Jfmnory 0, 18t'8. ) 



JOURNAL OF HORTIODLTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



21 



HINTS FOR AMATEURS. 



r N these days of cheap glass and patent houses 

 ■\vliich may be packed-up with other goods and 

 chattels on a tenant's removal, it has become 

 quite tlie rule to see at least one glass house in 

 the gi'ounds of most suburban villas and otlier 

 places of a similar eharac'er, in which that 

 enthusiastic, individual the amateur may dis- 

 play his gardening abilit}', and pass many an 

 hour of liealtliy recreation and enjoyment. I 

 believe I am correct in the conclusion that 

 this enjoyment will be felt in proportion to the amount of 

 practical knowledge possessed, and. therefore, a few remarks 

 on this subject ma}- not be unwelcome. 



One of the iirst and most important considerations to be 

 kept in view is econom}', not only of money but of space, 

 so as to find room for the cultivation of as many varieties 

 of plants as possible, and thus afford a greater amount 

 of gratification ; not that 1 am at all an advocate for 

 that system of which amateurs have so frerpiently been 

 accused — namely, of attempting to grow cverytliing, and 

 succeeding with notliing, but because, judging from many 

 instances which liave come under my notice, I am certain 

 that many owners of a glass house do not derive that 

 gratification from its possession which it is faiidy calcu- 

 lated to aftbrd. Of course, if the house is designed for 

 the growth of any particular class of plants, that is a 

 different affair, and has nothing to do with tlie kind of 

 general-purposes house of which I purpose treating. 



I will suppose a house of this kind to be a lean-to, having 

 a stage in the body of the liouse, and a slielf or stage near 

 the front sashes, and over the pipes or flue, witli other 

 shelves near the glass. Doubtless in winter the greater 

 portion of the space will be occupied by bedding plants, 

 and the remainder by a few greenhouse plants. 



Of these, one of the best for winter flowering is the 

 Primula, whicli may be had in bloom all the winter by 

 following tlie excellent cultural du-ections given in No. .S51. 

 Alter tlie plants liave received their final sliift, and have 

 a sufficient number of strong leaves, these should be drawn 

 gently down to the edge of the pot by bast connected with 

 a wire under the rim ; other leaves in abundance spring 

 up, and fill the central space : more of these are brought 

 down to meet tlie others iis may be required until a com- 

 pact mass of leaves is formed, out of wliich the blossoms 

 spring, interspersed with a few fresli young leaves. This 

 training is not requisite in everj' case, as some varieties 

 are natm'ally of a spreading habit. 



Cinerai'ias are also most useful for winter and spring 

 blooming: also a few Camellias, Azaleas, winter- flowering 

 Ericas, Epacrises, Carnations, and jNIiguonette, the last 

 sown in March, and grown either as dwarf bushes or 

 trained to pyramids, which form is, I think, the most grace- 

 ful of all for this plant. 



Of Cyclamen persicum, young seedlings will produce 

 thirty or forty blooms in the first year, if the seed is sown 

 in March in heat, and the young plants put first into 

 thumb pots, and kept in the same heat till somewhat 



No. 8M.— Vol, XrV., New Sebieb. 



established, when they are taken to a cool house, and 

 shifted into large (iO's,"in which pots they bhissom early in 

 the autumn if liept in the house all the summer. Tliis is 

 a most desirable plant, continuing in bloom during the 

 winter and the early part of spring. 



Solanum capsicastrum, with its bright red berries and 

 deep green foliage, is a most useful and charming plant for 

 winter decoration. Young plants turned out of the pots in 

 May, and planted in any warm border in common garden 

 soil, form pretty plants by the autumn, maldng a dense 

 growth, and being loaded with green berries which become 

 scirlet by Christmas. The phmts may be taken up early 

 in October, and potted, retaining a slight ball of earth; 

 they are placed in a shaded part of the liouso and syringed 

 twice or thrice a-duy until they are established. 



This list might be extended considerably, but I think 

 the plants named are well calculated to afford a pleasing 

 and sufficient variety of blossom in the dullest montlis of 

 the year, and are also all of most eas}' culture. To follow 

 these there may be a few lierbaceous Calceolarias sown in 

 June, shifted into larger pots as necessary during the 

 winter, and kept on a shelf near the glass ; Pelargoniums, 

 and, above all for a summer display, some Fuchsias, whioll 

 may be wintered uiuler the stage. 



The removal of the bedding plants to the open air should 

 be followed by the introduction of a row of pot Vines along 

 the front stage, one to each rafter. Now, supposing th« 

 rafter to be 12 feet in length, the pot Vines will not re- 

 quu-e more than half of its length ; the remainder, or top 

 part of the roof, may very profitably be turned to account 

 by placing on the back stage under eacli rafter a large pot 

 to be three-parts filled with rich loamy soil, with plenty 

 of drainage, and a Cucumber plant to be turned out into 

 each pot. It will add very much to tlie gi'ower's pleasure 

 if a dill'erent variety be put in each pot, and much useful 

 and interesting information may be gained in this way. 



Durmg the past summer I grew in pots a plant of eacIi 

 of the following sorts : — Kirklees Hall Defiance, Dr. 

 Jiivingstone, Empress Eugenie, Paul's Telegraph, and 

 Hedsor Winter Prolific. Of these. Telegraph showed fruits 

 first, and Empress Eugenie last. Dr. Ijivingstone was the 

 most prolific, liaving as many as twelve fruit at one time 

 all fit to cut, with plenty of smaller fruit. Kirklees Hall 

 was the most handsome fruit, and Empress Eugenie the 

 longest. 



The plants may be trained downwards to meet the pot 

 Vines, and also to the top of the house. A few laths nailed 

 to the rafters wUl form an excellent trellis. After the first 

 crop of fruit is cut a top dressing of fresh sheep dung 

 should be given ; this, together with occasional waterings 

 of liquid manure, will keep the plants in full vigour as long 

 as they are required, and cause the fruit to be fully deve- 

 loped. Should this be neglected, the plants will soon 

 languish, and the fruit become deformed. As economy 

 is the order of the day in this case, I would recommend 

 Rhubarb pots, which have been used during the winter 

 months for their legitimate purpose ; these inverted will 

 do admirably, and will want but little drainage, as they 

 have neither bottom nor top. 



He, ices,— ToL. SXSIX., Ou> Sbbibs, 



