July 25, 18G5. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOKTICULTUBE AND COTTAGB GARDENER. 



77 



a fortiiiKlit )uivo been Rreatly benefited by stirring the ground 

 all over with a fork in a dry day. 



Ciiciiiiili,'!:-!. — Those on ridges and on beds witli little or no 

 protection, having' now had tho soil well heated, will be licrie- 

 tited by beins nuilelied with litter, or some hay j^-rass, whic^h 

 will keep tlie fruit cleaner, luid jireserve a nKn'e ei|nal eondition 

 of tempcratiue and moistnre about the roots. When nice (,'u- 

 cumbcrs, however, are wanted for the table, it is advisable to 

 keep some in beds, pits, or frames, with glass over them, and 

 where the soil can bo kept warm. It is often advisable to (jive 

 regular Cucumber-houses a rest dm-in^ the summer. One of 

 our most successful growers in a span-roofed house in winter 

 and spring, allows his house to stand eni)ity ihiring sunnner, so 

 as to be tlioroughly sweetened and cleaned before he jilants 

 again in autumn. Few of us can thus spare glass ; but even a 

 few pot i)lants in such a place would be better than coutinuint; 

 on the Cucumbers, when they can be had very good in frames, 

 &c. A few weeks ago we found traces of the disease in a two- 

 light box, and as we had plenty more %ve cleared out and 

 destroyed the plants, remuved the soil, washed the fianie, 

 and planted again. It will bo recollected that this spot and 

 gum disease troubled us some years. In honesty we must add, 

 that wo do not know what brought it, or occasioned it, or what 

 has happily kept it away. Nothing would conquer it when 

 once it appeared. Fresh soil, frequent planting, and plenty of 

 heat and air, just enabled us to get on. This season with the 

 above exception we have seen nothing of it, but our treatment 

 has not a]ipreciably varied. AVe should be glad if some one 

 would do what we are unable to do, after numerous experiments 

 and much jiatient watching and noting — tell us the cause of, 

 and the remedy for this disease, or these diseases. The spot 

 on tho leaf is worse than gum on the fruit. For Mushrooms, 

 Tomatoes, etc., see previous Numbers. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



Proceeded with stopping and shoot-removing as we could find 

 time. Some Plums would be benefited by thinning if we could 

 get at them. The dry weather kept the Strawberry runners 

 back, and now they come freely. \Ve have taken a lot with 

 little roots and potted them singly in small pots at once ; others 

 we shall layer in small pots, both to be potted afterwards. As 

 .stated the other week, we will also repot a few of those fruited 

 last in iiots, to come in the earliest ; we shall sliake the most of 

 the earth awaj-, and repot firmly in six-inch pots, and give all 

 the sun possible after they begin to grow. We are now planting 

 out the first-forced, and expect a crop in the autumn. Many 

 are showing bloom freely now. Our crop in the open air 

 though tolerable, has not been at all up to the mark. We 

 believe the fruit-buds were starved by dryness last autumn, 

 and, therefore, the bloom was not sufficient this summer. We 

 were, however, much better off than some of our neighbours. 

 We beUeve the shortness of the crop was more owing in such 

 circumstances to the peculiarities of the last summer and au- 

 tumn, than to anything connected with the sterility of the 

 plants. Even then, however, it would be advisable to take 

 nmners from fruitful plants, rather than barren ones, and 

 those who wish to be extra careful and sure of fruit, may as 

 well choose the second layer that comes fri>m the plant, in- 

 stead of the first. We can scarcely get such minutia> attendeil 

 to, but a number of experiments years ago convinced us, tliat 

 though the plants from such layers were less vigorous in 

 growth, they were on the whole more distinguished for fertility. 



V'ini'-bonlfrs. — In addition to the sprinkling of lime and soot 

 alluded to the other week, threw a sprinkling of superjihos- 

 phate of lime over them to be washed in by tlie rains, as the 

 crops aie as usual too heavy. All Vines like a little of this 

 applicatio 1 of bones, and a good dose will not bo so liable to 

 injure as g.iano, and other concentrated manures. 



Mcl/jii.i. — In addition to what has lately been stated, tho 

 chief points to be attended to now are — setting the fruit on 

 young plants, keeping swelling fruit from contact with the soil, 

 thinning the laterals and leaves sufficiently so that what is left 

 may have plenty of light ; and for fruit advancing to ripeness, 

 making sure that the roots shall be moist, and tlie surface and 

 the atmosphere dr^. If we would have a first-rate Persian 

 Melon, we must imitate the Persian atmosphere. The very 

 heat and dryness of the air there give an extra relish and 

 sweetness to the juicy Melon. A travelled gentleman said of a 

 reahy good Melon, " Ah ! to make it perfect it should be par- 

 taken uff under a broiling sun in Persia." No doulit this lends 

 a charm to the Water Melons, which after many attempts have 

 scarcely become at all rehshed in this country. 



OUNAJIUNTAl, KKr.VllTMB.ST. 



.Tolls hero too numerous to mention, in cliangiug plants, 

 potting plants, training, Ac. Stanhopi^as have llowered all the 

 stronger and better from having been dipped several times in 

 manure water, and strongisli nuinnre water being poured gently 

 on thi' baskets. In smallish baskets, tigrina and others have 

 been large and fine. Our little plant-stove is becoming too 

 cold for the Caladiums. They made the most splendid leaves 

 when they wore treated to a little bottom heat. No plants 

 enjoy that privilege more, (iivo iilenty of heat and moisture 

 anil'a subdued shaded light, and fine foliage must lie the residt. 

 The same mav be said of the fine-foliaged varieties of (Jesnera 

 zebrina, though less heat suits them. For hardwooded plants 

 see previous weeks, and for sonu! time back. The most forward 

 Pelargoniums may now be cut back for making shoots. For 

 early-blooming Cinerarias and Calceolarias see former directions 

 and practice. 



Cliri/miilheiimms now require plenty of manm-e water, and 

 the tops must never be allowed to shrivel or flag. Every time 

 a iilant becomes so, a layer of leaves will fade next the base of 

 the stem, and thus make the jdants Ijare at tlio bottom. Now 

 is a good time to layer young shoots into small pots for flower- 

 ing in a small dwarf state. If the toi) of tho shoot is twisted 

 before laying in the small three or four-inch pot, it will soon 

 strike root. Tongneing in the usual way can scarcely be re- 

 sorted to, tho shoots are so apt to snap ; but a good plan is to 

 run a sharp penknife along the middle of a shoot for 2 inches 

 in length, and then put in a small bit of pebble or a little chip 

 of wood to keep the sides of the cut separate from each other. 

 The exposm-e of the bark and alburnum soon secures plenty of 

 roots, and when the pot is thus tilled the connecting shoot can 

 be cut off. Such dwarf little plants are useful for filling small 

 flat vases. A vase of Chrysanthemums m.ay thus be obtained 

 of any conceivable height. The large pots and large specimens 

 should now have pleutv of mainn-e water. 



Out of doors the chief work has been mowing, machining, 

 rolling, sweeping, i'C. Two things may be worth special notice. 

 The first is, the necessity from the rains, of training, and re- 

 moving many leaves from llon^er-beds, so as to give more light 

 to flowers and flower-beds. This w:is especially the case with 

 strong-growing Scarlet ■ Geranium-beds trained in tho pyra- 

 midaf form. These, though not e(iual to those at Bentley 

 Priory last year, are still very fair, and all the ground com- 

 pleteiy covered. The removing of a few prominent leaves near 

 the points of the shoots does not interfere with the clothing of 

 the beds, whilst greater strength is thrown into the flower- 

 stems. Of course, it must not bo overdone, as the flower-stems, 

 even, would be starved for want of correlative action. ^ The 

 second has reference to the treatment of several lines of Ceras- 

 tium in front of ribbon-borders. We lately cut a long one 

 rather wide, but as it was then only 1! inch from the grass, we 

 could do nothing but leave it straight. The others had been 

 I>lanted in Mav, and required some pegging and cutting to make 

 it uniform and straight from end to end. When thus nicely 

 finished, the Cerastium would be about (i inches from the grasa 

 verge. We have already stated how nicely a row of Cerastium 

 looked at Trentham, w'ith rather more than that distance of 

 black-coloured earth between it and the grass. Our soil is not 

 black enough for the purpose, but we ihd not like to give up 

 the idea of a contrasting colour between the gi-eeu gi-ass and 

 the whitish Cerastium. We, therefore, had some dust coal 

 passed through a sieve to get rid of a lot of the dust and the 

 largish pieces, and by a little breaking and then washing all 

 well in a fine sieve in" a tub of water, much in the same way as 

 the best sand is washed for cement, we obtained a lot of coal 

 shingle ranging in size from that of small peas to that of fair- 

 sized horse beans. The narrow strip of ground was levelled 

 and beaten firm, and then the coal grit was laid thinly and 

 evenly over it. At a little distance you might easily mistake 

 the deep bluish-black for a narrow row of the darkest Lobelia 

 speciosa. It certainlv makes a better figm-e than the mere bare 

 earth. We should I'iko to see aU flower-beds nicely bordered, 

 and with something better than coal grit. Disapproving o£ 

 mixing flowers and coloured earths or minerals in one uniform 

 combination, there is not the same objection as to sun-ounding 

 one figure, or group, or border, with some coloured earth, not 

 much beneath the height of the row of plants next to them. In 

 our case the bluish sparkling black diamonds come in as a 

 narrow line between the green and the white. If not liked it 

 could easilv be put out of sight. The washing is essential, for, 

 othervrise, 'rains would splash, and wmds di'ive the black dust. 

 — li. F. 



