May 24, 1677. ] 



JOUKNAL OF HOBTICULTDKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



389 



eize and good in every way. Keswick Codlin I destroyed ; the 

 tree was old, and there are better Apples at the date. Greasy 

 Coat I knew in Cambridgeshire as a good Apple, and deserves 

 its not very polite name. Mr. Abbey's article (page 323) on 

 the subject of fruit culture is worth}' of close attention, and 

 places fairly before all the relative merits of orchard and 

 garden fruit-growing, and standard and pyramid merits. The 

 amateur must, I think, look to the latter for interest and 

 amusement and the highest character of fruit. I own I think 

 the pyramids very interesting. The eye is close to the bloom 

 to observe its beauty; the hand can readily form the tree; 

 then the beauty of the fruit as to shape and colour is more 

 prominently seen than in wall trees, or more particularly in 

 standards. A well-grown, and coloured, and prettily shaped 

 Pear never looks so well as when depending from the branches 

 of a nicely formed pyramid. Let our nurserymen strive to 

 bring out beautifully coloured and pleasingly shaped Apples 

 and Pears, and issue illustrated catalogues of the same, and 

 fruit culture will receive a great impetus. — Wiltshire Rectob. 



THE NATIONAL KOSE SOCIETY. 

 My good friend " Wtld Savage," in his rather mournful 

 lament over the Rose, seems to fear that we are not progress- 

 ing as he would wish. I do not share his fears, although I 

 could wish that more lovers of the Rose would join ; but with 

 a donation list of nearly £130 exclusive of £60 in cups, and 

 with nearly two hundred members, I think we have made a 

 very fair start. The annourseement in last week's Journal 

 that Mr. Newman will take the management of the Show 

 (assisted, I hope, by Mr. John Mackenzie), will, I am sure, 

 commend itself to your correspondent ; as will also the fact I 

 am now enabled to announce, that our excellent friend Canon 

 Hole will preside at the dinner at St. James's Hall on the day. 

 It promises to be, as he says, a good Rose year; and if all our 

 friends would only exert themselves as some have done we 

 should have a still more flourishing tale to tell. — D., Deal. 



As soon as spring bedding plants are past their best remove 

 them. All such that are increased by division of the roots should 

 be divided and planted in suitable positions in a shaded border. 

 Daisies, Forget-me-nots, I'ftnsies, Polj-anthns, and Primroses 

 are all increased in this way. Wallflowers are raised from seed, 

 which should be sown thinly at the present time, the seedlings 

 to be afterwards transplanted in order to keep them dwarf and 

 sturdy. The planting-out of summer bedding plants may now 

 be proceeded with ; although the weather is very cold, yet there 

 is an absence of frost, and warmer days may be expected. One 

 of the principal objects to be kept in view is never to plant when 

 the soil in the pots is dust-dry, for if planted in that state no 

 amount of rain, or watering given to the flower beds will render 

 the growth of the plants satisfactory. See, therefore, that the 

 soil in the pots is in a healthily moist condition before planting. 



Some of the more select bedding plants— such as Colenses, 

 Calceolarias, Geraniums, Petunias, and Lobelias— if not required 

 for bedding can be potted for famishing the greenhouse during 

 the summer months. Any spring-struck Geraniums shouldbe 

 treated in the same manner, and they will bloom well during 

 the autumn. 



Rosea are now beginning to grow, and it is necessary to repeat 

 that worms in the buds must be sharply looked for ; we have 

 plenty of them, and it is only by keeping a sharp look-out 

 almost daily that they can be kept under. 



Herbs are always in request, and should be grown in every 

 garden. Mint, Thyme, Sage, Tarragon, Winter and Summer 

 Savory, Pot and Sweet Marjoram, Basil, Fennel, Borage, and 

 Balm are among the most iu request. Sage, Mint, and 'Thyme 

 are no doubt more used than any others. Sage is readily in- 

 creased by cuttings and seeds. Mint requires transplanting 

 every two or three years. Thyme, of which there are two or 

 three sorts, ia best procured from seeds sown at the present 

 time, it may be also increased by division. Tarragon, like Mint, 

 is improved by being divided and occasionally transplanted, it 

 I will also require protection from slugs when coming through the 

 ground. Basil, Borage, and Sweet Marjoram may be sown in 

 the open ground when required ; the seed can be bought cheaply. 

 As the summer advances all kinds of herbs can be cut and dried 

 in order to preserve a supply during the winter months. 



NOTES ON VILLA and SUBURBAN GARDENING. 



May has indeed been very fickle ; for the most part the 

 month has been cold and cheerless, but the rains which followed 

 the protracted cold east winds have been highly beneficial to 

 vegetation, and on ground that was not well stirred with the 

 hoe during dry weather weeds have grown apace and must be 

 promptly destroyed, for if they are allowed to remain such 

 troublesome weeds as Chickwetd not only speedily exhaust the 

 soil but otherwise injure young seedling pl.ints; encourage, 

 therefore, the growth of all growing crops by forking and hoeing 

 between them. The earliest-sown Cauliflowers, Cabbages, and 

 Brussels Sprouts will shortly be large enough for planting-out. 

 These are much better planted while young instead of being 

 left in the seed beds to become drawn. Thin all advancing 

 crops, such as Onions, Carrots, Parsnips, A;c. If Onions are 

 likely to be short make another sowing ; they will be useful for 

 drawing young or for pickling. More Peas, Dwatf Kidney and 

 Runner Beans can be sown. Draw the soil on each side, and 

 place sticks to thoee crops sufiiciently advanced. Radishes, 

 Spinach, or other light crops may be sown between fruit bushes 

 or between the rows of Peas. Small sowings of all kinds of 

 salad should be repeated often. Lettuce with us answers best 

 if sown in drills, thinning the plants out in time and allowing 

 them to attain their full size where sown. By doing this they 

 have not such a tendency to bolt as when they have been 

 transplanted. Paris White Cos and its selected stocks — Kings- 

 holm White Cos and Alexandra White Cos, are undoubtedly the 

 best for summer use, and "heart" without much trouble of 

 tying them up. Lettuces which have stood the winter are now 

 turning in, and the Cos varieties may be assitted to blanch by 

 tying them with a small piece of mattmg. 



Frames and pita where bedding plants have been protected 

 daring the winter and spring months should now be turned to 

 account for growing late crops of Melons and Cucumbers. They 

 will require less heating material now than in the early spring 

 months ; still a good quantity of well prepared dung is a de- 

 sideratum. Let the dung be thrown in evenly and worked 

 about with a fork. Allow it to settle, and place some good soil 

 raised in the centre of each light. Melons require much heavier 

 soil than Cucumbers. Shade slightly when first planted, yet 

 inure the plants to the light ond sou. When established give 

 plenty of air and water during hot weather, and close the frames 

 about 4 or .3 I'.m., and open them in the morning as early as the 

 weather permits. Do not let the plants ramble wildly, but keep 

 them within bounds by regulating the branches and stopping 

 the joints. Telegraph is a good Cucumber for all purposes, and 

 of Melons Victory of Bath and Monro's Little Heath are both 

 comparatively hardy, and arc useful sorts. 



DOINGS OP THE LAST AND WORK FOR 

 THE PRESENT WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



A FAvocKABLE change has taken place in the weather, the 

 cold, keen, east winds having been succeeded by refreshing 

 showers. An excellent opportunity has thus been afforded for 

 planting out all crops of vegetables and salads which were wait- 

 ing, and for filling up spaces where plants had died or been 

 eaten ofl by marauders. We should have again run the hoe 

 through tbe soil amongst many crops and also the fruit-tree 

 borders to kill incipient weeds, but ail our available force was 

 wanted in the flower garden. However, those who have a large 

 kitchen garden to manage will now be very busy in getting 

 everything in a forward state. Two sowings of Peas at least 

 ought to be made this month. During the first week in the 

 month we sowed Standard, Dr. Hogg, Dr. McLean, Veitch's 

 Perfection, and G. F. Wilson, which may be termed a good 

 selection of Perfection. It is neither necessary nor is it desirable 

 to sow a very Urge number of different varieties ot Peas, but it 

 is well to sow good early and good late sorts together, so that 

 when the early varieties are about over the late sorts will be 

 comicg in. Celery ought not to be neglected at this season. 

 Those who sow in frames must be careful not to subject the 

 plants to sudden changes. Such weather as the present is a 

 good time to turn the plants out in the open air if this has not 

 already been done. 



H.ARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 



The anxious cultivator will pay frequent visits to his wall 

 trees this month, and where fruit has suffered from frosts the 

 effect is now apparent. Apricots which were set before the 

 Eevero frosts occurred and have been protected since are now safe, 

 and the fruit must be thinned out where necessary. It is bad 

 policy to allow the fruit to swell to a considerable size and then 

 remove it. As soon as it can be seen that the fruit is set very 

 nearly all that is not wanted should be removed, leaving a small 

 margin in case ot accidents. Peaches and Nectarines flower 

 later and do not require to be thinned out so soon as Apricots ; 

 but the trees are subject to the attacks of aphis, which the 

 .■Vpricot is not, and if any leaves are curled it is a sure sign o£ 

 the presence of this pest. The insects ought to be destroyed 

 before the leaves are much curled, as when they are in that 

 state the water does not reach them. Syringing three or 

 four times with soapy water will destroy the insects if they are 

 taken in an early stage, but one does sometimes see trees so 

 much neglected tbat half or three parts of the le.ives are curled. 

 When this is the case it is almost impossible to reach the insects 

 by syringing. The trees may be fumigated if coverings are 

 nailed close to the top of the wall and are allowed to hang over 



