February 15, 1677. ] 



JOURNAL OP HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



127 



ham, fine baskets cf Cyclamens, and received a vote of thanks. 

 A first-class certificate was awarded to Mr. Edmonds, Hayes 

 Nnrsery, for Cyclamen persicum albam msgnifioum — a com- 

 pact plant, but 7!ot a compact name. 



Prizes were offered by Meesrs. Veitch for Poicsettia pulcher- 

 rima pleniEsima, and were awarded — first to Mr. Ollerhead, and 

 second to Mr. Tnbbs gardener toB.W. Smith, Esq. ,Hampstead. 

 Mr. Olleihead's specimen was fairly good, but the others were 

 only indifferent. 



In addition to the above colleclicrs (he conservstoiy wbs 

 rendered attractive by a well-grown assortment of flowering 

 plants from the Society's Garden at Chiswick. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST AND WORK FOR 

 THE PRESENT WEEK. 



HABDY FKUIT GAEDEN. 



The weather during last week was very fine, and as the 

 borders had an untidy look with the manure dressing on the 

 surface it has been dug in. Pear trees are in a very forward 

 state, and a few weeks of fine weather will cause the buds to 

 burst their scaly coverings. It would be better if the weather 

 was colder, as there is always a great risk in an early-blossoming 

 period. 



It is time that nailing was quite finished, as the season is so 

 early, and when the buds are too much advanced they are fre- 

 quently rubbed off during the operation. All the work ought 

 to be done in a careful manner, and if many decaying branches 

 or any that are badly gummed have to be removed, it may be 

 better to loosen all the branches from the walls and renail them 

 regularly over the required space. As a rule wall trees are too 

 much crowded with young wood, and when this is the case fine 

 well- coloured fruit cannot be expected. Peach trees are usually 

 left until the last, and after all useless wood has been removed 

 the trees should be washed with atrong soapy water if they 

 are infesteil with any insect pests, taking care not to injure 

 the buds which are now well advanced. Fan-trained trees have 

 usually the weakest and most unsatisfactory growths near the 

 base of the wall, and the growths improve towards the top of 

 the tree. Sometimes it is better to remove the weak under- 

 growths and bring down those nearer the top. This may be 

 done a little every year, and the trees will be kept in better con- 

 dition thereby. AH the main branches ought to be laid into 

 their places first, the intervening spaces to be furnished with 

 the smaller branches and bearing wood. The main branches of 

 Peach and Nectarine trees are destitute of buds of any sort, and 

 to furnish the walls regularly with bearing wood it is desirable 

 to train wood of last season close to or over the bare stems. 

 "Walls well furnished with healthy fruit fnl wood, skilfully trained, 

 are a source of continual enjoyment; badly trained trees, with 

 the branches running into each other, are eyesores and a disgrace 

 to any garden, although otherwise it may be well kept. 



riNE HOUSES. 



Fruiters started early in January are throwing up fruit very 

 freely. With a high temperature and a moderately moist atmo- 

 sphere they may be expected to ripen-off in June and July. 

 Smooth-leaved C.aj-ennes and Charlotte Kothschild do not throw 

 up 80 freely as Queens, but they also are in some cases showing 

 fruit. It is a good plan to water with weal: manure water after 

 the fruit shows. It has been recommended by some to with- 

 hold water until the fruit shows, but when water is withhold 

 from plants that are in a moist atmosphere and high temperature 

 they are apt to suffer injory. If it is desirable to throw all the 

 plants into fruit at one time, and some of them are erratic, 

 give just sufiicient water to moisten the ball, and do not water 

 again except so far as to prevent the young fibres from receiving 

 injury. This ia the evil to be avoided in the case of keeping 

 any plants too dry for a purpose, for if the points of the small 

 hair-hke roots are killed, the chances of success are weakened 

 to an enormous extent. We have not yet potted the young 

 plants raised from rootless suckers in Aupust last year. We 

 find it necessary to grow them in a low },it where the tempe- 

 rature cannot be kept up over 5.5° in cold weather, whereas to 

 pow the plants well Gu° to 65" would be better. We hope to 

 have an opportunity to pot them in a week or two ; they are 

 now growing very well in G and 7-inch pots. If possible they 

 will be repotted in 11 and 12-inch pots, using good turfy loam 

 with a fifth part of decayed manure ard a flinch potful of 

 crushed bones to each barrowload of loam. We were very nn- 

 anccessful with the Pines when driven to use our own light 

 sandy loam, but when a good yellow slightly unctuous loam was 

 obtained an improvement was evident in larger and better fruit. 

 In our own soil the growth was all that could be desired, in- 

 deed better than in the more clayey loam, tut fruit did not 

 show 80 quickly, and when it did the pips never swells d well; 

 it seemed that all the potting material became exhausted in the 

 formation of large leaves. See page 87 for iottructious as to 

 »ii-giving, Ac. 



PEACH HOUSE. 



Thia is excellent weather for fruit setting. Indeed it is a 



question whether January has not beenagocd month for forcing 

 Peaches, notwithstanding the enormous rainfall. The weather 

 has been mild, and air could be admitted freely. Windy days 

 were prevalent, and it has been stated that in countries w-here 

 the Peach does well as standards in the open air cold winds are 

 frequent when the trees are in flower, yet the blossoms set well. 

 A distinction, however, must be made between cold winds and 

 frosty winds ; air-giving must be conducted with caution when 

 their icy breath freezes the ground under our feet. In the 

 earliest house the fruit must be all well set, and it ought to be 

 freely thinned- out before it injures the trees. The first thinning 

 should be made when the fruit is well set, and the last at the 

 commencement of stoning. Syringe freely on fine days, and 

 as in the case of Pines, close early to utilise sun beat. The 

 great importance of making sure that the inside borders are not 

 too dry has been frequently urged ; if the roots are in an over- 

 dry medium failure is certain. Even this may occur when the 

 gardener thinks that everything is all right. A rich dressing of 

 loam and manure is placed over the surface, with the result 

 that the surface waterings keep this constantly moist, while 

 the soil beneath may be dust-dry; see that this is not bo. Of 

 course where the roots are outside and not protected in any way, 

 except by a covering of leaves or some similar material, the soil 

 will be wet enough. See that the Peach aphis does not gain a 

 foothold on the leaves. Syringing will not destroy this pest. 

 Fumigating with tobacco smoke is the best remedy, but it is 

 sometimes necessary to smoke three times before the insects 

 succumb. 



Straiohcrrles in Pots. — The first flowers of Black Prince were 

 open some time ago, but owing to the temperature of the house 

 having been too high and insufScient ventilation they have not 

 set well. The first sign of anything being wrong was the petals 

 not drrpping. When the petals hang on and increase in size it 

 is hkely to follow that the centre will be a blank. Later blcoms 

 have set well, for as soon as the etato of matters was observed 

 the temxjerature was lowered a few degrees, and more air was 

 admitted. We now water freely with manure water until about 

 the time of the fruit colouring, when the water is withheld. 

 Succession plants may be introduced into a higher temperature 

 at once, as they are now on the move in cool houses. Plants 

 intended to fiuit just before those out of doors, are stored ou 

 the shelves in tlie orchard house ; they require water about 

 twice a-week. 



FLOWEB GARnEN. 



Florists will now have plenty to do if they have full coUeo- 

 tions of what are usually designated florists' flowers. Auriculas, 

 if not already done, must be surface-dressed by removing an 

 inch or so of the old surface soil and replacing it with some 

 rich material. We began this work on our own collection the 

 last week in January and finished last week. Some few of 

 the plants were potted by way of experiment. The Auricula 

 wakes up from its winter sleep about the end of January or 

 first week in February, and root as well as top grows with 

 unwonted vigour, and it may be that if petting is performed at 

 this time a good result would follow. The plants will at least 

 make vigorous growth. All rootless offsets put in about Sep- 

 tember or early in October, if they remain through the winter 

 without producing any roots, they will strike out roots at this 

 time and start into free growth. A quantity of offsets were 

 also put in at the time of surface-dretsing the pots; they root 

 well in open frames at this time, and ought to be put in round 

 the sides of small pots in loam, sand, and leaf soil in about equal 

 proportions. There is every promise of an early bloom this 

 year, as many fine trusses are already far advanced. The plants 

 ought not to suffer for want of water after this time. And ven- 

 tilation is rather a ticklish question. The plants mast have 

 plenty of air, else the trusses are weak on the stem and likely to 

 lean over. Although we tie them to neat sticks for the flower 

 shows, these are not wanted ou the home stage, except in the 

 case of a very few weak-stemmed sorts. The Manchester growers 

 disdain sticks, even at an exhibition, and rather than show with 

 them they will unstick the plants in the morning and place 

 sticks to them again at night. 



We ran the hoe through the ground amongst Tulips. These 

 are coming up strongly. We have no' blanks, although there 

 has been so much wet that a fine bed of the old Giant Bromitou 

 Stock has been quite destroyed. Oa the first favourable oppor- 

 tunity a bed of Pansies will be planted out; these have been 

 wintered in pots and the pots placed in a cold frame. Carnations 

 and Picotees are making a start into growth, and if the present 

 mild weather continues we shall begin potting-off the plants. 



We are putting in cuttings of any bedding plants of which 

 the supply is not sufficient. Verbenas, Ageratums, and other 

 plants of a similar free-growing habit are better as grown from 

 spring-struck cuttings. All tho zonal Pelargoniums have been 

 potted-off or the plants have been planted in boxes. Stocks and 

 Asters, if they are intended for early flowering, should now be 

 sown in hotbeds, and all tender or half-hardy annuals may be 

 treated in the same way. Roses are starting into growth, but 

 we have not yet ventured to prune them. — J. DouanAs. 



