28 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTUBB AND COTTAGE GAKDENER. 



I July e, 1869. 



msDDer of ovill vreallier, these Grnpes nill haog lipe, nniotted 

 or withered, even till Chrislmnsse." 



Now, wo have a copy of thia volume, and some previous 

 possessor has drawn on the page opposite the description, this 

 iUastratioD of the vinery : — 



rOMOLOGICAL GLEANINGS. 



CiiRON DEs Carsies Pear. — Nutwithstanding the extreme 

 lateness of the season, the Strawberry crop bt-ing quite a fort- 

 night later than usual, this Pear is now (July 5th) ripe, and 

 falling from some old trees in quantities. The fruits are much 

 Bmaller than usual, have a very scrubby appearance, and are 

 not at all good-flavoured, or of their usual character. The 

 finest fruits on the trees, and the whole crop on young plants, 

 will yet require ten days or a fortnight to ripen. Last year the 

 best fruits of Citron des Carmes were ripe on the Ist of the 

 month, at tho same time as Doyenne d'Etfi, which this season 

 will require quite a fortnight to ripen. 



MULBERRY CULTURE. 



When I first came to Welbeck in 1S37, I was much struck 

 ■with some large flower pots perched on the tops of two standard 

 Mulberry trees, and imagined they were placed there for some 

 species of birds to build their nests in. On asking the late 

 Mr. Mearns, who was my predecessor as gardener there, he 

 informed me that the late Andrew Knight, of Downton Castle, 

 always used to raise his fruiting trees of Mulberries in that 

 ■way. Mr. Mearns likewise informed me that Mr. Knight 

 found out that, by propagating the Mulberry in the usual 

 way, it required from twenty to thirty years' growth before 

 it would fruit abundantly even in the south of England. I 

 paid particular attention to these little Mulberry bushes, and, 

 when perfectly rooted, had two of them in a fruiting state for 

 many years, by shifting them, and growing them in large tubs. 

 Mr. Mearns's trees were propngated by layering a small fruiting 

 iranch into the pot, and the pot afterwards fastened with 

 Strong wire to a branch or stake to keep the wind from shaking 

 it. I believe the best way to produce a large fruiting bush of 

 the Mulberry would be to have a large flower pot made into two 

 Halves, and when the branch was put in at the hole in the 

 bottom of the pot, the pot could then be bound together and 

 fastened to a strong stake ; the pot would then have to be 

 filled with earth of a strong loamy nature, and some fresh moss 

 placed on the top and pegged down to keep the wind from 

 blowing it off. This moss would keep the soil moist, for water- 

 ing would be required in the summer months in dry weather. 



In the midland counties in England it is only in exceptionally 

 warm summers, such as 184(i, 1S65, and 18B8, that standard 

 Mulberries produce fruit ripe enough to use. The two standard 

 trees from which the pot bushes were raised were planted by 

 the celebrated Speechley, and must have been about 110 years 

 old when I first knew them. Another tree of the same age 

 was denuded of all its branches by Mr. Mearns. except two at 

 the top, and planted on a high sonth wall. He began training 

 all the young branches downwards from the two leaders, and 

 they soon got into a fruitful state, and produced fine fruit. No 

 doubt a sunken pit where Asparagus was forced in helped this 

 tree's growth, for its roots came close to the wall where the 

 hot dung-linings were put in. In 1?."8, when the new gardens 

 were made, I had this tree lifted with a machine, and planted 

 in nearly a similar aspect, but without the advantage of its 

 loots being heated in spring. Every year since it has never 



failed in bearing fine fruit, but in the past summer they were 

 larger and finer than I ever remember to have seen Mulberry 

 fruit even in the south of England. The tree covers a large 

 space, and was worthy of being covered with Nottingham net- 

 ting, which I had to do to save the frnit from birds, waepe, 

 and flies. — William Tillzbv (The Gardcuer.) 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



Messhs. Barr & Sdgijen sent us " a specimen of the giant 

 form of the White Cos Lettuce," and well it deserved the 

 name. It was l.'j iuches high from the base of the leaves to 

 tho tip, and weighed more than 3 lbs. 7 ozs. Messrs. Barr and 

 Sugdenare carrying on some trials testing tho merits of various 

 Lettuces and Peas, the results of which we hope to publish. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Take advantage of dry weather to eradicate the weeds which 

 have sprung up lately, and when tlie soil is not suiiiciently dry 

 for hoeing, handweeding should be resorted to. As the pro- 

 duction of strong Aspariijus next spring will depend mainly on 

 the culture in the present summer, let the beds, after cleaning, 

 be mulched with short grass or half-rotten manuie. Liqnid 

 manure in which some salt has been dissolved should then be 

 applied freely for the next month or six weeks, or the salt may 

 be spread over the beds, to be washed in by the rains and 

 watering. Clohe Articliokt's and Sca-hah' viiM be improved by 

 similar treatment. Continue planting out Cape and other 

 Broccoli, also some late CuuUjlowcrs. Water freely Cauliflowers, 

 Litluce^, rLiiilUlu-s, and other vegetables which require to be 

 grown quickly to have them crisp and tender. We need scarcely 

 add that in all cases vegetables will be improved in size by 

 giving manure water if it can be procured in suflicieut quan- 

 tities for all purposes. Continue planting out (-'i/fry as re- 

 quired, and the early crop may have a slight earthing, having 

 previously taken off any lateral buds and well ■watered the rows. 

 It is advisable to sprinkle a little salt along the Celery trenches 

 before earthing them up, as it both kills slugs and worms and 

 accelerates the growth of the plants. Keep up succession beds 

 of Horn dirrots. Sow a good supply of early CubbagtS or 

 Chappell's Colewort for autumn and winter use. An autumn 

 J/».s/(/-ooi« bed may now be made. Throw the dung together to 

 ferment for a few days ; when half dry mix one-third of loamy 

 soil with it to keep in check any further fermentation, and 

 tread or beat hard while making the bed, forming the spawn- 

 holes immediately it is finished, to assist in keeping down the 

 heat. A crop of Parsley to stand over the winter should now 

 be sown in a dry sheltered spot. Let a good breadth of ground 

 be prepared for Ji'ititer Sjiinach ; trench it thoroughly, and let 

 it he heavily manured. This crop generally succeeds in beds 

 slightly raised. 



FKUIT GARDEN. 



The nailing and tying-in of this year's wood should be con- 

 tinued. Many fine trees are in a bad condition from the un- 

 congenial weather. Most kinds of fruit now ripe or ripening 

 will require the protection of nets to preserve them from birds, 

 which in most country places are troublesome neighbours, other- 

 wise a boy must be employed to keep them from the small frnit 

 during the fruit season. As the early Cherries are gathered, 

 shift the netting to other kinds which are yet to ripen. Vines 

 against walls should be closely nailed up, to obtain the benefit 

 of what little heat there is in this unseasonable weather. Figs 

 must be treated in the same way, pinching out the point of 

 this year's wood, except the leaders, when they have made five 

 or six joints. The breastwood may now be removed from 

 Pears and Plums against walls, cutting away that on the upper 

 part of the tree first, then after an interval of two or three 

 weeks another portion, and finally finishing by a third cutting 

 of the lower part. By this plan there will be less danger of 

 the cut-back shoots starting again ; and the lower shoots, which 

 are generally the weakest, will gain additional strength by being 

 allowed a few weeks longer to grow. Strawberry runners should 

 be procured for new plantations without delay. Those who 

 cannot spare gi-onnd for a new bed may prick them out in pre- 

 pared beds about C inches apart, and remove them with balls 

 in October or in the early part of February. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



The recently planted beds will still require watching to get 

 the plants in them fairly started. The heavy rains have chilled 



