Jolr 1, 1869. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



13 



time longer under glass, and Peaches are now coming in from 

 Peach houses to make up for the deficiency of Strawberries 

 out of doors. As already stated, our out-door Strawberries will 

 not be a good crop, owing to the parching effects of last season 

 on the crops, and watering being out of the question. Water 

 is BO very essential in a garden, that the means of supply 

 should be carefully considered in the formation of all new gar- 

 dens. What comparison can there be as respects management 

 and results, where in a dry season every pond must be brought 

 iato requi:ition, and horse and cart employed as long as any 

 water lasts, and the case of a garden where for syringing walls, 

 watering borders, and flooding quarters, nothing more is re- 

 quired than a flexible pipe screwed on the end of a tap with a 

 man or boy at the end of the pipe to direjt it aright ? 



Peaches swelling and ripening had a fair supply of water ; 

 later houses had the shoots thinned, and in a few cases, but 

 not many, the fruit well thinned, as in most cases it is thin 

 enough in late unhealed houses, and we shall have few on the 

 ■open wall, though they showed plenty of blossom. We stated 

 our apprehensions on pruning the trees in spring. The buds 

 were parched ia the dry weather from want of water, and the 

 autumn growth made the matter worse, and there was no sun 

 to open and foster the fertilising pollen, and hundreds of pistil 

 points we closely examined never had the means of secreting 

 the moisture on their summits, so as to catch and transmit 

 any little pollen dust that might have reached them. Eicept 

 where heat was applied, and growth was perfected more early, 

 we shall be scarce cf stone fruit, except Cherries and Plums. 

 Even Apples which set thickly, have dropped numbers of 

 young fruit, and numbers of young bush trees have a brownish 

 hue instead of the rich green with which they used to cheer us. 

 We expect that some Pears and Apples will drop, and more 

 especially when for thiee following seasons the trees have been 

 heavily laden ; but more have dropped this season than usual, 

 which we attribute chiefly to the roasting which the shoots 

 and buds had last season. 



We went over part of our fruit trees, shortening, pinching, 

 and thinning the young wood, so as to admit light and air 

 nearer home. We would have been at this work earlier if we 

 could have found time. Whatever else should be neglected no 

 time should be lost in • -iiping or removing over-luxuriant 

 shoots ; they not only i^b other moderate growers of their 

 proper strength, but are useless themselves for any purpose, as 

 their extra luxuriance will prevent their due ripening, so as to 

 be fruitful. Fresh-planted trees have had a little water at the 

 roots. The natural moisture and the coldness of the soil have 

 rendered the little quite sufficient for the purpose. As the 

 ground gets warmer more will be necessary. 



OENAMENTAI. DEPABTIIEST. 



Merely as a proof of the coldness of the soil, our Scarlet 

 Pelargoniums, ttc, out of doors, have done but little more 

 than hold their own, the flowers are still rather few, the plants 

 anything but masses of colour, whilst some Calceolaria beds 

 and groups are really thickly studded with bloom. So far as 

 'they are concerned, provided we could keep the ground as 

 moist and cool as it is now, and give them plenty of bright 

 sun, we should have no reason to find fault with their not 

 thriving and blooming, as then we should be furnishing them 

 with their normal conditions of natural growth on the lofty 

 hillsides of Peru and Chili. Most of our rather tender plants 

 that we cultivate under artificial circumstances, like the water 

 given to approximate in temperature to that of the atmosphere 

 of the house, but, as a general rule, the whole tribe of Cal- 

 ceolarias prefer cool water to that which is warmed. The great 

 ■essentials to their free growth and free blooming are a bright 

 sun and a cool damp soil. We cannot easily secure the latter 

 conditions in a hot summer, as the soil will partake of the 

 warmth of the atmosphere, but still we can do much by sur- 

 face-stirring and surface-mulching. If we have a few days of 

 this fine hay weather, we shall mulch our Calceolarias with 

 rotten dung to keep the heat and dryness fiom their roots. 



Our few first-planted Periilas have been removed as the 

 worse for the cold weather, and our bulk is planted out, con- 

 sisting of good strong plants, which now we expect will go on 

 well. Some plantations we have seen of young Coleus turned 

 out, looked very miserable, and will only recover from the 

 check from cold it we have sufficient heat to warm the ground 

 and cause them to break afresh. We are now exposing ours in 

 pots, night and day, and having turned the ground several 

 times, we shall most likely plant out in the ensuing week. As 

 the plants are of a good size, they will nearly fill the space in- 

 tended at once. Of course, they have taken up valuable room 



under glass, but, except in warm sheltered places, it is of little 

 use turning out small plants, say in the end of May, or the 

 beginning of June. One of our best gardeners, unwilling not 

 to finish the flower garden at once, turned out his Coleuses in 

 the beginning of .June, and scarcely a single plant will break 

 afresh, and he has been forced to propagate and forward a 

 young stock. Under general circumstances much north of 

 London, we have no faith in small plants and early planting in 

 cold soil. Our hopes for a fine, massive, rich-coloured bed, 

 must mainly depend on warm rich soil, good-sized plants, and 

 water well warmed with the sun. 



Directing attention to previous numbers for general work, 

 we would say a few words on sending bedding plants, &a., 

 great distances at this period — that is, the packing of a great 

 number in little bulk. Of course, when nurserymen send 

 plants, each standing upright in a wide, shallow hamper, there 

 can be no danger ; but when gardeners and amateurs assist 

 each other, as they often do at this time, and send the plants 

 laid down in a box or hamper, the plants often suffer greatly 

 before they reach their journey's end, chiefly from shaking 

 and heating ; the first from loose, and the second from too- 

 close packing, and using grass, hay, and other unsuitable ma- 

 terials. We have opened a middle-sized hamper, and could 

 scarcely hold our hand in the centre of it, and, of course, tho 

 plants were so heated, as for the most part to be useless. A 

 good many dozen of little plants, even showing bloom, may be 

 sent safely in a middle-sized hamper with a little attention to 

 the packing. We have known some hampers which were not 

 deUvered under ten days, from having to traverse several lines 

 of railway, and yet the plants did good service. The plan we 

 have found the best, when numbers are to go in little space in 

 a hamper, is, after the ball has been moistened and allowed to 

 part with extra moisture, to wrap it in a thin leaf, as horse- 

 radish, or a wetted rhubarb leaf, and pack all the balls round 

 the sides of the basket, with the heads to the inside. Spray 

 of dried larch, spruce, or other wood, was placed between the 

 layers of the heads, so as to make the heap not only firm 

 throughout, but to allow air to pass freely among the tops of 

 the plants from top to bottom of the basket. If anything else 

 is used, so as to be a little softer next the foliage, as moss, &c., 

 it should be as dry as possible, damp moss or damp grass being 

 very objectionable. If the earth about the roots is just moist, 

 it is better than if it were at all soaking wet. Everything 

 damp is to be avoided. Dry larch and spruce spray we like 

 the best, but the small chippings of spray from Pea sticks, &c., 

 answer very well. A large hamper thus packed will give no 

 signs of heating. If a box is used, bore holes in the top and 

 bottom. — K. F. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— Jc.nk 30. 



The demand scarcely comes up to that of last week, bat a fair average 

 amount of business is being done, and larse qumtities of gooda ha-»e 

 been despatched to the northern markets. Pino Apples are considerably 

 in excess of the demand, and 2il,0l)J West Indian Pines are reported in 

 the river. Large quantities ot Potatoes from the Continent and Channel 

 Islands continue to arrive, the price varjing from 83. to '20s. per cwt. 



FP.UIT. 



Apples y:^ sieve 



Apricots doz. 



Cherries lb. 



Chestnuts.... bushel 

 Currants ^ sieve 



Black do. 



Vlgs doz. 



Filberts lb. 



Cobs lb. 



Gooseberries . . quart 

 Grapes, Hothouse . lb. 

 Lemons lOO 



-Artichokes doz. 



Asparagus 100 



Beans, Kidney . . 100 



Beet, Red doz. 



Broccoli bundle 



Brus. Sprouts J^ sieve 



Cabbage doz. 



Capsicums 100 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery. bundle 



Cucumbers .... each 



Endive doz. 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish ..bundle 



Melons each 3 



Nectarines doz. 6 



Oranges 100 4 



Peaches doz. 12 



Pears (dessert) . . doz. 



Pine Apples lb. 4 



Plums Ji sieve 



Quinces doK. 



Raspberries lb. 



Strawberries lb. 1 



Walnuts bushel 10 



do 100 1 



d, 

 Oto 8 







15 

 12 

 21 



8 



8 















3 



16 

 2 



\'EGETABLES 



d. s. d 



Oto 6 



G 







5 











3 

 8 



Leeks bunch 



Lettuce score 1 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustd.& Cress.punnet 

 Onions., doz. bunches 



Parsley sieve 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney ditto 



Radishes doz.bunches 



Rhubarb bundle 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes doz. 



Turnips bunch 



Yeget. Marrows.. doz. 



d. s. d 

 4 too 6 



6 

 6 

 3 

 

 

 



2 



6 



7 6 

 



., 



1 » 



3 

 3 

 1 

 



