AnguBt 22, 18CS. 3 



JOUKNAIi OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



155 



riiUIT OMtDEN. 



Crevices forinoil Intwoeii the soil niul wiills nre the favourite 

 lodgaionta of miuiomus insects, tlieiefore, at tliia season, tlic 

 soil ttiljoiiiinj,' Willis Khould be freiiueutly disturbed. A shiillow 

 trench may lie taken out all iiIouk, and us this is beinR pro- 

 ceeded witii, the soil adhering to the bricks should be removed 

 with ft luird broom. The portion of the wall thus exposed 

 should then bi' sprinkled with lime water, which should be 

 ppplied the instant it is made. Hemove all superfluous shoots 

 from wall trees, and expose the fruit of reaches and Necta- 

 rines, but this must not be done by cutting oti the foliage. If 

 the leaves lire in any case overcrowded, the fault ia owing to 

 the laying in of the shoots, and the remedy must consist in 

 the proper regulation of these. Place dry bean-stalks, cut in 

 lengths of about inches, among the branches, and by this 

 means most of the earwigs may be caught before the Peaches 

 become ripe. The soft pithy lining of the beau-stalk is pre- 

 ferred by these insects to the tinest-polished tuber. .Vpples 

 and Pears reijuiro coustaut attention now, gather the various 

 sorts as they rijien, and let the operation be performed with 

 gentleness, for wherever an Apple or Pear is bruised it lays 

 the foundation of premature decay, l^^aches and Nectarines 

 must be looked over daily, and gathered as they ripen, as a 

 fall, even when nets arc suspended to receive them, is fatal to 

 the flavour and appearance if they have to be kept a day. The 

 extreme humidity of the weather has in many instances operated 

 unfavourably on wall fruit; .Apricots, particularly, have suffered. 

 Rotten fruit should not be allowed to remain on the trees, or 

 the branches in contact witli the affected fruit will be injured. 



FLOWER GARDEN'. 



The heavy r.ains and boisterous winds have caused consider- 

 able derangement among the flowers. Immediate attention 

 should be given and all deficiencies from such injuries replaced. 

 Look over rock plants, pruning hack any that are overgrowing 

 more choice kinds, in order to give them suiilicient time to break 

 again before autumn. Cuttings of choice kinds should now be 

 put in for jilanting out in spring. Keep such plants cut back as 

 have a tendency to overgrow Box and other edgings. Some of 

 the earliest Carnation and Picotee layers will now be suf- 

 ficiently rooted to take from the parent plant, they may be 

 potted in four-inch ]iots, placing them in a frame for a few days, 

 taking care only to w.ater the soil, not over the foliage. Con- 

 tinue to plant out Pinks as they strike root, bearing in mind 

 that those which are put out now in the place where they are 

 to flower next season, generally lace much better than those 

 planted in the spring. 



GHEEXHOUSE AND COXSERVATORY. 



Large specimens which have been placed out of doors to 

 provide room for other things will soon require housing. This, 

 however, will depend greatly on the weather. The earthworm 

 is a greater enemy to pot plants in general than low tempera- 

 ture, every precaution must be taken to avoid injurj' from this 

 cause. Many Orchids maturing their growth will now be show- 

 ing signs of ripeness in the leaf and plump pseudo-bulbs, and 

 may be removed forthwith from the excitement of the growing- 

 house. Any situation where a temperature averaging from (i(l° 

 to do" by night and day can be guaranteed will suit them well, 

 a Tery moderate amount of atmospheric moisture will suffice. 

 Look well after late-flowering plants. Late Heliotropes, Scarlet 

 Geraniums, Petunias, &c., will now be somewhat pot-bound, and 

 will in that state, with the a])plication of weak liquid manure, 

 produce abundance of bloom on a light shelf until the begin- 

 ning of December. Laclienalias should be repotted, and 

 Persian Cyclamens if planted out will now be fine bushy plants 

 full of young leaves. They should be taken up forthwith with 

 all the soil possible adhering to them, potted carefully, and 

 placed in a close frame or propagating-house with a very mode- 

 rate atmospheric temperature, a bottom heat of Ho" would be 

 an advantage. After thi-ee weeks of this treatment they may 

 be introduced to the greenhouse, where they will produce 

 blossoms in abundance from November until April, ^^^len 

 CameUias, Chinese Azaleas, and hybrid Indian Rhododendrons 

 were not potted in spring and require shifting, the ju-esent 

 is the most favourable time, as the young wood is now becom- 

 ing somewliat firm and the flower-buds are perceptible. As 

 plants of tins class require water to be very liberally suppUed 

 during one period of their growth, drain the pots well and nse 

 very turfy peat and sand, adding an equal portion of loam for 

 the. Camellias. 



STOVE. 



The absence of bright sunlight will render it more especially 



desirable to expose all plants to the little sunshine we have 

 in order that the shoots may be ripened before the ajiproach of 

 winter. More air should also be admitted to these plants, as 

 their preservation in a jierfect state depends in a great measure 

 upon the thorough nuituration of the young wood. It i» an 

 error to kee|) plants that are required to produce a profusion 

 of bloom during the following s]n-ing and summer actively at 

 work lati! in the autumn. Summer is the season when rapid 

 develiqunent should bo promoted, and autumn the period 

 when the young wood should be completely hardened and 

 ripened preparatory to the approach of winter. 



PITS ASU FIIAMES. 



Some of the first-struck cuttings will now he fit for potting 

 off. Place them in a pit or frame, shade and keep th(.'m close 

 until they are established in the pots, when they should bo set 

 out to harden previous to being stored up for the winter. Con- 

 tinue to I'ut in cuttings, more particularly tho best kinds of 

 bedding (ieraniums, which ouglit to be struck as soon as 

 possible. — W. Kkane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



JIucn the same as in the previous week. Sowed Brown Bath 

 and Hardy Hammersmith Lettuce to stand the winter. Where 

 there is the convenience of a two-light frame, it is as well to 

 sow under that next month ; the sowing, if the weather prove 

 severe, wiU come in for planting out early in sprmg. The 

 rains have brought up little weeds very thickly where none 

 were seen before ; and it is of little use to hoe until the ground 

 is drier. Where the soil is rather open, the quickest process 

 is to turn them in by a shallow spit, and they will help to 

 manure the ground. Took up the remainder of ShaUots, 

 Garlic, and a portion of the Onion crop, Avhere the necks were 

 quite ripe, and the birlbs good. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



Proceeded with potting later successions of Strawhrrries, and 

 cutting those laid in pots from the jmrent plants. As often 

 stated, the principal points with potted Strawberries are to keep 

 the bud well up, and to pot very tightly, ramming the soil 

 with a rounded stick, or spatula, according as there is more or 

 less room for soil. We like the soil to be fresh loam, rather 

 stiff if we can obtain it, and mixed with about one-sixth part 

 of sweet rotten dung, generally hotbed dung, of which tree 

 leaves formed the principal part. If we had old, sweet, dried 

 cowdung we should prefer it. Generally a little soot is sprinkled 

 at the bottom of the pot, which helps to keep the worms out ; 

 no plants in pots will thrive with worms in the pot, as they 

 soon clog up and disarrange the di'ainage. We have not yet 

 been able to finish planting Strawberries in the open air, nor 

 yet to clear those that are left of runners, &c. ; but the sooner 

 that is done the better for the plants, as admitting more light 

 and air among the crowns and buds. From two to three years 

 is generally the time we allow a plantation to remain ; but 

 we have kept them in full bearing for many years, by freely 

 thinning out all the smaller buds and shoots from an old 

 plantation, and giving a surface-stirring and a good rich sur- 

 face-mulching. On gi-ouud naturally dry, or made so by 

 draining, this plan does well with those who have only a small 

 garden, and entertain sometliing Uke a hoiTor of the idea of 

 making a fresh bed, and waiting until the second season for a 

 full crop. There is no necessity for thus waiting if the runners 

 lire laid in pots, as if for forcing, or if the earliest runners are 

 taken off, and pricked out into a bed of rich material, placing 

 them .3 or G inches apart, so that they can be raised with nice 

 compact balls, and turned out into well-prepared ground early 

 in the autumn. By either plan a good crop is secured the first 

 succeeding summer. The ground, if loamy, should be well 

 trenched and manured, the surface pointed over afterwards, a 

 little vei-y rotten dung pointed in, and tho plants turned out in 

 rows, allowing 1 foot to 18 inches in tho row, and 2 feet from 

 row to row. If the soil is light and sandy, fuUy more dung 

 should be used, and the gi'ound should be well trodden before 

 and after planting. Cracking may be prevented by shghtly 

 mulching the grouiul. Strawberries will succeed very weU 

 even on light ground if thus firmly trodden when damp, and 

 a httle mulching afterwards given. Of course stiff soils will 

 become firm enough of themselves. 



Apricots are ripening unkindly, owing to the quantity of 

 wet and little sunshine, and many are showing signs of decay- 



