458 



JOURNAL OP HORTIOTJLTUEE AND COTTAGE OABDENER. 



( Jan« 2j, ISes. 



winter and spring sorts should nOw be planted out as vacant 

 pieces of ground fall in. Celery, now is a good time to put in 

 the first main crop. A few trenches will have been previously 

 planted. To save ground it is recommended to plant it all in 

 ieds about 4 feet wide, with ridges of the same width between, 

 sowing a row of Peas along the centre of the ridge, and using 

 the trench for Lettuces, &c., before it is wanted for Celery. 

 The beds intended for late Celery are narrower, should be 

 mannred as soon as possible in the spring, and should be 

 planted with early Potatoes to succeed those in frames. The 

 trenches should be formed with a high and low side resembling 

 a turf pit, strong stakes to be laid across from side to side, 

 upon which common hurdles wattled with spruce fir branches 

 are to be drawn up and down according to the weather. This 

 method may be useful to the amateur who is fond of Peas and 

 Celery, and has but little ground at his command. CauUflim-en, 

 Endice, and other autumnal succession crops, to be planted out 

 at regular intervals ; and see that there are no plants left to 

 inn to seed among beds of Carrots, Salsafy, Soorzonera, Skirret, 

 and Chicory, all of which are liable to throw up seedstalks. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



The routine of thinning and tying-in the summer growth, 

 and the destruction of insects, must still be attended to. All 

 stone fruit trees may now be budded, spring grafts looked 

 over, the clay broken, and the bandages loosened. The grafts 

 must have stakes put to them, or they will be broken ofi the 

 first windy day. Those persons who have Vines trained on a 

 cottage or in other parts of the garden should examine and 

 carefully regulate the branches, taking care to retain no more 

 young wood and fruit-bearing shoots than the Vines are capable 

 of supporting and bringing to maturity. The fruit-bearing 

 branches, if it has not already been done, should now have 

 their tops pinched off two eyes above the bunch, and the others 

 may be stopped in the same manner when they have reached 

 about 20 inches in length. After this stopping, at most of the 

 eyes the Vines will in all probability throw out laterals, which 

 Bhonld be nipped off immediately above the first joint, taking care, 

 however, not to injure it for fear of prematurely starting the 

 hud at the base. No more shoots should be allowed to remain 

 than are necessary to cover the space there may be for training 

 them. It is always better to keep Vines thin and open than to 

 crowd the branches together, for loading the plant with a super- 

 abundance of wood only serves to weaken it and rob the fruit 

 of much of its nourishment. 



FI.OT\'ER GARDEN". 



From the beginning to the middle of July is the best time in 

 the year to increase Hoses from layers. The shoots are less 

 brittle now, and on that account easier to handle than when 

 they are ripe. There is also much time saved by summer- 

 layering, as the lasers will be rooted and fit to be beddedout 

 in nursery rows next November. Besides, there need be no 

 cold fingers as when the work is done in February or March. 

 Those who intend to grow Boses in pots for exhibition or 

 private use, and for early forcing, should have their plants 

 worked on some of the free-growing China Boses. These are 

 now throwing up from near the bottom strong suckers or shoots, 

 which may be layered for stocks and budded immediately. 

 The height at which these should be budded is a matter of 

 taste. A few standard Boses are very useful in the conserva- 

 tory early in spring, and their ugly stems can always be hidden 

 by other plants. For exhibition, on the other hand, stan- 

 dards will not do at all, unless they are exceedingly well man- 

 aged, and rather dwarf than otherwise. For mere pot culture 

 stocks of the common China Eose are as good as any. The 

 Boursaults, however, possessing the softness and excitability 

 of the Chinas with the hardiness of the Ayrshire, are considered 

 by growers to be the best stocks for general purposes. Any 

 variety of this section will answer ; Drummond's Thornless is 

 one of them. In preparing the shoots for layering be very 

 particular in picking out all the buds below the places where 

 the new buds are to be inserted. This will keep the stocks 

 always free from suckers and side shoots— not, however, unless 

 the shoots are of this year's growth, as we have no power over 

 older shoots, which are already coated over with a layer of 

 organisable matter that can throw out buds anywhere, barly 

 Tulips, Hyacinths, Narcissus, &c., may now be taken up, dried, 

 and cleaned in a dry shed, and be put up in the seed room till 

 planting-out time. To have beautiful little plants ot Chrysan- 

 themums with large heads of flowers, you must begin now ty 

 geleoting the strongest shoots on the plants growing m the 

 open ground, draw them out along the ground, and at S or 



4 inches from the top peg them down. They will soon turn 

 up their points again, and in about a fortnight or three weeks 

 you may sink pots full of rich mould under the bends, and 

 layer these shoots, letting the bend down near the bottom of 

 the pot. The pots will soon be full of roots, and on a damp 

 evening you can cut off the shoots and remove your plants to a 

 close frame. 



OREENHOCSE AND C0N8EEVAT0RV. 



(ireenhouse plants will now do well enough with the usual 

 routine of watering, syringing in the evening, tying, staking, 

 and training, as may be requisite. As all but the very best 

 specimens are now removed from this house you will have 

 room to introduce annuals, placing three or four of them JD 

 large pots ; with a little care they will be useful for the conser- 

 vatory. There is no scarcity of flowers in the conservatory 

 now. The usual routine of training the climbers and keeping 

 the other plants in order, together with neatness, is all that is 

 immediately wanted ; but keep a good eye to your winter stock. 

 Camellias that have formed their flower buds may now be 

 potted ; those of them that are to flower early should be kept 

 in-doors all summer, but the spring-flowering ones may be 

 turned out. Anne Boleyn Pinks for forcing ought now to be 

 in a forward state, and if they show symptoms of flowering 

 pinch off the stems as they appear. This is the proper time to 

 attend diligently to such plants as will flower from October 

 to May. 



STOVE. 



If any established stove plants require another shift this 

 summer let it be given soon, but avoid shifting large speci- 

 mens so late if you can ; rather encourage them with a little 

 liquid manure ocoasionally. Young plants may be potted ae 

 they may require for the next two months. Do not neglect to 

 make cuttings of .lusticias, Clerodendrons, and similar useful 

 plants early in .Tuly for flowering next year. These will fonn 

 beautiful plants before the end of October. Pentas camea 

 belongs to this class ; it is a very useful plant in winter, and 

 may be had in flower all the year round. Air, moisture, and 

 cleanliness, as usual, are requisite. 



PITS AND FRAMES. 



These are the best places to grow the most choice sorts of 

 greenhouse plants in summer. Heaths that have not yet 

 flowered should not have auy shade over the glass, as they set 

 their flower buds much better in the full sun. Syringe all the 

 plants here every evening, so as to preserve a cool refreshing; 

 temperature all night. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 

 The work has to a great extent been of a routine character, 

 and besides Grapethiuuing, potting, &o., the great aim has 

 been to keep everything growing with as little watering as 

 possible. 



KITCHEN garden. 



Some fine rows of Peas coming into bloom we were obliged 

 to water, and then mulch along the sides to keep the moisture 

 in, as the foliage was becoming of a light slaty colour, and the 

 blossom was refusing to set. A plantation of Cauliflowers, our 

 third succession, was also changing colour, and we were afraid 

 they would knot for bloom too soon, and come to little, and 

 these we watered, then covered the ground with dry litter, and 

 shook a little of the cleanest over the leaves to moderate the 

 force of the sun's rays. Strawberries iu pots, which we in- 

 tended planting, but could not, after being watered were 

 sprinkled over with litter rather more thickly to keep the 

 heat from evaporating the moisture too soon. Having a tank 

 to clean out, and at no great distance from the Celery-bed 

 trenches, we planted several beds, raising the plants with large 

 balls, and turning them out into well-aired soil pretty liberally 

 supplied with rotten dung. After watering them well we 

 scattered litter over the plants as well as the beds, and the 

 hottest sun seemed to have little effect on the plants. A brisk 

 wind or a heavy shower will send the litter off the plants, and 

 it will do no harm lying on the surface. Finding that Turnips 

 would be bitter where fully exposed, unless they had more 

 water than we could give them, we likewise afforded them a 

 little shade by a similar means. Such a mode of slightly 

 sprinkhng with litter answers better than the shade of a mat, 

 &c., for common purposes, not so well, of course, as tiffany 

 would do ; but then that, however used, will tell in the garden 

 expenses. 



For a long time we have had little to do with shading material 



