May 27, 1809. ] 



JOURNAL OF U0RTICU1.TURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



301 



must not be forgotten, it flowers freely, and requires nothing 

 beyond a cold pit to grow in. The jresent will be found a good 

 period for repotting or giving extensive shifts to early- (lowering 

 J<'.p(icrisfs that have fairly commenced growth, such as the 

 following varieties, which may now be expected to be in good 

 condition for the operation — viz., Epacris campanulata, E. im- 

 pressa, E. purpara.=eeus, and K. piirpnra3cen,s rubra. Young 

 plants of E. grandiflora, and such other varieties as are in- 

 tended to be grown freely, or for specimens, witliout being 

 allowed to flower this season, should also have a liberal amount 

 of room allowed their roots in duo time. The most suitable 

 soil is fibrous gritty healthy heath soil, not of a spongy, soft, 

 or greasy nature. Take care to stand such plunta when they 

 are shifted in a wholesome situation, a cold pit is preferable, 

 where they may be slightly shaded if requisite, and where the 

 watering process may bo imder proper control. Such plants 

 for some time after being newly shifted require particular at- 

 tention in this matter, for if tlie soil at the commencement 

 become soddened or soured, it will not be an easy matter to 

 remedy this afterwards. Stopping and pinching out the tops 

 of strong shoots, and establisliing a sturdy uniformity of 

 growth must be particularly attended to throughout their grow- 

 iBg season; by this means an abundance of fine blooming 

 wood will be secured for the following season's flowering. 

 'Winter-blooming Heaths and Cytisuses should likewise be 

 cultivated in quantity, for few plants surpass them for winter 

 decoration. The atmosphere of all plant houses can scarcely 

 be kept too moist at this season. Sprinkle every available 

 surface frequently, and syringe growing stock lightly twice 

 a-day during bright weather. Achimenes for late-flowering 

 may be brought on gently in cold pits, as well as many other 

 plants likely to be required for autumn and early winter de- 

 coration. If a canvas screen is used for shading from bright 

 sunshine, some of the Orchids in flower, especially those found 

 to stand cool treatment, may be removed to the conservatory 

 for the sake of prolonging their beauty. Continue to clear 

 away exhausted specimens in order to give place to Pelar- 

 goniums, Calceolarias, Roses, or other gay flowers now in per- 

 fection. 



STOTE. 



Take all possible precautions to avoid insects, remembering 

 that in this as in most cases, prevention is better than cure. 

 Stanhopeas in baskets should be well examined or fine flower 

 spikes may be lost through coming in contact with the sides. 

 Let the house have a thorough circulation of air early in the 

 morning, regulating the amount by the warmth of the atmo- 

 sphere. Continue to shift young growing stove plants, and to 

 remove plants pushed on early for autumn and winter flower- 

 ing to the cool shelves of the greenhouse, in order to harden 

 their wood, and prepare them for early excitability. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



FP.UIT GAKDEN. 



Strawben'ies are coming into bloom. A few of the forwardest, 

 like Calceolarias unprotected, have been touched as respects 

 the bloom buds by the morning frosts, which told all the more 

 when following showers in the afternoon and evening. Those 

 slightly forced are doing well. We lately took an hour to go 

 and see them at Stockwood before they were gathered for a 

 particular occasion. There was a row of Keens' Seedling in 

 5 and 6-inch pots, without saucer or anything to stand on, that 

 was very good, and two rows of Empress Eugenie that were 

 very fine. The Empress is just a huge Iveens', or rather a giant 

 Sir Harry. Some find fault with the flavour, which is a little 

 acid, but it is a fine-looking fruit. What may most interest 

 our readers is the following : — The plants were not potted 

 early, they had nothing particular as to strength or size of 

 foliage ; they had been started in a mild hotbed until they 

 showed their flower trusses, when they were removed to the 

 shelves, were watered with weak sheep-dung water at times, and 

 after setting, had all the smaller fruit and redundant flowers 

 thinned-out, leaving from four to six or more fruit to a pot. 

 We used to thin ours with good effect, but have rather neglected 

 doing so for some time, as we found the small fruit useful for 

 other purposes — as creams, ices, &o. We regret now that in 

 our hurried visit we did not request Mr. Dewsbury to weigh 

 some of the finest of the Empress Eugenie, and even to weigh 

 the whole of the berries in a certain sized-pot. 



ORNAMENTAL DErAKTMENT. 



As we do not like to stand alone, we were so far gratified to 



find that Mr. Dewsbury had not commenced bedding-out, but 

 had the moat of his plants growing temporarily in trenches. 

 We may do a little before this appear in print, but we should 

 like our still' ground to bo warmer and mellower. We are alto 

 making some of our bods into a kind of raised baskets. Some of 

 these, such as au avenue of bods, were planted in the pyramidal 

 form. When cutting the grass with a machine the outside 

 row was always in the way, unless a small space of earth was left 

 between the plants and the lawn, and that bare caith was any- 

 thing but pleasant to the eye. To remedy this we have had beds 

 raised from 12 to 21 inches at the sides, covered with Ivy, &c., 

 and besides repairing these, we are now doing some more with 

 sides 8 or more inches above the lawn level. Many materials 

 may be used for this purpose, but we like nothing better than 

 poles and pieces of rough wood, from 2; to 1 inches in diameter, 

 using similar-sized pieces for the same bed. To avoid the 

 trouble of pointing we cut the pieces level across at both ends, 

 and set the bottom ends level and ram it firm, keeping the top 

 ends level. Thus, for an outside of a circle S inches high the 

 pieces of wood should be about 10 inches long, so as to stand 

 firmly in the ground. By thus cutting the ends square, the 

 smaller end of one piece and tlie wider end of the next can go 

 in the ground alternately. This keeps the sides more regular. 

 It matters little how rough the wood is, as that will soon be 

 concealed by Ivy, Cerastium, Moss, Saxifrage, Sedums, &c., 

 and thus present an eveijgreen outline all the winter. Plints, 

 itc, do well enough when concealed, but cannot easily be made 

 so neat and uniform as these pieces of wood. Had we our 

 choice we would prefer larch poles ; but we are using soft wood 

 not suitable for hurdles or rails, and it will last a long time, as 

 the covering not only conceals but binds all firmly together, 

 even when the wood decays. The few inches left between this 

 raised edging and the grass, if objected to as earth colour, may 

 be easily coloured black, white, red, itc, with washed coal, 

 chalk, trickdust, gravel, spar, bottle glass, slate chips, &c. 

 These beds, raised thus at the sides, and the raising material 

 concealed, are quite different from piling stones, bricks, &c., in 

 the centre of a lawn and dignifying such excrescences with the 

 name of rockwork, &c.^R. F. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— Mav 2G. 



Quite an unusunl fallinc-offin the demand during the past week, mncb 

 of the forced produce being in excess, StrawberritJS, Peaches, and Necta- 

 rines especially. A largo cavgo of West India Pines has arrived in fine 

 condition, and nearly a thousand boxes of Strawberries from France 

 have found a market here auring the last few days, bringing from id. 

 to 6d, iier lb. 



FRUIT. 



s. d. 

 Apples y2 Bieve 3 to 4 



Apricots doz. S 



Chen-ies lb. 1 



Chestnuts bush. 10 



Currants .... v. sieve 



Black do. 



Figa doz. 13 



FUberts lb. 



Cobs lb, 10 16 



Gooseberries ..quart fi 10 



Grapes, Hothouse.. lb. 6 10 



Lemons 100 4 8 



6. d. B. d 



Mclon.q each 5 tol5 



Nectnrines doz. 12 34 



Oranges 100 4 12 



Peaches doz. 15 30 



Pears (dessert) . . doz. Q 



Pine Apples lb. 8 13 



Plums y- sieve 



Quinces doz. 



Raspberries lb. 



Strawberries lb. 5 8 



Walnuts bush. 10 16 



do 100 10 2 



VEGETABLES. 



Artichokes doz. 



Asparagus 100 



Beans. Kidney .. hd. 



Beet, Red doz. 



Broccoli bundle 



Brus. Sprouts ^^ sieve 



Cabbage doz. 



Capsicums 100 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celei-y.„ bundle 



Cncnmbers .... each 



Endive doz. 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish ..bundle 



8. d. 



Leeks bunch 



Lettuce score 1 



Mushrooms pottle 1 



Mustd.tt Cress,punnet 



Onions bushel 12 



Parsley sieve 3 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



Radishes doz.bnnches 



Rhubnrb bundle 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes doz. 



Turnips bunch 



Vcget. Marrows.. doz. 



s. d. s. d 



TO CORRESPONDENTS, 



N.B. — Many questions must remain unanswered nntil next 

 week. 

 Back Numbers (.4 Constant Itcadcr for Many Years). — The number 

 published nn March 25th is not out of print. If you enclose four postage 

 stamps with your oddress, you will have it sent by post from our_office 



