September i, UM. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



180 



year or two, till Mr. Rivers has, ag he always does in such 

 cases, proved the constancy of its good qualities. 



The works at the Alexandra Park and Palace are now 



in full operation, not less than two thousand men being 

 employed on the building and the grounds, both of which are 

 fast advancing towards completion. The Park, under the able 

 direction of Mr. McKenzie, is being carried out in a splendid 

 style according to his own plans ; and from that portion which 

 is already completed one can now form an idea of what the 

 future of this charming estate, with its fine picturesque scenery, 

 is likely to be. 



We have before us the third edition of that admirable 



little work by Mr. William Paul, " Observations on the Culti- 

 vation of Roses in Pots ; including the Autobiography of a 

 Pot Rose." The mere fact of this being a third edition, and 

 that the author on such a subject is Mr. William Paul, super- 

 sedes the necessity of any further observation. 



Monday last being the day on which the Royal Horti- 

 cultural Society's gardens at South Kensington were thrown 

 open to the public in commemoration of the birthday of the 

 late Prince Consort, it is estimated that no fewer than 150,000 

 persons took advantage of the privilege. Several bauds gave 

 their services gratuitously on the occasion. We are also 

 authorised to state that to enable the public to inspect the 

 plants and grounds in greater quiet than on such a day, the 

 Council have determined to open the gardens free on every 

 Wednesday during the months of September and October. 



Ai the meeting of the Floral Committee at South 



Kensington this day, we aro informed that Mr. Bull will ex- 

 hibit a plant of Amaryllis Josephine, with upwards of fifty 

 flowers. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Keep the hoe and fork constantly at work amongst all ad- 

 vancing late crops. Celery, proceed with the earthing-up in 

 proportion to the demand ; some of the very latest crops may 

 also be planted in rows to stand through the winter. The 

 haulm of Peas laid by now in a dry place is a good material for 

 covering Celery during severe frost. Cabbage, the seedling 

 plants intended to stand through the winter, must now be 

 pricked out into nursery-beds of light soil at 5 inches apart, 

 this will be found of great advantage, by inducing a stocky, 

 hardy growth. Endive, continue to make successional plan- 

 tations, some of the first planted out will now he in a good 

 condition for tying up for blanching. A few only at a time 

 should be tied, and these loosely, to allow the heads to swell 

 out large. Lettuce, a small patch of Bath Cos sown now will, 

 if the autumn prove mild, be more valuable than those sown 

 earlier. Mushrooms, now is the last time to make beds out of 

 doors. The various methods of growing them both in-doors 

 and out, were last week ably set forth by Mr. Fish. Onions, 

 no time should be lost in storing the crops fully dry. As the 

 ground from which they are taken is generally used for Cab- 

 bage, it should be immediately trenched up ; if manure is 

 necessary let it be laid on the top of the trenched soil, and 

 fork it in ; if, however, the ground was well manured for the 

 Onions, it ought to carry the Cabbages through, and they will 

 always be the better, because if too much manure comes in 

 contact with the roots in the autumn, it induces a succulent 

 luxuriant growth, which renders them far more liable to injury 

 from alternations of frost and thaw in the winter. Radishes 

 may still be sown. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



Apples and Pears require constant attention now. Gather 

 the various sorts as they ripen, and let the operation be per- 

 formed with as much gentleness as if they were eggs, for wher- 

 ever an Apple or Pear is bruised there is laid the foundation of 

 premature decay. Peaches and Nectarines must be looked over 

 daily, and gathered as they ripen, as a fall, even when nets are 

 suspended to relieve them, is fatal to their flavour and appear- 

 ance if they have to be kept a day. 



flower garden. 



Besides keeping every part of this department in the neatest 

 order, the propagation of the stock for supplying next season's 

 demand will engross all the time and attention that can be 

 spared. In all cases, the number of plants which it will be 

 necessary to provide should be noted down, allowing a wide 

 margin for contingencies and losses. The earlier-struck cut- 

 tings must be potted off, and after ihey become established, 



placed out of doors in an open situation, bearing in mind that 

 all the more delicate bedding Geraniums Bhould well fill their 

 pots with roots before winter, or many will be lost. While 

 propagation is being proceeded with, attention must be turned 

 to the amount of winter accommodation, which, whether in the 

 shape of frames, pits, or larger structures, should be put in readi- 

 ness to receive the plants before bad weather sets in. Though 

 more expensive in the first place, a series of brick pits from 

 5 to 6 feet wide, will be the cheapest in the end, and if heated 

 by running a four-inch pipe round them, mats may bo dis- 

 pensed with ; besides, pits of this class would be valuable 

 during the summer for a variety of purposes. The late heavy 

 rains have caused considerable derangement amongst the flowers. 

 Immediate attention should be given, and all deficiencies from 

 such injuries at once replaced. Attention must be paid to the 

 layers of Carnations and Picotees. It sometimes happens that 

 the wireworms (young ones almost as thin as hairs), have in- 

 sidiously introduced themselves into the pith of the layers, to 

 their certain destruction. When one is destroyed, it is advisable 

 to lift the pegs which hold down the others, and closely examine 

 them ; if at the section of the stem a bran-like appearance is 

 visible the enemy is not far off, and it must be carefully sought 

 and destroyed. Continue to plant out l'inks as they strike root, 

 bearing in mind that those which are put out now in the places 

 where they are to flower next season, generally lace much 

 better than those planted in the spring. Plant offsets of TulipB, 

 and commence arranging the best bed for planting. 



greenhouse and conservatory. 

 Any inmates of these structures which have been placed out 

 of doors will still be much benefited by being out, even for two 

 or three weeks more, especially all those which appear long- 

 jointed or somewhat pale. If drenching rains occur, any 

 tender plants which are likely to suffer damage should be taken 

 in-doors again ; there is no occasion to house the whole stock 

 at once. Plants impatient of moisture should not be kept out 

 too late, the nights are becoming long, the solar heat will soon 

 be much diminished, and, of course, evaporation will proceed 

 at a slower pace. When Camellias, Chinese Azaleas, and the 

 hybrid Indian Rhododendrons were not potted in the spring 

 and require shifting, the present will be the most favourable 

 time, as the young wood is now becoming somewhat firm and 

 the flower-buds are perceptible. As this class of plants require 

 water very liberally during one period of their growth, drain 

 the pots well, and use very turfy peat and sand, adding an 

 equal portion of fibrous loam for the Camellia. Most of the 

 class of bulbs known as Cape bulbs, if obtained now, might by 

 the aid of a little extra heat be had in flower at various periods 

 throughout the winter and early spring. Any of the free- 

 growing species of Ixias, such as flexuosa, viridiflora, conica, 

 &c, would be suitable, as also would the varieties of Sparaxis 

 tricolor. Amaryllis vittata, Johnsoni, and the innumerable 

 allied mules, are splendid, and might bo bloomed by gentle 

 forcing. Lachenalia pendula, tricolor, and luteola, with many 

 species of Oxalis, would serve to increase the variety, and are 

 all handsome individually ; of Oxalises perhaps versicolor, hir- 

 tella, and cernua would be as easily procured as any, but many 

 others are equally good. Ornithogalum aureum, a fino orange- 

 coloured species, and some of the white ones, as lacteum and 

 revolutum, are desirable plants. Cyclamen coum, vernum, and 

 persicum ought not to be omitted. 



STOVE. 



Plenty of moisture in the atmosphere and plenty of air are 

 still essentials, increasing the ventilation progressively as the 

 plants approach towards the next period, and inuring them to 

 much more sunlight in a similar ratio, at least those which 

 have made a strong and early growth. Shading will of course 

 be dispensed with, except in the case of bright sunshine and 

 during the middle of the day. Pay every attention to such 

 superior stove plants as Allamandas, Dipladenias, Stephanotis, 

 Echites, Euphorbia, and Luculia. A considerable number of 

 Orchids may now be selected from the general stock, which, 

 having done growing, require a temperature gradually declining, 

 accompanied with a drier atmosphere, and, for some kinds, a 

 pretty free exposure to the sun and light. Where different 

 structures are devoted to this family no difficulty exists in 

 affording to each section a suitable temperature both in 

 the seasons of active growth and repose, and iu tho&e tran- 

 sitions from one state to the other during which, perhaps, 

 plants require the greatest care. On the contrary, where one 

 house is made to contain a class of plants which vary nearly as 

 much in constitution as they do in form, contrivances of all 



