Augnst 6, 1868. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



97 



attacked by raiWew, to which we all know Black Prince ia so 

 liable. I woulJ willingly exchange a few runners with Mr. 

 Douglas. — WiLLUM BiGOS, Sandfield Park, LivcriMol. 



A FEW SAT,AMANDER PLANT.S. 



ScEOECT as we occasionally are to long seasons of drought 

 like the present, it is comforting to ua florists to know that 

 there are some flowers which seem to defy hoth drjueaa and 

 heat, and to flourish with undiminished loveliness in spite of 

 a burning sun and an ahuost total absence of rain ; and I can- 

 not forbear telling my floricultural friends of two i)lants which 

 for the last four weeks have always cheered and comforted me 

 as I have wandered amid the dead and dying beauties of my 

 burnt and dried-up garden. 



I allude to CoNvoi.vuLvs mauritanicus and Centranthus 

 BACHOsiruoN. The former is a perennial far too little known. 

 It is increased by cuttings, and requires protection in a frame or 

 greenhouse during the winter. It grows most rapidly when 

 planted out in spring, and it pegged out like a Verbena soon 

 covers a large space of ground. From sunrise to noon, through- 

 out the summer months, it iaone sheet of lovely mauve flowers 

 of an almost unique tint. I mean to have a large bed of it if 

 spared till next year. 



Centranthus macrosiphon is an old-fashioned and somewhat 

 exploded annual ; but its dwarf though luxuriant growth, its 

 fresh green foliage, and dense bright heads of magenta-coloured 

 flowers, and its brave defiance of sun and drought, render it a 

 most desirable, and in seasons like this, an indispensable orna- 

 ment in every flower garden. 



SoUya heterophylla and Abelia uniflora have bloomed well 

 with me out of doors this summer. — H. Harpuk Ckewe, Dray- 

 ton-Beaiichamp liectury, Trhuj. 



CUTTING DOWN AND TRIMMING 

 EVERGREENS. 



Inquiiues having been made as to the best time for cutling- 

 in evergreens of various kinds, a few notes on the subject may 

 be useful to those about to operate on these ornamental features 

 of a garden or landscape, and especially on large full-grown 

 specimens which have not previously been subjected to much 

 cutting-in. As this is the class most difficult to manage well, 

 it will be necessary to consider the condition and nature of 

 the plant before we commence too rashly to use the axe and 

 Baw. 



Very little consideration will convince us that an evergreen 

 of large size cannot be entirely cut down without inflicting on 

 it great injury, and possibly the operation may kill it ; but 

 although a total deprivation of foliage may be fatal, the removal 

 of one-half or even more of it may not be so : consequently, 

 when a large Laurel or other shrub has so far outgrown itself 

 as to be no longer ornamental, becoming naked at the bottom, 

 or otherwise unsightly, partial cutting-down is essential to 

 appearance, and when it can be so managed as to leave some of 

 the lower branches well clothed with foliage, the energies of 

 the plant soon repair the disaster. Perhaps of the shrubs 

 which show most conspicuously the utility — nay, almost neces- 

 sity of this plan, the Arbutus is as good an example as any. 

 The part that was left may also be cut away in about two years 

 afterwards. Alaternus, PhiUyrea, Laurustinus, and some other 

 shrubs generally succeed well under this treatment, the com- 

 mon Laurel especially so, and the Portugal Laurel does as well 

 when thus treated as in any other way, but it is a plant rather 

 impatient of cutting-iu, although in every other respect amongst 

 the hardiest we have. 



Perhaps the best time for cutting-in such evergreens may 

 not be that adopted at this place (LIuton Park), but as it 

 answers very well, and is attended with some advantages, there 

 seems to be no objection to it. The beginning of April is 

 the season at which we usually do such work. However well 

 the cutting may be accomplished, there cannot be any difference 

 of opinion about the plant operated on looking badly for a 

 time ; and, as it is advisable to reduce that period to the shortest 

 possible space, by not cutting the plants until shortly before 

 they will continue to grow again they are not lung in a naked 

 condition. I do not, however, affirm that they are any better 

 when left till April. For the reason already given, observe in all 

 oases where possible to retain some branches with leaves on, 

 even if such branches have to be bent to the ground to hide their 



unsightliness. After the rest of the plant has grown for a 

 year or so, these old branches may bo cut oil if necessary. 



Laurel and other hedges of a formal and regular character 

 ought to be cut with the knife, especially shrubs with large 

 leaves, as the Laurel ; but when this cannot be done the shears 

 may be employed. In the latter case it is best to cut the com- 

 mon Laurel, and I believe most other shrubs of a similar 

 description, early in June, just before the growth is completed, 

 BO that a second crop of short shoots may bo formed. This 

 takes olj the appearance of close raw cutting, and hides the 

 deformity caused by cut leaves. For many years we have been 

 in the habit of adopting this plan, and it is rarely, indeed, that 

 the second shoot does not ripen itself, and it is seldom more 

 than 3 or 1 inches long. Any longer or unsightly shoots may 

 be cut out with the knife before %vinter, so as to allow of the 

 hedge, bank, or whatever is cut, looking uniform during the 

 winter. . 



Choice evergreens against walls may be treated differently, 

 as their flowering is of consequence as well as their appearance. 

 The common Ivy when growing luxuriantly requires trimming; 

 excepting in special cases, we have found a severe cutting-in 

 about the end of .July, so as not to show a single leat^ resulted 

 in the production in a month or six weeks of new foliage, 

 which remained good all winter. When the Ivy is not so ro- 

 bust it is better, perhaps, to cut it in at the end of March. 

 There is then a greater certainty of its doing well afterwards ; 

 but if it grow vigorously it will have projected a long way from 

 the wall by the end of summer, and some cutting-in with the 

 knife may be necessary in autumn. For this reason 1 prefer 

 summer cutting, as furnishing a more lengthened period of 

 trimness. — J. Eoiison. 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 

 The gentleman elected to fill the place of Mr. Henry 

 Cole, C.B., on his retirement from the Council ok the Royal 

 HoniicuLTunAL Society in May last is D. Hiugford D. Burr, 

 Esq., of Aldermaston Court, Reading. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEK OAUDEN. 



DuBiNO the continuance of heat and drought little can bo 

 done in this department, but advantage must be taken of the 

 first good fall of rain to prick out into beds the Cahbagc plants 

 intended for spring use, that they may become stocky before 

 their final planting. To those who would insure a constant suc- 

 cession of the choicer kinds of vegetables and salads, the next 

 fortnight will be the most important in the whole year. Endive. 

 planting must now be proceeded with in earnest, for what is 

 now planted will constitute the great bulk of the autumn and 

 mid-winter salads. Let elevated beds of 4 feet in width, and 

 possessing a bold curvature, be provided in an open and dry 

 situation. Such beds should be a foot or more above the 

 general level of the ground, and must be made very rich. They 

 may be hooped over in the end of October, so as to be readily 

 covered with mats when frost arrives. Gelerij, the main crop 

 should now be planted out, taking care to water it frequently. 

 Other crops of Celery must be earthed-up in due time, remov- 

 ing all suckers and tying-up the plants neatly. It is an ex- 

 cellent plan to give a good soaking of manure water the day 

 previous to earthing-up. The slug defaces the stalks much. It 

 is a good practice to give the plants a thorough liming previous 

 to the first earthing. Vnium, the remains of the autumn- 

 sown Onions should be taken up as soon as possible. The 

 same may be said of ShalloU and Carlic as soon as the leaves 

 decay. Spring-sown Onions may have their tops gently bent 

 down with the head of a rake to cause the bulbs to swell better. 

 The sowing of seed to stand the winter should proceed without 

 delay upon cold stiff soils ; on light soils and in warm situations 

 it will do a fortnight hence. No sorts are better than the Stras- 

 burgh or large White Spanish. The main crops of winter 

 Cohirorts must be planted within a fortnight. Manure we, 

 and plant a foot apart. ]l'int,r Spinacli for the whole winter's 

 supply should bo sown now, or a week later according to the 

 situation. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



Vines will now require much attention where there is a pro- 

 spect of ripening the fruit. The bunches should receive their 

 final thinning, and, unless in the case of small sorts, no more 

 than one bonch should be left on a shoot. Remove all snper- 



