Angnst 27, 1868. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTIOULTURK AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



153 



But for the drought, watering being out of the question, our 

 Onions would have been fine ; as it ia they are smaller than 

 nsual. and, therefore, we are pleased with some bushels of fine 

 large ones of last autumn's sowing. Tlie very first planting of 

 these are too large to keep long, but the second planting will 

 keep through most of the winter and be very useful where 

 large Onions cannot well be done without, and on this account 

 we have sown Onions twice, and will sow a few more next 

 month. Such late autumn-sown ones do very well in a moist 

 summer, but in such a dry summer as this the large ones thus 

 obtained are invaluable. When once established and the 

 ground merely surface-stirred to prevent cracking, no drought 

 will prevent these Onions attaining a large useful sine. Like 

 autumn-sown Wheat, they take hold of the ground and rather 

 delight in the sunshine. We have traced the roots of autumn- 

 Bown Onions 3 feet down from the surface. 



Our Mushroom bed in the open shed, notwithstanding all the 

 heat, has done well. We spawned a piece more, and have had 

 the Mushroom house cleared out and will smoke it well with 

 sulphur before whitewashing for the winter, as it is well to do 

 away with all insects and crawling enemies. Young Lettuces 

 are greatly troubled with grubs this season. No doubt these 

 flourished doubly on account of the dry warm weather. The 

 fly has now almost disappeared, at least our young Turnips 

 seem as yet free of it. In reply to a question of Mr. Abbey, 

 we have always forgotten to say that the duty-free tobacco 

 dust that injured our British Queen Strawberry, was applied to 

 the fruit when fruit and foliage were dry, was brushed off after 

 being on some days, and then all well syringed. It did little 

 harm to a few plants of President. There were so few of them 

 that we did not care to smoke or to syringe heavily with any 

 liquid hurtful to the fly, but we will not care to use the powder 

 much for Strawberries again. As a general rule nothing is so 

 searching as smoke, though dusting and brushing are very well 

 in some cases. The great object is to kill the first intruder 

 seen. 



This is a good time to make Mushroom spawn for those who 

 nse a vast quantity, or who wish to go through the whole pro- 

 cess for themselves. For those who use only a bushel, or two 

 or three bushels in the season, they will purchase their spawn 

 much cheaper than they can make it, as after the mere work 

 of making, there is as much lookiug-after required for two or 

 three bushels as for a hundred or a thousand. Gardeners, if 

 possible, should learn how to do everything connected with 

 their trade ; but the doing so in many cases would only be a 

 loss to theu- employer, and as much behind the times and true 

 economy, as if every family in our cities were to spin and 

 weave, tan and curry, and make all their own clothing and 

 boots and shoes. 



PKDIT GARDEN. 



Much the same as last week. Owing to the dryness there 

 will be few autumn Raspberries this season, and the sooner the 

 old canes and the very young ones are removed the better. 

 Gooseberries and Currants deprived of their fruit may also be 

 rough-pruned at least, and the shoots shortened. Wherever 

 birds are a pest to buds, the bushes may receive all the pruning 

 that will be necessary until the fruit is fairly set next season. 



Apples are swelling well after the wet, and all dropped ones 

 should be picked up. The earUest, as Red Quarreuden, are 

 ready to be gathered. 



Peaches and Nectarines out of doors, will in many cases be 

 benefited by a good watering, where the rains have not gone 

 deep enough. Plenty of the engine and clear soot water should 

 be given where the red spider has made its appearance. We 

 have it on two or three trees, because in the hottest weather 

 we could not syringe. 



OENAMENTAL DEPAETMENT. 



Managed to pick a good part of our flower beds on the 21st, 

 onr only dry day, removing the decayed and seeding flowers as 

 alluded to last week, and even on this the wet day of the 22nd, 

 the difference is very striking between the beds gone over, 

 fresh and gay, and those unpicked, as the faded and seeding 

 blooms look very melancholy. In the case of Pelargoniums, 

 &c., the fading blooms when washed send their dirty colours 

 over other blooms tolerably fresh, and thus spoil the look of 

 those that otherwise would have stood the ordeal of a some- 

 what continuous rain. We have now a fair supply of water, 

 that will make us tolerably independent for the autumn. 



The mowing the now green lawn, the clearing the beds, 

 clipping the edges, and surface-stirring, will be nearly all 

 that will be required, with plenty of sunshine, to give a fine 

 autumn display. Oar Pelargoniums were such masses of 



flower that we could scarcely obtain cuttings, but we expect to 

 proceed on Monday with propagating for next season, and 

 must be content with small cuttings, so as not to distress the 

 beds. In the wet days, cut down Pelargoniums well hardened 

 out of doors, put in cuttings, potted Cinerarias, Salvias, Age- 

 ratums, &c., for winter, potted Primulas, changed plants in 

 houses, potted Balsams, Ferns, Pelargoniums for late bloom- 

 ing, and top-dressed Chrysanthemums, which hitherto we have 

 kept in a shady place to save watering, otherwise we would 

 have had them full in the sun. We shall be able to do so now, 

 and give them manure water plentifully, as soon as they knot 

 for bloom. Many of the hardier stove plants will now and for 

 some time longer do well in the conservatory, and fine-leaved 

 Begonias will do well in a place rather shady ; and provided no 

 leaves or other matter fall on their fine foliage, Caladiums will 

 also do in a similar place in a greenhouse until the middle of 

 September, when if at all cool, they will be better transferred 

 to a warmer place to ripen their tubers. These flue-leaved 

 plants often perish because wintered in too low a temperature, 

 and the tubers are green instead of matured. — 14. F. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— Acgust 20. 



Supplies remain much in the same proportion to demand as last week, 

 prices varying but little. Pears now comprise Bou Chr-Hien, Beurre 

 d"Am;inli3,"Louise Bonne of Jersey, and Gratioli. Apples are Kerry Pippin, 

 Strawberry Pippin, and Nonsuch, ConsiRuments from the Continent are 

 still favourable to the foreigner, and comprise Lettuces, Endive. Cauli- 

 flowers, and Carrots, with the usual assortment of Plums and Pears. 

 Potatoe trade steady at last week's quotations. 



'TRADE CATALOGUES EECEIVED. 



Sutton & Sons, Eeading. — Catalogue of Bulbous Flower Boots, 

 Plants, Seeds, d'c. 



Thomas Sampson, Preston Road and Houndstone Nurseries, 

 Yeovil. — Catalogue of Cheap Flower Roots. 



B. S. William's, Victoria and Paradise Nursery, Upper Hol- 

 loway, London, N. — General Bulb Catalogue, and Catalogue of 

 New and Rare Plants, Fruit Trees. <fr. 



Smith & Simons, 1, Buchanan Street, Glasgow.— Dufc/j Roc-: 

 List. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



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

 week. 



HoESFOHTH Show (Jn-s. Butchhison).— The schedule states that "no 

 plant will be allowed in the above classes where there is a collection tor ;" 

 and you were disqualifled because you showed a Heath in your collection 

 of stove and greenhouse plants, there being a class for a single specimen 

 Heath. A single specimen cannot bo a collection of Heaths, and so you 

 have conformed to the conditions of the schedule. What the Committee 

 evidently meant by the note wo have quoted was, that no plant /or which 

 there is a separate class, will be admitted in the above classes, but they 

 did not say so. Some competent person should always be employed to 

 prepare such schedules as those, and particularly when prizes of the 

 value of £3i and £40 are at stake. (.•(. Z.).— Seo the preceding reply. 



Mildew on Roses (E. F, IT.).—" Any ironmonger can supply or pro- 



