300 



JOUENAL OP HOKTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



[ October 10, 1865. 



the best-kept gardens they are troublesome at this season, more 

 especially as the present one has been exceedingly favomable 

 for ripening seed. 



FKUIT GAEDEN. 



Look over fruit remaining oiit of doors frequently, and gather 

 it as it becomes ripe. Also examine that stored in the fruit- 

 room, as there will occasionally be found a few deca\-ing for a 

 few weeks after housing, and these should be removed as soon 

 as perceived. Keep the fruit-room cool and airy in order to 

 allow of the escape of moisture given off by the fruit, which is 

 considerable for a few weeks at lirst. "V^Tiere it is intended to 

 make fresh plantations of fruit trees this season, the ground 

 should be prepared at the earliest convenience, and any fresh 

 soil to be used for planting should be thoroughly exposed to 

 the action of the weather, so as to have it in a mellow state 

 when wanted for use. Trim and chess Strawberrv plantations, 

 and be careful to injure the leaves of the plants as little as 

 possible, and avoid deep digging between the rows, by which 

 the roots would be injm-ed. 



FLOWEK GAEDEX. 



The principal work in this department for the present mil 

 be mowing and cleauing-up, and if anything like neatness is 

 to be maintained, sweeping-up leaves will soon require daily 

 attention. Let the early-flowering spring bulbs be aU planted 

 and the Carnation layers potted or planted out. Lose no time 

 in planting offset Tulips, and any of the main roots which do 

 not appear in a healthy state. 



GBEEXHOUSE AND CONSEEVATOEY. 



The plants in these structures will, as yet, require a rather 

 liberal watering, and this should be performed early every 

 morning with regard to those which require it. Wiuter-flower- 

 ing plants which have thoroughly ripened their wood may have 

 occasional applications of weak and clear manure water. A 

 free ventilation must be pei-mitted, leaving a Httle at night. 

 Let Cyclamens, Lachenalias, Oxalis, Centradeuia, tree Violets, 

 and such Utile winter favourites be kept on a wai-m front or 

 end shelf totally unshaded. Eoses in pots intended for flower- 

 ing through the next two months should be allowed a \evy 

 light situation, where there is a constant circulation of air. 

 Summer-flowering twiners, which usually become unsightly 

 by this season, should be cut back rather freely, as also any 

 others that will bear this treatment. Shade can now well be 

 dispensed with, therefore not a spray that can be spared should 

 be left to obstruct the light. Acacias and other winter-flowering 

 plants, having been subjected to a period of comparatively di-y 

 treatment to ensm-e their blooming profusely, should now be 

 pretty UbcraUy suppUed with water at the roots in order to get 

 them into flower at the dull season, when they will be much 

 more esteemed than in the spring when flowers become more 

 plentiful. Manure water, if it can be used, should be given 

 frequently to Chrysanthemums. Avoid cold di-aughts against 

 plants that have been brought from a warm house, and guard 

 against damp by using gentle fires, with a Uttle top air, on wet 

 days. Let pot specimens in bloom be frequently re-arranged, 

 so as to make the most of them, for the finest specimens be- 

 come too famiUar to be interesting when allowed to remain too 

 long in one place. Bark or other beds of fermenting materials 

 for phmging ])lants should be renewed, if necessary, as soon 

 as the proper materials can be collected. A surface of either 

 sawdust or sand, old tan, or decayed leaves, will be foimd use- 

 ful for phmging. For early forcing a bed of this land, capable 

 of supplying a lasting heat of from 65° to 70°, will be f omid of 

 the utmost value. Introduce Eoses for forcing ; no fire heat 

 will be required at present ; by shutting up early on bright 

 days sufficient heat will be enclosed to induce an" early root- 

 action. 



STOYE. 



A temperature of from 65° to 70° by day, and of 60° by night, 

 will suflice, still using a somewhat moist atmosphere in the after- 

 noon and during the night, with a free circulation of air, keep- 

 ing also a quiet ventilation all night. As some of the Orchids 

 become ri]ie, such as the Catasetuin family, the Cycnoches, 

 Lycastes, &c., they may be removed to a drier and somewhat 

 cooler atmosphere. Pursue a kindly course of treatment with 

 the Euphorbias, Gesneras, and such things for winter flowering ; 

 these will soon be of gi-eat service. The Phajus grandifolius, 

 with the Stenorhrachus speciosus will soon begin to blossom ; 

 also Cypripediiun insigne and venustum. Let them have 

 plenty of heat and moisture. 



PITS AND FEAMES. 



Eegulate the general bedchng stock, and get the majority i 



estabUshed in small pots. Give as much air as possible, and 

 restrict the supplies of water to mature the growth as far as 

 possible. All temporary pits tor their accommodation should 

 be completed by this time, and glazing and other repah-s forth- 

 with tiuished. Common mats afford scarcely suflieient protection 

 to the half-hardy plants in store-pits. For such purposes a 

 stock of straw or reed mats should be made in wet weather. 

 See to securing as many cuttings as possible of any scarce 

 plants which it may be desirable to increase wliile there is 

 a tair chance of rooting them. — W. Keanf.. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



TnuESDAY gave us the first frost to speak of, since the be- 

 ginning of the summer, but not enough to do more than crust 

 the gi-ass early, all higher plants being scarcely touched. 

 Nothing, therefore, has suffered much as yet, and notwith- 

 standing the continual dryness, the flower garden, and even 

 Calceolarias, stiU look well. What has suffered most from dry- 

 ness and want of watering are Dahlias and Zinnias, the former 

 yielding flowers below the usual size, and the latter wanting 

 strength to open properly the succession-buds. AVere we sure 

 of a few weeks' mild weather, we would contrive to water at 

 least these two iiowers. Calceolarias have gone so much to 

 bloom that there will be a difficulty in procuring nice stubby 

 side shoots for cuttings. We hear from some of our friends, 

 that they will be forced to prune in and take up lots of old 

 plants, which is so far good, at least, for securing cuttings in 

 spring ; but we woiild rather have cuttings about the middle 

 of this month, if possible, as at from 1 to Ij inch apart a 

 good many will stand in the room that would be necessary for 

 a siugle plant, and, on the whole, we prefer autumn cuttings of 

 Calceolarias, to spring made ones, just as we prefer spring-cut 

 Verbenas to autumn-struck ones, only some must be saved in 

 autiunn to take the cuttings from. What are fine masses of 

 Verbenas now, notwithstanding the dry weather and scarcely 

 any watering, were struck in a wholesale way in April, by being 

 dibbled in IJ inch apart, in soil imder a frame, and taken up 

 and planted when nice plants in May. Autumn-struck ones 

 may bloom so as to fill the bed earlier, but they do not gene- 

 rally last out the autiman so weh. This holds good, however, 

 in the case of all early flower gardening on the bedding system. 

 Beds of Scarlet Geraniums fuU to overflowing in the end of 

 June, and beginning of July, will hardly keep on equally good 

 in October, unless attended to as regards pruning, disleafing, 

 and watering, too, if necessary. Considerable trouble and 

 labour ai-e required to have every bed first-rate in June and 

 July, and first-rate also in September ; but this is not suffi- 

 ciently considered by those who requii-e high keeping at all 

 times. 



We have received several letters on what was advanced a few 

 weeks ago, on limiting the size of flower gardens, rather than 

 having large pleasure grounds which cannot be weU kept. Let 

 it never be forgotten, that two or three flower-beds tasteftUly 

 arranged, full of bloom, and without gaps, dead flowers, or dead 

 leaves, will ever be more satisfactory than a hundred beds 

 thinly and u'regularly planted, and with dead flowers and dead 

 leaves staring at you everywhere. A few pioles of lawn, level 

 as level can be, without weed or daisy, smooth and soft to the 

 feet as a Turkey cai-jjet, wiU yield an amount of satisfaction 

 that no number of acres of pleasure ground will give, which the 

 labom' power cannot overtake and keep nice, either by scythe 

 or mowing machine. In no direction have gardeners more 

 erred than in using their influence to extend flower gardens 

 and kept lawns. Tliis we know has been done in some eases 

 against the judgment of the proprietors, who have candidly 

 stated, " Well, you may have the ground, and I wiU not 

 grudge trees and shi-ubs that may be necessary, but I can 

 afford no more labour." In many such cases part of such 

 grounds eventually have been left pretty much to themselves, 

 and in many places where a considerable number of the Pine 

 tribe, and other ornamental trees have been planted, it would 

 be to the benefit of all concerned if such parts were left rough, 

 or mingled with masses of Broom, and Gorse, and Heath, and 

 then more attention could be given to the principal parts of 

 the lawn. From the end of March to the middle of November, 

 that lawn to be kept well will require going over at least once 

 a-week, often once in four days, and then w-hen fresh done it 

 win be no better than it ought to be. To keep even a moderate 

 space as it ought to be, many other things often have to be 

 neglected dm'ing the summer. The evil would be lessened if 



