150 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 21, 1866. 



wisdom they can perceive no utility, a great deal eannot be 

 said for the Sow Thistle ; and yet there may be something 

 advanced in its favour. On the principle that observing and 

 working are in themselves blessings to mankind, then for keep- 

 ing the eye of the cultivator open and his hands active, the 

 weed has its use ; and besides that, swine like it, and other 

 domestic animals, and rabbits are especially fond of it ; also, 

 when its young shoots and leaves are nicely boiled it forms, 

 in our estimation, a better substitute for garden greens than 

 even the blood-cooling shoots of young Nettles. Then there 

 may be circumstances in which a piece of this ugly weed might 

 be useful, could we by canvas or fine wire protection prevent 

 its seeds being dispersed over the neighbourhood, just as if we 

 had a large collection of the feathered race, we would most 

 likely appropriate a piece of our garden thus dulv enclosed to I 

 prevent the egress of the winged seeds, to growing Groundsel 

 for the sole delectation of our birds. All such fancies, how- 

 ever, should ever be kept subordinate to the general advan- I 

 tage. The good considerate man would not, and the incon- 

 siderate man should not, be allowed to ride a favourite hobbv 

 so as to injure his neighbours or do mischief to the whole com- 

 munity. The man who carried and sowed the seed of the 

 common Thistle in Australia, where it had never previously 

 been seen, might have had plentv of enthusiasm for the rugged 

 emblem of old Scotland, but he could have formed little idea of 

 the extra toil and labour he was securing for all future cnlti- I 

 vators in that land. 



Calystegia, or Convolvulus, sepium. — Having said thus much 

 on the Sow Thistle, we may notice that this plant, the Bind- 

 weed or Bearbind of our gardens— producing now where it 

 only partly had its own way its luxuriant twining shoots 

 and green foliage, and its large milk-white flowers— is one of 

 the worst weeds that can find its way into any garden where 

 the soil is at all stiff and moist, as in these circumstances it 

 especially delights. We can see its prettv flowers where we do 

 not want to see them, and this result has been assisted by the 

 rapid growth during the moist weather, when the hoe was 

 apt to Le let alone. The long white roots, which if let alone 

 would soon net a piece of ground, are meddled with by but few 

 animals, except pigs, and are difficult to eradicate, as almost 

 every inch will send up a shoot, and that will soon be followed 

 by the extension of the roots and numerous other shoots. 

 Digging out these roots at every change of cropping is all very 

 well, only it is difficult to take all out and not leave a little 

 bit behind. The simplest plan of eradicating this beautiful 

 but dreadful pest, is a continuous use of the hoe, and cutting up 

 every shoot before it attains more than 2 or 3 inches in length. 

 Where the labour power will permit of that being regularly 

 done, the plants will die out, as even the long, white, flesh'v 

 roots will decay, if no shoots from them are allowed to be seen 

 above ground. When permitted to grow so as to show a single 

 flower, it would require continual cutting-iu a future year to 

 paralyse the energy of the roots. 



The Small Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), which produces 

 according to the variety its white or pinkish flowers on the 

 small trailing shoots, may have its roots destroyed in the same 

 way, or by cutting off the crowns and placing a good pinch of 

 salt upon them. The roots of this, like the Bearbind, are diffi- 

 cult to eradicate, as the smallest piece left in the ground will 

 grow ; but, as in the former case, if no shoots are allowed in 

 summer, the roots having no outlet for their juices, and no 

 fresh matter added, will at length die of starvation. There 

 are few plants that would not be killed in time by a similar 

 process, but the action must be continuous. 



FKtTIT GARDEN. 



_ Regulated trees as previously described. Went on with pot- 

 ting Strawberries in the manner stated the other week, the wet 

 intervals giving a good opportunity for washing pots well pre- 

 viously to using them, for we have less faith in a dirtv pot 

 than in almost any other dirty thing; and one reason why 

 some of our window gardeners fail is that they use the same 

 pot over and over again before thoroughly scrubbing it inside 

 and outside. Sometimes in the spring, when pots are used 

 frequently, being filled as soon as emptied, we content our- 

 selves with washing the inside merely ; but in all cases where 

 the plants are to remain some time" in the pots, these pots 

 should be well washed inside and outside, and be well dried 

 before using. 



Went over the orchard-houses, exposing the fruit more to 

 the light, and even lessening the number of those most crowded, 

 as it is better to do this late than never. As the fruit would 

 come in too soon for us, we have shaded one part of a house a 



little, though aware that it will not improve the colour or the 

 flavour ; but we most likely will have the glass exposed enough 

 before the fruit ripens. We find that as a general rule in these 

 cold, merely glass-covered houses, there is always a danger oi 

 leaving too much fruit, as it generally sets so thickly. As soon 

 as we can find time, we will plant out a good many runners of 

 Strawberriei rather thickly — say from 4 to 6 inches apart, and 

 these will come in well for forcing late, and making fresh plan- 

 tations in spring, if it be desirable to do so. As soon after this 

 as possible, we will clear away the runners from all Strawberry 

 plants we intend to remain, and dig, or rather trench down all 

 those we intend to remove, filling the space with winter stuff, 

 late Celery, Sea., so as to secure the advantages of a rotation of 

 crops. We will also break up where there are a few blanks, a 

 border of Cuthill's Black Prince, and plant some more, as 

 though its dark colour when thoroughly ripe may be a draw- 

 back in the estimation of some, its great bearing qualities, and 

 the firmness of its substance, render it one of the best for pre- 

 serving-purposes we know. This we are given to understand, 

 that many who make much jam, will have no other sort so long 

 as Black Prince is to be had. In our opinion it is far before 

 the old Scarlets, (trove End, &c. ; but every one to his fancy. 



In our rather stiff soil we thus generally manage planta- 

 tions of Strawberries. Trench the ground well, incorporating 

 with the lower 12 or 18 inches about 3 or 4 inches, or more, of 

 what we can lay hold of in the way of manure. When the 

 ground is dryish on the top, we point-in a layer of 2 or 3 inches 

 of rotten hotbed manure, generally consisting of leaves and 

 litter at first. We then turn out plants in rows 2 feet apart, 

 and, according to kinds, from 12 to 15 or 18 inches apart iu 

 the row, making the ground firm about the plants, and then 

 to prevent cracking, either pointing the surface somewhat 

 roughly with the point of a fork, or throwing a little rotten 

 dung over it. From that time, besides cleaning the plants, 

 merely breaking the surface of the soil, ami placing a little 

 manure between the rows in winter, allowing all the leaves 

 to remain on during that season, and dressing them a little 

 in the spring, the plants have no more of the spade until, 

 two or three years after planting, they are transferred to the 

 bottom of a trench. Except plants that have been forced, we 

 plant none in the summer or autumn, as from scarcity of 

 ground that would deprive us of a winter crop ; but we plaut 

 early in spring, lifting with good balls those runners that wo 

 prick out now. Of course, to save labour, we would rather 

 plant out in the autumn. By planting in spring we can make 

 more sure of every plant being fruitful, and after all that has 

 been said and done, we think it worth while to select young 

 plants as much as possible from fruitful parents. At any rate, 

 we once had a patch of fine-looking Keens' Seedling that in 

 three succeeding years never showed a bloom, and the runners 

 from them were equally barren. We wish now that some 

 experiments had been made to render these fine-looking barren 

 plants fruitful. 



If the ground is light and sandy, it would be well after 

 trenching for Strawberries, to roll it well before planting in a 

 dry day, and then give a mulching of rotten dung. The only- 

 way to* make light soil support a Strawberry crop equal to one 

 with more loam aud consistence in it, is to make it as firm as 

 possible, but so that the surface may not be cracked or fissured. 



ORNAMENTAL DEPARTMENT. 



Of this more anon. Much the same as to keeping lawns and 

 walks right, looking over flower-beds, regulating them when 

 necessary, preparing for cuttings, planting Violets, potting and 

 attending to greenhouse plants, regulating climbers, so that 

 the sun may have more free access to the plants as the days 

 become shorter, &c. — R. F. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— August 18. 



Apples % sieve 



Apricots doz. 



Cherries lb. 



Chestnuts bush. 



Currants sieve 



Black do. 



Figs doz. 



Filberts lb. 



Cobs 100 lbs. 



Gooseberries . . quart 

 Grapes, Hothouse, .lb. 

 Lemons 100 



d 

 OtoS 



FRUIT. 

 . d 



Melons each 



Nectarines doz. 



d. s. d 



4 



Oranges 100 12 



Peaches doz. 10 



Pears (dessert) . . doz. 1 



kitchen doz. 



4 Pine Apples lb. 8 



9 Plums H sieve 7 



Quinces $£ sieve 



6 Raspberries lb. 6 



5 Strawberries lb. S 



10 Walnuts bush. 6 



8 



20 



18 O 



8 







5 











9 



1 

 8 



