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JOURNAL OF HORTICUIiTDBB AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



t May 31, 1877. 



Pears and Plums very badly. The weather is not at all favoar- 

 able to the setting of Apples which are now iu flower, bat we 

 hope if the nights do not become colder that a sufficient num- 

 ber will set, for a crop. Tho weather is still very cold with 

 east and north-east winds blowing. 



It is now time to look over IVrtfs on tcalls. The shoots have 

 grown sufficiently to show which are the best bunches, and the 

 sooner superfluous growths are removed bo much the better lor 

 those that remain. We continually advocate thinning-out the 

 growths of all fruit trees sufficiently, and Vines on walls out of 

 doors are not exceptions to this rule. The best variety of out- 

 of-doors Grape is the Royal Muscadine, and it succeeds on even 

 low walls, bearing good crops of fruit ; but to succeed with it 

 the Vine mu6t be furnished with a few young growths from the 

 base annually, and the stronger the growth made by these so 

 much more freely will they produce fruit, and the bunches will 

 also be large in proportion to the strength of the canes. Weakly 

 growths from closely spurred-in old canes seldom produce any 

 fruit, and when this is the case the best plan is to cut them 

 down to the base at once. We have looked over a few of the 

 wall trees which are bearing little or no fruit, and find that they 

 are making much young wood; we stopped and removed all 

 lateral growths according to instructions previously given for 

 this work. 



VINERIES. 



Fruit is colouring very well in the earliest house. Black 

 Hamburghs usually colour best in dull weather and when the 

 fruit is pretty well shaded by the leaves. White Grapes require 

 opposite treatment, exposure to the sun causing the fruit to 

 take on that amber colour so much esteemed in well-grown speci- 

 mens. Much attention is required in the latest houses where 

 the Vines have started without artificial heat. In one house 

 the fruit is set, and iu another the blnasoms are opening. The 

 temperature ought not to fall below 7U° at night in the Muscat 

 house, and 05° in that devoted to those sorts requiring the heat 

 of a Hamburgh house. Tying down and stopping the lateral 

 growths must be continued as they require it. One seldom sees 

 the growths trained as ihey ought to be — that is, regularly over 

 the surface of the trellis, and all at one angle from the main rod. 

 Every growth ought also to be trained under the wires. It re- 

 quires some care to do this, but it can usually be done. Stop 

 the growths when it is necessary, taking out the tips of the 

 shoots an inch or two in length. 



After the fruit is set in any house the shoots will have grown 

 sufficiently to be inarched, if it is intended to do this. We have 

 inarched Gros Colman on the Muscat of Alexandria by way of 

 esperiment. The Muscat is a good stock for many differ.^nt 

 sorts of Vines, and we fancy that it will do well for this variety 

 especially to iitprove the flavour. We have heard it stated 

 several times that it matters not what stock is used, as the roots 

 are just what the leaves make them ; this opinion we cannot 

 endorse, as it has again and again been proved that the roots 

 have considerable influence on the stock. Gros Guillaume 

 (Barbarossa so called) is a bad stock. Lady Downe's is not a 

 good stock either for some sorts of Vines. We prefer Black 

 Hamburgh and Muscat to any other. When the growths are of 

 the same thickness a slice ought to be cut from each to the 

 centre of the pith, and when the two are fastened closely 

 together the union is often so perfect that it is difficult to find 

 the place after two or three years' growth. The union is never 

 so perfect when the wood is brown and hard before the opera- 

 tion is performed. -Vfter a period of dull cold weather Vines 

 often suffer with a sudden change to warm sunny days. The 

 ventilators ought to be freely opened to prevent the scalding of 

 the leaves, and the check to growth sometimes bringa quantities 

 of red spider. 



CUCUMBERS AND MELONS. 



The value of heated structures for these has been fully 

 proved this season. Xotwithstanding the cold both Melons and 

 Cucumbers have done well in heated houses, but they grew very 

 slowly in frames, where they could only be induced to progress 

 freely by supplying fresh linings as the others became cold. 

 This may still be done by merely turning the old linings over 

 and adding fresh stable manure or leaves to it. Overwatering 

 is to be avoided. Plants in frames are not likely to become too 

 dry, as they are when the heat is kept up from hot-water pipes. 

 While the weather continues so cold and damp it is not safe to 

 water the plants at night; better do it in the forenoon, closing 

 the frames early, say about three or towards four o'clock, as the 

 sun may be shiniUK or not, and covering the glass with mats to 

 retain the heat. We pinch and train the growths on Cucumber 

 and Melon plants in frames, and in houses very much in the 

 same way as is done with Vines, and it is equally important to 

 pinch early to prevent overgrowth. Melons traiued to trellises 

 innst have the fruit supported in some way before it is nearly 

 ripe, else it will drop on to the ground and may be injured. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



There is a difficulty at this season to find room for all the 

 occupants of the greenhouse, and those who grow a little of 

 almoat everything in a small space have their inventive energies 



sorely taxed to do justice to all their plants. Plants do not 

 look well if they are not placed so close to each other that the 

 stage underneath does not show conspicuously through amongst 

 the flowers and foliage ; and, again, many Cape and New Holland 

 plants ought not to be shaded from the sun unless it shines un- 

 usually fierce. But what becomes of Azaleas, Pelargoniums, &e., 

 that are in flower if they are subjected to the same treatment? 

 To grow hardwooded plants well there ought to he a special 

 house for them when they are removed from the show house 

 and also before the flowers open, and if possible it ought to be 

 in two compartments, as some species require much more air 

 and less heat than others. As the flowers of Azaleas, Heaths, 

 and other plants of this nature fade they ought to be removed 

 at once, as nothing is so untidy as decaying flowers, nor so in- 

 jurious to the plants as to let them remain on after they have 

 faded. We have been tying and training different species of 

 hardwooded plants, and looking over them carefully to detect 

 any trace of red spider or mildew ; both are very troublesome. 

 Amongst greenhouse plants in flower at the present time may 

 be named Hedaroma tulipifera and Pimelea spectabilis. Hovea 

 Celsii is just over, but its peculiar deep blue flowers are con- 

 tinued by those of Statioe profasa and S. Holfordi. Ericas of 

 sorts are extremely elegant, and the flowers of many of the 

 species, including such as E. ventrioosa magnifica, E. v. Both- 

 welliana, E. v. grandiflora, E. v. rubra, and E. Cavendiahiana — 

 always such a conspicuous object at flower shows — are very 

 useful for cutting, the small sprays being charming when placed 

 in small glass vases. There ia quite a wealth of flowers of this 

 class just now, but we will only name three more — viz., Boronia 

 elatior. This flue species we feel inclined to place at the top of 

 the list; its deep rose flowers are elegantly placed on slender 

 stalks, and are very pretty amongst the finely divided leaves. 

 B. pinnata is an old favourite not so much known as it ought to 

 be, and is one of the best. B. serrulata makes a very neat com- 

 pact bush, and is quite worthy of being named with the other 

 two. All the three species are well adapted for exhibition and 

 are beautiful in the greenhouse. As we write this the weather 

 is much warmer, and more air can be left on the greenhouses at 

 night. Except tying-in a few plants and re-arranging others on 

 the stage we have not done much other work in this department 

 this week. 



FLORIST FLOWERS. 



Tulips are in full flower with us, indeed many blooms remain 

 open at night, a sign that the petals will soon drop. I'^xoept 

 shading from the sun and protecting from frosts at night no 

 other attention is required. Pinks will be the next to flower, 

 and sticks must be placed to the spindles as soon as possible. 

 The beds ought to have been mulched with decayed manure, but 

 it has been neglected. Carnations and Picotees are doing very 

 well, as until the middle of May the pots were protected with glass 

 lights. With fine weather they will grow apace, and the flower 

 stalks will require fastening to the sticks as the plants advance 

 in growth. We have finished potting the Auriculas, both show 

 varieties and Alpines. All such work ought to be done in good 

 time ; we seldom have any to do after May. Good turfy loam 

 about four parts, leaf soil one part, and a little cow manure 

 was the potting material used. No plants are potted into pots 

 larger than 5 inches in diameter. The pots are well drained, 

 and the compost is pressed in firmly with the fingers. A recent 

 writer in the Journal (Mr. Bullock) has given very good in- 

 structions for potting Auriculas. — J. Douglas. 



TRADE CATALOGUE RECEIVED. 

 Ewing & Co., Royal Norfolk Noraeriea, Newmarket, Norwich. 

 — Descriptive List of Clematises. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



*,* All correspondence should be directed either to "The 

 Editors," or to " The Pablisher." Letters addressed to 

 Mr. Johnson or Dr. Hogg often remain unopened unavoid- 

 ably. We request that no one will write privately to any 

 of our correspondents, as doing so subjects them to un- 

 justifiable trouble and expense. 

 Correspondents should not mix up on the same sheet ques- 

 tions relating to Gardening and those on Poultry and Bee 

 subjects, and should never send more than two or three 

 questions at once. All articles intended for insertion should 

 be written on one side of the paper only. We cannot 

 reply to questions through the post. 

 EoSES (r. S.).— Tho lime iiliicod on the Burtace of the soil for the pur- 

 pose you name will not iojure the Roses, but we should oocaaionally use Boot 

 matead of lime, which would be beneticial to them. 



Beauty of Glszenwood Rose (C. H.).— The bloom sent is Fortune's 

 Yellow, which occasionally produces flowers flaked with rose. Disappoint- 

 ment would not have been caused had not the Rose been sent out under 

 another name. It is a distinct and attractive Rose. 



Adiantdm farleyense (T. R. M. -E.).— The frond sent is very atttactiTei 

 and in exoelleut health. Has the plant received peculiar treatment 7 



