iUy 15,1866. ] 



JOUENAIi OF HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENBB. 



369 



of vMch a portion eliould each year be potted to replace such 

 as become useless for further work. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSEUVATOKT. 



Camellias making their wood should have constant shading, 

 the house to be kept very moist day and night, and the plants 

 frequently syringed. Pay every attention at this period to 

 plants of climbing habit, whether festooned from the roof, up 

 pillars, or on trellhses in pots. Let stopping, thinning, train- 

 ing, &c., be attended to as required. Many of these plants are 

 unproductive of blossom for want of stopping the gross shoots. 

 Weed out the inferior specimens and kiuds in the greenhouse, 

 so as to give plenty of room to the best, and never allow the 

 plants to touch each other during the time they are making 

 their growth. All plants which are becommg shabby must 

 have the old blooms removed immediately, and, if necessary, 

 be cut back and started into fresh growth. Look well to water- 

 ing, but avoid saturation, and give abundance of air at all 

 times, unless you like to eyiinge, and shut up for an hour or 

 two before 4 p.m. Manj' plants, such as Diosmas, Myrtles, 

 and other things which have done blooming, if cut back and 

 repotted will, with attention, make line plants by the autumn. 

 These old plants and many more are veiy valuable in large 

 establishments, where many cut flowers are required for draw- 

 ing-room decoration. 



STOVE. 



As regards the plants in this structure, thorough cleanliness, 

 free ventilation, ]denty of atmospheric moisture, and slight 

 shading in bright sunshine, are at present the chief requisites. 

 No means should be neglected to encourage a free growth at this 

 period in Orchids, in order to have their pseudo-bulbs firm, 

 well fed, and ripened betimes. Take care to secure cuttings of 

 such plants as Brugmansias, Glerodeudrons, Erythrinas, Poin- 

 settias, Eranthemumu, and of those useful winter-flowering 

 plants Euphorbia jaoquiuiitflora and Gesnera bulbosa. Con- 

 tinue to attend to the points of cultivation previously recom- 

 mended, remembering that now is the period of rapid growth, 

 and for supplying all the encouragements necessary thereto. 



PITS .iND FBAMES. 



These structure* will almost be done with for this spring's 

 planting. Cuttings of dwarf Phloxes, AlysBum saxatile, Arabis, 

 &c., must now be put in. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KJICHEN UAKDEN. 



Prepared for trenehing-down some of the winter vegetables, 

 as Cabbages, Brussels Sprouts, some being yet good, and 

 Scotch Cabbaging Kale, very fair as respects the young sprouts. 

 Planted out more Peas. Some of our friends talk of thinning 

 the rows before staking. Sowing before staking is with us of 

 no use, and equally so with staking if the pheasants can reach 

 through the stakes. Securely staking at once, even if that 

 were effectual, takes more time than we can spare just now, 

 and, therefore, we have sown a lot more under protection in 

 semicircular drain-tiles and boxes. Those transplanted when 

 about 3 inches in height, and staked at once, are doing well, 

 and neither pheasants nor any other enemies have iuterfered! 

 with them, though hen Pheasants have such a love for us as to 

 be sitting on a dozen of eggs close to these Peas. AVe have a lot 

 of Scarlet Eunners in boxes coming on well, but we sowed 

 several rows in nice mellow soil and staked them at once, 

 patting bushy twigg so thickly at the bottom on each side that, 

 it would be no easy matter to get at them. However, staking' 

 takes up rather too much time just now. We have also sowed 

 Dwarf Kidney Beans for succession, and lest the seeds should 

 be meddled with, we have a lot in boxes just coming up that: 

 will replace them, or come in before them. The gardener will 

 pretty well be a match for any intruding enemy in the long 

 run, but it is the time and extra labour that tell, and throw 

 his arrangements out of joint. 



Pricked out lots of Celery plants in fine soil, with a bottom-' 

 ing of rough rotten dung and soil, so as to have balls about the 

 roots at planting time. Planted out Lettuces : sowed more.^ 

 We Uke to sow thinly in rows, and not to. plant much after this 

 time. Put Iwrb-beds in order; especially planted a bed of 

 Spearmint, and put the tops under a hand-light to strike more 

 plants. Spearmint is with us a shy crop, requiring renewing 

 every year. To suit our purpose the herbs are in a comer 

 rather moist for them, and nothing suffers more than the above 

 Mint. We can only keep it on by fiesh planting. Peppermint, 

 on the contrary, seems- to look after itself, and not seldom we 



have taken the shoots of the latter for the former without any 

 one being the wiser. Made, also, fresh beds of Sage, merely 

 inserting slips some 8 inches long well into the ground. They 

 will be nice plants before the head stufSng-time comes. 

 Divided some roots of Tarragon, and will most likely fill a 

 hand-light in a shady place with cuttings, as some people think 

 a salad poor without a few leaves or shoots of this herb, and a 

 few sprigs of Chervil. Sorrel also requires dividing, which 

 must be done, as a dish of Sorrel depends for receiving appro- 

 bation, even from those who like it, very much upon being 

 gro^vn in fresh, well-enriched soil. When all such things, and 

 soup herbs in general, are kept in one place, it often saves 

 many a journey and much time. To save both we generally 

 have a little Parsley, Spinach, &c., in the same place, along 

 with Thyme, Pennyroyal, Marjorams, &c. 



Looked after Cucumbers. Set those intended for GherMns 

 and ridges, also Vegetable Marrows, in a frame in the mean- 

 time, to grow on until we can find room for them. Threw 

 wood ashes and soot over vegetable seeds, and watered Cauli- 

 flowers to hasten them on, as from having our earliest de- 

 stroyed by rats and mice we shall not be so early as usual. 

 Fortunately good white Broccoli will last some time yet. 

 Sowed the main crop of Parsley, and will sow again under 

 protection in the end of June, and that makes us pretty well 

 iudependent of the winter. See previous weeks for general 

 details. 



FRCIT oaeden. 



Exm the hoe through the Strawberry quarters and borders 

 to destroy all incipient weeds, and to give an opportunity for 

 the rains to descend. Will take young plants frtim a border 

 for the last forcing. Disbudded trees, thinned shoots, and 

 stopped shoots in the Peach-house and orchard-house ; further 

 thinned shoots in the Fig-house ; regulated the shoots and 

 bunches in vineries — the early Vines, Sweetwaters, in a narrow 

 pit, started at Christmas, came in in the end of April, but 

 the glass was covered with straw covers every night. We 

 have thinned all Grapes that need it, except a few Muscats, 

 and they can wait a few days, as though thick enough they 

 seldom set so very thickly as to injure one another early. 

 Watered fully half of the borders of the orchard-house with 

 manure water. Watered the inside borders of the vineries with 

 drainings from the dunghill, after throwing some soot care- 

 fully over the surface. The ammouia from the soot will do 

 good for some time, even as it escapes into the atmosphere of 

 the house. The earlier vinery-borders outside are still covered 

 with litter, and advantage has been taken of the little heat 

 given off to make a temporary bed, with a rail back and front, 

 and old sashes laid on, whilst beneath them are placed Scarlet 

 Geraniums, that need a little t-trength for beds. The late 

 vinery-border is exposed, only covered with a layer of horse- 

 droppings, and on these, as the showers were coming, we pot 

 a sprinkling of soot, for the rains to wash down. These Vines 

 having borne prodigiously tor many years, we shall give the 

 borders a sprinkling of guano or superphosphate. We lite 

 the latter best, because it is so safe in inexperienced hands. 



Gave a good watering to the border of the Peach-house, 

 where the fruit is swelliug fast. A little red s'pider appeared at 

 one comer, and we have had the leaves carefully washed with 

 a brush and sponge. At that place the pipes come almo.?t close 

 to the wood and the fruit, the best of all aiTangements for red 

 spider. Here we have placed bricks set in sand on the flat pipe, 

 and poured sulphur on and between the bricks, and also some 

 all along the pipe. We are anxious about this spot, about half 

 a yard, as we know how quickly this enemy spreads, and that 

 prevention is better than cure. With the exception of two or 

 three Strawberry plants, this is the only case as yet in which 

 the enemy has apjieared this season. There has been a little 

 sulphur on the pipe almost eonsfantly. at least sulphur mixed 

 with water and a little soot to colour it, for when of a lightish 

 colour from sulphur water alone, or from sulphur and a little 

 lime in exposed places, so as not to be removed easily, the pipes 

 do not throw off so much heat as when they are darker in 

 colour. The first wet day we shall daub sulphur, made into a 

 paint with strong softsoap water, in open places on the back 

 walls of bouses where the sun has the oliance of striking with 

 full force. Such spots will give off sulphur fumes for a long 

 time. Stopped and regulated Melons for fruiting, being later 

 than usual. 



OB^IAMENTAL DErARTjrENT. 



Out of doors chiefly rolling and mowing the lawn ; weeding 

 and rolling walks ; digging beds; protecting and exposing bed- 

 ding plants according to the weather, letting them have all the 



