July 11, 1865. 1 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTUnE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



tlieae can be better talten off when the bulb is drj". Push 

 DaJilias on by watei-iug freely when the weatlier ia dry, also 

 assist them by mulching the gi-ound with decayed stable-ma- 

 nure ; take carp that the plants do not chalo where attached to 

 the bloomiiij^'-sticks. Trap earwigs and other destructive in- 

 sects. Miiw and roll grass. Trim edgings. Attend to the walks, 

 the weather at present encouraging the growth of weeds. 



OKEENUOnSE AND CONSKUVATOnY. 



During the time when the creepers are in an active state 

 make it u rule to go over them frequently, that they may 

 not grow confused. The same may be said of creepers in 

 pots which require attention, for the same reason, every few 

 days. Any shoots which have done fluwering to be cut back, 

 and a crowded gi-owth avoided. A number of hardwooded 

 plants which were cut back some weeks since will now have 

 recovered themselves and be commencing a fresh gi-owth. 

 This is the proper time to shift into larger pots any plants 

 requiring it. Carefully loosen the outside roots. After jiotting, 

 keep the plants close for a few days, and syringe them daily, 

 but avoid giving any more water to the roots than ia sullicient 

 to preserve the old ball moist. Stock for autumn and winter 

 flowering will now requii-e some care to get it sufficiently for- 

 ward to be useful at the proper time. Chinese Primulas, espe- 

 cially the double varieties, if at all backward, may now bo 

 placed in a close frame and shaded from the sun, when they 

 will bo found to m.ike satisfactory progress. Cinerarias for 

 early flowering should also be potted and started at once, 

 choosing the strongest suckers for the purpose, and placing 

 them in a close shaded frame until they have become rooted. 



STOVE. 



The stock here will now be growing rapidly, and must be 

 allowed sufficient space to permit the perfect development of 

 the foliage and the formation of compact handsome specimens. 

 The atmosphere of this house can hardly be kept too moist, 

 and the plants should be sprinlded overhead morning and 

 evening, and every available sui-face kept constantly moist. 

 Plants that arc known to suffer from the direct action of the 

 sun's rays should be placed in a shady part of the house, or 

 kept together at one end where they can be shaded without 

 interfering with plants that require plenty of light. If pre%dous 

 instructions have been properly attended to there will be little 

 to do to the Orchids, besides attending to the ordinai-y routine 

 of affording them a thoroughly moist atmosphere, repotting 

 any specimen that may require it, and sponging the foliage as 

 may be necessary to keep it perfectly clean. 



COLD PITS. 



The stock here will now be growing freely, and should be 

 examined frequently in order to see that all is right, for plants 

 growing rapidly speedily suffer from neglect in watering. — 

 W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST AMCEK. 



The rain which we anticipated last week came, greatly en- 

 livening the appearance of vegetation wherever it fell, and fall- 

 ing more freely, we believe, in the southern and eastern counties 

 thiin with ub. As a general rule, however, what are gi-eat general 

 advantages to the many are often obtained at the expense of the 

 inconvenience and discomfort of the few. The weather pro- 

 phet was no fool who kept a weU-lincd pocket, and a successful 

 popularity, by assuring his dupes he could send them rain at 

 any time, whenever they were all agi-eed as to the propriety 

 of having it on a certain day. This agreement was never 

 realised — one wished dry weather for hay, another a fine day 

 for pleasm-e, another fair weather imtil he returned from a 

 journey, and so on ; and, from the want of unanimity in his 

 supjiorters, the prophet maintained his ascendancy and repu- 

 tatittn. 



Few could deny the advantages of the downpour on the 

 30th ultimo, but thousands wished that it had been on some 

 other day than that set apart for a great out-of-door horticul- 

 tural fete, which had been eagerly looked forward to, especially 

 by the youth of both sexes. Of this we shall have something 

 to say, if we can find time and space. Meanwhile, it was 

 higlily gratLf,\-ing to find even so many braving the discomforts 

 of the deluging rains, and the long wet grass, to see the flowers, 

 and to listen to the strains of the best music. They must 

 have felt that " music has charms," even when given in a tent, 

 along with the heavy, discordant, pattering of the rain. 



Gn Thursday, the 6th, we had a delightful rain, attended 



with thunder, which is likely to lessen the great amount of 

 heat, which has lately been making labour very trying to some 

 of us, and attempting to take things a little easy more trying 

 still. We can feel sympathy for a man who is working shaqjly 

 in one of these broiling days, with l\w, thermometer close on 

 90° in the shade ; but wo can feci the sinccrest pity for the 

 man who crawls about at work, or otherwise, on such a day. 

 The active workman will get ease from perspiration, and the 

 breezes which his own active motions make ; whilst the lethargic 

 man will feel as it he were going to be choked up in his own 

 laziness and immobility. 



KITCHEN OABDEN. 

 Proceeded with getting in winter crops of Savoys, Brussels 

 Sprouts, Scotch Kale, Broccoli, &c.. after the rains. Those 

 pricked-out were lifted with balls, and planted in trenches with 

 the spade. Those from seed-beds were planted with the 

 dibber. See directions for dibbling last season. Transplanted 

 Beetroot which has come badly, have a lot coming on under 

 protection, hardly large enough to transplant yet ; wiU so sow 

 and transplant in future, as even under nets the birds nip 

 them up as soon as the red seed-leaves appear. Sowed a few- 

 more Beans, Kidney Beans, in the open ah-, and a few Dwarf 

 Fan Beans to come in in October, if the weather is fine. We 

 often succeed better with good rows of early Beans, cutting 

 them over when pretty well gathered about 3 inches above 

 the ground, and the shoots that are thrown out from below 

 often fruit better than those sown in .June or the beginning of 

 .July. Sowed aimost the last Peas, as Dickson's Favourite and 

 Songster's No. 1. Will most likely sow some early dwarf kinds 

 about the middle of the mouth, in a warm sheltered border. 

 Will proceed with winter stuff, as soon as we clear Potatoes, 

 and early Peas. Watered the Peas in full bearing with sewage 

 water, and mulched with short grass and Utter. Mulching we 

 find a great advantage, even if we could water more than we 

 do. Sowed Carrots and Onions for thawing young, and planted 

 out Leeks, giving them some good stuff to grow in, as Leeks 

 when well cooked are a dish for a prince. They are also said 

 by some of our learned medical men to be as cooUng for the 

 system as Onions are generally heating. 



FECIT DEPAETITEST. 



Much the same as in previous weeks. Gathered Raspberries, 

 Strawberries, and Currants for' preserving. Have as yet been 

 unable to plant out the .spring-forced Strawberry plants, or to 

 do much in preparing for next year's forcing. After this rain, 

 will proceed with both operations. A little spider having 

 appeared in the Peach-house, smeared the pipes with siJphur 

 and put a brisk fire on for two or three hours, and then gave 

 air, as a continuance would have been apt to throw off the 

 ripening fruit before they w-ere perfectly matured, and much 

 sulphm- fumes in a close house with heat would tell upon the 

 flavour. There is so little spider, and so Utile chance of its 

 increasing much before the fniit is all gathered, that unless 

 care is used, it would be better to dispense with fire heat and 

 sulphur on the pipes when the fruit is so far advanced. In 

 answer to an inquiry we would here state that we know of no 

 better plan for sending Peaches long distances safely, than 

 to gather before they are over-ripe, and pack in boxes divided 

 into partitions of 3i inches square, wrapping each Peach in 

 stout silk paper, placing bran below it, and bran all round it 

 and above it — shaldng a little to keep all firm. 



Vinery Bordvi-x. — We have only been able to remove ourthin 

 covering of tree leaves ; this season we wish it had been done 

 a fortnight ago to have gained the advantage of the strong sun 

 heat, in general, for early Grapes, and the roots outside, and 

 the border covered so as to keep heat in and frost out, even 

 if Uttle heat is thrown in, we think it safer and better every 

 way to remove the covering in the end of .June, instead of, as 

 is often advised, in the beginning and middle of May. If the 

 days are warm in the end of May the nights are generally 

 coid enough, and the soU parts with its heat so rapidly by 

 radiation as to cool the roots and check them if near the surface. 

 If cold weather should succeed this thunder, it would be good 

 policy to throw some litter or other protecting material over 

 the border, as soon as the sun left it. 



Wliat we and others have said r.bout Vine-borders is all right 

 enough, and it is well to use such precautions for success ; but, 

 since we mentioned the fine Vines in Mr. Lane's orchard-house, 

 we have been told of some dozen of instances of great success 

 where no border-making had been resorted to, but the Vines 

 were planted at once in the natural soil. A gentleman, or an 

 amateur, may well do such a thing, and risk the consequences ; 



