Jnne 19, 1806. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICXILTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



45f 



as it is detected. The injury it inflicts on the foliage, al- 

 though, perhaps, not immediately perceptible, is no less cer- 

 tain ; the perfection of the bearing \yood, and the perfect de- 

 velopment of the buds for the ensuing year, are dependent on 

 a healthy development of the foliage. Employ sulphur on the 

 appearance or suspicion of mildew. Continue to stop, regulate, 

 and lay in the shoots of wall trees. Stop the Vines, and tie in 

 the shoots, one bunch is sufficient for a single shoot to support. 

 Thin Raspberry suckers. Water late Strawberries. The plague 

 of caterpillars is again appearing on the Apple trees ; to prevent 

 their ravages we would advise the use of a powerful engine to 

 dislodge them, or a good heap of refuse to be collected on the 

 windward side of the trees, and a great smoke created, which 

 would have a good effect, as it would be fumigating on a large 

 scale. 



FLOWEE GAEDEK. 



Examine all newly-planted things, and see that the soil is 

 closed about their stems. Use the hoe, when retjuisite, to break 

 the surface crust. Attend to pegging and tying. Fill up all 

 vacancies ; annuals may be brought into requisition for this 

 purpose. Roses may be budded, taking eyes from those trees 

 which have been forced ; the young wood from the same trees 

 will strike freely. This is a good time for looking over lawns 

 and removing objectionable weeds. The regulation, so far as 

 is necessary, of wild creepers, such as Honeysuckle, Hop, &c., 

 about shrubberies, should at once be attended to. For the 

 first season or so, Pinuses planted on mounds should be regu- 

 larly watered and mulched. Peg down those plants required to 

 cover the ground as they advance, and loosen the surface of 

 the beds and borders, which should afterwards be neatly raked 

 over. Carnations, Picotees, and herbaceous plants, with the 

 taller-growing bedding plants, should be staked and tied up to 

 prevent injury from high winds. The strength and height of 

 the stakes must be proportionate to the size and height of the 

 plant to be secured. Hollyhocks, Phloxes, Delphiniums, Asters, 

 &c., should have the shoots thinned out, if not already done, 

 before being tied up to prevent the appearance of overcrowding, 

 as well as to improve the size of the flowers. When showery 

 weather occurs let the Box edgings be clipped. London Pride, 

 Thrift, Daisies, &e., used for edgings, should each year, or once 

 in two years, be taken up, divided, and replanted when the 

 blooming time is over. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



Specimens and choice plants nearly done blooming should 

 have the faded blooms picked off, and be well washed with the 

 syringe ; they should then be placed in a cool, shady situation 

 to recover themselves before potting, which, as before advised, 

 should on no account take place until a fresh growth has com- 

 menced. Shading will now be necessary for all descriptions of 

 plant-houses, unless the roofs are covered with creepers ; and 

 air should be admitted largely, allowing more or less at night, 

 according to the description of plants grown. The paths, floors, 

 &c., must be kept damp by throwing water repeatedly over them, 

 to preserve something like humidity in the atmosphere of the 

 houses, which, under the extreme drying of the external air, 

 is rather difficult to keep up. Achimenes, Gloxinias, Gesneras, 

 ifcc, should, as they begin to show for bloom, be removed to 

 more airy quarters, keeping them, however, partially shaded 

 for a time, but afterwards they may be exposed to a larger 

 share of light. Achimenes must be carefully attended to with 

 water while growing. Encourage the growth of Azaleas and 

 Camellias by keeping them comparatively close (with shade 

 during sunshine), and supplj'ing them liberally with moisture 

 through the syringe. As probably increased room will be ob- 

 tained by the removal of many plants to the flower-beds, the 

 space might be appropriated to the cultivation of plants of the 

 commoner sorts for an autumn display. The pits will be found 

 useful for many hardwooded greenhouse plants impatient of 

 too much heat. This is a good time to increase Chrysanthe- 

 mums. The flowering of many varieties of the Passion-flowers 

 will be hastened by stopping the young shoots, and any shoot 

 which may be hanging too low should be stopped, which will 

 prevent confusion and induce the production of flowers. Re- 

 arrange the plants frequently, and in the conservatory displace 

 any that incline to become shabby. — W. Keanb. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST "WEEK. 

 Watering. — The rains were followed by some of the hottest 

 and most drying weather we have experienced. A falling ba- 

 lometer led "us again to expect rain, but it was very loth to 



come, and many fresh-planted things in the kitchen and the 

 flower garden showed signs that they wanted a little more re- 

 freshing than a skiff over the foliage, which was all they had 

 received in the parching days. On Tuesday the rain camo in 

 drizzle, but not in suflicieut quantity to do more than refresh 

 the foliage ; and therefore, though some would say we were 

 acting inconsistently, we set to work and gave the most o{ 

 the fresh-planted subjects a little water. We hold that that 

 watering, whether followed by dull or by bright weather, would 

 do more good than half a dozen waterings in dry, parching 

 weather in sunshine. Some will say. Why water at all in bright 

 sunshine, why not wait until the evening ? All very true, when 

 water is close at hand, and there are only a few yards or a score 

 of plants to water ; but it is a very different affair when yon 

 must take water as you can obtain it by horse and cart, when 

 what really is within your possession must be carried or wheeled 

 a considerable distance, and when the quantity required is so 

 great as to demand the services of a number of men to apply it 

 efficiently, and many of these men want the evenings for at- 

 tending to their own gardens at home. Under such circum- 

 stances we have often been glad to water even in a bright son, 

 either wetting as little of the surface soil as possible, or going 

 shortly afterwards either to stir that soil or scatter some of 

 the dry earth over the watered part so as to prevent the sun 

 carrying off the water again by rapid evaporation. 



Now, in giving as much water as would reach the roots of 

 the plants on Tuesday, none of it would be lost by evaporation ; 

 the clouds and the drizzle wrapped the tops of the plants in a 

 moist atmosphere, from which they would absorb more than 

 they perspired — roots, leaves, and stems would all be nourished 

 and refreshed simultaneously. The roots would absorb at their 

 leisure, and be prepared thoroughly to meet the demands of 

 the bright sun when it came, and after such hot days both the 

 earth and the water would be well warmed, so as to stimulate 

 the plants as if they were in a hotbed. It is seldom that even 

 rains would be so warm as the water was in the beginning of 

 the week, that had been fully exposed in tanks or ponds. For 

 such watering, at such a time, we believe, therefore, there are 

 sufficient reasons. 



Waterings of this kind, however, should never be overdone. 

 No more water should be given than will just reach the roots 

 and enable them to push vigorously, and cater moisture for 

 themselves. We have little faith at any time, and no faith at 

 all, in heavy drenchings of the soil now, and especially for 

 tender plants, as the wetter the soil the colder it will be made 

 when there is a rapid evaporation. On this account alone it is 

 often best merely to water so as to refresh the roots, and leave 

 the surface comparatively dry. At an early period, and for 

 tender plants, the obtaining of heat and the retention of 

 moisture often become antagonistic to each other, as, if we stir 

 the surface soil, or mulch it to retain the moisture, we also 

 so far prevent the earth from being warmed by the sun's rays. 

 On this account it is often advisable not to stir the surface soil 

 much until the earth is well warmed. We often defer doing it 

 for tender plants until the surface begins to crack. The stir- 

 ring the surface allows the heated air to penetrate into the soil, 

 and this often produces striking results ; but the rougher the 

 soil is left on the surface the more will heating downwards by 

 conduction be arrested. In hot weather in July we have 

 found a difference of from 3° to 5° in favour of a thermometer 

 6 inches below the surface of a hard smooth gravel walk, over 

 another 6 inches below the surface of a piece of ground often 

 stirred on the surface. On the other hand, what keeps heat 

 out will also keep heat and moisture in, and, therefore, snrface- 

 stirring and mulching are pre-eminently useful after the ground 

 has been warmed and as autumn days become shorter. Until 

 the ground is warmed heavy drenchings with water, and even 

 frequent surface-stirring, are attended with a minimum of ad- 

 vantage. 



In writing the abov* as constituting more than an excuse — 

 an argument — for watering plants out of doors when they need 

 it, in dull, drizzly, rather than in hot sunshiny weather, we 

 depart nothing from the principles of watenng frequently ad- 

 vocated, summarised in the directions. Do not water unti] 

 water is needed ; then give enough to moisten every fibre, but 

 little more; and then wait patiently until your services are 

 again required, avoiding by all means the system of moisten- 

 ing the surface by driblets, which, in general, does more harm 

 than good, tempting the rootlets to come to the surface, where 

 they run the risk of being scorched and encouraged alternately, 

 and" so far preventing the roots going down in search of mois- 

 ture, or receiving a share of the moisture that would pass 



