260 



JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ September 26, 1865. 



is of the greatest importance. Weeds at this season are very 

 troublesome if any have been allowed todrop their seeds during 

 the_ summer. The autumn-sown crops, such as Carrots, Onions, 

 Spinach, &c., must be kept clear of weeds, otherwise these will 

 soon overrun them. Remove or dig in all decayed leaves and 

 litter. Cahhaije, continue to plant out the main crops as re- 

 commended last week ; keep the late seed-beds free from 

 weeds. Carrots, slightly thin the autumn sowing, and keep 

 them free from weeds ; as soon as the main crops are full 

 grown they shoiUd be taken up. Cucumbers, plants cultivated 

 in a forcing-house must have every attention paid them ; much 

 of their future success will depend on their growth at this time, 

 while the sun has some power and influence on vegetation. Keep 

 the main shoots tied to the trellis, and when they reach the top 

 of the house stop them, but not before; slightly sprinkle the 

 plants every fine day with a fine rose on the syringe. If gi-een 

 fly make its appearance, smoke the house with tobacco. Let- 

 tuce, plant some of the Cabbage kinds for winter use in frames 

 as these become unoccupied : the soil in which they are planted 

 should be very hght. Give but Uttle air tiU the jjlants begin to 

 grow. Prick out on a sheltered border some of the Cos kinds 

 previous to jilanting them where they are to remain thi-ough 

 the wmter. Oiiiuiis, slightly thin the autumn sowing when 

 they are a few inches high. Immediately the main summer 

 crops have done growing pull them up, aiid house them when 

 dry. ^ Parsh-i/. cut down a portion of the spring sowing so 

 that it may push again before winter. Pot some good roots to 

 put in a forcing-house for furnishing a supplv during severe 

 weather. 



FRUIT . GARDEN. 



Apples and Pears that have been gathered within the last 

 fortnight should now be looked over very carefully, when it will 

 be found that those that were brui3ed,"or in any way injui-ed, 

 have begun to decay, and unless removed wUl infect the others. 

 Filberts are now ripe in most situations, and should be gathered. 

 They keep well packed firmly in a moderate-sized hamper. In 

 this way they do not suffer from excess of moisture, and the 

 kernels keep plump and sweet till Mav or June. It wiU be of 

 benefit to Peach trees to go over them and cut out those shoots 

 which have borne fruit, but have not a terminal wood shoot • 

 those remaining wiU be benefited bv the clearance, as they can- 

 not be too far apart at this season. It is now time to think of 

 making preparations for filling up vacancies on the walls with 

 young trees, and, perhajjs, in some cases, judicious transplant- 

 ing may be considered advisable. In either case, the sites must 

 be properly prepared with fresh maiden loam ; if the borders 

 have been properly constructed with regard to drainage, and 

 without this no good results can be e-xpected, but Httle pre- 

 paration beyond removing a considerable portion of the old 

 soil and supplj-iug its place with new, will be recjuired. 



TLOWER GARDEN. 



The principal work in this department will now be confined 

 to mow-iug aud cleaning, and if neatness is to be maintained 

 this will require constant attention; also see to thoroughly 

 clearing off weeds and moss from gravel walks, and roll fre- 

 quently when wet to keep the sm-face level and smooth. Cut- 

 tings of Laurels, Privet, Box, Aucnbas, and various other ever- 

 gi-eeus, may now be put in, and the lavering of others which 

 do not strike rendily fi-om cuttings proceeded witii. 



CONSERVATORY AND GREENHOUSE. 



The conservatory will still be kept gav bv fresh intro- 

 ductions of plants in bloom, and the removal of' such as begin 

 to decay. It will, however, not be desirable to overcrowd the 

 house at this season, as the permanent inmates wiU require to 

 have all the light and air possible, in order to ripen their wood. 

 The chmbing plants in these aud other houses should likewise 

 have a weekly regulation, shortening back the shoots going out of 

 bloom, and training the remainder in a suitable manner to show 

 a free natural habit. Climbing plants in pots, as Kennedyas, 

 Hardenbergias, itc, should likewise be neatly tied to thin trel- 

 lises, and exposed to a good share of light. The borders in 

 the conservatory will require less water, and the supply should 

 be still further reduced as the days shorten, making a cU'fference, 

 however, with strong-rooting plants, which will require larger 

 quantities than others. The buds of Camellias, where loo 

 thick, should be thinned out according to the strength of the 

 plant ; water such as have not been recently ])otted with clear 

 soot water, which will help them to perfect good-sized flowers. 

 A portion of the stock of Chrysanthemums should be placed 

 under glass to forward them ; thin out the bloom-buds, and 

 water with liquid manure. In aiTanging Pelargoniimis for the 



winter allow them the lightest and wannest end of the house, 

 unless there is a separate house for them, when the Fancies 

 should have the best end. Keep them close to the glass, and 

 do not allow them to touch each other ; those cut back late may 

 yet be shaken from their old soil and repotted, placing them in 

 a slight bottom-heat afterwards, to facilitate theii- quick rooting. 

 Let the greatest cleanliness be preserved in every house. The 

 pots should be frequently washed on the outside, and moss 

 prevented from growing. Make it a rule to clean out the con- 

 servatory after the morning's watering, that it may become dry 

 early in the afternoon. Specimen plants should be frequently 

 turned roimd to prevent their becoming one-sided. In cases 

 where there are many stove plants in the conservatory, it wiU 

 be necessary, in the event of the weather becoming cold and 

 wet, to use a httle fire heat, but be as sparing of this as cir- 

 cumstances will allow, particularly if there are any other things 

 in the house likely to be injured by being kept too warm. In 

 this case it will be advisable to dispense with stove plants, even 

 at the expense of rendering the house somewhat bare of flowers, 

 rather than keep them there and run the risk of injuring other 

 plants on their account. Be careful not to ovei-water plants 

 brought from the stove, and also to use water at a temperature 

 of 70° or 80° for these, as using cold water to plants that have 

 just been brought from a warm house injmes the young and 

 tender roots, shortens the duration of the blossoms, and often 

 ruins the plant. Use weak liquid manure for Sah"ia splendens, 

 and gesnera;flora, so as to preserve the plants in a vigorous 

 state, and keep them blooming as long as possible. 



FLOWER FORCING. 



Those who intend to provide a rich display very early in the 

 spring should now be in the market, and select plants adapted 

 for the purpose, and of a superior character as to amount of 

 flower-buds, and form of the plant. Such are the various 

 Rhododench'ons, Azaleas, of the nudiflora class, with various 

 h3'brids ; the Eliodora canadensis ; Ledum latifolimn, andthymi- 

 folium ; Kalmia latifolia, angustifoha, and glauca ; Andi'omeda 

 pulverulenta ; the Daphnes, especially cneorum, and even the 

 old Polygala chamajbuxus. These, with more of the same tribes, 

 although not of very recent introduction, will be found to add 

 greatly to the spring display, and also to the diffusion of a 

 most gratifj-ing fragrance. Such should be obtained forthwith, 

 potted in smallish pots, and plunged in a warm corner in the 

 garden, whence they may be successively introduced to the 

 forcing-house, from the middle of November until February. — 

 W. Ke.ine. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



After thi-ee w-eeks of scorching weather, we had on ThiU'S- 

 day a fine mild rain that will do vast good in this neigh- 

 bom-hood, and will affect nothing injuriously except the bril- 

 liant appearance of the flower-beds. The heavy rains in 

 August made these beds very dismal, but they soon regained 

 their former beauty, and would have been brighter than in the 

 end of July and the beginning of August but for the faded 

 blooms that required to be picked off, as a few of these in a bed 

 detract from the interest of the whole. Some Geraniums 

 very considerately (hop their faded petals, aud therefore do not 

 injure the appearance of others in the truss; others bloom 

 first in the centre and decay there first, and these blooms must be 

 nipped out if the others are to appear to the best advantage, 

 and, where there is much ground to go over, the labour of 

 doing this is immense. The high keeping of flower-beds is 

 everything as respects the pleasure to be derived from them, 

 and one bed in the highest order, never showing a faded leaf, a 

 faded flower, nor a plant suffering from di-ought, will produce 

 more pleasure than a dozen or a hundred of beds whose appear- 

 ance testifies that the extent and quantity are beyond the 

 labour power at command. The smallest garden, if well kept, 

 will never convey the idea of limited resources ; but the largest 

 garden, if rough and untended, will ever conjure up the idea of 

 poverty of means. We write feelingly, for to keep the flower- 

 beds and pleasure-grounds at aU up to the mark during the 

 last three weeks involved neglecting other departments to some 

 extent. One of the most troublesome of Geraniums has been 

 that fine free bloomer the Trentham Rose, but which, unfor- 

 tunately, blooms and seeds first at the bottom of the truss, and 

 will often show a dozen of staring seed-pods, whilst many 

 blooms remain open and opening in the centre. In such 

 sunny weather in the autumn this is peculiarly the case with 

 this fine old variety. The other plants that baffled us most 



