September 23, 1869. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTIGULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDBNEB. 



241! 



protected as a border in Uoni of a wall, suffered but little from 

 the effects of the wind and rain. 'We hear much of broken 

 plants, and the soft tops of Pelargoniums, Caloeolaiias, &8., 

 careering over parks and fields, but of this we have had no 

 experience ; aud jet no place could well be more liable to injury 

 from the force of a gale, unless entirely exposed on the windy 

 side of a mountain. ^Ye attribute our security from breakages 

 to rather thick pl-utiny and bush-sticking every bed and border 

 as planted. This takos some time at planting, but it makes us 

 comparatively safe, which we never were before resorting to 

 the practice. Of course these bushy twigs and branches do not 

 look over-inviting in the beginning of June, though even then 

 they may be put in neatly, and the object seen does away with 

 the feeling of roughness and want of neatness. In a good grow- 

 ing season the sticks are soon concealed, and as the summer 

 advances, if a few twigs show beyond the plants and their 

 blooms, they are easily nipped off with the point of the knife. 

 We are not aware that a single plant has been broken in the 

 flower beds, though many of the plants are rather brittle, and 

 this in such storms we attribute to the plants being secured by 

 a network of twigs. There is no analogy in results between 

 using such twiggy branchlcts, and straight sticks or stakes and 

 tying. Very little tying is wauled with the twiggy brauchlets. 

 We take anything at a pinch — the small ends of Hazel branches, 

 the twiggy pieces of Larch branches ; but the best of all are 

 those of Spruce, especially the points of the branches, after 

 they have lain long enough to drop all their foliage. If such 

 have been iised as the bottoms of stacks, &c., all the better, as 

 the weight makes them straighter. These, according to the 

 size of the plants to be slicked, are cut in lengths of from 15 

 to 30 or more inches, and the more side shoots aud twigs these 

 short fan-like sticks have, the better do they answer. The 

 branches and shoots of the flowering plants grow through the 

 twigs, and it requires more wind than we have yet had this 

 season to dislodge them. We remarked lately that if the weather 

 became fine after the raius, the beds would again be beautiful. ; 

 All the week until the 17th we had dull showery weather when 

 there was not a g^.lo. On the 17th we had much sun, and a 

 dry morning without dew, so much so that we used our grass- 

 cutters at 6 A.M., aud by the afternoon the beds had regained 

 something of their former brilliancy. So far as the flower 

 garden is concerned, the autumn display will depend on dryness 

 and sunshine. We hope to see it good for at le.'',st a mouth or j 

 six weeks. 



KIICHEN GAr.DEM. 



Celery. — The rains having given a good soaking to the Celery 

 ground, a part of what had been previously tied had a good 

 earthing-up at once. For what would be taken up early we 

 used the common soil at the sides, from which a row of Peas [ 

 had just been removed ; but for that which would stand longer 

 we put a little ashes from our furnaces round the plants — that 

 is, a thin layer of ashes between the plants and the earth, 

 which helps to keep worms and slugs from disfiguring the 

 stems. An easy mode of doing this is to have some semi- 

 circular pieces of tin or zinc, such as pieces of old house- 

 spouting, &c., in lengths, say, of 15 or 18 inches, two of these 

 nearly to enclose the plant and receive the riddled dry ashes 

 inside. When the earth is applied the tins are drawn up, and 

 the earth pressed firmly to the ashes. When ashes are plentiful, 

 it is a good method after earthing-up to throw some with a 

 spade all over the bed, as it helps to keep soft-skinned intruders 

 away. Took the opportunity of such a dry day as Friday to 

 clean and tie up more bods of Celery, and just put a sprinkling 

 of finely pulverised soil from the sides over the roots. This 

 will help to keep the moisture in if dry weather should follow. 



A single fact is often worth a number of inferences. That fact 

 clearly shows us all that has been advanced on the bit-by-bit 

 earthing-up of early Celery is based on a principle that scarcely 

 permits of error. On examining some Celery washed aud ready 

 for use, we noticed it was harder and firmer to the touch than 

 it ought to be, so as to be short and crisp, as well as sweet, the 

 three essentials for good table Celery as an accompaniment to 

 cheese, &c. That Celery had been thoroughly soaked more 

 than once before eartbing-up, and yet on taking up some roots 

 we found these dry enough. The tops of the leaves exposed 

 had evaporated all the barrels of moisture we had given in the 

 parching weather. That Celery had been earthed-up at once. 

 1£ we had put the earth to at three or four times, and without 

 Iresh watering, we should have expected almost every plant to 

 have thrown up its floweratalk. If the weather had continued 

 dry and hot, we should have expected the same result. No 

 rains that fell would ever reach the roots ; they would only 



act in lessening evaporation from the foliage. Openings and 

 holes were therefore made between the rows, and enough ol 

 water poured down to saturate the soil M the roots, and now 

 the Celery is crisp as it ought to be. The man who gave the 

 last waterings before earthing-up could scarcely believe that it 

 was possible for the great mass of roots to become so dust-dry. 

 There are few plants that evaporate more moisture than Celery 

 in a hot sunny day. By this or other means allow the roots to 

 become dust-dry, aud in self-defence the plant will throw np 

 its floweratalk to perpetuate the race. The same principle holds 

 true in all vegetable growth. A severe check to luxuriance is 

 the most effectual mode of securing early flowering and 

 seeding. 



HoUiC Sewape. — Let us once more impress the importance 

 of the use of this on our cottager readers. For most growing 

 crops belonging to the Cabbage family it is iuvoluable, if 

 not given too strong, and that can be remedied where other 

 water is to be had. In general the water that comes from 

 laundry, scullery, &a., will not be too strong for such gross 

 feeders. It may be applied at any time, but a good watering 

 before rain is expected tells most quickly and suiely. We 

 would have used more could wo have obtained it. A border of 

 Cauliflowers showing the dull slaty appearance of the foliage, 

 had a dose on the Sth, and that and the rains of the 10th, and 

 onwards, have wrought wonders. 



As far as our own observation and experience go, we think 

 too much has been said about deodorising liquid manure. We 

 would bo bold enough to say, that to produce the greatest effect, 

 it should be used fresh enough to save all trouble about deo- 

 dorisiug. We have noticed a very marked difierence in the 

 effects on grass land and growing crops between using liquid 

 manure after it had fermented in a reservoir, and similar liquid 

 used before fermentation had taken place, or to a very limited 

 degree. The fresher the liquid the more effective it was ; the 

 ammonia, &c., was not dissipated before using it. People 

 have fallen into the habit of valuing a manure in proportion to 

 the nasty scent that comes from it. Now, as a break-in on the 

 old idea, it would be a step in the right direction if we could 

 convince ourselves that liquid manure, if equally strong, would 

 be more effectual before it had acquired the iinpleasaut scent 

 than after it had done so. A very successful farmer, who 

 keeps a large stock, looks sharply after his manure tank, and 

 reduces its strength when too strong, but whenever piacticable 

 he puts it on the ground in its fresh unfermeuted state. The 

 extent to which the manure-water cart had gene could be seen 

 easily in Barley, h.iy, pasture, &c. Even where a crop of hay 

 had been taken, the young grass had a deeper green than 

 the other parts of the field. He found that even when applied 

 to grass pastures rather strong, so as to brown the young 

 herbage at first, the roots were so nourished that soon all trace 

 of the injury was lost. In gardens it is easy to avoid wetting 

 the leaves when applying it to the soil and roots. As already 

 stated, it is most effective when applied before rains. Strong 

 liquid manure, consisting chiefly of the urine of animals, 

 should be diluted with five times its quantity of water before 

 using it. 



FKUIT OAKDEN. 



The winds have shaken the fruit very much from tall trees, 

 but though some has fallen, comparatively little harm has 

 been done on low bushes or pyramids. We have no objection 

 to old-fashioned orchards, and especially when the under crop 

 is grass, manured at times. These are excellent for insuring 

 always an abundant supply to an establishment, and the gar- 

 dener is little troubled, if a few trees should be barren each 

 year, which he must be if he has only a few trees altogether in 

 a kitchen garden to depend upon. But where room is to be 

 made the most of, and the greatest pleasure is to be derived 

 from the culture of fruit trees, commend us to low bushes or 

 pyramids— say from 6 to 8 feet in height. The wind will have 

 but little power on these, comparatively speaking, and the 

 fruit is easily examined, and easily gathered. If we had the 

 chance, we should be inclined in small gardens to adopt the 

 cordon system of training — that is, having only one or two 

 shoots from a tree, and spurring them from top to bottom. We 

 have Utile faith in mere fanciful modes of training, but by the 

 one-shoot system a great variety can be grown in little space, 

 and each kind on its own bottom, as it were. We believe that 

 great results may be achieved by this plan in small gardens, 

 where tho lines of fruiting stems can be kept near the ground, 

 and a protection given in severe weather. 



We have heard that several of our readers no farther north 

 than we are, have had Williams' Bon Chretien Pear fit for use 



