424 



JOtTBNAIi OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Jane 5, I8IIB. 



together with hardness of surface, is, in our opinion, favonrablc 

 to the production of mildow. If this begin to show itself, a 

 very weak solution of salt and water sprinkled over the tops 

 will keep it in check. Turnips, contimie to make .snccessional 

 sowings, and dress both these and other crop?! likely to be 

 infested with the fly with charcoal dust when they are in a wet 

 state. Keep up snccessional sowings of Radishes, Lettuces, and 

 salads, which require to be sown often now, in quantities pro- 

 portioned to the demand ; the north side of a sloping bank is 

 the best situation for these sowings. Viijetable. Marrows on 

 ridges to be treated as advised for Cucumbers. 



FHUIT GARDEN. 



Great activity is necessaiy in this department, as the rapid 

 growth of the trees will require constant attention in stopping, 

 removing supertluous shoots, and nailing in. Peaches may 

 now have their final disbudding ; let every shoot not required 

 be removed with a, sharp knife, and nail in the remainder 

 carefully ; if any of the extreme shoots are growing out of 

 bounds, they may be stopped within a few eyes of the base in 

 order to preserve the fruit, but take care to train up another 

 shoot to succeed. Apricots to be thinned. Keep the lateral 

 shoots of Vines closely stopped at the tirst joint. We do not 

 approve of the practice of removing them entirely. By retain- 

 ing the joiut we preserve them for whatever purpose they may 

 serve in the economy of the Vine. We should always en- 

 deavour to assist the operationsof Nature, as well as judiciously 

 check over-luxuriance, and in this respect we know of no tree 

 more tractable than the Vine. 



FLOWEB G.tRDEN. 



The directions given for the past two weeks are still appli- 

 cable to operations going on here, and which should be brought 

 to a close this week. Persevere till every vacant bed is tilled. 

 Summer cUmbers will now be in tine condition for planting 

 out, if directions as regards growing, potting, and staking have 

 been attended to. See that they are properly secured from 

 high winds as soon as the operation of planting is finished. 

 Heliotropes and tender annuals may now be planted out with 

 Sifety. Choose the wannest and best-protected parts of the 

 iiower garden for these tender things. As soon as the beds are 

 all filled and finished off, plant out in the flower-borders the 

 odds and ends which are left. Attend to the staking of Car- 

 nations, Picotees, and Pinks as they grow ; this will greatly 

 improve their appearance when in bloom. Put in large quan- 

 tities of different varieties of double Wallflowers in rows behind 

 a no tli wall or hedge. Alyssums, Iberises, and similar 

 plants should be increased by cuttings for another season. 

 Cut the old plants back as soon as they have done flowering, 

 and they may remain among some of the grouping plants in 

 the borders during the summer months. 



GEEEjmoUSE AN'B CONSEKVATOBT. 



The turning out of house plants is a proceeding which re- 

 quires some forethought. Although it may not be desirable to 

 turn out some of the tribes so early in the season on their own 

 account, it is at least so in many garden establishments in the 

 country, in order to carry out without impediment the forcing 

 of Imits and other matters necessary for the supply of a family. 

 In this respect country gardens differ much from the gardens 

 around the metropolis. In the latter, display is the principal 

 point ; in the foi-mer, display, although not unheeded, is some- 

 times obliged to give way to more substantial matters. The 

 first step is to provide a proper situation, and one, scarcely 

 secondary, is to secure a good sound bottom on which to place 

 the pots. Wheii the least suspicion of water-lodgements exist 

 drainage should in the first place be secured, and the pots be ele- 

 vated above the ground level. W'e do not mean to assert that 

 house plants must be turned out, we are merely advising it on 

 the score of expediency. Plunging, we should say, should in 

 most cases be resorted to, provided the plunging material is 

 above the ground level. Ail plants with fine hair-Uke roots, as 

 the Ericas and Epacrises, should certainly either be plunged 

 or double-potted — that is, inserted within an empty pot. 

 Another great point is to classifj- the plants with regard to 

 their general habits and character. No plant-cultivator would 

 think of mixing Heaths with Pelargoniums or Cacti. After 

 the bedding-out is accomplished a reserved stock should be 

 imm ediately taken in hand, and should receive high cultivation 

 in order to fill up blanks the moment they occur either in the 

 houses or in the borders. Some of the hardier stock in the 

 Gonservatory, such as hybrid Rhododendrons, CameUias form- 

 ing buds, and Orange trees in tubs or pots, may soon be set out 

 of doors. This will give more room to the plants which must 



remain either on acconnt of tBeir tenderness or the display 

 which they make. A sheltered spot should bo selected out of 

 doors, but by no means nnder the drip of trees. A temporary 

 awning, but of a very thin character, should be suspended 

 over them for a week or two at first. .Ml young or other stock 

 growing forward for specimens of high cultivation must now 

 liavo much room. Make it a rule to let no two specimens touch. 

 Very young stock of Ericas, Epacrises, or small fancy New 

 Holland plants will be best in a pit or frame, placing the lights 

 to the north. Pinch off the decaying blossom of hybrid Rhodo- 

 dendrons; give liquid manure, and if wanted for early work 

 endeavour to force them slightly into wood. Get some young 

 Thunbergias put into their final pots for trellising ; these arc 

 useful, and keep up a late display. Look to the runners of 

 the tree Violet, also the Neapolitan, and do not delay any longer 

 with the Chrysanthemums. — W. Kcane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST ^VEEK. 



KITCHEN GAKDEN. 



Ne^-eb was better weather for the keepirig down and cutting 

 up weeds, and, therefore, took the opportunity to run the 

 Dutch hoe through all growing crops, as even if the weeds are 

 scarcely to be seen, they would soon show themselves if a 

 showery day or two were to come. The bright sun and the cold 

 nights, with east and north winds, are very trying to many 

 things. Com fields, as yet, look well ; but grass grows but 

 slowly, and some of the tender points on our lawn are browned 

 as if frosted. On Wednesday morning early, in a shallow 

 earthenware vessel there was ice one-sixteenth of an inch in 

 thickness. 



Watered lots of Peas and garden Beans in tiles and boxes, 

 for transplanting. Sowed several rows for succession, as 

 pheasants are not now so keen after them. Removed a row of 

 Tom Thumb from the orchard-house, where they had done 

 good service, and would have done more, only there was plenty 

 to succeed them. DiUistone's Early bears well under a glass 

 case without any artificial heat ; Sangster's does not do well 

 for that purpose, but taken all in all, though not the earliest, 

 it is the most profitable early Pea we have. Watered with 

 sewage water Cauliflowers, Peas, Beans, i-c, and pricked out 

 young Cauliflowers. The fresh quarter, turned out eight days 

 kgo, was watered with clean water. Giving rich nourishment 

 to such young plants is ver}- injurious. Gave sewage water to 

 a bank of Lettuces, to keep them from running prematurely. 

 We use the sewage for these purposes, not only because we 

 like it best, but also because it husbands so far our clear water, 

 of which we have a fair supply as yet ; but in this neighbour- 

 hood it is becoming scarce, and some are purchasing it at SO 

 much a-pail. 



We have never had the fly worse on early Turnips ; and as 

 for Radishes, unless carefully netted, and the net kept fat 

 enough every way from the seeds, we would never see one. At 

 less than a mile distant, cottagers can throw a dusting of seed 

 into the ground, and every seed will produce a seedUng. Here 

 it is a constant contest with the birds, and they too often con- 

 quer at length, and obtain more than the lion's share. Pricked 

 out lots of Celery of different sowings, the first being now strong 

 plants, which we shall finally turn out as soon as there shall 

 be a change in the weather. 



Sowed Onions for s.-ilads, Spinach for succession ; filled the 

 vacancies in seed-beJs of winter gi'cens, and would prick out 

 some if wo could find time. Dug up a good portion of the 

 Broccoli stumps ; this crop, though planted between Peas, and 

 rather late, has done wonders, chiefly owing to giving it plenty 

 of sewage water, until the long nights of last autumn came. 



Pricked out young Cabbages, cleared away all the covering 

 material from Sea-kale, and sent in the last dish ; it wUl want 

 all the summer now to grow. Pulled Rhubarb for preserving ; 

 the huge stalks would be better of a sewage-watering at the 

 stools. That, and rich soil, will make it grow almost any size, 

 and, unlike some other things, large stalks are tender enough, 

 if from dimness and age they do not become too hard. 



Pntdtacs that had been protected with old sashes are throw- 

 ing their tubers quite near enough the surface. Instinct might 

 have told them to go down after moisture in this parching 

 weather ; but as we cannot do anything in the way of eartliing- 

 up, as they are now so thick, and formerly had early Lettuces 

 betweeu the rows, we will water the beds over if we do not 

 have raiu soon, and then wUl cover the ground slightly with 

 h.alf-rotten leaves to keep the moisture iu and to keep the light 



