September ll, 1866. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



205 



communication to the Athentutm, that the leaflets of the Sen- 

 sitive Plant do not close if touched by a piece of glass, as they 

 do if touched by the linger or a piece of iron. If further expe- 

 riments confirm this statement, their conclusion is legitimate 

 that the motion of the leaflets is caused by the passage of 

 electricity between the points of contact. 



Ozone is known only by its effects. There is a peculiar 



smell elicited when an electric machine is in operation, and 

 that smell is said to arise from ozone ; its very name has been 

 derived from that quality — ozo, I smell — but no one has hither- 

 to succeeded in showing more than its effects. It is never 

 detected except where oxygen is present, and if oxygen be not 

 an elementary body, ozone may be one of its constituents. 

 However, whatever ozone may be, Mr. Glaisher stated at the 

 recent Meeting of the British Association for the Advancement 

 of Science, that "where he found ozone in the atmosphere, 

 there he found health ; but where ozone was absent, there he 

 found sickness prevailing." This observation was made at the 

 conclusion of a lecture delivered by Dr. Daubeny, in which he 

 stated that part, at least, of the ozone present in the atmo- 

 sphere is derived from plants, their green parts generating 

 ozone when they emit oxygen. He had found this to be so in 

 fifty-seven species of plants belonging to forty-seven different 

 natural families. The ozone was generated by the leaves, and 

 not by the flowers of any of the plants. One inference made 

 by Dr. Daubeny is that plants are the appointed agents not 

 only for restoring the oxygen to the atmosphere, which animals 

 in breathing have withdrawn from it, but also for generating 

 ozone, and by it removing the noxious effusions from the pro- 

 cesses of animal life and putrefaction. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



EITCHEN GARDEN. 



The long-continued wet weather has favoured the growth of 

 weeds, and rendered their destruction a matter of difficulty. 

 The best way to get rid of them when hoeiDg and raking are 

 not practicable, is to dig them down, especially the young gene- 

 ration. There is little required this month in the way of sow- 

 ing, presuming that all the Cabbages, Cauliflowers, Lettuce, 

 and Spinach have been sown in August. Broccoli, the ad- 

 vancing winter crops of this and of Borecole should be kept 

 frequently hoed, and vacant ground may yet be filled up with 

 the later kinds. The autumn Broccoli and Cauliflowers planted 

 in shallow trenches should now have these filled up, for except 

 in very dry situations the autumn rains will keep them moist. 

 Celery, in earthing up the greatest care is necessary to prevent 

 any portion of the earth falling iuto the heart of the plant, 

 which would prevent the upright growth of the inside leaves 

 and spoil its appearance for the table ; nor should the earth 

 be pressed too closely round the upper part of the plant, as 

 frequently when such is the case it bulges out below. The 

 best practice is to tie each plant up loosely with matting, having 

 previously removed the suckers and small leaves, and then a 

 little earth can be added every week as the plant increases in 

 height. Another common error arises from earthing Celery up 

 too soon. It should be allowed to grow to a moderate size 

 before earthing up is attempted, and be frequently soaked with 

 water ; it should never be touched when the plants are at all wet. 

 Cardoons, will require similar treatment. The latest of the 

 Celery plants may be planted without making ridges for them, 

 using for manure only a little leaf mould and charred earth ; 

 they will come in for soup purposes, and keep up the supply 

 till May or Juue. Cabbages, the strongest plants of the early 

 ones may be planted out for late Coleworts ; the main crop to 

 stand the winter must be planted by the end of the month in 

 rich manured ground. Endive, plant plenty by the side of 

 walls or wooden fences to stand the winter. Gather Chamomile 

 flowers, &c. Basil and Sweet Marjoram should be bunched 

 and packed in a close box to preserve their aromatic flavour. 

 I. ii '/>-• in drills may have the earth drawn up to them by the 

 hoe. Late Peas and Beam will require close attention to 

 prevent mildew : well supply the former with liquid manure. 

 Scarlet Runners, let all the old pods be picked off, except a few 

 of the best for seed, as they exhaust the plants for a succession. 

 Tomatoes, as they are likely to be late, the leaves shading the 

 fruit should be removed, and prevent the plants making any 

 further growth by constant stopping. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



Disbud and stop Figs, and stop the points of all strong- 

 growing shoots on Peach and Nectarine trees. Take away all 



nails that prevent the fruit swelling, and at the same time 

 remove any very weak or extra strong shoots which will not be 

 wanted for fruiting next season. The remaining shoots, being 

 thinner, will derive more influence from the sun's rays in- 

 creasing the temperature of tie wall. Remove leaves where 

 they prevent the fruit from properly colouring. Continue to 

 tie in and stop Vines against walls, and protect the fruit. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



Unless some precautions are taken to keep the taller plant;-. 

 in the beds of geometric flower gardens within proper limits 

 they will be likely, towards the end of the season, to grow too 

 high, and will destroy the uniform appearance essential to this 

 style of gardening. A constant watch should therefore be kept 

 on plants likely to exceed the standard height, and by fre- 

 quently pinching back or pegging down endeavour to keep beds 

 of the same pattern at the same height. At this season, with 

 beds of flowering plants, frequent cutting back and trimming 

 will be required to prevent a straggling habit in free-growing 

 plants, which the late rains will help ; at the same time 

 allow no dead flowers or seed-pods to remain on the plants. 

 By careful attention to these little matters the season of bloom- 

 ing may be prolonged till the plants are destroyed by frost. 

 The late continuous storms of wind and rain have bruised and 

 injured so much of the foliage of the trees, that, verging as we 

 are on the autumn, the greatest vigilance will be required to 

 insure high keeping. It is important that the lawns should be 

 well rolled now, as the worms will be very troublesome. It 

 will be well that all propagation for beds should be completed 

 as soon as possible. liemove to some shelter tender green- 

 house plants which have stood in pots during the summer in 

 the flower garden. Take care to mark the arrangements, and 

 to make memoranda respecting them. The shrubberies may 

 now be cleared of dead wood, and all unnecessary growths 

 controlled. 



GREENHOrSF ANT) CONSERVATORY. 



In arranging plants in their winter quarters on no account 

 allow them to be placed too closely together. It should be 

 borne in mind that very few plants have as yet perfectly ma- 

 tured their wood, and, consequently, as that process is still 

 going on, such will require the air to play freely around them. 

 Plants, too, are now-a-days expected to bear examination on all 

 sides, and it is impossible to obtain bushy, compact plants if 

 they are allowed to touch each other. On flat stages a few 

 may, here and there, be elevated on inverted pots, to give a 

 little relief to the mass of green. As by placing the plants 

 thinner room may not possibly be found for all, a selection of 

 the oldest or worst-formed plants should be set aside to make 

 room for those which are more choice, and as cut flowers are 

 always in request, the above may be found useful to keep for 

 that purpose, and may be wintered in vineries or pits, where 

 they will not interfere with other arrangements. Unless the 

 weather become dry, Orange trees, if at all large, will soon re- 

 quire housing, as the heavy rains have saturated them to excess, 

 and a low temperature will turn the foliage to a sickly yellow, 

 which frequently remains throughout the winter. Before re- 

 moving them to their winter quarters, any that require addi- 

 tional root-room should have fresh pots or tubs, the present 

 being the most favourable time for the operation. As a com- 

 post for the Citrus tribe, French gardeners use a mixture of 

 loam, peat, and rotten dung in the state of black mould ; such 

 plants are, however, found to thrive well in yellow turfy loam 

 and thoroughly rotten cowdung, mixing a portion of broken 

 charcoal throughout the mass. One thing, however, should be 

 strictly attended to, and that is drainage, which, if imperfect, 

 will soon produce ruinous results ; they will likewise thrive all 

 the better of being rather under than over-potted. Such as do 

 not require a complete shifting should have their drainage ex- 

 amined, and the state of the soil, as regards dryness, noted, 

 that their winter treatment may be regulated accordingly. 

 Directly Japan Lilies, Gladioli, and plants of like habit have 

 done blooming, remove them to the foot of a south wall to 

 ripen their growth, water them moderately till their tops show 

 signs of decay, when they may be laid on their sides till pot- 

 ting-time. The earliest-struck Pelargoniums should now be 

 potted off, exposing them on all occasions to the weather, ex- 

 cept during heavy rains. To have a late bloom of Fuchsias, 

 let a portion of the stock have the young wood cut back about 

 one-half. If these are placed in a little extra heat they will 

 break again and go on blooming till Christmas. Continue 

 shifting Cinerarias, Chinese Primroses, Calceolarias, Humcas, 

 and other seedling plants for next season's blooming. 



