112 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 8, 1865. 



grown by Mr. Constantine, gardener to C. Mills, Esq., of Hil- 

 lingdon Court, Uxbridge, and certainly reflects gi-eat credit nu 

 the cultivator. It is, we believe, one of the original bulbs 

 received from .Japan by Mr. Veitch, and is most kindly lent 

 to h im for exhibition by Mr. Mills.] 



WORK FOR THE AMSEK. 



KITCHEN G.tEDEN. 



In sowing crops at this season, which do not come into per- 

 fectioji till spring, and which are expected to grow more or 

 less through the winter, the gi-ound should not only be well 

 manured but trenched to a considerable depth, that the rains 

 and snows of winter may pass quickly beyond the reach of 

 their roots, and that comparative dryness and warmth may 

 be thus maintained around the roots of gi-owing plants. Those 

 ■who have observed how quickly snow thaws on well-drained 

 land owing to its higher temperature, will at once understand 

 how important the above conditions are to crops which are 

 expected to make way in the winter. BroccnU, where there has 

 been any planted between Peas, the latter should be removed 

 as soon as they are done with. The gi-ouud shoiild then be 

 dug and the intermediate spaces filled up. Catilijlou-ers, plant 

 out more in warm situations, and hoe through foi-mer plantings . 

 Chervil, make a sowing for autumn use. Cuaimbcrs, those in- 

 tended for house culture through the \vinter, must be shifted 

 into larger pots as those in which they are become fiUed with 

 roots. A few more seeds may be sown for the same jjurpose. 

 Mndivr, continue to transplant as circumstances require. Let 

 elevated beds of 4 feet in width, and having a bold curvature, 

 be provided in an open and dry situation. Such beds should 

 be a foot or more above the ground level, and must be made 

 very rich. These beds may be hooped over in the end of 

 October, and may be readily covered with mats when frost 

 arrives. Lettuce, keep a succession sown and planted. They 

 will require a good supply of water to make them crisp and 

 fresh. Sjiitmeh, the Prickly or Flanders may be sown from the 

 8th to the 15th of the month according to the situation. The 

 beds to be prepared as advised for Endive. 



FRUIT GAKDEN. 



It may be advisable to go over such trees as are over-luxuriant 

 and stop about half the shoots, beginning, of course, with the 

 strongest, for a general stopjring at this time would probably 

 be of little further service than to induce the production of a 

 mass of useless spray, whereas stopping the stronger shoots or 

 those which incline to grossness, will divert the sap into the 

 weaker ones which wiU be strengthened, while the buds on the 

 shoots that have been stop))pd will become full and plump 

 without starting into grf wth. Should it be found, after stopping, 

 that the roots incline to start into growth, it will be advisable 

 as soon as the fi'uit is gathered to open a trench at a moderate 

 distance from the stem of the tree, cutting the stronger roots. 

 This will be of the greatest service in checking growth, and 

 will, probably, do more towards securing ripe wood than any- 

 thing else that could be adopted. Let the Strawberry plan- 

 tations intended to 3 . and for next season be trimmed as soon 

 as convenient, cutting off aud clearing away the runners so as 

 to afford the leaves plenty of room. 



FLOWEE G.IKDEN. 



Go over the flower-beds frequently, and remedy any delects 

 that may be perceptible without loss of time, for the bedding- 

 out plants are enjoyed but for a compar.atively short season, 

 and now that they are in beauty every means should be 

 used to render them as effective as possible by maintaining the 

 most perfect order and neatness. The active growth of plants 

 in the flower garden, encouraged by the prevailing humidity of 

 the weather, will involve considerable labour, as it will be 

 necessary to go over the beds frequently, pegging down where 

 necessary, and cutting back such shoots as may incline to in- 

 croach upon the edging of the beds. Dahlias are growing 

 rapidly, and will require to be gone over frequently to keep the 

 side branches securely tied in, for when left untied they are 

 apt to be broken by a thunder storm. Hollyhocks must also 

 be securely tied to their stakes. Continue to remove dead 

 flowers from Roses, and give plenty of manure water to the 

 autumn-blooming varieties. Plant out rooted cuttings of 

 Pansies, &c., in nursery-beds in a .shady situation, keeping 

 them well watered, if the weather prove dry, until they become 

 established. Finish budding Roses at once if not already done ; 

 also let border Carnations and Picotees be layered without loss 

 of time. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



It will be much to the advantage of the inmates of plant- 

 houses to reduce the shading after this time considerably, to 

 enable the plants to ripen their summer's growth, allowing 

 more air to keep down the temperature, and to check any 

 tendency to a second growth which may show itself, and which 

 can only take place at the expense of next season's bloom. 

 Remove Achimenes, Gloxinias, Tuberoses, and plants of the 

 same habit from the conservatory when on tlie decline, and 

 replenish to keep up the display. Passifloras, and, in fact, the 

 greater part of conservatory climbers will be gi-owing fast and 

 will require frequent training. Thin out the weak and over- 

 strong shoots, and reserve only sufficient to produce the desired 

 effect ; the blooms -nill be considerably finer, and the plants 

 themselves more capable of producing well-matured wood, when 

 these little attentions arc perfonued regularly. Epacrises, 

 winter-flowering Heaths, and other plants requiring to have 

 their wood ripened early may now be placed in a sunny ex- 

 posure ; as the wood is already foi-med notliing remains but to 

 ripen it well, and although water equal to the demands of the 

 plants must be given, a dry air and warm atmosphere are 

 essential to the perfect ripening of the wood and consequent 

 formation of bloom-buds. The different varieties of Ejn- 

 phyllum (if the growth is not sufficiently advanced), should 

 have the same treatment. Give a shift to Chinese Primulas, 

 Cinerarias, and Chrysanthemums. If not done previously. 

 Salvias and other autumn-flowering plants should be placed in 

 their blooming-pots. Should the weather prove unfit for out-door 

 work, take the opportunity to effect any changes in the arrange- 

 ment of the plants. Cleansing the conservatory and potting may 

 also be carried on. It is injudicious to defer this last operation, 

 when at all necessary, imtil late in the autumn ; the sooner 

 new groAvth is encoui'aged the better chance there will be of 

 having it matured. Plants arranged out of doors must be 

 frequently examined and carefully secured against all chance 

 of injury from ungenial weather. All kinds of soil used in 

 potting and shifting should now be laid in without delay, 

 except in cases where it is very wet and unfit for storing. Store 

 them up neatly in narrow ridges so as to be safe from wet, and 

 yet exposed as much as possible to the action of the air, and 

 as success in plant-gi'owing very miich depends upon having 

 suitable soil for potting, no troubli or expense that may be 

 necessary to procure this should be spared where well-grown 

 specimens are expected. 



STOVE. 



Such of the inmates here as are intended for the decoration 

 of the conservatory in autumn and early winter should be 

 carefully looked over, shifting those likely to want more pot 

 room without unnecessary loss of time, so as to have the pots 

 well fiUed with roots before the flowering season ; also, keep 

 the shoots tied out rather thinly, and expose the plants to 

 as much sunshine as they will bear without scorching their 

 foliage, in order to promote stocky growth. Give clear liquid 

 manure to young growing specimens, and repot any intended 

 to have another shift this season, so as to have the pots well 

 filled with roots before ^vinter. Various stove climbers, as 

 Combretums, Quisquahs, Allamandas, Sec, will bloom for a 

 considerable portion of the summer if the shoots on which the 

 flowers are borne are shghtly cut-in when the blooms decay, as 

 anything which prolongs the period of beauty with these 

 favourites is valuable. The growing season is far advanced, 

 therefore encourage any backward Orchids with plenty of heat 

 and moisture whUe this can be safely done. See that plants 

 growing on blocks Jand in baskets are properly supplied with 

 moisture at the roots. 



PITS AND FRAMES. 



Toung stock in cold pits intended to flower next season 

 should be exposed as much as possible in order to ripen the 

 wood. Some of the inmates here will want occasional shading 

 with, of course, a free circulation of air. We need scarcely 

 urge the importance of most regular attention as to watering. 

 — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



We have had evidence enough of 'ate years, that a man who 

 holds the position of a servant merely, should not be too free 

 in giving utterance to his opinions, whatever these may be ; for 

 if at all of a nature to excite general interest, he is sure to be 

 inimdated with a number of letters, which sitting up into the 

 short hours of a morning would not enable him to answer, 

 even if his conscience would enable him to do so ; and we say 



