350 



JOUENAL OF HOETICULTURE AND COTTAGE GABDENEE. 



[ Moy 27, 1869. 



generally too shallow to hold much water, sand covered with 

 moss is an exeellent way of preparing it and of preserving the 

 flowers, if carefully watered every day. Ferns are alnaost in- 

 dispensable round the edge of the bottom glass, and should be 

 made to droop over the top one, and an elegant creeper should 

 be twined up the stem. Then the chief care must be to keep 

 a good round shape without stiffness while putting in the 

 flowers. They should be raised towards the centre, and one 

 side must not be higher than another. Plenty of foliage should 

 be used, dark or light, blue or yellow-green, according to the 

 flowers it is to set off. If some of the flowers are large and 

 heavy, tiny flowers amongst the foliage will look well, and 

 Grasses are always most useful in filling up gaps, and giving 

 an airy appearance to the whole. 



Flowers to be really well arranged should look so natural as 

 to appear to be growing; but there is a great knack in the 

 placing of them firmly yet lightly, and which is easily attained 

 by practice and patience, joined to some amount of natural 

 taste for this pretty and fashionable art. — L., of Laugliton. 



NEW ZEALAND SPINACH-EAST LOTHIAN 

 INTERMEDIATE STOCKS. 



A SHonT time ago some statement appeared in your Journal 

 relative to the hardiness of New Zealand Spinach. Allow me 

 to add my testimony to this. I sowed a small bed of it last 

 spring in the open air. The plants came up readily. They 

 were allowed to seed and to stand until the frost destroyed 

 them, when they were pulled up and the ground roughly dug 

 over. In February last a great number of seedlings began to 

 appear, but as I did not recognise them they were dug in when 

 preparing the ground for other seeds. However, they again 

 came through, and having made the second leaf I saw that they 

 were the New Zealand Spinach, and transplanted a number to 

 a new bed for this year's supply. These have stood 10° of 

 frost within the last week without injury. The original plants 

 ■were sown on a piece of ground sloping gently to the west, and 

 at an elevation of 1150 feet above the sea level. I have trans- 

 planted a number into the woods, hoping to naturalise the 

 plant. 



One word more on Stocks. Many persons appear to be dis- 

 satisiied with the East Lothian Intermediate. These I have 

 neither tried nor seen ; but since the beginning of March last 

 I have had plants of the ordinary scarlet Intermediate 2 feet 

 C inches in diameter and 18 inches in height, with upwards of 

 seventy spikes of bloom. Surely these ought to satisfy eveiy 

 one. Mine have been the admiration of all who have seen 

 them. They were sown in April, 1808, used for bedding last 

 Bummer, and potted-up in the autumn before the frost destroyed 

 them. — J. D., Alston, Cumberland. 



POOLEY'S INSECT-DESTROYER. 



I HAVE been using this on Peach trees. Boil 4 ozs. of soap 

 to the gallon of water, and syringe the trees at night. I re- 

 commend all who have not tried tbis to do so, having proved it 

 to be the most effectual means of destroying insects, such as 

 mealy bug, red spider, thrips, scale, and aphides. Plants may 

 be dipped in or syringed with it, and their foliage will not be 

 in the least injured, nor will any objectionable deposit be left 

 on the leaves, as in the case of some compounds. Plants will 

 grow fast after having been dipped in it, and Peach trees after 

 syringing grow and look healthy. I think it a great boon to 

 gardens. 



Pooley's tobacco powder I have tried on plants as well as 

 Jruit trees, and I find, by dusting the trees overnight and syring- 

 ing next morning, it destroys insects. After applying it to 

 Eoses and to greenhouse and stove plants one may walk through 

 the house, and on returning a short time afterwards the insects 

 will be found dead. After trying various modes of using it, I 

 find the best is to dust the plants with it at night and syringe 

 them next morning. The tobacco grains are very useful for 

 fumigating, and cheap. — W. Neane, the licctory Gardens, Diss, 

 Iforfolf:. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



This is a good time to sow white BroecoU, to supply the 

 table during October and November. It is also desirable to sow 

 some Cape Broccoli in drills prepared after the manner of a 



Celery trench ; the seed to be dropped in patches about a foot 

 apart, and the young plants to be afterwards thinned to aboat 

 three plants in a patch. Sow a little more of Knight's Pro- 

 tecting, and a sprinkling of some very late spring Broccoli; it 

 may serve to prolong the succession next spring. Canlifloioers 

 sown now will also head in the autumn, and may be housed in 

 cellars, sheds, or outhouses, and thus continued in use for 

 many wee'us in succession. Every attention should now be 

 paid to Celcni plants ; they must have abundance of water in 

 every stage. Those pricked-out from the seed-bed should have 

 well-prepared beds, the surface of which, for 2 inches deep, 

 sbould consist of well-rotted manure, soaked with water, and 

 rolled or pressed level previous to pricking-out the plants. If 

 the weather prove sunny they should be shaded with boughs. 

 In order to have a constant supply of Endive, a sowing should 

 now be made. Endive is generally sown too thickly. Another 

 good sowing should be made in the first week of July, and a 

 third towards the middle of that month, after which the plants 

 will not attain full size. As soon as they are a few inches high 

 some mow the tops of the leaves off with a scythe, cutting 

 about one-third of the leaves away. This they do to stiffen 

 the plants, and cause them to make more heart. It also enables 

 them to bear transplanting better. A good breadth of dwarf 

 and compact Cabbages may be sown for early Coleworts, also a 

 bed of Horn Carrots. This is a good time for a liberal sowing 

 of autumn Turnips, the Dutch or Stone are useful sorts for the 

 kitchen garden. If the weather should become dry water late 

 Cauliflowers abundantly, also Lettuces for salad. 



FEUIT GARDEN. 



Grubs and insects in other forms should be picked off fruit 

 trees generally. Vines on walls or buildings must be attended 

 to, as to disbudding, stopping, ifcc. Apricots must be well ex- 

 amined for the grub, and Peaches judiciously thinned of wood. 

 Strawberry plantations must now have a final hoeing till after 

 the fruit is gathered, as any stirring of the surface of the soil 

 amongst them would, when the fruit is set, cause the sand to 

 adhere to the advancing fruit, and prove very injurious to them. 

 Where spent hops can be procured, cover the ground between 

 the rows with these ; they will keep the fruit clean, and they 

 banish snails, especially in dry weather. Where spent hops 

 cannot be procured, the best substitute is wheat straw. 



TLOWER GARDEN. 



Should the weather become dry, muoh care will be necessary 

 in watering plants recently put out in masses. All plants in- 

 tended for specimens on highly relieved beds should, when 

 planted-out, have a hollow preserved round the stem, or rather 

 on the upper side for a fortuigbt after planting ; this will 

 serve to retain water, and cause it to penetrate the soil in 

 contact with the roots ; il this be not done, the water in such 

 raised ground runs off, and in doing this produces a puddled 

 surface, under which the roots of no plant will thrive until the 

 crust be broken. Let the young shoots of all old Fuchsia stools 

 be thinned out to five or six. Attend diligently to standard 

 Eoses ; constant disbudding is necessary at tbis period, also 

 keep down suckers. Let every attention be paid to propagate 

 reserve stock to fill gaps, and let that already rooted, or the 

 remains of store pots, Lave kindly cultivation forthwith, in 

 order to be ready to fill blanks. They should be kept in a shady 

 border by themselves. If not already done, Dahlias ought now 

 to be planted-out, at the same time supports for them should 

 be put in, so that the roots may not be injured, wh ioh would 

 probably be the case if delayed to a later period. Water and 

 mulch the surface of the soil round the stems. Pansies may 

 be struck under hand-glasses on a shady border. Polyanthuses 

 will require some attention, they are very apt to suffer from the 

 attacks of red spider ; during dry weather shade is absolutely 

 necessary for their successful cultivation. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



The conservatory should now be thoroughly relieved of all 

 superfluous stock, for the reception of which tiffany houses 

 will be found extremely useful. Nothing, therefore, will be re- 

 quired in show houses or structures of that kind, but to carry 

 out a cleanly system of cultivation, and to introduce specimens 

 from other houses or pits. Keep the atmosphere as moist as 

 circumstances will admit. Ventilate thoroughly, and shade 

 with thin canvas during bright sunshine. Attend to plants for 

 autumn decoration, such as Japan Lilies, Chrysanthemums, 

 Scarlet Salvias, Tree Carnations, and things of that sort. Give 

 them plenty of pot room, good rich compost, a moist atmo- 

 sphere, and plenty of space for the development of their 

 branches and leaves. Helago distans is a useful plant which 



