

 Phcenix Park, near Dublin. The clear waters of the Liney are 

 thus raised to the top of a high 6teep bank, and yield a good 

 supply to the mansion, offices, and gardens. With no stream 

 nearer than four miles such helps are out of the question, but 

 still in almost every place enough of water could be saved if 

 means were adopted to preserve what falls. 



We have lately heard of several large gardens having been 

 formed without any consideration being bestowed on the water 

 supply. How water is to be obtained, ought to be the first 

 consideration in all new gardens. Where water can be laid on 

 so as to be applied with foroe, or gently as by irrigation, there 

 oan be no comparison as respects labour, when contrasted 

 with carrying or wheeling every drop that is used ; besides, in 

 many cases there is but little labour power available for the 

 purpose, and many operations must be timed, not so much as 

 to when it is best to perform them, but as to when the help of 

 water can be given. 



The great heat of the 20th and the Slat and little appear- 

 ance of a change, rendered the ground apparently as dry as it 

 was before the showers came. Surface-watering was, therefore, 

 with us out of the question. We must depend on the moisture 

 beneath. It was not the want of moisture that prevented 

 rapid growth, but the coldness of the soil. On the 20th and 

 21st Potatoes, Peas, and BeanB lengthened so fast that yon 

 could almost see them grow. Dwarf Kidney Beans that lay in 

 the ground as if refusing to germinate, suddenly burst their 

 shell and appeared above ground, the dry surface being no im- 

 pediment. Our watering in the kitchen garden has been con- 

 fined to fresh sowings of Peas, Beans, Lettuces, Turnips, &o. 

 In the case of Peas, a wide flat row was used, forming a shallow 

 trench some 8 inches wide. This was more enriched than the 

 general ground, and was slightly trodden and then well watered 

 before sowing. The Peas, after having been red-leaded, were 

 sown thinly over a space of 6 or 7 inches in width, and then 

 were slightly patted down in the moist soil, and the dry soil 

 was put on as a covering. We have found this plan the most 

 economical for making a little water go a long way. In a moist 

 season such care would not be necessary, but in a summer 

 like this the dry soil on the surface prevents the moisture 

 beneath so freely escaping, whilst nothing is done to arrest the 

 ascent of moisture from beneath, whioh surface-watering always 

 does less or more. Frequently, even in dry summers, Peas have 

 done well that received no more watering than the wetting of 

 the soil previous to sowing. In ordinary cases the soil in the 

 trench might be watered after Bowing, but with us that would 

 not do, as the water would wash away the red lead. Small 

 seeds, as Turnips, had merely a little water run along the drill 

 with the spout of a pot, and the dry soil placed over the seeds. 

 In ground dug some time, watering was not needed, as it was 

 easy to make the drills a little deeper, so that the seeds should 

 go at once on the moist soil. In this case care must be taken 

 not to cover too deeply. The plants wijl do none the worse in 

 such a season if they stand in a little hollow. 



Peas in 10-inch pots have done very well this season. We 

 used to transplant them into the fruiting pots, and we think 

 we thus had them dwarfer and rather more prolific. This 

 year we sowed in the pots at once in rather rich loam, and the 

 Peas have grown more than usual, many of the pots of plants 

 of Tom Thumb being close on 2 feet above the rim of the pot. 

 These furnished early gatherings in the orchard house, but 

 part of them were rather in the way, and we removed the potB 

 to the front of a south wall, and they have even done better 

 there, swelling and podding freely. Though we set the pots 

 on some rotten dung, the only drawback is the watering the 

 pots require. Had we an earth pit with a god exposure at 

 liberty we would have plunged the pets so as to save watering. 

 We shall put some others, probably, in a trench bed intended 

 for Celery. Those in pots and sown out in front of the orchard 

 house come in very useful before we can gather plentifully out 

 of doors. There has always been a little playful contest here 

 as to whether the Peas or the ducks would be ready first. 

 Sometimes the Peas have defeated the ducks hollow, but this 

 season we believe the ducks had the best of it by a couple of days 

 or so. Of course, by sowing in the autumn in pots we could 

 have them some ten days earlier. Other dwarfs are better 

 coloured and better flavoured than Tom Thumb, but we have had 

 none that come in so early with us, and first Peas will always 



