474 



JOURNAL OF HCRTICOLTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Juue 12, 187S. 



tbe beautiful in nature than au unsightly, neglected, and mis- 

 shaped tree of any kind. 



In and around San Francisco, and in many of our valleys 

 and slopes, we are subject to strong periodical winds, which in 

 the spring and growing season, when the tree is heavy with 

 foliage, bends or careens the tree in one direction for a period 

 of time long enough to cause it to grow in that direction, for 

 " just as the twig is bent the tree's inclined " is fully veiitied, 

 as all " who have eyes to see " can see if they wiU but observe 

 as they travel over our State. 



We will now point out briefly a sure remedy for trees ex- 

 posed to strong or sweeping winds, as the leaves of the tree 

 are its lungs by which life is sustained. It will be noticed that 

 trees bent over to a certain angle are bereft of their leaves on 

 the windward side, because the winds have a double force and 

 sweep them off on that side, while the opposite side of the 

 trees are full and the limbs grow larger, thus adding to their 

 weight, and this careens the tree over, causing it to grow into 

 a mis-shaped tree. 



The remedy for this evil is easy. Prune the tree severely on 

 the leeward side, leaving double the (juantity of branches on 

 the windward, and leaving them thick ; these meet the force of 

 the winds and resist them, while the opposite side of the tree, 

 being shorn of weight, prevents the tree from careening over, 

 aud yet with less than half the branches on the opposite of the 

 tree it will grow faster and come up to a good form, aud make 

 a handsome tree, healthful, and pleasant to look upon. What 

 we say of an ornamental tree of any kind will apply equally to 

 fruit trees. — (Galiforiiian Farmer.) 



WOKK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GABDEN. 



Wheneveb it is necessary to water do so copiously, as a slight 

 sprinkling is worse than useless. Whenever the weather is 

 suitable for destroying weeds the hoe should be constantly plied 

 between all growing crops, both for the purpose of destroying 

 the weeds and retaining moisture. To maintain the strength of 

 Asparagus next year, no more of the produce should be cut. 

 Late and close cutting is, without doubt, one of the principal 

 causes of weak "grass." The plants of Cauliflowers which are 

 now forming their heads should be watered aud mulched with 

 short litter, this will cause them to be close and compact. 

 The advantage in planting in Cclenj trenches as we formerly re- 

 commended, will now be api)arent where adopted from the su- 

 periority over the jilants on the level ground. Continue to 

 plant successional crops of Celery in trenches; take up the 

 plants with as much earth around the roots as possible, and by 

 no means shorten any of the leaves. Immediately after plant- 

 ing give them a good soaking with water. The earlier crops 

 should have the earth loosened about their roots, as the frequent 

 watering it requires hardens the surface and prevents its receiv- 

 ing the benefit it should do from future waterings. To produce 

 fine Cucumbers the Unings of the frames should still be kept- 

 up, they should also be covered with mats at night, as it is 

 sometimes very cold. After the plants have been bearing for 

 some time and the shoots get a httle irregular, cut them back, 

 give them a good watering, and add 2 or 3 inches of fresh soil. 

 After this keep the plants nearly without air for a few days, 

 shading them when the sun is very powerful. Sprinkle the 

 plants with tepid water early every tine afternoon. With this 

 treatment they will make fresh shoots, and wUl be found more 

 productive than before. Make a sowing of the main autumn 

 crop of Endive. Plant-out a few of the early sowing. Iveep 

 them watered till they get roothold. Some of the Herbs will 

 shortly be fit to cut for drying. The best time for doing so is 

 just as they are coming into flower. Keeji a quantity of Lettuce 

 tied-up for blanching. Make another sowing in di-ills where 

 they are to remain. There is a much greater difficulty in pro- 

 ducing Mushrooms at this season than at any other, unless in a 

 house constructed for the purpose. It is necessary to keep the 

 temperature of the house down to 60' ; to do tliis water should 

 be frequently poured down so as to produce cold by evaporation. 

 Earth-up the main crop of Potatoes immediately after rain. 

 Keep the ground between the rows loose. Sow a few rows of 

 Spinach for succession; if the weather continue dry, water the 

 drills before sowing and again after covering them. 



FRUIT G.aiDEN. 



Wall trees demand attention in pruning and naihng. The very 

 gross-grow-ing shoots may be stopped to cause them to throw 

 out laterals. If there are any large shoots to remove, this is the 

 best time to remove them. Keep all the newly-planted fruit 

 tl'ees watered and mulched, and if dry v.eather continue all 

 wall trees would be benefited by a thorough watering. It will 

 be necessary if the weather continue dry to water Strawberries 

 copiously, afterwards lay straw ov short grass between the rows, 

 to preserve the fruit from dirt aud to retain moisture. Layer the 



early runners in pots for forcing. Net Cherry trees and Straw- 

 berries to preserve them from birds. Remove all suckers from 

 Filberts as they appear, examine the young fi-uit, aud look after 

 caterpillars, as they are making sad havoc in some places. Shorten 

 and remove the summer wood of Gfooseberrics and Currants in 

 the manner recommended for fruit trees. Give the fruit of 

 Peach and Apricot trees their final thinning; nail the young 

 shoots close to the wall, leaving no more than can be fully ex- 

 posed to light, recollecting that now and not next spring is the 

 period for removing aU superabundant shoots. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



I would wish to call the attention of your readers to two or 

 three important points relating to the flower garden which are 

 sometimes wholly neglected, or at others very inefficiently at- 

 tended to. In the first place I wish to see the thinning of hardv 

 annuals more generally adopted; one of the chief causes of their 

 remaining so short a time in flower may be traced to their being 

 so thick that it is quite impossible for them to branch out, and, 

 consequently, they only have a flower or two at the end of each 

 spindhng stem. From three to half a dozen plants in each 

 patch are quite sufficient to leave. Another point to which 1 

 would call attention is, the thinning of the flower stems of herb- 

 aceous plants. This is but very rarely done, but is not the less 

 necessary to insure good flowers. Staking is another operation 

 in which there is not sufficient care taken. The numerous flower 

 stems of herbaceous plants, and the mode of tying them up, give 

 them the resemblance of a green faggot set on end, rather than of 

 a hving plant. Half-hardy plants, such as Verbenas, &c., should 

 also be pegged down as much as possible with their heads to 

 the north, which will cause them to be drawn upright by the 

 sun more eflectuaUy than if they were pegged down at random. 

 Insects and caterpillars are becoming very numerous, there- 

 fore keep a sharp look-out to frustrate their attempts at colo- 

 nisation. As soon as the leaves of seedling Tulips become 

 withered take up the bulbs. Great care must be observed not to 

 injure them, as in most cases they push a bulb down several 

 inches into the ground. Let them dry gradually in tbe shade. 

 The bulbs of Ranunculuses should be frequently examined, as 

 the green caterpillar, scarcely distinguishable from the stalk, 

 often lodges just beneath them ; they are also much infested with 

 the cuckoo spit (Tettigonia spumaria), both of which are seriously 

 detrimental to the blooms. Where the flowers are sufficiently 

 advanced a light awning may be put over them. StUl persevere 

 in the extermination of the green fly on Carnations, either by 

 brushing off or using Scotch snuff, pufling on the buds by means 

 of a small indiarubber bottle with a tube in the neck. Take off 

 laterals as they appear, and reduce the stems thrown up by 

 strong-growing seedhngs to one, so that the energy of the plant 

 may be directed to the proper formation for blooming. If you 

 examine the heads of Pinks closelj' you will find some attacked 

 by a small grey grub which eats its way through the lower part 

 of the calyx and devours the inside. Continue to propagate 

 Pansies by slips or cuttings, and all seediugs of au inferior 

 character, or which are not a decided improvement on the va- 

 rieties ah-eady in cultivation, may be pulled up as they appear. 



GREENHOUSE .4.ND CONSERVATORY. 



While out-of-doors flowers may soon be expected in abun- 

 dance, nothing should be brought here at present but what is 

 well grown and rooted, nor should any plants be allowed to 

 remain that are at all shabby, for it seems a waste of means, 

 and certainly betrays bad management, to occupy glass houses 

 with plants of an inferior interest to such as may be expected 

 in the open air. It is not desirable, however, to crowd the 

 house w'ith flowering plants ; the aim should rather be to have 

 a moderate number of handsome specimens effectively arranged, 

 which wiU yield more sohd interest and pleasure than a greater 

 amount of floral display from plants of no individual merit. A 

 thin arrangement will also be advisable on account of the per- 

 manent occupants of the beds or borders, which at this season 

 should be allowed plenty of space in order to secure strong and 

 well-ripened wood, without which they need not be expected to 

 bloom finely. Use every means to keep down insects. Give 

 clear weak manure water to young growing specimens, and repot 

 any that are intended to have another shift this season, so as to 

 have the pots well filled with roots before winter. Maintain a 

 moist growing temperature, and syringe vigorously any plant 

 at all infested with red spider. 



STOVE. 



Many of the plants will require potting throughout the sum- 

 mer. Young seedUng exotics should be potted as soon as they 

 are sufficiently large. A hotbed would be the best place for 

 them until they make fresh roots, in the absence of which they 

 should be placed in the warmest part of the house and covered 

 with a hand-glass. Encourage backward plants of Orchids with 

 plenty of heat and moisture while it can be done with safety. 

 See that the plants on blocks and in baskets are properly sup- 

 plied with moisture at the root. To jjrevent any mistake in 

 this matter carefully examine every plant at least once a-week, 

 and immerse any found to be di*y in tepid water until the 

 1 material about the roots shall have become well soaked. Syringe 



