Ftbroar; it7, 1868. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOaXIOULTURB AND COTTAGE GARDEN EB. 



171 



April Ist, the principal Bubjecte being IlyacinlliB and otlier 

 spring flowers, Camellias, Azaleaa, and forced sliriibK ; but 

 prizes are also offered for Tine Apples, Grapes, Strawberries, 

 Apples, and Tears, and for Vegetables. Altogetbcr there are 

 sixty-three classes, in each of which two prizes are offered, and 

 in some three. The second Show is lixed for the 10th of June, 

 and is to consist of Stove and Greenhouse I'lants, Koses, 

 Pelargoniums, Heaths, and other flowering plants, for which 

 there are twenty-three classes, whilst for Fruit and Vegetables 

 there are nineteen classes. The two last-named have at the 

 Autumn Show, to beheld on the 2nd of September, thirty-five 

 claeses, whilst to Flowers twenty-five classes are allotted. There 

 are, in addition, classes for amateurs and cottagers; and special 

 prizes of £5, £:!, and .i:2 are offered for six bunches of Grapes 

 of not less than four varieties. 



The li'Jth inst. is the last day on which entries can be 



received for the Inteu>j\tional Hobticultural ExmniTioN at 

 Ghent, and which is to bo hold there from March 'i'Jth to 

 April 5th. Intending exhibitors have, therefore, no time to 

 lose in sending notice of their intention and tlie amount of 

 space which they will require to the Assistant Secretary, 

 if. Edmond Claus, Bue Digue de Brabant, 20, Gand, Belgique. 

 We may mention that the classes are about the same in num- 

 ber as at the London International Horticultural I'Jxhibition of 

 18(3("i, and consist of various classes for New Plants in and out 

 of flower. Orchids, Palms, Cycads. Pandanads, Ferns, Lycopods, 

 Arads, Caladiums, JIarantads, Bromeliads, Stove and Green- 

 house plants, bi-tli flowering and ornameutal-foliaged, Bulbs, 

 Trees, Shrubs, Fruits, and Vegetables, the last two, of course, 

 much limited in the number of the classes by the season. 

 Altogether, for the above and other subjects too numerous to 

 mention in detail, there are 241 classes ; and from the high 

 pesitron which the Belgians have talien at similar Exhibitions, 

 we may expect a very fine display. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAnDEN. 



The increasing temperature of the atmosphere will now 

 communicate warmth to the soil sufBcient for the vegetation of 

 all kitchen-garden seeds, therefore no fine day should be allowed 

 to pass by without sowing some of the many sorts of seeds as 

 follows : — Ilnissi-lti Sprnuti', sow thinly on beds of rich well- 

 prepared soil, and cover the seeds evenly and lightly. C'lh- 

 baije, BOW the Covent Garden Superfine Early Dwarf, also the 

 Dwarf Green Curled Sacnij. Let the soil of the beds be well 

 pulverised, scatter the seeds thinly and evenly, and cover them 

 lightly with fine soil. Cauliflower, sow the Covent Garden 

 Improved, or the Frogmore, on a slight hotbed, or under the 

 shelter of glass. Peax, sow the Champion of Enizlaud and Ne 

 Plus Ultra, as the best early kinds of Wrinkled Marrows. 

 Parsh'ij, this of all vegetable seeds requires the longest time to 

 vegetate, and therefore it should be one of the first sown. 

 Slight hotbeds may yet be made to forward liadixlies, Ciinotf^, 

 Potatoes, T.etfiicis; and CauUtloircrs ; also Pens and ISranx, and 

 some sweet Ilnbx if wanted early. It these auxiliary beds 

 are hooped over and covered with mats they will answer well 

 enough after this time. 



FRUIT GAKDEN. 



Attend to the protection of the blossom of Apricot and 

 Peach trees, and see that the recently planted standard fruit 

 trees are staked, to prevent their being injured by high winds. 



FLOWER GAKDEN. 



Many of the spring bulbs will now be showing bloom ; it 

 will, therefore, be necessary on a dry day to hoe the beds over, 

 BO as to freshen them up and make them a little neat. After 

 the late frosts the lawn should be raked over with the daisy 

 lake, to clean the grass of wormcasts or stones, and be rolled 

 with a heavy roller at least once a-week. Where the grass is 

 coarse it is a good plan to have it mown, cutting it close to the 

 ground at this season ; and where the herbage is thin, and does 

 not cut well, a little Dutch Clover seed should be sown, and 

 afterwards thinly covered with some rich soil. To those parts 

 of the lawn which soon burn up in dry weather apply a dress- 

 ing of wood ashes and soot, with a little sand, or, if more con- 

 venient, give a good soaking of liquid manure. Belay and re- 

 pair Box edgings and grass verges, so as to have everything 

 ready for trimming the walks as soon as the weather is favour- 

 able. Most of the hardy Koses being now pruned, the beds 

 may receive their spring dressing. Xightsoil is said by Mr. 

 Bivers to be the best manure to use, and if disinfected is not 



objectionable ; but if not disinfected it will be better to trust 

 to tlie drainage of the dunghill, or to a dressing of guano. 

 Plants that were much infested with green fly last season may 

 be cleared of the eggs of that or any other insect by syringing 

 them with water at a temperature of 100', or by painting them 

 over with lime, soot, and cow dung, mixed to the consistence 

 of thick paint with strong soapsuds. This is a certain remedy. 

 The whole of the pleasure grounds should now have a regular 

 cleaning — grass, gravel, borders, beds, and all. except, indeed, 

 where alterations are going forward. Let all planting be 

 finished as soon as possible, if other parts of the alterations 

 have to stand still for a time. 



GREENHOCSE AND CONSERVATOKY. 



Old-established specimens in the conservatory need not be 

 potted for the next six weeks ; old plants in general do not re- 

 quire to be so early potted as the young portion of the collec- 

 tion. The varieties of the Chinese Primrose are very useful 

 from September to May, on account of their flowering so early 

 in the autumn. A small quantity of the seeds may now be 

 sown, and three more sowings of them made in April, May, 

 and June will carry on the succession. Cuttings made now 

 from forced Anne Boleyu Pinks will be ready to be planted out 

 by the end of April or beginning of May, as will also cuttings 

 of other Pinks and Picotees now being forced. Be careful of 

 bulbs when they have done flowering ; the best mode of treat- 

 ing them is to take them out of the pots and plant them in a 

 cold frame in any light soil ; afterwards they come in useful 

 for spring flowers in the borders. Those who want their 

 Passion Flowers, Ipoma'is, and other strong-growing climbers 

 to flower late in the season, when families return to their 

 country seats, will now begin to prune their conservatory 

 climbers. Of all ornamental plants, beautiful festoons of free- 

 flowering climbers excite the greatest interest. From this 

 time to the end of Jlay some of the tribes in the greenhouse will 

 want potting, beginning with seedlings and store plants. The 

 greatest care is necessary in the selection of proper composts 

 for different families. Good friable loam, fibrous turfy peat, 

 leaf mould, and sand are the proper materials from which com- 

 posts for all kinds of plants may easily be made ; one-third 

 peat, one-third leaf mould, and the other third of loam and 

 sand, will make a suitable compost for young plants of most 

 species in cultivation. Older plants will require the proportion 

 of peat lessened, and that of the loam increased. Sandy peat 

 alone is used for Heaths, Epacrises, and the like ; but the more 

 robust of these and all the Chinese Azaleas, ought to have one- 

 third leaf mould added to their compost. Two-thirds loam 

 and one-third leaf mould, charcoal, and sand, form a good 

 compost for Orange trees, Neriums, and many other strong 

 woody plants. Charcoal and ground bones make the best 

 drainage for all plants, and a greater quantity of them may be 

 used in that way than of potsherds, thus making the drainage 

 more efficient, "and yielding a greater store of nutriment for 

 the more active roots. 



STOVE. 



Orchids and other plants which have been kept in a tempe- 

 rature of B0° during winter, will require a gradual increase to 65°. 

 Young or weak specimens of Orchids had better be kept in the 

 coolest part of the house till all their buds or eyes are fairly m 

 growth, otherwise the more forward buds may take the lead, 

 and the rest may not start at all. Cuttings made now of the 

 strong tops of all the showy Clerodendrons will make hand- 

 somer plants than their parents. They are very useful and 

 showy as late summer and autumn plants for the conservatory. 

 Continue to pot as the plants begin to grow. 



FORCING PIT. 



Gardenias and young Orange trees forced for their blossoms 

 will now require a strong moist heat of 75', with a bottom heat 

 of from 80° to 90' Many of our common border plants will 

 force from this time if taken up with balls, potted carefully, 

 and kept in the shade during the first week. Common Auri- 

 culas and Polyanthuses will answer well in this way ; leaf 

 mould is the best material for them under this treatment. The 

 evergreen Berberises are good plants for forcing, and they are 

 much sweeter when they are forced. Daphnes do not like leaf 

 mould so well as poor sandy loam, in which they may be easily 

 forced. All the herbaceous P:ronies may be forced in pure 

 sand, or any refuse from the potting bench, and they require 

 no preparation beforehand. 



PITS AND FRAMES. 



The plants here, which hitherto have been kept quite dry. 

 may now receive a gentle watering on some fine sunny morn- 



