June 23, 1670. ) 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



447 



Food Journal," a monthly periodical abounding in useful in- 

 formation.) 



A LARGE OAK TREE AT BEAUDESERT. 

 Aa trees of extraordinary size are often preserved as curiosi- 

 ties, and most deservedly so, it is not often that we come across 

 one recently cut down, yet such wsb my fortune one day last 

 summer in the course of a ramble in one of the midland 

 counties. Some very fine oak timber was pointed out to me 

 that had recently been felled in the park of Beaudesert, the 

 seat of the Marquis of Anglesea, near Rngeley, and one tree, 

 especially, seemed so much larger than is usually met with, that 

 I made particular inqniries about itsmeasurement, and was told 

 its contents exceeded 900 cubic feet, the bole of the tree being 

 about 800, and the limbs the remainder. That which was 

 more remarkable, this giant of the vegetable world seemed per- 

 fectly sound, exhibiting scarcely a flaw of any kind, and I was 

 told its top appeared healthy before it was cut. The site was 

 the side of a gentle slope, and the tree stood alone, there being 

 nothing in the park nearer to it than 100 yards or so. The 

 soil, an important subject to inquire after where so large a 

 tree is concerned, did not appear inviting to the farmer ; 

 higher up the slope of The ridge where the tree had been 

 growing, Fern prevailed over all other vegetation, while lower 

 down were RuBhes ; and the tree grew about the spot where the 



with liquid manure. Let early-flowetiog Herbs be cut and 

 dried for winter use. Tomatoes must be regularly attended to, 

 keeping the shoots thin, and stopping them above a cluster of 

 frnit, for if the plants are allowed to ramble and grow too 

 freely, there will be a poor chance in an unfavourable season 

 of securing a good crop. Shallots, if left in the ground after 

 the bulbs are ripe, are apt to mildew and decay in wet weather ; 

 therefore they should be pulled as soon as the tops begin to 

 decay, and should be spread out in an airy place to dry before 

 storing them. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



Every attention should be given to trained fruit trees. All 

 wall trees, especially, should be gone over in time, and the 

 shoots thinned and stopped to admit air and light among the 

 fruit and young shoots, which will greatly assist the formation 

 of fruit buds for the following season. Old Pear trees, in par- 

 ticular, that are unfruitful, should be subjected to this treat- 

 ment. Keep Peach trees free from green fly, by means pre- 

 viously advised, and dust sulphur on shoots affected with mildew. 

 Use the garden engine occasionally in warm weather, to clean 

 the trees, and prevent red spider. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



Remove everything in the way of bedding-out plants whose 

 beauty may be over, or which are at all ineffective, and intro- 

 duce good plants from pots in the reserve ground. A good 

 reserve ground, if properly situated and systematically con- 



one class of vegetation gave place to the other. The ground did , j uc t e d would be one of the most useful plots about a garden. 

 not appear to be particularly dry ; the surface soil was thin, Saoh a ' valuable adjunct as this would require the constant at- 

 overlying a considerable depth of stone shatter, from which the tendance of a man possessing some knowledge of flowers, and, 

 roots of this tree must have withdrawn much of its support. To therefore, could not be carried out where there is a scarcity of 

 ordinary appearance calcareous matter seemed to be absent, or J labourers'. Decayed patches of bulbs which are required to 



if present, to be in very small quantity 



There were several other Oaks standing, and in good health, 

 although evidently of great age, and some of them were of 

 great size. I thought that described the largest, but as a tree 

 on the ground appears much larger than when it is standing 

 upright, others might be as large. It was a magnificent tree, 

 and I was afterwards told there was much difficulty in convey- 



stand for early spring flowering, may have Verbenas or other 

 things introduced from pots between them, _ so as to give 

 gaiety to the places they occupied. Propagation of stock for 

 next season must soon receive consideration, so as to have 

 strong well-established plants before winter, and without the 

 necessity of keeping them so close and warm as to induce 

 weakly and watery growth. It cannot be too often repeated, 



ing it away, and a carriage had to be bmlt on purpose, and a that to be able to winter bedding stock safely with ordinary 



number of horses, aided by a traction engine, drew it by degrees 

 until it reached the highway. I believe it was intended to 

 convert it into furniture, as it was thought its great age and 

 size would insure beautiful markings. Its immense size at- 

 tracted much attention at Stoke, whither it was sent. Ih?pe 

 some one will tell us more about it, as it is not often so fine a 

 tree is felled. — J. Rodson. 



NOTES AND GLEANES T GS. 

 The Gardeners' Royal Benevolent Institution will hold 

 its twenty-seventh anniversary at the London Tavern on 

 Wednesday next (June 29tb). The Earl of Derby is to pre- 

 side, and we trust the claims of the Institution to the support 

 of gardeners and their employers will be at least as well re- 

 sponded to as in former years. 



It is worthy of mention that the idea of the halfpenny 



card postage, which is shortly to come into operation, origi- 

 nated with Mr. Beale, of the firm of James Carter & Co., the 

 eminent seedsmen of Holborn, and that Mr. Beale has r c c.ived 

 an acknowledgment from the authorities to that effect. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



kitchen garden. 

 Never has the advantage of deep cultivation been more ap- 

 parent than during this dry weather. Crops growing in ground 

 that had been well trenched and pulverised last winter and 



spring, have progressed with a rapidity and vigour quite foreign I ment"'of ' top." CuUiDgs of Roses'! where they can be had, may 

 to those that are in ground that had only a single-spit digging. | now be taken'off and pfanted in a close cool frame in a northern 



care, the cuttings should be put in sufficiently early in the 

 autumn to allow of having them well established, and fit to be 

 exposed to the open air by the middle of September. Begin 

 with such as are found to be the most tedious to propagate. 

 Hollyhocks are general favourites, but they do not afford cut- 

 tings freely, and are in general not over-plentiful about most 

 places. They should, therefore, be examined often in search 

 of any cuttings which they may afford, as those rooted early 

 will make strong plants for next season. Attend to the tying 

 uo of Hollyhocks and Dahlias, and go over the masses of 

 Verbenas, Sea., frequently, for the purpose of reculating the 

 growth, so as to keep it rrderly and neat. Keep R)ses as freo 

 as possible from insects, and if time can be spared dead blooms 

 should be removed from Rhododendrons. Let Carnations and 

 Picotees be layered as soon as the shoots are in a proper state 

 for that purpose. They make exceedingly useful border flowers, 

 and are much prized in a cut state. See, therefore, that plenty 

 of these are secured for next season. Pink pipings put in early 

 will now be readv for transplanting, and if so, this should be 

 done at once, as they will require time to fully establish them- 

 selves, so as to prevent frost from injuring them. If the 

 situation ultimately intended for them is vacant they may be 

 planted there at once, but if occupied at present with some- 

 thing else, let the young Pinks be planted 1 inches apart in 

 reserved beds in an open situation ; the soil should consist 

 chiefly of light loam, to which may be added some charcoal 

 dust or charred refuse. The rotten manure from an old Mush- 

 room bed answers very well for Pinks, as it encourages a mass 

 of fibres, and produces a healthy but not over-gross develop- 



The reasons for this are obvious ; in the first place the roots 

 of the plants penetrate to a greater depth into the soil with 

 ease, and, in the second place, the quantity of air in the soil, 

 coupled with pulverisation, prevents rapid evaporation. Deep 

 culture, drainage, the proper application of manure, aDd a 

 thorough destruction of all weeds, are the grand secrets of cul- 

 tivation, whether for the farm or the garden, for wet weather or 

 for dry. Where a sufficient breadth of Celery is not yet planted 

 out this must be attended to as speedily as possible, and water 

 must be given until the plants are well established, otherwise 

 good-sized heads can hardly be expected. Earth-up former 

 plantings, and encourage rapid growth by occasional waterings 



aspect. In about a month they will have shown a disposition 

 to strike root, when they may be taken up carefully, potted, 

 and plunged in a slight bottom heat. Treated in this way they 

 make good plants in a short time, and if kept under slight pro- 

 tection during winter, will fill their pots with roots, and be 

 ready for planting out next May. 



greenhouse and conservatory. 

 The Camellias and Azaleas for early blooming will have set 

 their buds, and should be removed to a sheltered, ehady situa- 

 tion out of doorB, for if kept in heat they will be apt to make 

 a second growth, which must be avoided, as it prevents their 



