Janaary 4, 1877. 1 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



17 



the shoots can become strong and the foliage large and healthy ; 

 then the weight of Grapes will be heavier and the fruit finer 

 than if the canes ^vere trained closely together. I recently ob- 

 served Vines which had been so much crowded that some of the 

 rods though only four or five years old had gone blind half the 

 way np, though vigorous for the first year or two. The want of 

 light and air were the causes of their producing weak shoots and 

 imperfectly ripened woLid, which could not break into growth 

 safficieotly strong to continae from year to year. Therefore 

 thin out the rods freely, and if pruned on the spur system the 

 buds close to the main rod will be plump and able to carry a 

 bunch successively, and if grown on the long-rod system there 

 is a capital chance of the canes being well ripened and the buds 

 prominent, so that they can always be depended on for a crop. 

 As to cleaning the Vines after pruning, I agree with only taking 

 off the loose bark, and not picking and scraping till the fresh 

 bark is exposed to view, for I am of opinion that while the bark 

 adheres to the Vine it is still of essential service to it. — Thomas 

 Becobd. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST AND WOBK FOR 

 THE PRESENT WEEK. 



KITCHEN GABDEN. 



The continued wet weather has rendered it impossible to 

 work with profit, especially on clay soil. On our light garden 

 soil we have been enabled to complete the pruning of Apple, 

 Pear, Plum, and Cherry trees. Pyramids and bushes have a 

 great tendency to become crowded through continued summer- 

 pruning or pinching of the growing shoots; and if the trees are 

 planted closely together, as they are in some f/ardens, the evil 

 is apparent in weak unripened wood, and fruit of inferior quality. I 

 It requires some degree of courage on the part of the inexperi- ! 

 enced to attack his trees with a pruniug knife for the small 

 branches, and a hand saw for those of larger growth; but unless 

 this is done sometimes, it is not possible to attain success. 

 Amateurs who are fond of fruit culture, and many are, would do 

 well to take a lesson from an experienced gardener on pruning 

 their small bush and pyramid trtes. A few minutes spent in ] 

 looking at a man proficient iu bis work would do more to impress | 

 the principles of pruning on the mind than pages of instructions. ; 

 In thinning-out the old branches it is best to remove those that ! 

 cross others, and it is also desirable to avoid pruniug the main > 

 branches, so that they become too weak to support their load j 

 of fruit; many persons prune the main branches so that they 

 become long cordons of closely-cut spurs. They cut the young 

 wood closely back, and annually just shorten the leader. When 

 this goes on for a number of years it will be necessary to cut 

 back the branches, and to encourage them to branch out 

 laterally. 



In shallow light soils, or where there is a bad subsoil, it is 

 Tery desirable to encourage the formation of surface roots, and 

 this is best done by mulching over them with short litter. In 

 some cases it is also best not to fork amongst the roots at all; 

 bat if digging is desirable, it must be done in a careful manner. 

 When the surface is loose the roots have the greatest tendency 

 to work into the subsoil, aud if the operation of forking the 

 ground is carelessly performed many of the surface roots are 

 broken off. 



The late Mr. Robert Fish used to complain much about the 

 injury to his fruit trees from the attacks of small birds, tomtits 

 and bullflnches especially. Except the homely sparrow, and a 

 few blackbirds, no other feathered friends visit our garden, and 

 in severe frosts a few Gooseberry and Currant buds are eaten, 

 but other fruits are not touched. Mr. Fish used to syringe his 

 trees with lime whitewash until all the branches and buds were 

 covered with a white coating. He preferred this to mixing the 

 lime with soot, and it used to stick to the trees, even after 

 heavy rains. It also effectually prevented the birds from eating 

 the bads. 



MUSHROOM HOUSE. 



Materials which are being prepared for new beds must be kept 

 dry during preparation. An airy shed is the best place. There 

 is no danger of the manure becoming too dry. It ought to be 

 thrown up into a heap or ridge for a few days, but when sufii- 

 ciently heated it should be turned every day, and when dry 

 enough it may be used. Those who are not able to obtain large 

 quantities of stable manure at once, but who must be content 

 with driblets, ought to spread it out on the floor of a shed until 

 BufBoient has been obtained, and always keeping it iu the dry. 

 Another plan that has been successfully tried is to place the 

 manure in the bed as it is obtained, and this is certainly the 

 most convenient, for very few gardens are overdone with shed 

 room. It is best to jdace a thin layer iu the bottom of the bed, 

 beating it down firmly, and adding from half an inch to an inch 

 in depth every day. When sufficient depth has been obtained the 

 bed may be spawned — that is, if the temperature is not likely to 

 rise above 80', and in a week or so attar spawning the surfacing 

 of loam may be added in the usual way. When beds are made 

 up in this way the largest proportion of the properties of the 



manure is retained, its valaaMe constituents not being driven 

 off by excessive heat. 



CUCUMBER HOUSE. 



Seeds have been sown to produce plants in succession to those 

 which have been in bearing for some time. They are sown in a 

 little bottom heat, but this can only be obtained by keeping the 

 pots at a considerable distance from tht- glass. As soon, there- 

 fare, as the seed leaves are formed the pots will be placed on a 

 shelf near the glass, and in a few days afterwards each plant will 

 be potted separately iu a small pot. We like to pot the young 

 plants well down into the pot, burying the stem quite to the 

 seed leaves. When the soil is sufficiently moist at the time of 

 sowing the seeds, it will not be necessary to water it until the 

 plants are pott ed-off ; indeed it is dangerous to the plants to water 

 them at that stige, causing many of them to damp off. After 

 potting them singly this will not likely occur. The temperatiura 

 ought to be from 60" to 65°. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



Great care is necessary now to prevent plants and flowers from 

 being injured by damp. It will be necessary to warm the hot- 

 water pipes to expel moisture, but the fires must only be lighted 

 when the ventilators can be opened, and that is when the air 

 is dry and light outside. The frequent thick foggy weather 

 about London tells upon the plants, and it is much better at 

 such a time to keep all the ventilators shut. At such a time 

 the fires ought not to be lighted unless, which is sometimes the 

 case, intense frost is accompanied by damp. When other work 

 is not pressing is a good time to tie down and train into position 

 the growths of Cinerarias, and stage and fancy Pelargoniums, 

 if they are intended for specimen plants. If this operation is 

 delayed the growths become stiff, and they are liable to snap off 

 at the joints. It is best to lay the foundation early and then work 

 upon it as opportunity offers, tying down the growths just a 

 little at a time. There ought not to be any decaying or spotted 

 leaves ; if there are it is a sign that the plants are not in very 

 healthy condition; indeed, if it is a case of spot it is certain 

 that the functions of the plants are very much deranged. One 

 cause of spot is deficient drainage, aggravated by too much 

 water at the dullest period of the year, or cold hard water having 

 been used instead of rain water rather warmer than the tem- 

 perature of the house. Fancy Geraniums require a much lighter 

 compost than the stage varieties, but all of them must be grown 

 in well-drained pots, and with judicious ventilation and watering 

 there is little danger of the plants suffering from damp or any 

 other cause. 



We have been inserting cuttings of the different varieties and 

 types of Chrysanthemum. The sooner this work is done the 

 better, both for growing large flowers and specimen plants. It 

 is necessary to be very careful that the plants receive no check 

 to their growth, else they will not unlikely start into premature 

 flower. We have inserted at this time of the year cuttings of 

 the Pompon section, and they have made splendid specimens. 

 We have done so on another occasion, and every plant has started 

 into flower by May. It is well to put in cuttings in February or 

 March in case the early-rootedfplants should run into flower. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



Attention must be given to bedding plants. Calceolarias 

 winter best iu cold frames, either behind a north wall or the 

 frame placed with its back to the south. Ours were put in about 

 the end of October and have required no attention since, as the 

 frame is on the north side of a wall, and the boxes in which the 

 cuttings are do not require much water. We have commenced 

 pottiug-off and boxing zonal Ptlargoniums of the different sec- 

 tions, beginning with the variegated and tricolors. They do 

 not require much water in winter, and it is better to allow the 

 soil to become quite dry before applying water; the plants 

 should also be in a dry airy place. Under such circumstances a 

 few degrees of fiost will not injure them. Verbenas are much 

 subject to the attacks of green fly, red spider, and thrips. Dip- 

 ping them in the solution recommended a fortnight ago for 

 Azaleas will destroy all these insects. Fumigating with tobacco 

 smoke occasionally is a very good practice for keeping the plants 

 clean. The surface soil of the pots should be occasionally stirred 

 with a pointed stick to prevent green mould from forming. 

 Weeds and decaying leaves to be removed. Time can be afforded 

 for such work at this season when the weather is rough or the 

 ground frost-bound out of doors. 



Auriculas iu frames continue losing their foliage, and it must 

 be removed as it decays to prevent spreading decay to the vital 

 parts of the plants. Damp is very destructive to the plants, and 

 it is important to see that the lights are watertight before the 

 winter sets in. The soil just requires sufficient water at this 

 time to prevent the leaves from (lagging. The lights are re- 

 moved by day in fine weather, but on no account should the 

 plants be exposed to cold winds or severe frost. 



Carnations and Picotees must also bo kept clean. The first 

 trace of green fly should be the signal to fumigate the frames 

 with tobacco smoke. Some growers complain of the prevalence 

 of spot on the leaves. This is caused by damp. Mr. G. Rudd 

 of Bradford, who, like many more ardent amateurs, grows his 



