Jnae 26, 1866. 3 



JODKNAL OF HOBTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



*79 



rather pressed into the soU. Afterwards give a gentle water- 

 ing through a tine rose. See that a good number of Pansy 

 cuttings are put in. Eanuuculuses, Tulips, Hyacinths, &c., 

 should now he taken up, aud after they are dried stored away 

 in some dry room. In light dry soUs many things will be 

 benefited by a thorough soaking of water, especially coniferous 

 plants, most of which maUo but one growth during tho season, 

 and should be encom'aged at the proper time when rapid 

 growth is wished. This attention will be especially necessary 

 , in the case of young specimens growing on lawns. If Stocks, 

 China Asters, &c., are not already planted-out where they are 

 to flower, take ailvantnge of favourable weather to do so, and 

 attend to them with water, itc, for a few days until they be- 

 come established. Stir the surface of the soil among the 

 bedding-out stock, which will prevent the growth of weeds and 

 greatly promote the progress of the plants. Let Carnations 

 and Picotees be layered as soon as the shoots are in a proper 

 state for that purpose. They make very useful border flowers, 

 and are much prized in a cut state. See, therefore, that plenty 

 of them are secured for next season. All boundary or other 

 hedges should be clipped forthwith. A little pains taken with 

 the walks at this season wiU be amply repaid by the air of 

 comfort and pleasure which well-kept walks give to any place. 

 The herbaceous tribes will now require a thorough staking. 

 Do not form the plants like besoms, but use sticks enough — 

 sometimes two or three to a plant. Kemember the late Mr. 

 Loudon's directions — " Let no two plants touch, if possible." 



OKZENHOrSE AND CONSEKVATOKY. 



Many of the popular beauties here being at this period of a 

 somewhat ephemeral character, means must be constantly 

 resorted to in order to insure a constant succession of gaiety 

 until frost set in, when the gap will be filled by Chrysan- 

 themums, Camellias, C'liinese Primroses, and several other 

 midwinter flowers. The latter lead the way to the forced flowers 

 of retximing spring. Those who keep a sharp eye to such 

 matters wUl always take care to have a surj)lus stock in hand 

 after the massing of bediUug plants has been completed. Such 

 stock should be most ample — not less, but more than is wanted, 

 in order to provide against gaps in the flower garden, and to 

 supply the various in-door demands. Everything remaining 

 in store pots of tho spring propagation should be potted off 

 forthwith, and placed on or plunged in ashes in a sheltered 

 spot — sheltered, we mean, from the wind. Balsams, Cocks- 

 combs, and other tender annuals for succession, shoidd receive 

 their last shift before they become potbound, and plenty of the 

 Achimenes family should be potted-off, some in large masses. 

 A lot of the best scarlet and Eollisson's Unique Geraniums 

 should be selected for flowering next winter ; these should be 

 grown rapidly and frequently stopped. Towards August they 

 mil become rather potbound ; they must not, however, be 

 shifted, but merely hardened in a very exposed situation until 

 the end of September, in order to make them very sturdy and 

 short-jointed. A light and warm shelf near the glass will then 

 make them objects of great interest all the ensuing winter. Let 

 the Fuchsia have ample supplies of water, and provide succes- 

 sion stock in case of exhaustion. The early-flowered Pelargo- 

 niums, now rather exhausted, should have the bulk of their 

 tops removed, and made into cuttings. The old stools may 

 then be laid on their sides in a shady situation imtil they break 

 buds half an inch in length, when they must be disrooted and 

 repotted in rather reduced pots. Exhausted Cinerarias may be 

 put in an old frame or pit, and fumigated ; they may then be 

 cut down, and turned out into a raised bed in the garden. 

 They will there feed aud produce an abundance of suckers 

 TPith a Httle attention in regard to watering, &c. The Perpetual 

 and Bourbon Koses which have been forced should be placed 

 in a cool situation, with the view of repressing further activity ; 

 after a season of rest the soil should be shaken from them, 

 and all decayed roots removed, after which they should be re- 

 potted in fresh rich earth, and be removed to the protection of 

 a cold pit, and there pliuigod. — 'W. Keahe. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST "V\T3EK. 



KITCHEN GArj)EN. 



Is we had time we would prick out separately most of the 

 Winter Greens, Broccohs, .fcc., as the rains, since we last wrote, 

 have made them largo and crowd each other in the seed- 

 beds ; but if we cannot do so, we hope ere long to plant out a 

 lot of these and Coleworts. Took advantage of such dripping 



weather by tratwplantituj a lot of Turnips where they were 

 rather patchy, aud planted some at from 6 to 9 inches apart in 

 beds whence bedding plants had been taken. We have fre- 

 quently had these doing first-rate, making nice crisp biUbs, 

 and they cnmo in in succession to the bed whence they were 

 thinned. Tho general idea is that tho Swedish Turnip only 

 answers for transplanting-purposes ; but we have often proved 

 that the White Dutch iiud other early kinds answer very 

 well if one precaution is attended to, and that is planting 

 the root, but not burying the young bull). Very often trans- 

 planted Onions make far- better, sounder, and larger bulbs 

 than those not transplanted ; but in that case, too, the roots, 

 properly speaking, must alone be planted, and the bottom of 

 the future bulb should scarcely go into the ground ; just so 

 with these Turnips. So well do all the varieties of the Swedes 

 transplant, that were wo sowing a large field we would devote a 

 few poles to a sowing, where the plants could more easily bo 

 protected from the fly, and then in a dripping day all vacancies 

 could be filled up. We have seen whole rows thus transplanted, 

 and turn out by far the best in the field. In fact, in the case 

 of some small holdings, we have known the cultivator plant 

 his Swedes just as he planted his own Cabbages ; but on a larga 

 scale the farmer woidd be too dependant on the weather to 

 follow such a course. 



Aaparagus. — Pretty well gave over cutting, as we wish most 

 for forcing next year. What is cut very late is of little use 

 the next season for any purpose. Gave a slight dressing of 

 salt to all, aud especially the young rows that will be forced the 

 season after next. Tliis wiil not only help vigorous growth, 

 but will kill many little weeds that this showery weather is 

 bringing on in abundance. 



Sea-kale. — Gave this also a httle salt, and would thin some 

 seed-beds if we could. If, however, the plants stand pretty 

 thickly the first season, and are planted-out early next spring 

 in good, rich, rather hght soU, and tolerably well cared for 

 during the summer, they will make nice serviceable plants for 

 forcing in the following winter. There is no gi-eater help to 

 the gardener than this delicious vegetable, which may be had 

 with but little trouble from November to the end of May. 

 What has not been forced this season, or rather blanched out 

 of doors by some of the simple modes referred to, wUl now 

 most likely be in bloom, and what is not wanted for seed had 

 better be cut off, as it greatly exhausts the stool. That head 

 of bloom, just when the flower opens, is most delicious when 

 cooked like any other vegetable. A pinch of carbonate of soda 

 in the water will make it all the more tender, and will injure 

 no one. This is a great help to all green vegetables, and it is 

 more pleasant to see them turned out green and tender as 

 marrow, instead of being of a dingy yeUow, half boiled, and 

 pretty weU as tough as pieces and ribands of soaked leather. 

 Many cooks holding a high place in their profession consider 

 it beneath them to attend to the boiUng of a Cabbage or a 

 Potato, and consequently these vegetables are often sent up 

 to dinner in a state in wliich even a peasant would not venture 

 to touch them. , , , ., 



0)iiu7is.— WiU thin them out properly, if possible, before the 

 ground become dry again, they will come out so nicely ; and 

 then we shall prick out some thickly on a sandy hard surface, 

 to obtain button Onions, and others we will lay in by the heels 

 neatly to suit for salads, before the last sowing come in. When 

 Onions in a small state, like stocking needles in size, are in 

 demand for salads, seed should be so\Tn in small beds every 

 fortnight up to October, and then early in spring imder glass. 

 The worst of the health-keeping Onion is, that it leaves such a 

 scent behind it. For Lettuce, Celery, &c., and general work, 

 see last week. 



FKUIT GARDEN. 



T!ie fruit of some of the Strawberries out of doors is colour- 

 ing, and still we have a good supply nuder glass frames, &o., 

 which is very useful for sending to a distance in this moist 

 weather, as pack how you will, damp fruit, and esi.ecinlly damp 

 Strawberries, travel badly ; but though the weather is damp, and 

 there must be plenty of soft food now to be had, the tkrashes, 

 blackbh-ds, and spai-rows. are on us in shoals, and no sooner 

 does a berry become red on one side, than it is scooped out like 

 an empty coal-scuttle. Just now the s)iarrows seem to divide 

 their attention between the Peas and the Strawberries, and 

 their firm strong bills can do fearfiU execution on both. 



The Peach-house aud Fig-house we look over abnost every 

 dav for though in the former we have placed soft hay on 

 tho 'floor, in case the fruit should fall, a fallen Peach is 

 generaBy more or less injured, and shows the mark of the fall, 



