360 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE ARD COTTAGE GARDENER. 



I M»y 1, 1873. 



so beautifnl, or more -worthy of the trouble requisite to insure 

 their perfection. Tulips are rapidly throwins up their blooms. 

 In all probabiUty -we shall have some sharp frosts. The sticks 

 had better be inserted now in the blooming pots of Carnations 

 and Picotees, not only to support some varieties that have a 

 tendency to spindle early, but, if delayed longer, pushing them 

 down is apt to injure the roots. Keep "the pots free from weeds. 

 Dahlias are in many places already planted out ; protect with 

 ))ots at night. Snails will sometimes eat through the stems ; a 

 little chaff or soot spread on the surface of the soil mil obstruct 

 them in their ravages. It is the safest plan to plant in the first 

 week of May. Examine Roses to see that the worm in the 

 bud is not at work, and dress them, if necessary, with tobacco 

 water and soapsuds to clear them of the aphis or green Uy. 

 Many of the strong-growing hybrid China and French varieties 

 will be the better of having some of the strong growths thinned- 

 out; indeed, no more branches should be left upon a Hose than 

 can be properly exposed to the sun and air. Remove the 

 strongest branches, which frequently run into water shoots ; the 

 middle-sized ones generally produce the finest flowers. In 

 sheltered situations some plants for masses may be planted, such 

 as Lobelias, Pentstemon gentianoides. Calceolarias, Verbenas, 

 etc., and if frost should occiu- a few boughs may be laid over 

 them or be stuck about the bed, which will now afford sufficient 

 protection. Recently-planted Box and fresh-laid turf wiU re- 

 quire water in dry weather. Roll and mow the la-n-n, and roll 

 the walks when somewhat moist. 



GBEEXHOrsi; AND COXSERVATuRV. 



^ The variable weather of April (so fully evidenced lately), its 

 fatful gleams of sunshine and cold searching winds, render the 

 task of sustaining an eiiuable temperature oftentimes difficult. 

 It must be remembered that the occupants of the greenhouse 

 have, under the excitement of a genial temperature, developed 

 their tender shoots ; therefore, direct injury would ensue from 

 neglecting the precaution of regulating air and sustaining suit- 

 able heat. Plants that are intended to be tiu-ned out against 

 walls should be hardened by being placed in a cold pit, and aU 

 woody plants may be placed in the same situation if convenient, 

 where they may remain the whole summer, and they will not be 

 liable to the evil consequences arising from placing them where 

 they are fuUy exposed to the sun. Give air freely to prevent 

 the plants drawing. 



STOVE. 



Many of the plants will still require potting, and this wiU be 

 the case more or less throughout the summer. Continue to pro- 

 pagate from choice plants, and keep all free from insects by the 

 means so frequently alluded to. 



^ PITS ANU IKAHJiS. 



Tuberoses should now be potted if not done before. Pot-off 

 rooted cuttings of Dahlias, and harden the early-potted ones ; 

 divide and pot the old roots. The plants are, of com-se, being 

 removed from these structures to temporary protection as fast 

 as possible. If they are not quite clean give them a good fumi- 

 gating before they are taken out. Pot-off all recently-propagated 

 plants, and see that you have sufficient stock of everything to 

 plant your beds properly, if not, put in some more cuttings 

 without delay, which wiU do admirably to fill up gaps in the 

 summer. — W. Ke.ane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



The wind still continues to blow from the east, and the 

 average night temperatui-e for the week has been lower than 

 last week. On Friday morning the thermometer registered 5° 

 of frost, and on Saturday 4°. The ground is very dry on the 

 surface, which is much in our favoiu-. The earliest Potatoes 

 under the shelter of an east wall have suffered a little. We 

 threw some old shading material over a portion of them, and 

 that part is fuUy as much damaged as that uncovered. Indeed, 

 we never have done much good with any makeshift mode of 

 protecting. Where any good effect is to be produced, the pro- 

 tecting material must be an-anged in such a way that it will 

 not touch the plants when it is on, and it must not be dragged 

 over them when putting it on at night or in taking it off in the 

 mornmg. More damage is sometimes done to fruit trees on 

 walls by allowing the protecting material to flap against the 

 trees than if they had not been protected at aU. Protection is 

 necessary m our uncertain climate, but it is best done by placing 

 some stout poles in a leaning position against the wall at the 

 distance of 12 feet apart. The protecting material sliould be 

 bound round with some stout webbing. One side should be 

 nailed to the wall just under the projecting coping ; a short 

 length of tape must be nailed on to the top of each pole to tie the 

 material to when it is roUed up. It can readily be let down at 

 night and rolled up in the morning. A man with a ladder wUl 

 do aU the walls in a moderate-sized garden in a few minutes, 

 the under side of the material is nailed to the poles with a tack 

 or wall nail, and fastened at each corner to the wall, so that 

 when It is down it is quite tight. 



The bedding jAants in turf pits have not suffered in the least ; 

 they had been previously prepared when in the pits by having 

 the gUss lights taken quite off in the day. The shrubby Calceo- 

 larias in trenches, such as Celery is planted out in, are looking 

 well; they have no protection whatever, but the plants are 

 never coddled in any way. In fine weather the lights are drawn 

 down every morning the first thing, and replaced the last thing 

 at night, throughout the winter months. 



KITCHEN GAEDEN. 



Sticking carlg Peas. — Last week we wrote abov t this. They 

 are now a foot high, but the sparrows will not let them alone, 

 and have seriously damaged our prospects of a crop. Some 

 white threads have been nin down and across the rows, but this 

 will not deter them for any length of time. We must now get 

 some netting and throw over them. The rows of Lettuce have 

 been covered with the pea protectors ; to-day one of them 

 had been knocked off, the sparrows' quick eyes noticed it before 

 we did, and very Uttle of the leaves but the midribs was left. 

 Our garden adjoins the farmyard, which accounts for the trouble 

 we have with them. 



Little has been done in the kitchen garden, except hoeing 

 between the crops and weeding the walks : we like to have 

 evei-y weed destroyed early in the season. We also sowed the 

 third crop of Peas, sixteen varieties, but so many are sown 

 chiefly by way of proving the new ones. We think very 

 highly of many of them, having had ample opportunity of com- 

 paring them with the old sorts at Chiswick last season. Some 

 of the very latest we have not seen, but they were certificated 

 by the Fruit Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society; 

 and we have sufficient faith in that body to believe that they 

 would not have bad that honour passed upon them if they were 

 not worthy of it ; but we are never satisfied unless we have 

 them proved in our own garden, as varieties first-class at Chis- 

 wick might not be so here, our soil is so different. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



Here the lawn mower is kept at work, and all the edgings 

 have been fresh cut with the turf-cutter and look very trim. 

 The lawn is ahvays cut very early in the season, as when the 

 gi-ass is left to grow too long before the first cutting, the lawn 

 shows the effect of it all through the season. The Hyacinths in 

 the flower beds are now over, but Tulips, Narcissus, Polyanthus, 

 and Primroses are very gay ; the latter are suffering from the 

 continued drought, and have been twice watered. Roses have 

 been looked over to destroy " the worm i' the bud," we go to 

 the work anned with a pin with which the rascals are picked 

 out. We also sowed Mignonette and Sweet Peas. 



PLANT HOUSES. 



We continue to fumigate until all the green fly are destroyed. 

 In one house the stage Pelargoniums are now coming into 

 flower, and though not an aphis was visible on them, the house 

 was thoroughly smoked. This is always done in the Pelar- 

 gonium house just before the plants flower, as should green fly 

 appear afterwards when the plants are in fuU bloom, to smoke 

 the house then would cause all the petals to drop. We have 

 also been looking over all plants in the stove for mealy bug. 

 During the winter season we can generally keep this pest pretty 

 well out of sight, but with the increased temperature in April 

 they have made an appearance on the Stephanotis, Ixoras, and 

 some other plants ; they must be thoroughly cleansed with a 

 sponge, soft soap, and rain water. Training climbers has 

 occupied the rest of the time. 



PKUIT AND FORCING HOUSES. 



Tying-down the shoots of Vines in late houses ; they are now 

 growing vigorously and show well for fruit. The Melons in the 

 eai-ly house are setting their fruit; the shoots trained to a 

 trellis overhead have required training and thinning-out. We 

 are always careful with the Melons to have as many female 

 blossoms expanding at the same time as it is intended to allow 

 on the plants for a crop, as should one or two fruit be set two or 

 three days before the others the later-set fruit will not swell 

 well. Constant attention has been given to airing, and much 

 caution is required during such trying weather as we have had. 

 — J. Douglas. 



TRADE CATALOGUE KECEIVED. 



R. Read, 35, Regent Circus, Piccadilly, Ijonion.— Catalogue 

 of Garden Engines, Pumps, Syringes, i&c. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



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