AuguHt 1, 1866. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOKTICULTURE AKD COTTAGE OABDENER. 



97 



blackbirds and thruBhea reduced to skeletons. However, they 

 liave had more of their own way, as for several reasons tins 

 season wo have firiul no shots at tlicm, but instead sent a boy 

 with {»ood lun(,'s and a rattle niuoiiK the bushes, to keep them 

 moderate in their meals, and, perljaps, the absence of the [^un 

 has made them more moderate, from a jirineiiile of j;ratitude. 



Unless very secure, netting is no avail, llie l)inls will actually 

 from mere curiosity find their way under the netting to see 

 what is tliere. We have had ample proof this season, that the 

 tomtit is a great enemy to buds in the spring, he is a great 

 inaect-devourer all the rest of the season. Ho is pretty well as 

 active now in ni])iiing up insects from bushes and trees, as the 

 swallows are in their w.iy anmng the flies in our atmosphere. 



Wiut over the trees on walls and orcliard-liouses, thinning 

 later fruit, which after all we constantly manage to leave too 

 thick. Some time ago we grumbled that a few trees on the back 

 wall of an orchard-house did not set thick enough to please us, 

 but tlie trees acted more wisely than we would have advised 

 them to do, as wo have had to thin considerably what we 

 thought would be a thin crop. Went over the ripening Peaches, 

 removing shading leaves, shortening laterals, and seeing if the 

 fruit had full room to swell. It is very annoying when a fine 

 fruit is mature, to lind that one side is marked or cut into by 

 ligature, wire, or wood trellis. 



Trees from which all the fruit was gathered, we syringed 

 forcibly with soap water and clear water alternately, and gave 

 the driest a good watering. Gave also a good watering to 

 Peaches swelling freely. Too much water whenever they begin 

 to ripen spoils the flavour, but they need a good watering iu 

 general at the second swelling, to give plumpness and size. 



Thinned the shoots of Fig trees in low house, and in pots, 

 and gave plenty of water and air to those ripening freely. None 

 but a Fig-grower can have the satisfaction of eating ripe Figs 

 in perfection, as when at their best it is next to impossible to 

 pack them so as to take them safely for long distances. Plenty 

 of air is necessary to prevent them cracking prematurely, and 

 in diUi, moist, muggy weather, a little fire heat is useful to 

 prevent them ripening on one side before they become soft on 

 the other. Plants in pots must never now be th'y, and they 

 must never be water-logged. In very bright days, such tender- 

 skinned ones as the best White Marseilles are all the better of 

 the slightest shade. 



Looked after a few damped berries among Grapes, and gave 

 a little tire heat to the late house, shutting it up early. A 

 little extra heat now will do more good than in September or 

 October. Melons have been all that could be wished in such 

 bright weather. Without sun and at all shaded much imder 

 glass, they are apt to be little better than large ripe Cucum- 

 bers. We presume that in such matters people change, but we 

 find once regular Melon-eaters at all meals of the day now 

 scarcely touch them at any time. Several gardeners have lately 

 told us that they have given up gi'owing them, as they were 

 never used. The glass iu many places could well be used for 

 other purposes. It often happens, however, that fruit and 

 vegetables neglected for a time are again taken into favour, 

 and we cannot produce too much of them. We notice to-day, 

 that a heavy crop of Apricots, swelling freely, are being marked 

 already on the most forward parts, which marking we attribute 

 to ants and earwigs, both of which are more nmnerous than 

 usual this season. We shall take an early opportunity of 

 lashing the trees and fruit with clear lime and soot water, 

 which is not liked by these pests, so as to bring them to the 

 ground, and then we shall paint the wall at the bottom with a 

 mixture of tar, grease, and oil, the latter ingredients prevent- 

 ing the tar drying, and, therefore, keeping the intruders from 

 passing over. A small space as to width would do — say three- 

 fourths of an inch. The syringing is essential, as what insects 

 are left on the trees will be apt to remain there. 



ORN.VSIENTAL DEPARTMENT. 



Potting, staking, mowing, regulating, much the same as last 

 week. The heavy rains have rendered it necessary to remove 

 many leaves of Scarlet Geraniums from the flower-beds, to 

 give more room and light to the flower-trusses. Picking decayed 

 flowers g.ave also more occupation than we wanted. In fine 

 settled weather this is less needed, as the flowers decay, and 

 the receptacle ih-ops oft' and is lost sight of ; but in such warm 

 weather with frequent heavy rains, if there are a few decayed 

 blooms iu a large truss the rains wash the colour out, and spoil 

 the rest of the truss and other trusses near it. Borderings of 

 Nasturtiums have been freely disleafed. Hollyhocks have been 

 seemed by taking stout string from stake to stake — say 6 feet 

 apart, and then the individual stems were secured to the string. 



Rows of Gladiolus were secured in the same way, which is a 

 much neater and more oconomii^al jilan than a more general 

 staking. Hows of Ageratum, Purple Verbenas, &c.,in borders, 

 were secured in their places by very snniU string or thread, 

 strained lietwiien stout little sticks, neither sticks nor string 

 being seen a few days after being used. — B. F. 



COMiNT GAKDEN MARK15T.— .July 2!). 



Supi>LiKS of mo.^l iloscriptioiis of fruit and vi'Rp.taliles are very heavy 

 Pc«ichos and Nerlnriniis are not so pluutiflll, but rjuito sufllciollt tor tho 

 demand, l-lu^'lisli ['iuc.s realiae vory low prices, iar^o importations ol 

 Wust Indian Piiuis cniitinuinf?. Currants are Rood, and in proat request; 

 Strawberries are not yet over, soino good Eltons boinK still to be had. 

 Spinach ehielly consists of the New Zealand, ( r Totr,igonia expansa, 

 which is found very useful. The host Peas at present at market are the 

 Nc Plus Ultra and Champion of Kn^land. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



• We request that no one will write privately to the depart- 

 mental WTiters of the " Journal of Horticulture, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Countiy Gentleman." By so doing they 

 are subjected to unjustifiable trouble and expense. All 

 commimications should therefore be addressed sold]/ to 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture, d-c, 171, Fled 

 Street, London, E.C. 

 We also request that correspondents will not mix up on the 

 same sheet questions relating to Gardening and those on 

 Poultry and Bee subjects, if they expect to get them an- 

 swered promptly and conveniently, but write them on 

 separate communications. Also never to send more than 

 two or three questions at once. 

 N.B. — Many questions must remain unanswered until next 

 week. 

 Peaches and Nectarines Fruiting on Spdrs iAn Old Suh^rTther). — 

 Peaches and Nectarines do not generally produce fruit on spurs, in con- 

 soqueuee of their being disbudded to a' single shoot to replace that pro- 

 ducing fruit during the current season, &nO the formation of spurs is 

 therefore prevented. They bear fruit on spurs, commonly on the Plum 

 stock when disbudding is confined to removing the shoots not wanted 

 for extension, and those which would crowd the trees if allowed to remain 

 stopping tho shoots taking the place of general disliudding, the side, 

 shoots being close-pinched throughout, in the first instance to three and 

 at the most five joints, and ever afterw.Trds that season at the next joint. 

 On the Peach stock the trees are as much given to produce their fruit on 

 spurs as when on tho Mussel Plum, if not more so; the main causeof their 

 bearing on shoots of the previous year is their being made to do so by an 

 excessive use of the pruning-knife. We apprehend there will be less on- 

 fruitful trees when all pruning of fruiting trees or of an age fit for bearing 

 is confined to summer pruning. 



.\NTS ON Wall Trees (Mem).— Smear the inside of a flower-pot with 

 honey, and place it near the ants' nests and haunts, and when crowded 

 with them put pot and all in boiling water. The most effectual remedy, 

 however, is to mix arsenic with honey in equal parts, place in a saucer 

 with two thin sticks across, inverting' another saucer over it resting on 

 the sticks, so that tho ants can get iu but other animals be kept fiom it. 

 We had some fly-destroyer, or fly-paper, from a chemist, and we found it of 

 great service in thinning them. 



