ilarch 20, 1873. ] 



JODRKAL OF aOETICULTltEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



247 



dependency of the wet; whilst those on the level, both Broad- 

 leaved and Curled, succumbed to the datap. We covered these 

 plants on the ridge separately with a 5 or 6-inch pot reversed, 

 with the hole of the pot stopped-up. This blanches the plants 

 white iu about eight days, and as two or three plants are used 

 tile pots are carried and placed over others. 



Cauliflowers. — We threw a little dry ashes and charcoal dust 

 among them to keep them from any approach to damping. The 

 mild weather has brought on the most forward till they are 

 quite as large as we wish to see them. 



Broccoli. — We examined this frequently to see that no heads 

 were exposed ; we also puUed away decayed leaves from them 

 and Winter Greens, and paclted the earth more iirmly against 

 the stems of Broccoli that were laid, as it is possible with these 

 northerlv and easterly winds that we may still have a sharp 

 frost. For forwarding and forcing vegetables, see previous 

 weeks' notices. 



FKUIT G.UBDEN. 



For general management of houses. Strawberries, &c., we 

 must refer to former numbers. Sowed Melons, as we did not 

 care to have them early, also Cucumbers for succession. Some 

 we planted in winter, to afford a succession after the late ones, 

 did little good iu the dark days, and were just kept moving, but 

 have grown well since the days lengthened, are bearing a few 

 fruit, and most likely mil render part at least of our sowing 

 unnecessary. 



Our chief work for the week has been in the orchard houses, 

 as we were forced to give a rest to some pressing out-door work, 

 fearing that we should be too late in the orchard house, as the 

 buds of Peaches, &c., when they become too forward are apt to 

 be rubbed off in pruning and tying, and yet it is as well to have 

 the buds swelled a little before pruning, so that the wood buds 

 may be cleanly seen. All that were likely to be in danger have 

 been thoroughly done, and only the washing of late trees and 

 the cleaning of the ground in one house still remain to be done, 

 and both may be completed iu a day when it would be too wet 

 to be out of doors. The trees against the walls have all been 

 attended to after trees and walls alike had been thoroughly 

 washed and cleaned, both being well syringed with warm soft- 

 soap water, the walls washed down with a hard brush, and then 

 painted with fresh limewash. We generally tone down the 

 limewash with a little blue-black, but as the wall was getting a 

 little dark in colour, we used a thin limewash just as it was, 

 kuowing that the dark colour would just tell a little on the 

 white of the lime so as to prevent its being too white. If the 

 wall were not nearly covered with trees the reflection of heat 

 from a white surface would make the branches and buds near 

 it rather hot. We run over the twigs with a thin mixture of 

 water, clay, soft soap, and sulphur ; we like Gishurst used thin, 

 l)ut the oue is almost as good as the other. If taken in time, 

 just before the buds swell much, there is nothing more effectual 

 for destroying insects and their myriads of eggs than syringing 

 several times with soap water at about 180^. 



Our difficulty in getting this done except by pieces at a time — 

 say the wall and the trees on it at one time and the trees planted- 

 out and in pots in front of a lean-to house at another — arises from 

 the fact that in general these orchard houses are crammed with 

 plants and vegetables in winter, that would not stand the hot 

 water. Even iu cleaning now, we could only do part of a house 

 at a time, not knowing what the winter might be. Besides 

 Lettuces in the latest houses there were lots of Salvias, Roses, 

 Deutzias, and the Chrysanthemums in pots after blooming. We 

 took out all the latter, and plunged them out of doors, with a 

 few laurel branches to protect them if the weather become 

 severe. Some of these we shall grow on, others divide, and of 

 others make cuttings. We have so much more faith in pre- 

 vention than cure that, besides looking to the trees, we make it 

 a point to remove a portion, fuUy 1 iuch, of the surface soil in 

 the pots from the floor, shghtly fork-up, say half an inch deep, 

 see where a little water is wanted, top-dress again, first with 

 rotten dung mixed with lime to destroy all worms, and then 

 surface neatly over with fine fresh soil. All such matters re- 

 quire labour and time, but in general it will be saved in the 

 little trouble given by insects, &c., afterwards. 



After such cleaning and fresh-surfacing, whatever plants may 

 Ije introduced will not cause the houses to look shabby. We 

 shall have lots of flowering plants ere long, and Strawberry 

 plants along the fronts, as they will come on gradually so as to 

 tie taken to other places under glass, and would advance all the 

 sooner if we kept the orchard houses a little closer. 



Success in all unhealed orchard houses greatly depends on 

 not pushing the trees forward, but, on the contrary, retarding 

 them as much a< possible in spring. The later that Peach blos- 

 soms open, the later that Vines break, the less likely will they 

 be to suffer checks from cold, il'C, afterwards. If we had a 

 few days of very sunny weather before the bloom opened, we 

 would not only give all the air possible, but most likely would 

 dull the glass a little, so that there should be no extra stimulus 

 to the buds, until there were a corresponding action at the 

 roots. A week's difference in the opening of the blossom,? often 



makes the difference between failure and success, though a 

 Peach tree in full bloom in a cold dry house with the air still, 

 will stand a good deal of frost uninjured. Still, early blooming 

 is not desirable in such cold unheated houses. A keen amateur 

 has informed us that his Peach trees were in bloom in his un- 

 heated orchard house on the 20th of February. We had rather 

 the same thing had taken place fully a month later. As the 

 season has been, we do not think his trees will suffer, but we 

 have had seasons in which such trees could scarcely have been 

 kept secure without the help of an iron stove or two in the 

 coldest nights. Of course, when heat can be given the time of 

 blooming is a matter of liltle consequence. Where no heat of 

 any kind is intended, the retarding by abundance of air, even a 

 little frost, wUl be safer than encouraging them to grow. When 

 once the fruit is set, such retarding can soon be made up by 

 taking advantage of the sun in securing a greater but safe 

 amount of heat. 



ORNAMENTAL DEPARTMENT. 



For all out-door work — looking after florists' flowers in the 

 open air or protected, as Auriculas, with glass — refer to previous 

 numbers, and be aU the more particular if we should have sharp 

 frosts after so much wet. In^j?aH.^!».7 what we intended to bo 

 specimens of Finuses (of course we prefer even for them autumn 

 planting, l>ut owing to the season and other matters, many nice 

 little plants will be turned-out between this and April), there is 

 this advantage iu spring planting, that as the buds swell the 

 roots are enticed into action. The great advantage of autumn 

 planting is that the warmth in the soil entices the roots to form 

 fibres, and these then are ready to meet the demands of the 

 swelUng and expanding buds. With the exception of the few 

 species that delight in marshy ground, the great bulk wiU thrive 

 all the better, and look aU the better if, instead of being planted 

 on the level or in a hollow, they are planted on a mound. Thus, 

 for Araucarias, Deodars, Picea Pinsapo, Wellingtonias, Piuus 

 excelsa, &o., a load or two extra of good loam would be a great 

 help, so that the tree may stand on a flatfish rounded knoll. 

 The roots will soon go under the surface, but the collar of the 

 plant will never be troubled with stagnant moisture. Plenty of 

 moistm'e can be obtained even there by mulching, and as the 

 trees become somewhat venerable in years the mound, worn 

 down by that time, will still show somewhat of a pedestal for 

 the line base of the stem. How different even to the eye does 

 a fine old tree appear when its stem seems to creep, as it were, 

 through the level ground, from one scarcely more handsome 

 standing on a knoll with its huge roots close to the surface near 

 the bole ! The tree should thrive better, because the bulk of 

 the roots wiU be in the richest surface soil. The distance that 

 roots will travel is astonishing when thus encouraged; and the 

 length of the roots, like so much strong cordage, is the greatest 

 preservative from tempests. The finest Araucariain the grounds 

 lit Woburn stands over a deep drain, giving it all the advantages 

 of a mouud. We should like to see now the Araucarias planted 

 at Woodstock, Ireland, by Mr. McDonald, now of Phcenix Park. 

 They were on raised mounds with a substratum of open stone- 

 work. We have long thought that the giving way iu many 

 places of Araucarias was owing to their being planted on the 

 level. All the best we have seen were secured from anything 

 like stagnant moisture. 



Half-hardij Annuals. — It is well to defer sowing for a few 

 weeks irnless there is plenty of glass room to permit of their 

 beiug pricked out and haviug their growth encouraged. Without 

 that advantage very early sowing is a mistake, as if kept in the 

 hotbed the plants become drawn-up and weak, and if merely 

 sheltered out of doors they are apt to get chilled and stimted, 

 which they would not be if they had been three weeks or a 

 month later, for then in the case of Asters, Stocks, &c., the 

 pricking-out might be dispensed with, though it is always an 

 advantage when the room can be given. 



Azaleas. — We gave those iu fuU bloom plenty of water, aud 

 rang the sides of large pots near the base iu order to be sure by 

 the dull rather than the sharp sound emitted, that the soil was 

 moist to the bottom of the pot. In the case of such hair-rooted 

 plants, two or three waterings may be required at times to 

 effect that object, and if the part of the firm ball is dry the 

 flowers will not open kindly nor the young wood push freely. 

 In extreme cases where the water stood on the surface a long 

 time showing where the drainage was right, and that the lower 

 part of the ball was drj', we have placed the pot in a tub of 

 water until no air-bubbles appeared, and the ball was thoroughly 

 wetted. A ring of the pots frequently will prevent the necessity 

 of such a summary operation ; l^ut even by that means many a 

 fine plant has been saved that otherwise would have been in- 

 jured by insufficient watering. Our plants iu bloom have only 

 had common greenhouse treatment, but when wanted early, 

 soon after blooming and being cleaned, they shoiUd be taken to 

 a forcing house to make wood and set buds, and then hardened- 

 off in a cool atmosphere iintil it is desirable to start them. 



IViodoihndrons in bloom and swelling their bloom buds, espe- 

 ci.aUy if under-potted, require abundance of water. Some of 

 the old tree kinds are very beautiful. 



