46 



JOURNAL OP HOBTICDLTUKE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ July 16, 1868. 



nse of high-coloured varieties, bnt individual taste will deter- 

 mine this. A few white varieties would i-elieve the other 

 colours in the autumn. Among China Eoses, perhaps, the 

 best whites for this purpose are Clara Sjlvain and InfidelitCs de 

 Lisette, to which jou may add any other white sort you may 

 already possess. Among the higher colours in the China sec- 

 tion, there is great room for choice. As China Hoses are 

 not so particular about the kind of stock they are on as many 

 of the Perpetuals, they had better be worked on the Ayrshire 

 varieties, while the Hybrid Perpetuals should be budded on the 

 Bonrsault and Banksian Eoses. The dwarf Bourbons should 

 also be worked on the freer kinds, and being more tender than 

 the Chinas and Perpetuals, should have the more favourable 

 sitnationa. Any one having a large Banksian Eose against a 

 house or south wall, may easily establish a selection of Bour- 

 bon and Tea-scented Eoses on it, and in severe winters these 

 oonM be saved by covering them with mats. None of the Tea- 

 scented varieties, and but few of the dwarf Bourbons do well 

 on their own roots in our climate. There are few good white 

 Koses among the Bourbons, perhaps Aeidalio is the best of 

 this colour, while there is no want of good sorts with rose, red, 

 and crimson flowers. Among the old Perpetuals the Crimson, 

 or La Perpetuelle, and William Jesse are, perhaps, the best ; 

 bnt in this class the difficulty is to pick out a bad variety. 

 The work in the flower garden at the present time is in a great 

 measure routine. Attend to the regulating of all plants and 

 beds, and keep everything as clean and neat as possible. Ee- 

 move dead leaves and flowers, and keep a sharp eye to insects. 

 If we be favoured with rain some of the biennials will be fit 

 to thin out a little, and the young plants may, if required, be 

 pricied-out in nursery beds for transplanting. Hoe the ground 

 amongst the plants frequently, not only to destroy weeds, but, 

 alBo to promote the growth of the plants. 



GEEENHODSE AND CONSEKVATORT. 



If you see well to the watering and staking of the plants 

 in the open air, and that they are not crowded together, nor 

 too much shaded by trees or buildings, it is all that can be 

 done for them, presuming all the best specimens and delicate 

 plants that are not in flower in the conservatory to be luxuri- 

 ating under the cool refreshing shelter of cold pits, where not 

 a leaf or bud is seen out of place, and where the slight sprink- 

 lings from the hand syringe in the evenings supply the place 

 of the absent night daws, and the thin calico frames ward off 

 the sun when powerful. Now when many begin to cut down 

 their Pelargoniums, let me guard the inexperienced against two 

 extremes. Formerly we used to out our plants to mere stumps, 

 and now some leave the shoots by far too long for the sake of 

 making large specimens next year, and with care this may be 

 effected ; but the safest way for beginneis is to cut the lower 

 side shoots of this season's growth to three or four eyes, and 

 if the plants are tall to cut-in the centre shoot to one or two 

 eyes. Three-years-old plants make the finest specimens for 

 ordinary uee, providing the roots are healthy. Very old plants 

 of Pelargoniums that are to be discarded had better be 

 planted in the open ground, and they will furnish iu September 

 good cuttings, which may be kept in store pots through the 

 winter, and they will come in useful for succession next 

 summer. 



STOVE. 



Pew stove plants will require potting after this time, ex- 

 cept newly-propagated ones, which must be hastened through 

 their nursery stages with all possible speed. Auy little plants 

 that are diflicult to preserve through the winter should be kept 

 ralhei- dry from this time to harden their growth, and also, if 

 practicable, cuttings of them should be put in. There are 

 many plants that will stand over the winter if crammed in the 

 cutting pots and placed near the glass on shelves, when the old 

 plants can hardly be kept by the greatest care. Give more air 

 and less water to stove plants in general after this time ; this 

 will harden and prepare them for another long winter. Before 

 advancing further let us ascertain it those stove plants which 

 we have lost or found difBcult to keep in former winters are in 

 good condition ; examine the pots, and if the soil is not in a 

 proper state shake it from the roots and repot them iu light 

 soil. Sandy loam is better for wintering delicate stove plants 

 in than composts containing either peat or leaf mould ; peat is 

 very apt to become sour in a close stove in winter, but in framss 

 and greenhouses nothing suits them belter. In the beginning 

 of the growing season all kinds of stimulants were in requisi- 

 tion to insure a rapid growth ; but from this time all safe 

 modes of retarding vegetation should be resorted to in order 



that the season's growth may be ripened as much as possible. 

 These general rules may be of more use than minute details. — 

 W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



Watering. — In addition to what was stated last week, we must 

 remark, that in using sewage water from mansions, &c., let it 

 bo proved that it is not too strong before emplojing it freely. 

 Iu our case, and as the matter resolved itself simply into using 

 it or giving no water at all, though the sewiige consisted of 

 all that comes from a general establishment, as stableyard, 

 laundry, kitchen, &e., and rain water on yards, if there had 

 been auy rain, yet owing to the absence of rain, although the 

 sewage would have done admirably for Cabbages, Cauliflowers, 

 and similar crops of that kind, it would have been too strong 

 to have applied to pot plants at all tender without being diluted 

 with clear water. Sometimes when the sewage is pumped up 

 in barrels this mixing is not very easily done, and iu such a 

 case we compromise the matter by half watering with the 

 sewage, and then coming over the plants again with clean 

 water. On the same principle we find that such sewage com- 

 municated to Peach trees iu pots, might be a little over-strong 

 for them, whilst it would answer well for trees planted out in 

 the soil, whether in the open air or under glass. For most 

 purposes we have used this sewage just as we took it, and even 

 on flower beds it did no harm when sparingly applied at the 

 roots, care being taken that the liquid was not spurted over 

 the leaves. In our case, except under some circumstances, we 

 know that owing to the body of water used the liquid will 

 seldom be too strong for general purposes. Pure water must 

 be obtained for mansions, even if it should have to be carted 

 as in such a season as this, and when it has served its purpose 

 it may be brought in as a useful aid to the garden, instead 

 of being allowed to run to waste as is generally the case. We 

 never thought of using the house sewage merely as a substi- 

 tute for watering until four years ago, when we were even worse 

 off for water than now. The main drain here terminates in a 

 rather large reservoh-, and as that iilled the liquid found its way 

 where it could, leaving its mark in a rank vegetation which 

 nothing would eat. An iron pump w&s placed over the reservoir, 

 so that we can easily fill a large barrel to be moved by a horse, 

 and for wateiing at the roots wo shall not be quite run out so 

 long as this supply Lasts, and it will so far last as long as there 

 is a laundry in use, dishes to wash, and carriages to clean. 



The great thing for the inexperienced to bear in mind is 

 simply this, that the less the clean water used, the stronger 

 will be the sewage, and the more dangerous its application in 

 its unweakened state. Thus we have used the liquid as it 

 came from all parts of a stableyard without any addition. 

 We have seen liquid that came from another yard that had no 

 lain water, and little of clean water of any sort mingled with 

 it, and that we would not have used without six times its bulk 

 of clean water added to it. We can give no test in this matter, 

 but experience and observation, and the experience is soon 

 gained by trying the liquid on a few plants at first, and remark- 

 ing its effects before using it freely. Tor general purposes of 

 watering we prefer our sewage to pure water, but as no rain 

 has yet reached us on this the 11th, we foresee that if it do not 

 come soon all efforts to refresh foliage with water will be with 

 us out of the question. 



Some of our correspondents have been amused at the small 

 quantities of strong manures, as giiano, we recommend to be 

 mixed in water ; and some of them have told us that when 

 they used double and triple the quanlitv they had too much 

 reason to rue it, and go back to the smaller quantity. In fact, 

 all manure water should be given weak, there is then no 

 danger ; and after the first trial or two there need be no difB- 

 culty with sewage water, as the safe strength may be easily 

 determined. Satisfy yourself by practice before using it largely. 



Eeeently we used sewage water rather freely at the roots, not 

 only of Cauliflowers, which it just suits, but also to Verbenas, 

 Calceolarias, Scarlet Pelargoniums, &c., and a day or two after 

 the foliage looked blacker and healthier in cnsequence. This 

 sewage was strong enough to leave its scent on the ground 

 for an hour or two, but the earth soon takes away all scent of 

 that kind. On this account, however, unless suitably prepared, 

 such sewage should not be used near living-rooms. We are 

 thus particular, in the hope that others scarce of water may 

 have this supply to go to. 



KITCHEN OAEDEN. 



We were obliged to water Cauliflowers, Lettuces, Turnips, See., 



