Jnly 18, 1865. ] 



JOUBNAL OP HOKTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



49 



can spare for each crop, and prevent much confusion aftor- 

 warda. It will bo as well to sow ft very nmall bed of Early 

 Horn Carrots for sununcr uso, as they often stop a gap, especi- 

 ally in such dry suniuicrs nn it appears we aro doomed to have. 

 In fact, there are so many thinfis to sow this month that it is 

 uo easy tasi; to enumerate them all with remarks; but as one 

 generally has to (jive up a frame or pit to half-hardy annuals, a 

 partof it can be devoted to sowings of Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, 

 Lettuce, and Celery, not forgetting to prick the first sowing out 

 as soon as largo enough to handle, and again place some- 

 where under glass. Where Dwarf Kidney Beans are grown 

 under glass now is the time to work them, as with ordinary at- 

 tention they will repay the labovir and come in now very useful. 

 Besides these the supply will be much the same as last mouth, 

 with the addition of the tliinnings of the autumn-planted Cab- 

 bages, 03 I generally jJant them so thickly in the rows that I 

 am able to cut at every other one for greens, and the Eadislies 

 from the pit will make a nice addition to the .salad for the 

 mouth, with Cucumbers if you have them. 



In this month I sow two rows each of Yorkshire Hero and 

 Veitch's Perfection Peas, sowing Radishes between the rows 

 and rolling all over to protect the seeds from the birds, after 

 which I sow no more long Radishes but rely chiefly on Turnip 

 Radishes, of which I make a sowing before the month is out. In 

 addition to the above, sowings should be made of Vegetable 

 Marrows, Tomatoes, Leeks, springer summer Spinach, Turnips, 

 and herbs. Plant Potatoes, and gravel the walks if necessary.— 



BUBNTWOOD, P. I>. 



^To be continued.) 



MY ORCHARD-HOUSE ON MIDSUMMER DAY. 



The late dry weather severely taxed our tanks. Getting-in 

 the luxuriant hay crop, and watering the flower-beds, prevented 

 due attention, to our Strawberry-beds and Peaches in-doors 

 .and out. Out of doors I never saw them so spidered ; anything 

 more abnormal than the leaves one could not conceive ; also, 

 mildew on the young shoots, and remains of spring-blistered 

 leaves. All this arose from neglect of syringing and appli- 

 cations, but it was out of our power. Guernsey is the land of 

 monopoly, close borough, and dissent ! Thus, at times there 

 is much" inconvenience in the labour market. The clergy, if 

 not actually reduced to " di-ive cabs," must work their garden 

 engines themselves if they wish to conquer the aphis tribe. In- 

 doors, Uttle spider, less mildew, but a great amount of brown 

 aphis. If overlooked for a day the leaves curl up and defy all 

 syringing. After many appUcations which injured the tender 

 leaves, I decided on the " very close pruning " ofJ of the diseased 

 shoots, but there is little danger, for the buds for next year's 

 crop .are now plainly prominent and abundance of "May 

 clusters " are visible, only in the case of an extension of a 

 branch it is very trying to see it curled up and crooked. How- 

 ever, they are all cut off, being second growths. 



Mr. Rivers presented me last year with about three dozen 

 new trees, many unnamed seedlings. These with other new 

 sorts make up about one hundred splendid varieties, and, I 

 believe, my good friend alone could show choicer sorts. The 

 interest created by watching them, noting their blossoms, habit 

 of growth, and fruit, as yet unnamed, is unbounded. Among 

 newer sorts Mexina Chaupin is a remarkably dark Peach, darker 

 than any Bellegarde. The shoots are of a dark purple. Heath's 

 Northern Tree, an American Peach, is very prolific, and seems 

 good. Bergen's YeUow, said to be a shy bearer, is doing well. 

 ■Then there are a number of seedlings all to be tried. Of the 

 Victoria Nectarine I have two trees both bearing. The fruit is 

 the largest Nectarine in the house after Chauvifire. The 

 Princess of Wales Peach is truly fine. Another unnamed 

 seedling white Nectarine will be first-rate. Of older sorts. 

 Early York is still a very great favourite ; so are the American 

 varieties, Canary, Stump the World, and Golden Purple, all 

 free-setting and good. No Peach is more prolific than Stump 

 the World. Teeiimseh, a new Georgian Peach, said to be veiy 

 late, has also fruit. Pool's Late Y'ellow is finer this year. The 

 Comet Peach is promising well. 



My Apricots have not done much this year ; why, I cannot 

 say. Neither have they succeeded in a friend's house who has 

 wonderfiU Plums, and such Apples and Pe.ars ! 



My Figs I have removed from pots and planted against the 

 wall inside the house. They require too much attention to 

 watering. — any neglect and the crop is in danger ; but trained 

 en cordon, as diagonals, and closely, very closely indeed, pinohed- 



in, they make a goodly show. Some are nearly ripe, others of 

 the size of a Pea, and many between these sizes. Let me re- 

 commend close pinching-in for Fig trees. We aw coming to 

 this style for everything. 



As to the general crop, it is about 1.500, as last year, besidog 

 plenty of Grapes along the rafters ; but wo are fatally crowded 

 owing to my gooil friend's liberality, and as this is a common 

 fault with bpgiiniers, let me say here how dangerous it is. The 

 shifts we are ])ut to to save room, the way we turn the jjUints 

 to the light, the accidents from crinoline, the injurious com- 

 ments of our many %isitors, irritating to a degree to our self- 

 respect, and the consciousness that our best trees are becoming 

 fast out of ))roj)orti<)ns, all these and other good reasons induce 

 mo to reconimend amateurs to construct their houses with a 

 good width, and plenty of ventilation and means of irrigation. 

 On the subji;ct of \'i8itors and their remarks, some curious 

 chapters might, indeed, be written. — T. C. Br^haui, Itichmond 

 lloiisry (lufritufy. 



IDIOT GARDENERS. 



A STitANGE title ! — yet fully justified by the truths leading to 

 its adoption. 



Who has not Imown a family with an idiot member ? — some- 

 times an idiot filthy in its habits ; resolute not to use njuscular 

 exertion ; drivelling sometimes ; sometimes uncontrcjllably 

 violent ; voracious in .appetite, and careless of the quality of 

 food partaken ; without discernment of good from evil, and in 

 fact loathsome, and a total sorrow, and an incubus upon the 

 family ? 



We have known many such — na}-, more, we have known a 

 family with all the children iiliots — and we, in common with 

 the parents, and, probably, in common with a majority of our 

 readers, looked upon them as incurables, and tliought that 

 Luther was not far wrong in concluding they should not be 

 allowed to live. Yet, how totally this is at variance with the 

 path that should be pursued, and how totally incorrect the 

 conclusion that such imbeciles are incurables ! 



We ask of our readers, emphatically and urgently, to read a 

 contribution to the just-published " Edinburgh Review," 

 entitled " Idiot Asylums," and they wOl marvel to find that all 

 icUots are teachable, all may be rendered happy and useful, and 

 " that some actually possess special powers, above the com- 

 mon standard as relates to music, the art of drawing or 

 modelling, and in powers of memory and arithmetic, and 

 instead of dulness, imperfection, and deprivation, have in some 

 direction or other a strange exaltation." 



It is the mode of treatment — the adapting the teaching to 

 the deficient powers of the mind, the associating with minds 

 on a level with each other, and gradually leading each other on, 

 that effects such a wondrous change. All the details are 

 interesting, but we can afford space only for one extract — 

 many trades are successfully taught — but we must confine our 

 notice to the idiot cultivators of the soil. 



" No idiot asylum should be without a farm and a garden, 

 and if the number of pupils is large they should be of con- 

 siderable extent. There are between twenty and thirty farmers 

 and gardeners at Earlswood, while at Essex Hall the employ- 

 ment of pupils able to do the work assigned to them in the 

 garden has long been found most attractive and beneficial. In 

 the first-named place the garden consists of about 8 acres, and 

 is admirably kept by the young gardeners imder snperinten 

 dence. The vegetables required in the establishment are well 

 and abundantly grown, and in the flower borders, which are in 

 excellent taste, it is almost impossible to find a weed. There 

 is a greenhouse, and also there are some frames for preserving 

 the plants to be bedded out in the summer, and every part of 

 them has been made in the place in a workmanUke maimer. 

 Now and then at Ijoth the asylums just named, prizes have 

 been gained for Cucumbers, Celery, and other produce, at the 

 neighbouring horticultural shows, to the great joy and triumph 

 of their growers. Such an occupation has a most happy 

 influence on the imbeciles employed in it, while it secui'es 

 abundance of excellent fresh vegetables and summer and 

 winter fruits for their use, a part of their diet of great impor- 

 tance. 



" To see the poor fellows watching their plants and trees, and 

 in summer parading near the Peas and Currants, with their 

 clackers to frighten the birds, is a most exhilaratiiig spectacle 

 when contrasted with the uselessness and wretchedness of their 

 previous lives. The great object of ambition, however, is to be 



