Ma; 18, 1869. ] 



J0T3KNAL OF HORTICOLTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



327 



TTork in ridge-and-furrow, and with whom firing and air-givinR 

 are merely matters of chance and routine. At tho age o( 

 twenty-five yon ought, if resolved, to do as much in one year 

 aa youths at fifteen or sixteen would do in several years. The 

 neighbourhood of London cannot be beaten for opportunities, 

 but there are plenty of schools for learciug gardening all over 

 Uie country. — E. F. 



SYRINGING ORCILVRDHOUSE TREES WHEN 

 IN BLOSSOM. 



I SEE by The Jocrnal of Horticdlture of May Cth that the 

 crop of Peaches, Apricots, and Nectarines is a failing one. I 

 suppose this applies to walls. Here, where we cannot grow 

 these fruits on the open walls, it applies to Plums on walls, and 

 the other f rnit above-mentioned in orchard houses ; bat I do not 

 ■write exactly to say this, but to give my experience in syring- 

 ing orchard-house trees when in blossom, aa it is so opposed to 

 what I take to be the orthodox opinions on the subject. 



Last year, when my orchard-house trees were in full bloom, 

 my man (a common labourer), syringed them very freely ; and 

 when I came to discover this, thinking I knew all about it, I 

 told him he had rained the crop. However, this was so far 

 from being the case that I had the most profuse crop I ever 

 saw in an orchard house ; but thinking the success was in 

 spite of, and not in consequence of, this syringing, I took care 

 to warn him against doing so again, and, with the exceptions 

 below, I have no Peaches or other stone fruit. The exceptions 

 are a Peach and a Nectarine, which bloomed much later 

 than the other trees, and my man begged he might be allowed 

 to syringe them. He did so with a very fine rose, and fre- 

 quently when in bloom, and upon these two trees I have 

 profuse crops. 



Pears in the orchard house and on walls are generally looking 

 well, the exceptions being some that I considered most certain 

 bearers, among which are Louise Bonne, Beurro Clairgeau, 

 and some others. 



Plums on walls and on standards seemed to set profusely, 

 but when the fruit reached the size of Eadish seeds, their 

 growth stopped, and they dropped off by thousands, leaving 

 very few on the tree for a crop. — T. G., CUthcroe, 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



The International Hokticultdral Exhibition at St. 

 Petersruro commences on the 17th inst. Dr. Hogg has been 

 officially appointed the Commissioner and representative there 

 of the Royal Horticultural Society. In answer to several 

 querists, a Russian passport is needed. 



We have to announce the death, on Monday last, of 



Sir Charles Wentworth Dilke, Bart. He died suddenly at 

 St. Petersburg, to which capital he had repaired as the repre- 

 sentative of England at the forthcoming exhibition of the 

 Russian Horticultural Societies. The deceased baronet was 

 the only son of Mr. Charles Wentworth Dilke, sometime editor 

 of the AthencBum, and also editor of the well-known collection 

 of Old Plays. He was born on the ISth of February, ISIO, 

 and was educated at Westminster and at Trinity Hall, Cam- 

 bridge, where he graduated in law instead of arts. For a 

 short time he studied law ; but afterwards gave up his leisure 

 to the affairs of three or four of the learned societies. He 

 took a prominent part in the Society of Arts, of which he was 

 for some years chairman of the Council, and also in the Royal 

 Horticultural Society. At the boards of these Societies he be- 

 came acquainted with the Prince Consort, whom he assisted in 

 carrying out many pnbhe improvements which are associated 

 with the Prince's name. He was one of the first promoters of 

 the Great Exhibition of 1851, and acted as^one of the Executive 

 Committee. He was then offered the honour of knighthood, 

 and by the Royal Commission a large pecuniary reward. The 

 knighthood he declined, and the gift of money he returned. 

 When the second Great Exhibition — that of 18G'2 — was pro- 

 posed, the Government appointed him one of the five Royal 

 Commissioners for conducting it ; and on the Prince Consort's 

 unexpected demise. Her Majesty, in a manner that was equally 

 striking and gracious, conferred upon him the honour of a 

 baronetcy. Sir C. Wentworth Dilke entered parliament as 

 member for Wallingford in 1865, which he represented during 

 the Russell-Gladstone and Derby-Disraeli administrations. He 

 was a Justice of the Peace for the county of Middlesex, a Fellow 

 of the Society of Antiquaries, a Fellow of the Royal Geogra- 



phical Society, a trustee of the Soane Museum, and an active 

 member of many other public and learned bodies. He was 

 also a proprietor of the Gardeners' Chronicle. For some time 

 past he had been in failing health, and the extreme inclemency 

 of the weather in the north of Europe aggravated his disease. 

 He married Mary, daughter of Captain Chatfield, of the Madras 

 Cavalry, by whom (now dead), he had issue Charles Wentworth, 

 the member for Chelsea, who succeeds to the baronetcy. 



■WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



kitchen garden. 

 Asparaijus, the beds are now coming into full bearing, the 

 practice of allowing the shoots to grow longer out of the ground 

 before cutting is becoming more generally adopted and ought 

 to be universal ; 1 or 1 j inch below the surface is quite enough. 

 Do not permit any shoots to run up at present, not even weak 

 ones, and as occasion offers give the beds a good supply of 

 manure water with a little salt dissolved in it. Cape Broccoli 

 and CauUttoicers may still be sown for a late crop, but there 

 must be no delay. Continue to plant out Cauliflowers and 

 Cabbages from the nursery beds as they become large enough, 

 and keep the earth well stirred about those advancing. Look 

 out for slugs. These are numerous just now. There is 

 nothing equal to frequent applications of quicklime. Plant 

 out the earliest forwarded Ihearf Kidney Beans on a warm 

 sheltered border; at the same time try the effect of potting 

 a few in the manner usually adopted for forcing, retain them 

 in heat for a time, and then stand the pots close under a 

 south wall. They will come into bearing before those planted 

 out, particularly if occasional applications of liquid manure 

 be afforded them. Bath Cos Lettuce, tie up a few for blanch- 

 ing. A few at a time only should be done, and they must be 

 quite dry when tied or they will decay. Sow successions of 

 Lettuce every three weeks ; Mustard and Cress every four or 

 five days ; and Badishes every ten days, all in quantities pro- 

 portionate to the demand. A few of the earliest Radishes shonld 

 be left to produce pods for pickling. Peas which are now 

 growing strong and healthy, must have great attention m 

 keeping the surface soil well loosened to preserve them in a 

 free-growing state. Get a ridge prepared, if not done already, 

 for turning out Cucumbers and Vegetable Marrows under hand- 

 glasses. There is no better plan than the usual one of throwing 

 out a trench 4 feet wide, filling it with fermenting matter, 

 and returning the soil, but if this is not of a light natnie 

 there had better be some prepared light compost laid where 

 the glasses are placed. Tomatoes, Cajtsicums, Chillies, and 

 Basil should now be undergoing the process of hardening-c£E 

 previous to planting out. A portion of the latter three must 

 be retained in heat for an early supply. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



Climbing plants should now receive the attention they 

 deserve. Aim at order and regularity in placing and fastening 

 the shoots, by nailing or tying to the wall or trellis. This 

 should be scrupulously attended to throughout the season, 

 it will not only ipreserve the young shoots from being broken 

 by the winds, but will likewise prevent that slovenly ap- 

 pearance we too often see of chmbers rambling in confusion 

 and destroying each other, from want of a httle judicious at- 

 tention and care. Preparations should now be made for bed- 

 ding-out ; if the beds have been properly prepared as formerly 

 directed, let this be done without delay. See that standard 

 Roses are properly secured against high winds, and the cater- 

 pillar and green fly. Those which were budded last season 

 should be again gone over, and aU the buds and suckers which 

 proceed from the stock destroyed. The inserted buds whito 

 have made shoots should he stopped back to three joints, which 

 will cause them to take a firmer hold of the stock, and vnU 

 greatly increase the size of the bead. From those which are 

 intended for budding upon this season rub off all the buds 

 with the exception of three well-placed ones at the top of the 

 stock. Make a partial sowing of Sweet WiUiams, Antirrhi- 

 nums, Bfompton Stocks, and other biennials in the reserve 

 garden. Pinks will be aU the better for a top-dressing ol 

 decayed cow manure, and make a selection of the stem or 

 stems for blooming, bearing in mind that the greater the num- 

 ber of flowers each plant has to bring to maturity the smaller 

 they will be. Tulips are now in full bloom ; carefully go over 

 the bed, book in hand, and make necessary memoranda as 

 to the alterations requisite for the next season. Probably 

 some tall-growing varieties may be in the first or outside row, 



