118 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



t Augast 13, 1868. 



why wonld it not answer with the Peach ? Now, Fig trees will 

 do admirably when not too closely trained, and we are indebted 

 for the idea to that clever gardener Mr. Tillyard; but the 

 system would be ruiu to Peach trees. The season is yet before 

 our correspondent, but let bim not lose an hour in cutting out 

 aU very luxuriant shoots, removing also all the weaker ones, 

 and laying in close to the wall all the middle-sized shoots about 

 the thickness of a quill, and as closely together as will cover 

 the wall with shoots at from 4 to .5 inches apart, and it these 

 are ripened by the autumn in his climate we will guarantee 

 he will have plenty of fruit buds, and flowers and fruit too 

 next season. If these shoots exceed 18 inches in length he 

 may nip the point out of each if tbe trees are vigorous. If 

 the trees are old, until he brings them round to fruitfulness, it 

 will be well not to stop until he sees triple buds on the shoot to 

 cut back to. It will be as well, after the thinning of the shoots, 

 to defer stopping those left for a week or two, as doing both 

 operations at once would be too great a check to the energies of 

 the tree. 



ORNAMENTAL DEPARTMENT. 



Our walks, though clean, were becoming rough from the 

 long drought, and therefore, on the afternoon of Friday, we 

 had them swept to fill up the cracks, r.nd well rolled before the 

 moisture had evaporated. A few weeds that showed were 

 pulled out in sweeping. We dislike walks which will try the 

 feet of those using thin-soled boots, but for two months ours 

 were rough, and we could not help it ; now they will be tolera- 

 bly comfortable for some time. How few men there are who 

 can sweep a walk, so as to leave all uniform and not a mark or 

 a trail of the broom behind them. This can only be done by 

 sweeping right on, and using no side or back strokes. It is 

 quite a treat to see some men clip edgings and sweep walks, 

 whilst others, with excellent intentions, can never avoid leaving 

 marks behind them. Just as in watering, some men seem to 

 know all about watering as if by instinct, in-doors or out of 

 doors, others will never water a plant properly, except by 

 chance more than judgment. With them it is of no use detail- 

 ing plain signs. The very simplicity of some things seems 

 to act as a deterrent to right practice. In this simple matter 

 we have found men who could scarcely read, far more to be 

 trusted with the watering pot than other really clever intelli- 

 gent men ; yet all general intelligence ought to make a man 

 more conversant and attentive to simple matters. 



In consequence of usinj sulphur, as lately described. Lobelias 

 are looking up after the depredations of the rabbits, and with 

 that exception and the Calceolarias, far from being so tine as 

 they were a month ago, the flower garden would, in spite of 

 the dryness, look well if the lawn were only green, and there is 

 a greenish tingo stealing over it since the rain of yesterday. 

 We have had it knifed several times, to cut down plantains and 

 other weeds, and let the sun dry them up out of sight. A 

 figure of this knife appeared in a previous volume, and recently 

 Mr. Galward, of Hitchin, an energetic ironmonger and ma- 

 chinist, has had it over as a pattern, as he thinks it will not 

 only be useful for lawns, but also for farmers for cutting char- 

 lock and all other weeds that appear above the corn early in 

 the season. We know that even with our long handle it 

 answers well for quickly going over a field, and with the least 

 possible trouble to the workman. 



We have machined round the beds where there was anything 

 to cut. With another shower or two we think we shall be all 

 right for the autumn. With the little water at our disposal, 

 we have used it exactly as described previously. — K. F. 



VEGETABLES. 



COVENT GARDEN MARICET.— August 1:>. 



Ode quotations remain much the same as last week, and there is little 

 or no alteration worth notice in the general features of tbe market, tbe 

 chief supplies, both home-grown and foreiptn, being Apples, Pears, and 

 Plums. The last cargo of West Indian Pines has arrived in very bad 

 cendition. 



Artichokes doz. 



Asparatnis lUO 



Beans, Kidney ?-j sieve 



beet, ited doz. 



broccoli bundle 



Brus. Sprouts ^2 sieve 



Cabbage doz. 



Capsicums 100 



CarroEa bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Cucumbers each 



Endive doz. 



Fennel bunch 



(larlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish . . bundle 



s. d. B. 

 « Otofi 

 







4 



a u 











1 

 s 





 



; Leeks bnnch 



I Lettuce per score 



e ' Mushrooms pottle 



' Mustd.& Cress, punnet 

 Onions per doz bchs. 



Parsley per sieve 



I Parsnips doz. 



Peas per quart 



B. d. B, d 

 4 to 6 

 2 4 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



Radishes doz. bunches 

 Rhubarb bundle 



U 9 

 9 



[ Sea-kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach baebel 



Tomatoes per doz. 



Turnips bunch 





 













 2 



1 



FRUIT. 



Apples K Bieve 



Apricots doz. 



Cherries lb. 



Ohestnuts bush. 



Gorrants x,^ Bieve 



Black do. 



Figs doz. 



Filberts lb. 



Cobs lb. 



Gooseberries . . quart 

 Grapes, Hothouse, .lb. 

 LemonB 100 



s. d. 8. d 

 1 6 too 



Melons each 2 



Nectarines doz. 4 



Orangee 100 12 



Peaches doz. 6 



Pears (dessert) .. doz. ti 



Pine Apples lb. 3 



Plnms }u sieve 5 



Quinces doz. 



Raspberries lb. 



d. 8 d 

 0to5 

 8 





 12 







5 





 

 

 6 



n 







strawberries . . per lb. 



Walnuts bush. 10 16 



do per 100 1 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



•«• We request that no one will write privately to the depart- 

 mental writers of the ''Journal of Horticulture, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Country Gentleman." By bo doing they 

 are subjected to nnjustifiable trouble and expense. All 

 commimications should therefore be addressed solely t9 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture, c&c, 171, Fleet 

 Street^ London, E.G. 



We also request that correspondents will not mix up on tbo 

 same sheet questions relating to Gardening and those on 

 Poultry and Bee subjects, if they expect to get them an- 

 swered promptly and conveniently, but write them on 

 separate commuuieations. Also never to send more than 

 two or three questions at once. 



N.B, — Many questions must remain unanswered until next 

 week. 



Books (S. Morrfnn). — If you send your address and eleven postage 

 stamps you can have, free by post, from our office, Nos. 35li, 854, and 355, 

 New Series, which contain tbe inlormfttion you desire. We know of no 

 EnRlish handbook published on tbe subject ol late years. (E. T., Norwich). 

 — The " Cottage Gardener's Dictionary," a new edition of which has just 

 been publi&hed, furnishes all the infoimation you require as to the native 

 countries, &c., of the plants, and much more besides, together with direc- 

 tions for the culture of each genus, and of the moat important species, 

 but there is no work giving the culture of each separately. You can have 

 the work named free bv post from our office for 7«. 



Seedling Gloxinia (J. Dairson). — It is pretty— all Gloxinias are; but 

 there are many like it. Much depends on the habit uf the plant, and of 

 this we know nothing. 



LiLiUM AURATCM (Mrs. A'.). — Your plant, nearly S feet high, with twenty 

 bloomn crowning its single stem, is very fine. We do not remember to 

 have seen quite so many on a single stem. 



Hanum (G. 5.).— We have inquired respecting the seeds mentioned by 

 Mr. Wanklyn (vol. s., p. 126), but find that the papers relating to them 

 have been mislaid. It is stated that they were not Melon seeds, but w« 

 are promised further information respecting them shortly. The Goose- 

 berries were deliciously flavoured. 



Mignonette for Winter Flowering (.4 Novice). — Mignonette for 

 blooming in winter Bhould be sown at once in pots filled with good light 

 soil, putting a few seeds in tbe centre of each pot. When the plants 

 appear they may bu sinsled ont to three in each pot. W'hen the roots fill 

 the pots the plants t^hould be shifted into tbe next size, and so on, until 

 they are in 6-inch pots. They should be kept on a shelf near the glass 

 in the greenhouse. A light fibrous loam with a free admixture of sand, 

 and good drainage, are essential. Be careful not to overwater in winter, 

 nor to give any water until it is required. 



Stocks for Spring Flowering (Idem). — Seed of the Intermediates 

 may now be sown, but no time should be lost. The seed should be sown 

 in good light soil in the open ground, and when fit to handle potted-oflf 

 singly in small pots, and wintered in a cold frame, protection being given 

 from frost. 



Seedling Arbor-Vit.e Management {A Subsciiher). — The seedlings 

 having been raised under glass, it would be well to keep them during the 

 winter in a cool airy house or cold pit, aflfording them abundance of air, 

 but protection from severe frost. In spring we would plant them out in 

 the open ground, after well hardening them ofiF. 



Hollyhocks (.4/1 Old Subscriber),- Aa article will shortly appear on 

 the subject. 



Kkeping Sweetwater Grapes (J. H. Wat/ord).~YouT Grapes will 

 keep best on the Vine. There is no mode of prolonging the keeping 

 period, except preserving a cool and dry atmosphere. 



Destroying Worms in Pots ( ).—Thn worms in the pots maybe 



destroyed by stopping-up the boles in the pots with corks, and watering 

 vsith Ume water until it stands on the surface. The lime water may 

 remain fur an hour, then on removing the cork it will pass off. The 

 Ume water may be made by pouring thirty gallons of water over 10 lbs. 

 of fresh lime. Stir well up and allow the whole to stand two or three 

 days, then employ ,the clear liquor. Placing a little soot over the 

 crocks would have prevented the worms entering through the holes in 

 the pots, but we should not advise such a proceeding for Ferns. 

 Probably there were worms in the soil when it was used. See that the 

 drainage of the pots is good. 



Watering Peach Trees [C. E. S.).— Your tree has upon it too many 

 fruit by half. You will not improve the tree much by allowing the fruit 

 to remain until it is fit for a tart, as it will be nearly ripe by the time thia 



