194 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 



[ September 5, 1865. 



condition, were amongst the latter. Mr. Morse also showed British 

 Ferns and Dahlias ; and Messrs. Cattell, Cucumbers, Peaches, and 

 Plums in pots ; Lilinm auratum. Clematis Jackmani, and other plants 

 and flowers. 



The Judges were Messrs. Packman, Woodward, and Cliurchfield. 



TARTITION WALLS IN VINE-BORDERS. 



Although much has been said and -BTitten upon the con- 

 struction of Vine-borders, I have neither seen nor heard the 

 least hint of the utility of partitions in them. It is common to 

 ^ee a range of vineries with a long border in front ; and when a 

 failure happens, either through some defects of the border, 

 and it is wished to renew a part of it in front of one of the 

 divisions, this cannot be done without the risk of injuring the 

 roots of the Vines in the other houses ; whereas, partition 

 •walls would keep the Vine roots of each house in the whole 

 range of border within their proper space. 

 . It is somewhat surprising that the great utility of so simple 

 a plan seems to have been overlooked by intelligent gardeners. 

 However, the plan did not occur to myself until lately, when I 

 wished to renew a border in front of the centre liouse of a 

 range of vineries, and I saw clearly that this could only be done 

 at the risk of cutting oil some of the roots of the Vines in tlie 

 other houses, as already noticed. Partition walls for small 

 borders may be i inches thick, of brick laid in cement upon 

 good foundations below the level of the bottom of the borders ; 

 but nine-inch ones with tops level with the surface would be 

 best for large borders. 



I may observe, that lately a friend asked my advice respect- 

 ing a Vine-border which he had made inside the house, with a 

 view of keeping the Vine roots from getting out into the cold clay 

 soil, and the sides and bottom of which were cemented. I told 

 him to break the bottom out, and put more rubble, stones, or 

 brickbats below to drain oif the water, otherwise his finely-con- 

 structed border would soon be like a stagnant tank, neither fit 

 for the growth of Vines, nor of any other plants. — J. Wighton, 

 Cosseij Park. 



DESTROYING GOOSEBERRY CATERPILLARS. 



I HAVE tried an experiment this year in destroying cater- 

 pillars on Gooseberry bushes, and I have found it very effectual. 

 I had thi'ee boxes made of light material, such as lathwood, 

 large enough to cover good-sized bushes, and with one side 

 open to receive the bush. Wherever I saw the caterpillars 

 making their appearance I smoked with tobacco cloth. I fumi- 

 gated each bush for six or seven minutes, and as I had the 

 three boxes at work I was not long going over a large plot of 

 bushes, fumigating every alternate one, and the result is that 

 those that were smoked arc quite free of caterpUIars, and gi'een 

 flies too. On the trees that were not thus treated not a single 

 leaf w.as left by the 1st of July. I may add that I have tried all 

 the plans recommended in the Journal, but have found nothing 

 equal to fumigation. — Wm. McGeeooe, Gardener to HiKjh 

 Mclicnzic, Esq., Dundonnell, N.B. 



BEDDING ANNUALS. 



Aftek this long interval we beg to reply to an article that 

 appeared in your impression of the 15tli ult., under the above 

 heading. Your correspondent " Monticola " is'perfectly right 

 in his remarks on the treatment of the especial subject — 

 Linum grandiflorum riibrum, and had we been placed in the 

 same position as liimsclf — that is, having the entire control 

 and arrangement of his own garden, we should, undoubtedly, 

 have treated the plant in the manner he describes as his own. 

 We were not, however, so favoured, and a little explanation of 

 facts may, perliaps, moderate the effect of his deprecating 

 voice, and place our effoi-t, even in " Moxticola's" eyes, on a 

 better footing. In the beginning of April we received from the 

 Council of the Royal Horticultural Society the acceptance of 

 our offer to fill the ante-garden with annuals, the beds in which 

 were to be cleared of Messrs. Hendersons" Tulips by the middle 

 of May. The whole of the stock required (some five thousand 

 plants), with a few exceptions, which, however, do not include 

 the Linum, were sown in single pots, plunged in the open ground, 

 and treated as hardy annuals, being thinned out eventually to 

 one or two plants in each pot. Under these conditions we 

 calculated that the plants would be in a fit state for turning 

 out by the time specified, and so they were ; but delays on the 



other side resulted in our accession to the clear beds being 

 postponed until the first or second week in June. The hot and 

 dry weather of the latter part of May was the occasion, to a 

 great extent, of causing the plants to root through the bottoms 

 of their pots, seeking for moisture lower down, which extrud- 

 ing roots were of course torn off on the removal of the plants 

 for transmission to Kensington. The check thus given will, 

 we think, account for the partial absence of success in the 

 want of vigorous growth, and for the " undeservedly shabby" 

 appearance of the Linum in contrast to its "gorgeous" ^- 

 play when treated by " Monticola," who sows the seed where 

 the plants are to remain, with the exception of a few thinnings 

 transplanted when quite yoimg. The same remarks will apply 

 likewise to the other subjects introduced in the beds. 



With a pertinacity, however, not unlike that which dis- 

 tinguishes the promoters of the Atlantic cable, we are pre- 

 pared to stand our groimd ; and though thoroughly conscious 

 that to compare a bed of annuals with a bed of Scarlet Gera- 

 niums will, " sure as fate," for brilliancy, give the palm to the 

 latter, yet beauty and colour are not essentially sj-nonymous, 

 and we are persuaded that, by successive sowings, good culture, 

 cutting off all dead blossoms — in fact, bestowing similar care 

 upon them as is devoted to " bedding plants " proper, annuals 

 may be made to produce an effect, of which, perhaps, com- 

 paratively few would think them capable, and which would 

 even give many of them a reputation of some distinction as 

 bedders. Let the truly fine display which may be annually 

 witnessed on the grounds of some of our seed-gi-owers, be a 

 perpetual example. — Hooper & Co. 



HEDGE PLANTS FOR NEW ZEALAND. 



In an answer to a New Zealand correspondent in your last 

 Number a wish is expressed that some of your readers would 

 give their experience on the subject of plants suitable for 

 hedges in New Zealand, and now I beg to add my mite. 



The Thom Acacia forms in Australia a splendid and almost 

 impenetrable hedge, and close from top to bottom, which can 

 be said of few other plants gi-own there for that purpose, and 

 where I have seen it, it must have been of rapid growth ; but 

 in some instances it is shy enough, particularly under the 

 shade and shelter of a high paling. 



Cape Broom grows very rapidly, and forms a nice enclosure 

 if the seed is sown on deeply-dug ground, in two drills, 12 or 

 18 inches apart ; then thin out the plants to a 2n'oper distance. 

 Being free of thorns it is not a really good fence, but looks 

 remarkably well. It must be quite common in New Zealand 

 by this time. — W. Jackson, Ballyoran. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Sncn ground as is now becoming vacant should be trenched 

 up as roughly as possible, manure being applied if necessary ; 

 this should always be done as soon as the crops are off, whether 

 the gi'ound is wanted again immediately or not. Broccoli, 

 where a suilficiency has not been planted, large plants may yet 

 be put out with success, they should be laid in with a spade 

 in a slanting direction ; earth-up advancing crops. Cardooixa, 

 earth-up for blanching in favourable weather. Celery, con- 

 tinue to earth-up the early crops carefully, the tops of the 

 plants should always be perfectly dry at the time ; the crops 

 that have not yet been earthed-up should be kept very moist. 

 Ciiciiiiibers, those in frames, which it is intended to keep in 

 bearing, should be covered up when the nights are cold, the 

 beds should also be newly lined. Cahbaye, plant the principal 

 crop for spring use on ground well manured. The East Ham 

 is a good variety for standing over the winter, it is not so apt to 

 run in spring as other sorts. Prick-out into beds, a few inches 

 apart, a large quantity of Cabbage plants, which have just 

 expanded their first two rough leaves ; they will be required iu 

 spring, for should the Potato disease continue to increase in 

 virulence, the great blank which the loss of an esculent so 

 universally esteemed will occasion must be filled up by extra 

 quantities of other good vegetables, amongst which a fine early 

 C.abbage in April or May meets with general favour. Endive, 

 continue to blanch, and plant out from successional sowings. 

 Lettuce, another sowing of the various sorts may be made; 

 it is always better to have a superfluity in the spring than 

 otherwise. Muslirooms. — Beds may now be made in sheds or 



