29G 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTIOULTUBE AND OOTTAGE GAKDENEK. 



I April 28, 1B69. 



Gesnera bnlboea. A? legardg Orchids, those who have only 

 one house to grow their whoio stock in roust maka a com- 

 promise in point of tempoiatuie between those which are 

 natives of hot, moist ciuntrien, and those which come from 

 cooler regions. To accomplish this a free circulation of air 

 should be kept up during the earlier part of the Jay. and even 

 a little at night, if possible, accompanied with a great amount 

 of atmospheric moisture ; and to accommodate with as little 

 isicriSce as possible such aa Aiirides, Saocolabiums, Dendro- 

 binms, itc, a considerable amount of heat should be shut in 

 ver3' early in the afternoon. Ceutradenias now exhausted with 

 flowering should be shaken oat of their pots and repotted. 

 Fibrous loam, fibrous heath soil, with charcoal and coarsa sand, 

 make an excellent compost for them. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GiRDEN. 



Took the opportunity of a dry day to sow the main orcns of 

 winter vegetables, asColewOrts. Brussels Sprouts, Savoys, Broc- 

 coli, &o. Sowed also Ltttuces, a few Cabbages, a pinch of 

 Cauliflower, and Walcheren Broccoli, though, as a general rule, 

 except late in autumn, we have never found anything to beat a 

 white Canlitlower, and from the London Market Cauliflower 

 downwards, we have always found the crops were vpry much 

 alike when well managed. Sowed also the last piece of Car- 

 rots, the first sowings coming up well, and the Onions coming 

 up well and regularly after the warm showers. Sowed also 

 Loeks, as few vegetables are more healthy. Once we never 

 could have enough huge white specimens to send to table, 

 whiter than the finest blanched Seakale, but now fine beds are 

 tuarcely touched. With something of the Onion about them, 

 many may eat them safely who could not partake of Onions, 

 and some, who should know, tell us that, instead of heating, 

 Leeks cool and purify the blood. 



Planted more Potatoes of the succession kinds ; the first are 

 just above ground. Our third lot in an earthen pit is looking 

 remarkably well, and is growing too strong and lengthy in this 

 weather, fully exposed though the plants are all day. To pre- 

 vent them growing much higher we have nipped out the ter- 

 minal bud of the shoot with the thumb and finger, or the point 

 of a sharp knife. This does not at all check robustness of 

 growth, or affect the produce, as cutting off a piece of the 

 haulm would bo almost snro to do. Sowed more Celery, and 

 pricked out in boxes and pots the earliest-sown. We have 

 several times spoken highly of the White Incomparable as a 

 dwarf kind, of which, if it is 15 inches in height, yen may 

 send a stiff plant or head a foot long to table ; but as there are 

 many complaints of failure respecting this variety, we would 

 say, that as it is a slow grower the plants should be forwarded 

 end be of a good size when planted out, savin June and the 

 beginning of July for main crops, and eariier for first crops, 

 when Celery is wanted in July. For tbe latter parpose the 

 plants must be encouraged at first under glass, and with a 

 little heat. 



Chives. — We mention this little plani because often we have 

 been under obligations to it. Frequently young Onicns are 

 much in demand, when not larger than stocking needles, for 

 soups, jellies, ire, and not nnfrequently when young Onions 

 are not to be had, unless when grown under glass, A few 

 Chives then come in us^f fr.l, and, well dressed, can hardly be 

 detected from young On. -us. Shred in soups, &a., they are 

 quite as good for giving fi-ivour. We have frequsntly put ha'.f 

 a dozen good roots in a ho'.'.rtd in order to have them early, 

 just as we would do with a few roots of Mint and Fennel, so as 

 to be mdependent of cold, frosty weather. 



FiiCIIT OARDEN. 



^ We find that the lime wash has kept the birds from our 

 Cherry and Apple trees, but soot and lime washing did not 

 save a fine row of dwarf Plum trees— onlv a few blooms are left, 

 and the trees were a thicket of bloom buds. Three years ago 

 they were served worse, for a great part of the wood buds were 

 also nipped out, and the fine shoots died during the summer. 

 This season a few dwarf Cherry trees were much picked, but 

 being closely netted afterwards, there will be enough buds for 

 a good crop if the flowers set fairly. Some bird-fanciers tell us 

 that even in such cases the birdsare our friends, as they go to 

 the buds that are infested with insects of some kind. Now, 

 we cannot be sure as to those buds that have had the centres 

 scooped out, but in the hundreds and thousands that are picked 

 and dropped, without scooping oat the centre, we have failed 



to discover any sort of insect or egg, even with a miorosoope to 



assist us. 



Peachps and Apricots. — Many are complaining of their trees 

 partly dying-off this season, and though ours looked very pro- 

 mising and full of bloom, we find that numbers of shoots are 

 dyiu;;', aud the bloom shrivelling up as if a hot blast had 

 passed over them, aud that, too, after the mild weather had set 

 in. We fear that tbe heat and dryness of last summer is 

 telling on them now. In our orchard houses we shall have a 

 fair crop if the fruit stand anything well, but we shall be saved 

 the trouble of picking off such quantities of fruit as we used 

 to do. Ttie bloom was more scant, we thought, than usual, and 

 as our sewage given last summer is showing its effects in the 

 increased vigour of the trees, we shall give less water lest the 

 wood bhould become too strong. Moderately strong wood well 

 ripened is to be desired, rather thtin luxuriant wood and huge 

 leaves. Some rather vigorous trees we shall not disbud so soon 

 as usual, and disbudding a little later will check luxuriance 

 and yet not affect the young fruit. Much may be done to check 

 excessive vigour at the roots, by the treatment given to tbe 

 young shoots, for roots and leaves will always have a relative 

 action. 



In viueiies we are removing the hardier plants on the stages, 

 and shall replace them with Ferns, fine-foliaged Begonias, 

 Achimenes, and Geeneras, that rather like the shade and heat. 

 We fchall be obliged to let the latest Vines now grow, and give 

 them a little help in a cold night. 



Melons. — We have not tried to be early this season ; in fact, 

 after the plants were strong we could not spare room under 

 glass for them, and we have large Cucumber plants in 8-ineh 

 pots that must wait a little longer before they are turned out. 

 Trained-out and disbudded the first bed of Melons, as detailed 

 in years gone by, and planted a iiit heated by hot water. To 

 save labour now in wheeling in soil, and afterwaid^ in wheeling 

 it out, we made a good deep ridge of soil, chiefly in the centre, 

 quite suflicient to carry a heavy crop of Melons. Back and 

 front are now filled with other things, and as the Melons grow, 

 spars or bruAwood will be placed back and front for the Melon 

 shoots to run over. Many years ago we grew fine Melons in 

 1.5-inch pots, aud ever since then we have found the plants 

 more fruitful when they had not such a mass of soil to root 

 in. We think the roots like depth more than width. 



Stritirhc):i<:s. — All those plants intended for forcing that did 

 not show fruit we have thrown away, as not to be so much 

 depended on as those that bloomed freely. For reasons given, 

 we have had more than the usual number of what are called 

 blind pots this season. Generally we prick out a lot of runners 

 in rich soil early every autumn, as, after standing the winter, 

 we could take up a lot if wanted for late forcing, such as now 

 and onward?, until they come in in the open air, but on closely 

 examining them we find that some sorts have grown but little, 

 and a great many as yet are showing no flower buds, aud we 

 hardly expect ihey will do so. One advantage of this pricking- 

 out i-ystem was, that in making fresh plantations in spring WB 

 could take up with balls the plants that were showing the fruit 

 buds, aud secure fruit-bearing plants ; and thus treated they 

 would strike freely into the fresh soil, and bear the first season. 

 We can only account for their present appearance from tbe 

 parching which the mother plants received last summer when 

 watering them was out of the question. For the same reason, 

 we do not expect such masses of bloom as usual from the 

 established plants out of doors. We shall save most of our 

 fruitful plants in pots for planting-cut, and may even repot a 

 few for early forcing. Tbe late plants in pots are showing 

 well, but, of course, they have had much more time. 



As respects taking up strong fruitful young plants now that 

 were pricked out in rich soil last autumn, some who have a 

 glass house may thus obtain fruit a few weeks earlier by merely 

 taking up with balls and potting them firmly. This plan, 

 however, will only succeed for late forcing; it will not do for 

 early forcing. For this purpose the plants must be established 

 in the pots, and the pots full of roots in thg previous autumn. 

 It will be an improvement if, in addition to potting now, the 

 pots could be plunged in a mild hotbed out of doore, and only 

 placed under glass when the fresh roots were clinging to the 

 sides of the pots. We have often treated them in tbis way, 

 and most likely will pot a number of plants in a few days. We 

 have also made a slight hotbed covered with earth, and turned 

 such plants into it at once, but giving plenty of air until the 

 plants were rooting freely. These modes enable us to keep up 

 a succession without having so many pots filled all autumn and 

 winter. Wherever there is a lawn, short grass, and tree leaves. 



