September 10, 1868. ] 



JOUENAIi OP HORTIOUI4TUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



191 



the Beede arc of a dark brown colour, it is fit for gatbering. In 

 performing the operation, however, the fruits should never be 

 shaken from the tree, as is often done, but should be all band- 

 picked on a dry day. In storing, let them be taken with great 

 care from the basket, and placed where they are to remain, 

 and if possible, let them bo arranged side by side, and not 

 placed one upon another. 



FLOWEB GAUDEN'. 



Having a little room under this head, I shall say some- 

 thing more on Imddinii and ijniftiiiij. Buda of the Ilbododen- 

 dron in the autumn will take as freely as those of the Hose, 

 and it grafts in the open air as freely aa the Apple. The only 

 precaution that is necessary in this operation is to take pro- 

 minent buda from the first growth of this season, as many 

 of the family have madu a second growth this year. Va- 

 riegated Hollies may now bo grafted and budded with the 

 greatest freedom. The Ehododendron being thiu-rinded, it does 

 best by side-grafting, and buds of it also had better be inserted 

 after the manner of side-grafting, with a portion of the soft 

 wood retained behind the bud ; all autumn buds may thus be 

 inserted. The following observations may be useful to those 

 little versed in these matters : — Insert autumn grafts as you 

 would buds, leave about an inch of the graft out at the top of 

 the incision, and uso the firm part of the summer's growth for 

 the stock. If the bark of the stock be very thin, or if it do 

 not part very freely from the wood, you had better put in the 

 grafts and buds as in side-grafting, cutting out a thin slice and 

 preparing the grafts so as to fit the place; tie rather gently, 

 as the stock is soft, for fear of bruising the bark. If tho graft 

 be put in on the north side of the stock it will be more secure 

 from the heat of the sun. The best grafting clay is made by 

 putting a lump of soft clay in the bottom of a small pot, with 

 a Uttle water over it, then stir the clay with a stick until it is 

 lather thicker than paint, and with a small brush, made with 

 strips of matting tied to a little stick, paint over the tying. 

 While the paint is wet dust a little dry sand or soil over it, and 

 when it beeomes dry no rain will wash it off, and the sand will 

 keep it from cracking. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



What a luxury a nice light conservatory is, however small, 

 when attached to part of the sitting-rooms, and what a con- 

 trast, too, with the heavy, ill-arranged, old-fashioned green- 

 houses, only fit to winter half-hardy shrubs for planting out in 

 summer. There are scores of such greenhouses all over the 

 country, which should be pulled down and converted into 

 modern conservatories. With a little judgment the expense 

 need not be much, and the enjoyment and luxury which may 

 thus be obtained will repay all the trouble and expense in a 

 very short time. The greenhouse should now be in thorough 

 repair, and in a clean, sweet condition, as many of the more 

 tender plants must soon be removed in-doors. If the weather 

 continue dry, all the stronger greenhouse plants should be left 

 out 88 long as possible. This is the time when the advantages 

 of cold pits are most apparent, as the lights can be left off 

 except in rainy or frosty weather; whereas the greenhouse 

 has no such advantage. 



STOVE. 



Some years ago people used to light fires to ripen off their 

 stove plants about this time, but a better plan prevails now : 

 when the plants have begun growing freely in the spring the 

 heat is increased, and every assistance given to them to make 

 their growth early, so that by this time no ripening of wood or 

 late growths is needed, and the plants are gradually put to rest 

 by the natural decline of our seasons. Plants thus managed 

 should never receive more than .55° of artificial heat in the dead 

 of winter, yet there is no danger if a warm, dry day raises the 

 temperature to 80' or 85", with a little air. After the stove 

 has been kept dry for some time, as is always done more or 

 less from the end of August, the red spider makes its appear- 

 ance in some collections in greater numbers than at other 

 times. This is the worst time in the year to permit the ravages 

 of this insect, for if the foliage is now disfigured it must re- 

 main an eyesore till next season's growth ; therefore, on the 

 first appearance of this evil, apply sulphur to the pipes, i-c. 

 See that Gloxinias are well ripened before ihey are set to rest. 

 All woody plants ought now to be done growing in the stove, 



PITS AND FRAMES. 



_ Most of the cuttings of Pelargoniums will no.v be fit for pot- 

 ting-off, when potted to be placed in a pit or frame, and kept 

 close and shaded until they have made fresh roots, when they 



should be set out in an open situation to grow hardy and 

 stocky before housing them for the winter. — W. Kjsa.m;. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



Wn have often read and believed, and yet with all our belief 

 felt an under-current of something like incredulity, of the won- 

 drous transformation in northern latitudes, where the melting 

 of the snow is immediately followed by tho rapid growth of 

 vegetation ; and of that equally striking change in tropical 

 countries, where, after a flaring cloudless sun has parched-np 

 everything except plants that send their roots deep down after 

 moisture, the earth after the rainy season is covered with the 

 most luxuriant vegetation. This incredulity in the midst of 

 belief is apt to linger in the mind until we can add to the evi- 

 dence of testimony the evidence of personal observation, thus 

 confirming the old maxim, " that seeing is believing." Perhaps 

 never could wo have had better ocular demonstration in our 

 country of the changes effected in other lands by drought and 

 rain, and, therefore, in this respect the faithful delineations 

 of the reports of travellers, though these reports were so dif- 

 ferent from what we could in general perceive in our moderate 

 and more variable climate. Where all in whole districts seemed 

 merely a burut-up waste, there is now, to gladden the eye, 

 nothing to he seen but the richest luxuriance. 



A fine lesson has also been afforded to us, that in the midst 

 of discouragements and difficulties we ought never to give up, 

 as we never know how soon a beneficial change may come. 

 Meet whom we might for several weeks there was nothing but 

 long faces, and dire forebodings of want and misery as to the 

 coming winter, for even herds of cattle and flocks of sheep 

 would have to be disposed of before then, as there would be 

 nothing to keep them alive, and the only thing cheerful 

 was the hope that we, the superior race, might manage to 

 obtain bread if not much water. Now, what with plenty of 

 sweet autumn grass. Turnips, and Coleseed, though the Turnips 

 should bo small, a fair yield of cereals, and an excellent yield 

 of golden Wheat, and the pleasant change in our gardens, we can 

 contemplate the future with feelings that might irradiate the 

 countenances of those who seem to have a pleasure in looking 

 on the dark side of the picture instead of the bright and the 

 cheering. 



Even in our ornamental grounds we may look for a fine 

 autumn display. The rains are encouraging free growth now. 

 There is hardly an earthly good, however, without some Uttle 

 alloy to remind us that in all things, though ever aiming at, 

 we rarely reach perfection. Scarlet Pelargoniums that were 

 models of splendour and loveliness looked like so many wet 

 rags after the drenching day of the •22nd, and are only now, 

 on this the 5th inst., as fine as they were. Calceolarias that 

 stood the dry weather well, had their flowers washed off by the 

 bushel, and it has taken a week or ten days to make them what 

 they were. Many faded blooms having been picked off, the dry 

 sunny days bring on all the beds plenty of fresh flowers ; these, 

 with the rich green carpet around them, which no dry weather 

 will now change, will afford a good show for tho autumn, and 

 make us thankful that when matters seemed at the worst we 

 did not quite despair, and leave the plants to live or die. We 

 know in some cases where all the water supply was concen- 

 trated on the kitchen garden, that the flower gardens, but for 

 the green grass, will be nothing but wrecks. 



Even at the risk of being considered reiterative, we must ad-d 

 that the season will have failed to teach a useful lesson if, in 

 places that suffered from a scarcity of water, efforts are not 

 now made to secure a more plentiful supply. We have no 

 doubt that much watering was given so as to yield merely 

 a minimum of good, if not a considerable amount of harm ; 

 but still it would have been pleasant to have been able to give 

 more where absolutely needed. For ourselves, even for plants 

 in pots, we should have been in extremity in two or three days, 

 if the rains had not come. Our Celery is now looking tolerably 

 well, though short, but it would have been withered or bolted — 

 of bolting it shows no signs — if several times in the hottest 

 weather we had not covered the ground and the plants slightly 

 all over with dry litter. We are very apt to forget these draw- 

 backs when we feel them no more, instead of preparing to 

 meet them. If the past season has a lesson to many gardeners', 

 it is pre-eminently this, ''Look to the means of having a good 

 water supply." We are glad, therefore, that Mr. Wills has drawn 

 particular attention to the securing of water, by Mr. Rutland, at 

 Bentl'ey Priory. There are but few places that need be deficient 



