Apvil 9, 1868. ] 



JOUKNAIi OF HOliTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



281 



favourable for out-door work, and much of Buoh prioking-off 

 work can bo done in a dull or wet day. By bo contriving, a 

 wet day is generally one of our busiest days. Sowed a portion 

 of our Winter Greens — Borecoles, Savoys, Brussels Sprouts, 

 and Broccolis, and will sow tbe rest in a fortnight or so. The 

 ground, rather rough, was broken, rolled, and raked, the seeds 

 sown, and the surface beaten with a spado, then, as the weather 

 was dry, slightly watered through a rose, and shortly afterwards 

 covered with a "sprinkling of riddled fine soil from under the 

 potting benches, and at once netted to keep the birds away. 

 In this way all the refuse from pot plants comes in useful fcr 

 such general purposes. Being dry it docs also for mixing with 

 stronger soil for I'otatoes in frames, &c. It is of much im- 

 portance to have a quantity of dry soil to go to in winter and 

 spring. 



The weather being eo bright, most of the ciops under the 

 protection of glass, as Radishes, Lettuces, Potatoes, &c., wanted 

 watering ; and we would have preferred to have given them 

 water a little warmed instead of at the natural temperature. 

 We should have had great dilBoulty in helping ourselves from 

 the pipes in our houses, as, owing to the heat of the sun, the 

 pipes were comparatively cool. Wherever glass as a covering 

 can be secured, a considerable acceleration to all crops can be 

 given when, in addition to storing up the sun's rays, the help 

 of warm waterings can also be afforded. Much of the waterings 

 in spring with cold spring water does hai-m instead of good. 

 Even in bright weather it would often be better to surface-stir 

 and mulch. Heated water would warm the soil instead of 

 cooling it. 



FBCIT 0AHDEN. 



Finished all pruning, and will finish the nailing as soon as 

 we can. The birds having commenced on our dwarf Apple 

 trees, we have had them all syringed with lime and soot. If 

 we can keep the birds oil a short time longer they will be all 

 right. Our Gooseberries are safe now, and green enough to 

 resist a rather sharp frost, and we have just thiimed them, as 

 we have long given up pruning in winter. We wait now until 

 we see whether the birds or we are to have the mastery. This 

 season we have no reason to complain. Currants we have been 

 obliged to colour like the Apple trees, as the birds, having 

 missed the Gooseberries, seemed bent to be revenged on them. 



Strawberrii-s. — Ran the hoe between the rows so as to cut up 

 anything that might be coming, and ere long will rake off the 

 roughest part of the manure placed as surface-dressing. Pre- 

 sently we will plant^out the plants that were forced earliest. 

 Plants in pots have needed much water, and even the latest of 

 them are now showing well, ready to go where an opening with 

 plenty of light can be given to them. Amongst a great number 

 we find a few very strong plants of various kinds that have 

 shown, and will show, no flower truss, and these we have 

 turned at once to the rubbish heap. We dislike all plants for 

 forcing that, if of last year's runners, make two or three crowns 

 or buds, instead of one prominent bold one. All plants with 

 pointed crowns and buds are generally best put aside. We 

 have proved often and often that some of these fruitless plants 

 when planted-out will regain their fertility ; but in the great 

 majority of cases we have found that they continue barren, 

 producing little or nothing but huge masses of leaves, so that 

 we strongly advise all those having small gardens and only a 

 little space for Strawberries to select their runners from fertile 

 plants only. We to a great extent secure this by planting-out 

 forced plants, as, of course, we keep none but those that have 

 fruited. lu some few oases in early forcing the fruit bud after 

 it shows may be starved, shrivelled, or damped, and such 

 plants are just as good for planting-out as those that had 

 fruited. Some kinds are more apt to be barren than others. 

 Some years ago, for a late supply we used to grow the Elton, 

 and were generally successful ; but we recollect among good- 

 bearing rows having a small row that would not bloom, and the 

 plants yet looked all right, and we could not make them bloom, 

 and the runners taken from that row were just like their pa- 

 rents, grew well, but never threw up a truss of bloom, though 

 we tried them two seasons consecutively. 



Apricot Trees on TJ'oH.s. — We had purposed allowing these 

 to take their chance this season, as we had no good covering 

 to give them, and we knew that if the bloom was tolerably dry, 

 it would take a considerable degree of frost to injure it ; but 

 when, eight days ago, we had snow, sleet, and driving rains, we 

 thought if we should lose a crop, we would not easily forgive 

 ourselves if we did nothing. By means of a few poles placed 

 about a yard from the wall, we hung a net in front, and by 

 means of a rod along the poles, fastened some long thin 



branohea of laurel outside the net, so thickly as to oppose a 

 barrier to wet passing readily to the wall, and yet bo thin 

 to allow the rays of the sun to pass freely between the foliage 

 of the laurel. As yet the fruit is setting, and all safe, though 

 a few blossoms have dropped — often an advantage, as it saves 

 some thinning afterwards. In many books and calendars there 

 are directions about disbudding Apricots and Peaches as early 

 as this, and, no doubt, they may be applicable to warm places 

 in the south, but north of London wo prefer little disbudding, 

 or rather removing shoots, unless it be some strong foreright 

 ones, until ilay, as the young shoots if rather numerous act as 

 a good protection to the young fruit, and even then partly for 

 the above reason, we go over the trees often, removing only a 

 few at a time, so as not to check growth too much at once. 



In looking over the trees in the orchard liovse we found half a 

 dozen shoots plastered with our old enemy tbebrown fly, and they 

 were quickly removed. If such an insect should appear where 

 the shoot was wanted, we would wash with weak tobacco water, 

 or, what we prefer, quassia water, as that leaves no unsightly 

 appearance behind it. It is diflicult to smoke these open 

 houses, and we do not like to do it when the trees are in bloom ; 

 but as yet we have had no necessity, for no insects, except in 

 these few cases, have appeared, and on this day, after a keen 

 inspection, we failed to discover more. No syringing has been 

 given them since they were syringed with hot water in winter. 

 To the preventives then used wo attribute the present healthy 

 appearance and freedom from insects. 



oio;a3IE>;tal dep.vktment. 



Much potting, changing plants in conservatories, and harden- 

 ing-off bedding plants by placing them in earth pits tempo- 

 rarily, much of the work alluded to last week being now done. 

 Calceolarias were removed from the glass-covered pit, the soil 

 was then removed, a little warm leaves placed in the bottom, 

 rotten dung on the top, and then rough somewhat rich soil in 

 which we shall plant Verbenas, whence they will rise in nice 

 balls at bedding-out time, and do better than if planted out 

 from pots. — E. F. 



COVENT GARDEN JIARICET.— Apru, 8, 



A QUIET week and largo supplier have caosed reductions tbat sales 

 may be effected, otherwise much perishable produce must be carted 

 away as rubbish, a quantity having to stand over for another day. 



FRUIT. 





 



d. B. 

 Oto 5 

 



Apples i sieve 3 



Apricots doz. 



Cherries lb. 



Chestnuts bush. 10 



Currants ^ sieve 



Black /. . do. 



Figs doz. 



Filberts lb. 



Cobs lb. 1 



Gooseberries . . quart 

 Grapes, Hothouse, .lb. 12 20 

 Lemons 100 8 12 





 % 



Melons each 



Nectarines doz. 



Oranges 100 



Peaches doz. 



Pears (dessert) .. doz. 



Pine Apples lb. 



Plums i sieve 



Quinces doz. 



Raspbei-ries lb. 



Strawberries . . per oz. 



Walnuts bush. 10 IS 



9 16 



do per 100 10 2 



VEGET.\BLES. 



Artichokes doz. 3 



Asparagus 100 8 



a. s. 



oto 4 

 15 



Beans, Kidney 100 16 



Beet, Red doz. 2 S 



Broccoli bundle 6 1 



Brus. Sprouts A sieve 



Cabbage doz. 10 1 



Capsicums 100 



Carrots bunch 6 



Cauliflower doz. 2 5 



Celery bundle 16 2 



Cucumbers eacli 9 1 



Endive doz. 10 



Fennel bunch 3 



GarUo lb. 8 



Herbs bunch 8 



Horseradish . . bundle 2 6 4 



Leeks bunch 



Lettuce .... per score 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustd.& Cress, punnet 



Onions per bushel 



Parsley i>er sieve 



Parsnips doz. 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



Badishes doz. bunches 



Rhubarb bundle 



Savoys doz. 



Soa-kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes per doz. 



Turnips bunch 







1 

 9 

 

 8 

 8 



9 

 4 6 



d. e. a 

 S too 



1 



1 



e 



5 

 4 



1 



5 

 6 





 6 



TEADE CATALOGUE EECEIVED. 

 J. lUmau, Wellington Nursery, Strood, Kent. — Catalogue of 

 Ferns. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



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

 week. 



Books ITimony r.).— The " Cottage Gardener'-s Dictionary" Toucan 

 have it free by post from our oflice if you enclose 5*. 8d. stamps with 

 your address. {A. F. Eor?icuatle).—Ii you enclose seven postage stamps 



