October 28, 1SS9. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICOLTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDBNBB. 



343 



allodos to, and I should bo sorry to continue in error. I quite 

 agree with Mr. Pearson as to caitinR on ground when it is dry, 

 for I have seen enough of the evil effects of carting out manure 

 when the ground was wet, and also ploughing when the horses 

 walked in the furrows up to their knees in mud. I have 

 seen after Euch ploughing, the water run out at the end of the 

 fuiTow in quite a stream, and I have had it remarked to mo at 

 the time, what excellent ploughs those iron ones were, for Ihoy 

 left the b.)ttcim of the furrow so smooth that they actually 

 drained the ground ; but when spring came, and the land was 

 ploughed up again it was nearly midsummer before it was lit 

 to be sown. I cunnot thiuk that it is quite right to have a 

 quantity of good rotten farmyard manure exposed to wind and 

 sun for days before it is ploughed in; for my own part I would 

 prefer it to be under the ground. I could mention several 

 farmers here (in Kent), who have only enough manure spread 

 to be ploughed in each day, because it should not be dried up 

 by wind and sun. Of course it was carted out and left in a heap 

 to be spread as above. 



I have htd sufficient proof this year that there cannot be 

 much evil attendant on digging iu manure soon nfier it is 

 spread, for the principal part of the manure that I have for uee 

 coucists of old hotbeds made of leaves collected iu the park, 

 and which, after being used, are wheeled on the garden as 

 manure, and not being quite decomposed, the mateiial is not 

 very rich. One of these old beds I had wheeled into a corner of 

 the orchard, to which I conducted the overflow from a large 

 tank that receives the sewage ffom the mansion, and after 

 giving a good soaking of the sewage, I had the whole turned oyer 

 30 as to well mix the sewage wi'h the half- rotten leaves. I then 

 had it wheeled on to a plot of gronud intended for Onions, and 

 dag in immediately, and the result was the finest crop of the 

 Nuneham Park Ouioa I ever saw, not thick-necked, as some 

 affirm it to be, bat fine-necked and clear-skinned. I think it is 

 the very best Oaiou we have when it is well grown. Tberemainder 

 of the heap I kt-pt for (Jelery, and I gave that another scakiug of 

 sewage, alter which I had it put into the trenches, and the Celery 

 does not ehow any evil tffects, but the contrary. It is a fact 

 known to mist proc'ical gardeners that all manures must be 

 rendered soluble, as no soHd substance can enter into a plant, 

 consequently all solid matter must undergo a species of dis- 

 solution, and become watery or gaseous, or both, before it is 

 capable of being absorbed either by ihe roots or leaves of plants ; 

 and it mannro Ijsos the water by evaporation, it must also 

 lose a cerlaiu portion of the gaseous matter, which must be a 

 loss to the crop it is intended to benefit. In this opiuion I 

 think I am not alone, but I shonld like to hear the opinions of 

 other practical horticulturists on the subject. — W. Giuves, 

 Mahledon Park Gdrdatis. 



FORCING PLANTS.— No. 3. 



SHRUBS. 



Shrubs are of eiisy culture, and many, if not all of them, are 

 suitable for forcing ; but there are soma v;hich from Iheir low 

 growth, compact habit, and profuse blooming, are better for the 

 purpose than others. To enumerate and treat of all shrubs 

 which mi.^bt be forced, would he tedious. I shall, therefore, 

 only name those of ackriowledged excellence. 



Deutzia. gr.».cili3. — This plant cannot bo too highly recom- 

 mended for forcing. The flowers are pure white, and pro- 

 duced so abundantly as to hide the bright green foliage. 

 Previous to forcing it should be grown at least a year in pots 

 large enough to hold the roots without cramping them. A 

 rather light loam, enriched with leaf soil, will grow it well. The 

 plants should be plnced out of doors in a sunny situ.ation during 

 the summer, and be plentifully supplied v,i:h water, pinching 

 back any irregular si o ;ts, so as to form a compact plant. Until 

 August they may remaiu plunged in coal ashes, moving the 

 pots occasionally to keep the plants from rooting through, and 

 taking off any roots that make their way out. After August 

 lift the pots from tho ashes, and set them in a warm situation, 

 watering just enough to keep the foliage fresh. The plaijt!( 

 will go to rest early ; then place them iu a cold frame, thoui^h 

 they miy remain ontside with the pots plunged to the rim in 

 coal ashes ; but I like them iu a frame, for then the soil is not 

 saturated by heavy ruins, and comparative dryness appears to 

 act as a sort of rest. 



The plants may be forced almost as soon as the leaves have 

 fallen, but they are tho bet'er of a month or six weeks' rest. 

 Prior to placing them in the house I think it well to repot them, 

 giving each a clean pot and a little fresh soil, for though we 



repot wo need not increase the size of the pot, but we should 

 remove as much of the old soil as we can, without destroying 

 many of the roots, loosening the sides of the ball, and even if we 

 slightly increase the size of tho pot, we have freer growth and 

 bloom. Neat plants may be grown in 6 inch pots, and larger 

 plants will, of course, require larger pots ; but I do not try to 

 have any in larger pots than those 9 inches in diameter. Plants 

 in pots of the latter size, and grown from 18 inches to 2 feet high, 

 and as much in diometer, are fine for house decoration, and 

 those in 6-iuch pots are ornamental for the table. This is all 

 tho potting I give. They are placed icr a cool house for about 

 a fortnight, then in a greenhouse or other glass house, with a 

 temperature of 45° from fire heat, and are bloomed in a tem- 

 perature of 50'. I commence forcing the first lot of plants at 

 the beginning of December, introducing more at intervals of 

 three weeks up to March, so as to have a succession of bloom 

 from January to May. After the plants have flowered they 

 should be continued under glass in a light airy position until 

 the middle of May, and then be pilaced out of doors in a 

 sheltered but open situatiou, plunging the pots to save water- 

 ing, giving, however, plenty of water throughout the summer, 

 and in autumn they will be even finer plants than they were the 

 year before, and fit for being forced again. From having made 

 their growth earlier than plants not forced they are better 

 fitted for early flowering. In this way they may be grown for 

 a number of years without increasing, or but very slightly in- 

 creasing, the size of the pots. 



Deutzia ecabka. — Tbis, though not equal to the preceding, 

 is very ornamental when grown as a low standard 2i feet or 

 3 feet high, taking away tlio flatness of stages. On a stem 

 about a foot high it forms a charming bush. It requires a year 

 or two to bring into good form, and establish it in pots. The 

 only difference in the treatment it requires from that of 

 D. gracilis, is that all suckers must be kept down ; the shoots 

 after flowering being thinned out, stopping such as grow irre- 

 gularly, and not oommenciog to force until January or Feb- 

 ruary. Being of stronger growth than D, gracilis, it must have 

 correspondingly larger pots ; but the plants are all the better by 

 being pot-bound. 



The Ddutzias are propagated by cuttings of the firm shoots 

 under a hand-glass in cummer, or by strong shoots in autumn 

 inserted in a sheltered Eituation. They may be propagated by 

 layers very freely. 



Pkunus triloba (sinexsi.s) FLORE-rLENO. — Of erect, stiff 

 habit, it forms a neat pyramid, and the flowers are large and 

 very double, white, but going off blush. It succeeds best in a 

 rather sandy or light loam, with one-third of leaf soil or sandy 

 peat, and good drainage. It should be under-potted; indeed, 

 to flower it well it should bo pot-bound. Its treatment does 

 not differ from that of the Deutzia gracilis, only the plant should 

 be placed under a south wall in August to insure the ripening 

 of the wood, giving only enough water to keep the foliage fresh. 

 When the shoots become crowded thin them out after flowering, 

 stopping any which are of a straggling disposition. It flowers 

 before coming into leaf, but is very ornamental. It is pro- 

 pagated by cuttings of the ripened shoots in summer. 



Ajiygdalus persica FLor.E-i'LENO (Double-flowsricg Peach). 

 — There are v.arietias with white, carnation, crimFon, and rose- 

 coloured flowers, also one called versicolor, all very ornamental 

 as pot plants for conservstory decoration. They may be grown 

 as bushes or pyramids, following the close-pinching system, so 

 as to have them compact and well furnished for bloom; but 

 when the wood becomes weak the flowers are smaller ; therefore 

 to ensure large flowers thin out the weak shoots when the flow- 

 ering is over, and by stopping tlio strong shoots to four leaves 

 the weaker shoots will be strengthened. 'Whether the shoots 

 are close-pinched or allowed to make shoots of some length, it 

 is desirable to so dispose of the shoots as to produce a well- 

 formed plant. Standards are very handsome. 



The treatment given Peach tifes in pots is applicable to 

 these. The trees ought to be kept under glass until the end of 

 May, and may then be placed out of doors in a warm situation 

 — a south border is best — the pots being plunged in ashes, 

 watering and syringing freely in dry weather. In August place 

 the pots under a south wall, but do not plunge them, and water 

 rather sparingly, so as to limit growth and encourage the 

 ripening of the wood, but do not allow the soil to become BO 

 dry as to cause "the leaves to fall prematurely. In October top- 

 dress the plants, taking aw-'y the surface soil, and removing it 

 to some depth from the sides, leaving the mass of roots iu the 

 centre of the pots undisturbed, and replace with turf enriched 

 with an equal quantity of well-rotted manure. Old cow dung 



