424 



JOUBNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAQE GARDENEB. 



c Jaa* i, iaas. 



have in thinning. Often when not operated oo, when the i 

 yonng fruit are not larger than bird shot, it is next to im- 

 posBiblo to get the Bcissors into the bunch of clone-setting ' 

 kinds without injuring the berries that are left. Two things ' 

 m thinning Grapes ought always to be avoided : First, using 

 scissors after tho points have become dirty or discoloured with 

 the Vine juice, as the marks are so apt to be left— it is easy 

 to keep them dry and clean ; and the second is, to avoid oiled 

 hair, or hair of any kind, or dirty hands, or clothes saturated 

 with perspiration, coming in contact with the bunch. In thin- 

 ning, those with moist hands should catch tho bunch with a 

 neat hooked stick or clean wire ; but a stick is the better of tho 

 two. J'or air-giving, temperature, &c., see last and previous 

 week's notices. 



Fit/pit.— Firis in i>ot».— Gave the trees a good watering with 

 manure water, and syringed the tops frequently before shutting- 

 up, about 4 i-.u., BO as to obtain a good amount of sun heat. 

 This shuttmg-up in a moist atmosphere involves the necessity 

 of giving air early in the morning, so that the fruit swelling 

 fast may become dried, as, if the damp hang long on them, a 

 spot will be formed at the point, and from thence it will spread 

 and rot, instead of the fruit swelling and ripening. In dull 

 weather, after such bright sunshine, there will be a necessity 

 of having (ire heat in early houses to permit of more air being 

 given to neutrahse this tendency towards damping. Except 

 when the trees are in a state of rest, it is hardly possible to l 

 overdo iig trees with moisture if the drainage is all right. 1 

 Stagnant moisture is just as bad for throwing off a crop as l 

 great dryness ; and let it not be forgotten, that whether growing ' 

 m a pot or m a border, if the roots be too dry, they must not 

 be saturated at once, but by degrees, say in four or five days' 

 time. We have seen young trees well loaded throw off their 

 crop from dryness ; we have seen similar trees cast their crop 

 when a copious watering was at once given. The stimulus was 

 aU right enough for growth, but it was more than the young 

 frmt were prepared for, and off they dropped. It is the safest 

 plan to have the soH rather moist before the buds swell much. 



We must commence as soon as possible on the trees out of 

 doors, which are showing plenty of fruit. We have merely 

 stopped the terminal bud of the shoots showing fruit. 



ORN-AMKNTAL DEPAr.TMENT. 



Doing a good denl in the way of potting Balsams, Feathered 

 Cockscombs, Geraniums, watering, and keeping plant-houses 

 moist and shaded to save watering, even if not quite so good 

 for the plants. Winter-flowering Heaths, Epacris, etc., should 

 now have a cold pit, to be kept rather close untU growth is 

 made, and then be hardened off to ripen the shoots. CamelUas 

 and Azaleas done blooming and allowed to stand a week or two 

 after being trimmed, should have a close, warm, moist atmo- 

 sphere to encom-age growth, and that will also do much to 

 check insects, the plants being gradually hardened off as the 

 flower-buds are formed. Many of tho hardier plants, as 

 Cytisus, Acacias, &c., will stand in a sheltered place out of 

 doors, where no other place can be given them. We were 

 forced against our will to smoke Caladiums, on which we never 

 saw green fly before. Gloxinias in bloom should have a shady 

 place, as but little sun spoils the dehcate blossoms. Dahlias 

 we must divide, for we are behind, having kept them in a cool 

 place, and they are just moving. The frosty mornings have 

 rather frightened us from bedding-out ; but if we did not make 

 a commeucement we should never finish, and therefore we 

 have begun, and most likely some thousands will be out before 

 this appear in print. One reason why we do not hurry is, that 

 most of our plants are growing now, planted out, in earth pits. 

 Celery trenches, ice, so that they are not confined as if they 

 stood in Uttle pots. One chief object, however, in so treating 

 them was to avoid the necessity of watering them often. Many 

 beds have only been watered once since the plants were turned 

 out m the beginning of April. Most of them lift well now for 

 planting, and we generally carry them in little boxes, and this 

 saves the ball of earth about the roots. The svstem would 

 not answer so well where the plants must be carried some dis- 

 tance from tho earth pit to the flower garden. Under such 

 circumstances pots and boxes, where the roots are kept near 

 at home, are best ; but the keeping of thousands of plants in 

 small pots is a serious matter, even as respects watering, where 

 labour is rather scarce, — R. F. 



no scholar, was soroly puzzled to understand tho meaning of 

 " ditto." The next day, being at work with his father, ho said, 

 " Father, what is the meaning of ditto ?" " Why," said the 

 old man, " this hero is one cabbage-head, and that era's ditto." 

 " Drat it !" ejaculated tho indignant sou, " then she called me 

 a cabbage-head!" 



Cabbaok and Ditto.—" I love you like anything," said a 

 young gardener to his sweetheaH, pressing her hand. " Ditto," 

 said she, returning the pressure. The ardent lover, who was 



COVEXT GAUDEN ILVRKET.-Junk 2. 



A WEEK'S finu Kiiiiny iroutllcr Las Rreally imprcvcd onr sappUes, botk 

 lioine-Krown imd otlitsrwiin-, und the French Iruit Konernllf hms been 

 better. I'riccs have accordingly receded, and we may luok for a greater 

 rcduetiun iu the course of the week. Some open-air Strawberries have 

 come to baud, and Green Peas in considerable quantities from Kent and 

 the west of England. 



VEOKTABLES. 



Artichokes each 



Asparagus bundle 



Beans, Broad.. buBhcl 



ividney IW 



Beet, Red d.«. 



IJroccoli bundle 



Brus. Sprouts ^i sieve 



Cabbage doz. 



Capsicums 100 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Cucumbers each 



pickling .... doz. 



Endive doz. 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs buncli 



Horseradish .. bundle 



s. d. s. d B. d. 1. d 



.StoO 6 Lcokii bunch StoO 



3 6 Lettuce per doz. 10 16 



Mu9hr<JOln8 pottle 2 8 



■2 a -2 6 I Mu8td.& Cress, punnet 2 



'.i 3 I Onions bushel 6 8* 



10 16 Parsley H sieve 2 



I Parsnips doz. 9 16 



10 2 Peas per quart 3 C 



Potatoes bushel 2 6 4 U 



4 8 Kidney do. 3 4 



2 6 Itadishcs . . doz. hands 6 10 



2 3 Rhubarb bundle 4 8 



4 10 Savoys doz. 



Sea-kale basket 



2 Shallots lb. 8 



8 Spinach bushel 4 5 



10 Tomatoes per doz. 8 6 



8 Turnips bunch 9 10 



2 6 4 Vegetable Marrows dz. 



FBOII. 



Apples H sieve 



Apricots doz. 



Cherries lb. 



Chestnuts bush. 



Currants, Red ^ sieve 



Black do. 



Figs doz. 



Filberts lb. 



Cobs lOOlbs. 



Gooseberries . . quart 

 Grapes, Hothouse, .lb. 

 Lemons lou 



8. d. s. 



4 OtoS 

 6 

 S 





 2 

 

 

 





 6 

 5 





 

 9 

 10 



Melons each 4 



Nectarines doz. 10 



Oranges 100 6 



Peaches doz. 21 



Pears (dessert J . . doz. 



kitchen doz. 



Pine Apples lb. 6 



Plums H sieve 



Quinces Ji sieve 



Raspberries lb. 



Strawberries lb. 



d. s. 

 OtoS 

 20 



6 10 Walnuts bush. 14 20 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



••• We request that no one will write privately to the depart- 

 mental writers of the "Journal of Horticulture, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Country Gentleman." By so doing thej 

 are subjected to unjustifiable trouble and expense. AU 

 communications should therefore be addressed soldi/ to 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture, dCx., 171, Pu^t 

 Street, London, E.C. 

 We also request that correspondents will not mix up on the 

 same sheet questions relating to Gardening and those on 

 Poultry and Bee subjects, if they expect to get them an- 

 swered promptly and convenieirtly, but write them on 

 separate communications. Also never to send more than 

 two or three questions at once 

 N.B. — Many questions must remain unanswered until next 

 week. 

 Books (Natural J. S. T.), — We do not know whether you require bookB 

 descriptive of Ferns, nor whether in botany you seek the elements of the 

 science. You must be much more explicit. 



Herbaceous CAXCEoLAniAS (It. N. Jl.). — Your seedling Calceolarias are 

 the very best we have ever seen, size, form, and colour being excellent. 

 There is not an inferior flower among them. The bright spotted ycUows 

 and the dark browns, both spotted and striped, are first-rate. Had 

 you exhibited them at tho International Horticultural KxhibitioD, wo 

 venture to say that you would have had iunumcrahlo applications for seed. 

 Pray iuform us when you arc prepared to send out packets of tho seed 

 of these splendid flowers. 



Peach Tree Leaves Bi.isteked {An Irith Suincribfr).— Tho leaves 

 have that blistered and distorted appearance caused, we think, by the 

 sap vessels bursting through exposure to cold or frost. This condition 

 is very commonin the present season, and the leaves so affected are much 

 infested with^groen aphis. In some instances mildew has also already 

 shown itself on the blistered part. A good washing in the afternoon with 

 a solution of 1 oz. of soft soap to a gallon of water is the best remedy for 

 the fly or aphis, applying it forcibly with a syringe or garden engine every 

 second day. Dusting the leaves with sulphur whilst wet will destroy the 

 mildew. 



Amuonia Wateh in YlKimr (Idem). — Wo recommend keeping the 

 troughs full of liijuid manure, or guano water of the strength of 2 ozs. to 

 the gallon, from the time the berries have set up to their obanging 

 colour for ripening, but wc do not recommend manure water formed of 

 other sohstanees containing aouBoaia, eaoept aoot. - .. — 



