July 8, 1868. 1 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



15 



bulbs than those left in the ground without moving them, 

 partly owing, we beliovo, to the necka of tho bulbs getting too 

 doep. Seo last week as to transplanting. 



TBDIT OAKDEN. 



In addition to thinning fruit, watering, syringing, AVc, tho 

 obief work here has been gathering green Gooseberries for 

 jam whieh some prefer to that from ripe fruit, and protecting 

 by every moans in our power Cherries and Strawberries from 

 birds. Will any one tell us of a sure, and simple, and ex- 

 peditious mode for thinning by poison myriads of sparrows ? 

 We have a great dislike to have anything to do with tasteless 

 inodorous poisons — as arsenic, Ssc Wo tried a little mix 

 vomica boiled, and steeped a littlo Wheat in it, but according to 

 our preparation the sparrows only enjoyed tho feed. Of course, 

 we would have placed it where no domestic animal, pheasants, 

 &o., would be likely to get at it. We threw a handful of our 

 stuff near some Peas, and there a score of sparrows were at it 

 in two minutes. We should not like to use anything that 

 would not be quick in its results. There is something horrible 

 in the idea of keeping any living thing in torture. It is next 

 to impossible to fix net in such a manner that they cannot get 

 through it or under it. Pieces of white paper suspended from 

 strings will keep them away for a littlo, but all thoso contri- 

 vances only act until the birds become used to them. We once 

 had a very alarming guy that put himself into all sorts of 

 fierce positions, but though he awed for a short time as a 

 deterrent to evil doers, ere many days elapsed the sparrows in 

 their impudence used his head as a flirting rendezvous. 



After such warm days gave the orchard-houses an extra syring- 

 ing of the cleanest water we could. We can scarcely obtain any 

 water that does not leave a sediment on the foliage when very 

 freely used. Threw a little whitening water over the glass of 

 the Peach-house, and over pits and frames, to prevent the sun 

 acting too powerfully. Thinned out shoots in Fig-pit, and 

 shortened those showing the second crop. The early Figs have 

 just the weather they like, if the fruit is protected by a thin 

 layer of leaves from the fierceness of the sun. Proceeded with 

 thinniug Grapes iu dull mornings, and here, too, left a good 

 shade of leaves between the glass and the bunch. A dense 

 shade would be prejudicial, but under a moderate shade the 

 berries swell and colour better than when almost exposed, to 

 the sun's rays. The finest shining blue-black we ever saw on 

 a Hamburgh, was a bunch against a wall, and to see it you had 

 to move aside the foliage iu front of it. On the open walls, 

 and even in some of the quarters, owing, we presume, to the 

 sudden heat, honeydew is appearing on fruit trees and bushes, 

 and is almost sure to be followed by insects if let alone. 

 Nothing is more effectual than a good slushing from the 

 engine with clear water, or water clear after having a little 

 quicklime dissolved iu it. The successions of heats and colds 

 have been sudden. Within a space of a few hours we have 

 had hoar frost and then a roasting heat, and these sudden 

 changes are hurtful to vegetable as well as animal life. In a 

 moderate degree, a considerable difference in temperature 

 gives a robustness to vegetable life. For instance : night 

 being the period of repose, provided the temperature changes 

 either way gradually, and there is no close moist ail to do the 

 mischief, many plants that require a high temperature to bring 

 them to perfection, will do much better in a temperature from 

 sunshine during the day of from 85° to 90', and allowed to 

 drop to from 55 3 to C0° at night, than if kept up artificially to 

 the exciting temperature of 70° in darkness. 



Here we find we had forgotten to put two littlo matters in 

 their proper place. First, as respects the Riant and the different 

 kinds of small Iihuharb. As we sent in large Rhubarb for pre- 

 serving, and the weather, too, being hot, we thought we might 

 as well have a stewing of Rhubarb, as with its general accom- 

 paniments it is more palatable than the drupgist's rhubarb 

 take it how you will. Well, somehow the huge Rhubarb, grand 

 to look at, did not quite remind us of tho flavour of the 

 Rhubarb of old times, so another day we had a dish of the 

 small Rhubarb, the stalks about the size of our thumb, and 

 there seemed no comparison, the smaller being so much richer 

 in flavour, in colour, and so much firmer in texture. Long ago 

 we used to grow Buck's Early Scarlet, or early something. 

 Why, a pudding or a tart of that little old sort looked almost as 

 tempting as a dish of finely coloured Nectarines stewed as a 

 tart. This seemed to be one of the instances in which great in- 

 crease in bulk is anything but all gain, and is a sort of corro- 

 boration of the old proverb, whieh our six-foot men will be 

 slow to believe, that what is very valuable is generally held in 

 little room. 



The other matter referred to a letter from a correspondent, 

 stating that his Mushroom-bed, bearing well, was sadly troubled 

 with slugs, snails, and little worms ; that ho had resolved to stop 

 them, and had waterod heavily with lime water, but that what 

 Mushrooms he had in crop woro becoming like 60 many pieces 

 of leather, and no more seemed to bo coming, and ho wants to 

 know what to do. Well, we fear he must make a new bed as 

 soon as he can. As a chance he might sweep the bed clean of 

 all the Mushrooms up, and if the bed be not very wet waUr 

 with clear water, to get the quicklime away from the spawn. 

 If that has not been much hurt with tho lime water, the Mush- 

 rooms will yet rise and come all right ; but if tho watering wag 

 heavy enough to soak whilst at all acrid tho spawn, tho bed will 

 do no more good. We do not think that calcareous soil, or mild 

 lime or chalk in the soil, would have the least prejudicial effect, 

 but quicklime is the bane of tho Mushroom, and all the fungus 

 tribe to which we ever applied it. We have seen fairy rings 

 that spread outwards and outwards for years, longer than the 

 recollections of the oldest inhabitants, arrested in their course 

 of taking fresh leases, by a plentiful dressing of quicklime. 

 It quickly arrests the spreading of some troublesome conferva 

 in pits and pots, and may be relied on as an antagonist, and 

 not the friend of the whole fungus family. 



We have made a shallow bed for Mushrooms in a shed, which 

 is now nearly fit for spawning. Just as last year, part of a bed 

 that bore all last summer, and had been neglected in winter, 

 has been bearing again for two months, and is even now 

 covered, whilst the beds in tho house made of better stuff ia 

 winter are quite exhausted. We believe that in most cases 

 where failures occur, it is from mistaken kindness, or from too 

 great anxiety in preparing the materials. The most of this 

 bed in the shed was made of litter and stubble, with a casing 

 of several inches of droppings on the surface. The richer the 

 materials at this season, say nearly all droppings, the longer 

 must you wait before it will be fit for spawning. Now is a 

 good time to make spawn, the brick3 or cakes will dry so soon. 



ORNAMENTAL DEPARTMENT. 



See previous weeks as to syringing and watering. We hava 

 merely syringed the last-planted beds as yet, and do not wish 

 to water if we can help it, as there is plenty of routine to go 

 through without that. It is well to have a reserve-bed of 

 Asters, &c, which lift with nice balls. Even Chrysanthemums 

 may yet be planted out. Now is a good true to bud Roses. 

 Hollyhocks must be secured from the wind. Cuttings of 

 Pinks may now be inserted under a hand-light, and of many 

 other spring-flowering plants as previously alluded to. Many 

 bedding plants not used may now be potted and kept in re- 

 serve and for autumn blooming in-doors as wanted. Cinerarias 

 planted out need plenty of water, to enable them to throw up 

 strong suckers for potting ; seedlings need potting off and prick- 

 ing off, and so do lots of Primulas, of which one can hardly 

 have enough iu winter, as if kept in small pots they do so ad- 

 mirably for filling inside little vases, never suffering from 

 the moving. Cleaned Azaleas, potted Balsams, packed basket 

 Orchids, &c, and kept all plant-houses with stages and floors 

 sprinkled with water frequently to moderate the heat and dry- 

 ness. — R. F. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— Junk 30. 



Cuerries are now coming in from open standards, from all the chief 

 fruit-growing districts, and wo have an excellent supply of Strawberries 

 and Gooseberries. Hothouse fruit is also abuudant, and prices are re- 

 ceding. The Potato trade is good for all first-class sorts. Arrivals from 

 the Continent are heavy: comprising Cherries, Apricots, Melons, and 

 two or three varieties of common Plums. 



VEGETABLES. 



Artichokes each 



Asparagus bundle 



Beans, Broftd.. bushel 



Kidney 100 



Beet, Red doz. 



Broccoli bundle 



Bras. Sprouts % sieve 



C ibbage doz. 



Capsicums 100 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Cucumbers each 



pickling doz. 



Endive doz. 



Fennel bnnch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish . . bundle 



s. d. s. d 

 2 toO 4 

 6 































4 











4 







2 



3 



Leeks bunch 



Lettuce per score 



Mushrooms .... pottle 

 Mustd.A' Cress, punnet 



Onions bushel 



Parsley H sieve 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas per quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



Radishes . . doz. hands 



Rhubarb bundle 



Savovs doz. 



S.-n-kalo 



Shallots lb. 



Spinnch bnsbel 



Tniir'i.iOo per doz. 



Turnips bunch 



Vegetable Marrows dz. 



