3S0 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



[ April 3, ISM. 



1^^ scasou. Take orery opi>ortuiiitj' to destroy flags, which 

 fbe reoeiit rains have broiiRlit out from their winter ([uarters in 

 abandanee ; the use of <iuicldimo on a warm evening after a 

 •howerj' day, is a well-kuowu remedy. livrl, sow a little lied, 

 fcnt not inuch, as the ciianccs are that it will run to seed. 

 JSroecoti, make the principal sowing of favourite sorts to btaud 

 the winter; a sowing of the Dwarf Hardy Itussiun mode a 

 fortnight hence often bears frost better than earlier sowings. 

 Cauiijhiictr, continue to plant out the strongest plants tept 

 throiigh the winter ; those -which have beeTi brought on under 

 hand-lights will be getting sulUcicutly advanced to be henefited 

 by ftpphcatioiis of liquid manure to keep them in a free-growing 

 State, otherwise we may expect some to button. Let the soil 

 he constantly stirred about them. Carrots, the main crop of 

 the Long Keil or Altringbam for winter use, ought to be sown in 

 deeply-trenched groimd. Kidney Itia-iis, put in a small hreadth 

 of some early sort on a warm, dry, sheltered border, and plant 

 a quantity in small pots, to be raised in a eoUl frame, and 

 jJantod out as soon as danger of frost is over. Onk/iw, if the 

 uiiiiu crop is not sown, the first opportunity of doing so must 

 bo embraced. I'eas, continue to earth-up and stake as they ad- 

 vance. Take care that those just coming np do not want for 

 surface-stirring, which will be the more necessary after heavy, 

 dashing rains, which consolidate the surface of the soil. Make 

 saccessional sowings of iladishes and salads ; small sowings are 

 best, each uiado as soon as the other is up. Thin out, and 

 transplant where desirable, all seedling crops sufficiently ad- 

 vanced. 



rr.triT baiiuen. 

 The disbudding of Peaches and Apricots most be commenced 

 forthwith by remonng all the foreright wood shoots, and a 

 portion of those on the lowei- side of each shoot also. As 

 bloBsom-bnds are very thick this year, it will he proper to take 

 off a portion of these where ill-placed. Keep a sharp look-out 

 for aphis on the yoimg shoots. ■ After liigh winds, fresh-planted 

 trees in the open quarters should be finally looked over, and the 

 earth pressed firmly about them. The observations made last 

 week on the subject of disbudding had reference to Peaches 

 and Nectaiiues, and I will now concisely resume it. As the 

 trees advance in age, and require a full complement of wood, 

 and circumterouce according to the .space allotted to them, it 

 \vill be found necessary to pursue this system of disbudding 

 ■with still greater severity, in order that the ti-ees may be main- 

 tained in a healthy, fruit-bearing condition, and not weakened 

 tiy crowding with too much wood. For this end we must en- 

 conrage only the young shoot nearest the base of the fruit- 

 bearing shoot ; but as the terminal shoot will be necessary for 

 the proper maturation of the fruit, it must be closely stopped 

 V, the last thinning, and any attempt at growing afterwards 

 mnst be carefully removed, so as not to injure the leaves. As 

 soon as the fruit is gathered, it is best to remove these stopped 

 ■shoots down to the young ones, which are greatly strengthened 

 thereby, and it also exposes the young wood more to the in- 

 fluence of the sun at a season when the exposure is most needed 

 for its ripening. 



FLOWEK GAECEN. 



Commence in earnest with mowing, and cut down close ; 

 the grass wiH then mow hotter all tlie scasou. Finish edg- 

 ing walks, clip Box-edgings, plant Gladioluses and Ferrarias, 

 plant evergreen shrubs, if you ai'e obliged : and, if so, take care 

 to liave every fibre carefully preserved, have great balls of 

 earth and holes dug much lai-^or than the ball will fit into. 

 Attend well to watering, and fix the st.'ikcs to prevent the in- 

 jm-ious effects of the plants being windwaved. In planting shrubs 

 and trees, if due care is not taken, disappointment will sm^ely 

 follow ; therefore do whatever has to bo done quickly, and, 

 let me add, do it well. It is now a good time to plant that 

 stately flower the Hollyhock, which suffers much from frost 

 if planted too early. We have no hesitation in recommending 

 this noble flower to be much more extensively cultivated than 

 it is. It is used very extensively in Battersea Park, and to 

 those who have seen it there during its flowering season no 

 eulogiiim can he necessary. 



GKEEKHOCSE iNr> CONST.nViTOEY. 



Pelargoniums, herbaceous Calceolarias, and Fuchsias ai-e 

 now advancing rapidly, and the early plants of the former two 

 are showing blossoms. Take care to stake and tie the plants 

 neatly without loss of time, and some of the old gi-owers say that 

 manure water is good for them after Good Friday. This, how- 

 ever, I think, depends more ujion the pots being filled with 

 roots than the day of the year. One of the best growers of the 



Pelargonium never watered with manure water until thfl 

 trusses were up and the pots filled with roots. Fuchsias will 

 now be the belter of a little shade during bright sunshine, and 

 ver)' liberal treatment will not be thrown away upon them. 

 The shifting of all specimen plants should bo now completed. 

 Too much care cannot be taken in watering to see that the 

 water does not escape by the side without moistening the old 

 ball, also to guard against over or under-doing the supply. 

 Kee}) a moist atmosphere, spriniding the plants with tepid 

 water once or twice a-week, und pay due attention to the ei- 

 tirj'ation of insects directly you can perceive them. If the 

 plants in the borders of the conservatory are drj-, or any of Uie 

 climbers, give them a good soaking of weak tepid manore 

 water. Sow liberally Chinese Primroses and Cinerarias; 

 these well attended to will make strong autumn-llowering 

 plants. The Himalayan Primula denticulata, although hardy, 

 foi-ms a nice dressy little plant for the mixed greenhouse. Let 

 C!ameUias malring wood bo shaded and frequently syringed. 

 Those who wish to have Camellias in blossom from October 

 to Jlay must take care to force their plants into wood succes- 

 sively. If a given stock be divided into three portions, one 

 portion to be subjected to this process in February, a second 

 in March, and a third in April,the object will be effectually 

 accomplished, provided the subsequent treatment he what it 

 ought to be. 



PITS AND FBAMES. 



Continue potting-off stock for the flower garden, also making 

 cuttings constantly of Verbenas, Fuchsias, Petunias, Dahlias, 

 Geraniums, itc. ; they will all be wanted for some purpose. 

 Shade newly-potted Stocks, and more especially cuttings, care- 

 fully; and remember that in making cuttings the leaf should not 

 be first allowed to flag, and then an attempt be made to restore 

 it by abundance of water : the leaf must never be allowed to 

 droop. See that such climbers as hhodochiton, llanrandya, 

 Lojihospcrmum, Tropteolum, &c., are propagated and culti- 

 vated for blanks or treUissing, &c. — W. Kease. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



EIIC3EN GABDEN. 



A FEW dry days and a bright sun have done much to dry the 

 soaked ground, and prepare it for the reception of Onion 

 and other seeds, such as those of gicens, BroccoU, Peas, and 

 Beans. There ai'e just now many complaints of the vast extent 

 of catalogues of seeds that perplex by their very variety. For 

 small gardens especially we may mention what, if received 

 true, will not be likely to disappoint. 



())iiu;«.— Sow James's Keeping and ■\^^lite Spanish, and 

 Silver-skinned for pickling. 



Ganh-H Beans. — Early ilazagan for earliest imd latest crops, 

 Longpod and Green Windsor for summer, and the Dwaif Fan 

 where there is little room, as the Beans may be giown in rows 

 a foot apart. 



i', u.f.— IJillistone's Early and Sangster's Ko. 1 for earUness, 

 the first the earUer, the second the better bearer ; Ne Plus Ultra 

 the best for a late Pea. Burbidge's Eclipse, Veitch's Perfection, 

 and Harrisons Perfection are tine medium-height Peas ; and 

 Dickson's Favourite is a good Pea that beais heavily, is of fair 

 flavour, and comes in between Sangster's and the earliest Mar- 

 rowfats. Dwarf Peas, as Tom Thumb, Bishop's Longpod, &c., 

 are useful chiefly where room must be economised. They come 

 in eaily at the foot of a fence in a warm place. 



Carrots, we will only sow moderately as yet. We prefer the 

 Eiuly Horn, the Long Surrey, and the Altiingham. Li rather 

 stiff thinnish soil the Horn often does wonders, when the 

 longer kinds come forked. 



Farsnijis should be sown as soon as possible. We prefer the 

 Hollow-crowned ; the Student comes of a lai-go size, but some- 

 times it is a little hard at the core. 



Cafc/iayis.— Some of the Battersea may be sown for summer 

 use. We prefer for the main crops Atkins's Matchless when it 

 can be oblained true ; ours has not been so for some time, and 

 our groimd is too small for seed-saving. The Rosette Colewort 

 is the best to sow in May for autumn and early winter use. 



CutdijUm-cr. — Not to "perplex, we find the London Early 

 Cauliflower suitable for all sowings. 



L'riiMo/i. — Cauliflower Broccoli, Snow's 'Winter Broccoli, 

 Early Purple Sprouting, Willcovc, and Miller's Dwarf ^^^lite 

 wiU furnish a good supply. 



BorecoU. — For one sort choose Scotch Cabbaging Kale. Cot- 

 tager's Kale is good, and the 'Variegated pretty. 



