344 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENEE. 



[ May 20, 1869. 



giving definite form to the tree. In France this system of bi- 

 furcation ia carried to a wonderful degree of neatness, the 

 branches being trained to cross each other regularlj', and hy 

 being grafted together, or inarched (of which a few words here- 

 after), at the points of crossing, very firm baskets are made; 

 but we English are too fond of practical results to sacrifice the 

 fruit for the basket, however pretty it may be, and I fear these 

 very artificial forms are not productive ; I have endeavoured, 

 therefore, to give as models those forms which are at once grace- 

 ful, easily gi-own, and productive in the highest degree. — 



W. KiNGSLEY. 



(To be continned.) 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAKDEN. 



The late rains have been favourable for transplanting. Make 

 good failures in the early-planted crops. Axporafins beds will 

 be greatly benefited by liberal waterings with manure water 

 from the stable or farmyard, especially if the plants are weak. 

 Endive, let a sowing be made directly. Cauliflowrr, sow for 

 late use. Peas, put in a good breadth of Knight's Dwarf Green 

 Marrow or some other suitable variety for late crops. Situation 

 has doubtlesB much to do with the proper selection of a variety 

 for late bearing, but we have found nothing among the many 

 new varieties which we Lave tried equal to this for resisting 

 the attacks of mildew, and very few surpass it in quality. The 

 rows should be prepared after the manner of Celery drills, and 

 the manure completely saturated with water. Kidnei/ Beans, 

 let full crops be planted forthwith, and plant out those that 

 have been raised under glass. Spumch, attend to keeping up a 

 regular succession. 2'»n!i/K, fcatter a little of the Early Dutch 

 on a cool border, neither digging nor using manure. It is a 

 mistaken notion to persist in digging ground for these in kitchen 

 gardens so fall of old manures, the Turnip being naturally too 

 gross there under any circumstances. Always choose the 

 hardest and poorest ground you can find, and merely hoe the 

 seed in. By these means you will always obtain good Turnips. 

 Nothing can exceed well-burned ashes of any vegetable refuse 

 for the Turnip. Tomatoes, plant them out against the walls, 

 also Veffetable Marrous and Ridge Cucumbers under the shelter 

 of hand-glasses. 



FRUIT GAEDEN. 



Strawberries in blossom must be well watered. Cover the 

 rows with the old pit linings, chiefly half-rotten leaves, and 

 water over this. Eemove some of the watery wood from the 

 Currant bushes, and thin Baspberry suckers. Where the 

 Gooseberry trees are much infested with the caterpillar, if a 

 quantity of Foxglove leaves can be procured and steeped in 

 boiling water, and the water when cold strained through a cloth 

 sieve, syringing with it will effectually destroy the pest ; but 

 the fruit must not be used until alter the trees have been well 

 washed with rain. Attend to regulating the growth of trees 

 designed to be trained in any particular form, stopping useless 

 shoots to throw more strength into those that are wanted. 



FLOWEH CAEDEN. 



It is now high time for bedding-out some of the mass flowers, 

 at least such as are least liable to injury by frost, and have 

 undergone a proper hardening process. Much may be done as 

 to display by a judicious arrangement or combination of both 

 colour and figure. As a general principle, our best authorities 

 seem to agree that the various shades of orange and yellow 

 will class well with the various purples and blues ; whites are 

 suitable with the blues, oranges, and reds. 'Whites, however, 

 derange the effect of the yellows, as also the violet shades, 

 whilst the various red or rose-coloured tiowers are, as far as 

 colour is concerned, capable of forming a bed by themselves. 

 That the proper keeping of the garden may be as little inter- 

 fered with as possible, through the litter and confusion conse- 

 quent en " turning out," use every dispatch to complete the 

 work. If, however, any portion of the stock is not suiliciently 

 prepared, allow it to remain under glass as much longer as may 

 be necessary, and plant out nothing but strong plants that 

 have been carefully inured to the sun and air, for weakly, ill- 

 prepared plants are so much at the mercy of the weather, that 

 it is folly to depend upon their covering the ground in anv 

 reasonable time. Give sufficient water to settle the soil about 

 the balls of the plants the first warm morning after planting, 

 and give no more until the soil becomes dry, unless warm, dry- 

 ing weather should set in, and then a gentle sprinkling every 

 Morning will greatly benefit the plants. 



GEEENHOCSB AND CONSEBVATORT. 



As the time when plants are in bloom is the only interesting 

 period of their growth to the majority of their admirers, it is 

 always desirable to prolong it, and to allow them to be examined 

 without subjecting visitors either to an over-heated or an over- 

 moist atmosphere. For this purpose, where there is no con- 

 servatory, a suitable house could be appropriated for the more 

 showy specimens when in flower, where the necessary shading 

 to preserve them in perfection for as long a time as possible 

 can be given without interfering with anything else. The want 

 of such a structure is more generally felt in the garden of the 

 country gentleman, where a variety of plants are scattered 

 through the pineries, vineries, and other houses, where their 

 beauty is lost when in bloom, owing to the want of some 

 separate house in which they can be seen to advantage. Of 

 course, these remarks do not refer to regular plant houses, but 

 even with these it will at some season be desirable to remove 

 very showy plants to a house such as I have pointed out, 

 rather than allow them to be subjected to treatment not al- 

 ways favourable for the preservation of their bloom. The plan 

 is now adopted in some leading nurseries, and, doubtless, will 

 soon become common, from the many advantages it presents ; 

 and the smallest gardens will possess their show house for dis- 

 playing the stock of plants in flower. The construction of such 

 houses may be more architectural and less dependent on 

 aspect than houses constructed for the growth of plants only. 

 For hardy plants to be potted and prepared for next season, 

 the common Mandarin and Otaheitan Oranges can be strongly 

 recommended, as valuable plants for forcing into bloom in the 

 winter months. For this purpose, keep them rather under- 

 potted, and pinch the young wood back, to form bushy, compact 

 specimens. Daphne indica and Daphne indica rubra, are valu- 

 able as winter-flowering plants, as well as for their fragrance. 

 The Chinese Azaleas which have been some time growing, 

 should be kept in heat until they have sot their buds, when 

 they may be removed to the open air, as may the Oranges, 

 when the shoots become firm. A stock of common and Anne 

 Boleyn Pinks for forcing, as well as the perpetual-flowering 

 tree Carnations, should likewise be brought forward, the latter 

 are valuable acquisitions. In mixed greenhouses fires may 

 now be nearly or entirely dispensed with, if the weather is 

 genial, and accompanied with bright sunshine, heat sufficient 

 for the night may be secured by shutting up early, not, how- 

 ever, soon enough to scorch. A general rule can scarcely be 

 laid down in such cases to guide the inexperienced. On a 

 sunny afternoon one half of the air may be reduced at three 

 o'clock, and the whole excluded at four o'clock. Continue to 

 attend to the various points of cultivation previously recom- 

 mended, remembering that now is the period for rapid growth, 

 and for affording it all the encouragement necessary. 



STOVE. 



As regards stove plants and Orchids, thorough cleanliness, 

 free ventilation, plenty of atmospheric moisture, and occasion- 

 ally a slight shading in very bright sunshine, are at present 

 the chief requisites. No measures should be neglected to en- 

 courage the free growth of Orchids at this period in order to 

 have their pseudobulbs firm, well fed, and well ripened, as 

 early as possible. If among the plants there are any sickly or 

 badly-rooted specimens, they should be frequently examined 

 for red spider, otherwise they will bseome a nursery for that 

 pest, and from them it will soon spread to adjoining plants. — 

 W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 

 Continued cleaning and hoeing, as previously mentioned, and 

 made successional sowings of Peas, &c. We shall, however, 

 this week confine ourselves to the 



0RNA3IENTAL DEPARTMENT. 



Box Edgings. — We have been busy clipping and regulating 

 these. If left as late as the middle or end of May, they will 

 look tolerably well for the season, and will not be likely to be 

 browned or blackened by the weather. Where great exactness 

 is required, nothing is better than a good pair of hand shears. 

 In circles, bends, and volutes, in ornamental edgings, more 

 skill is required, but for straight lines, a garden line run along 

 the centre enables the workman to cut the sides neatly and 

 equally, and then the top can be cut square, which looks better 

 than when it is wedge or conical-shaped. The greenness of the 

 Box in all weathers is its chief recommendation. 



Turfing. — Though the season was advanced we found it de- 

 sirable to do a Uttle piece, rendered necessary by other work 



