844 



JOURNAL OF nORTlCULTUliE AND COTTAGE GAKDENER. 



t October :8, isat'. 



is best. Make Uie top-dressing firm, nnd give a good watering. 

 At the eume time tbe plnots may Lo boniied, or tbcj may lie 

 placed io n eholtercd pusition, tbo pots beiDg placged to tbe 

 I'im in atrbes or tan. 



Forcing may commence at tbo end of November or beginning 

 of December, and by inlroducing a few plants at fortnigb'lv 

 intervals bloom may bo kept up frcm January to April. The 

 plants may bo kept a number of years in the tame pots; thote 

 from H to 13 inches in diameter are suitable. 



These Peach trees are mostly worked on the Pliim stock, but 

 the Almond is best for tCis class of plants. Early-forced planlH 

 ehonld be continued under glass in alight airy position until 

 danger from frost is past ; or it tbry can be accommodated in 

 a honse it is well to keep them lliere uttil July or AuRust, nnd 

 then by placing them in the full sun and giving litlln watir 

 they will go to rest and be suitable for forcing early in Novem- 

 ber. Few plants are handsomer than Peach trees in pots in 

 full bloom, but the double-flowered varieties surpass the ordi- 

 nary kinds in the greater beauty of the flower. A temperature 

 of 40' for a fortnight, increasing it to 1.5° afterwards, is sufE- 

 cicnt. Liquid manure may be given once or twice a-week. 



CErascs .lAroNici. — Pink, double pink, and double while 

 varieties, all dwarf and compact. The double varieties arc the 

 strongest growers. The treatment is the same as for the double- 

 flowering Peaches, 



Srn!.y.A FoDTCNi. — A shrubby plunt of compact growth and 

 white flowers, and SriK.T;.v Thunberciana, also with white 

 flowers, are fine firforciiig, as they furnish pretty, loose, sprny- 

 like heads of bloom for vases and bouo.uet?, whilst as flowering 

 plants they are very ornamental. Probably there are many 

 others of this genus equally suitable for forcing. S. japoxica 

 I know forces well. Tbe Spirreas are among the handsomest 

 of flowering plants, and it is remarkable they are not more 

 extensively cultivated. They may be grown in pots from 6 to 

 9 inches in diameter, according to fize of the plant, using a 

 compost of two-thirds sandy loam, and one-third leaf soil. All 

 the care thty require is to keep them in small pots for the tize 

 of the plants, to repot them before beginning to force, to thin 

 out the weak wood after floweiiiig, to lift them from the plung- 

 ing material frequently in order to confine their roots to the 

 pots or keep them from rooting through, and to place them in 

 a sunny situation in August so as to well ripen the wood. The 

 plants should be established in pots before forcing, which should 

 not begin before January, introducing a few plants at a time 

 np to March. 



Weigela r.osEA and its varieties Stelznori and Treloni are 

 line, the flowers being rosy pink in the species, and somewhat 

 brighter in the varieties. Nothing, however, can bo more 

 handsome than the old sort well grown, and it has the advan- 

 tage of being fragrant, hence tbe flowers are desirable not only 

 on the plant, but for cutting. It succeeds under the same tr<at- 

 inent as described for the Denlzia, but being a larger growing 

 plant, larger pots are necessary, and yet the roots should be 

 rather confined. Place the plants in a warm situation in 

 August, water them sparingly, so as to have the wood well 

 matured and induce early rest, especially for plants required to 

 bloom early. The roots, from their close-matting tendency, 

 sometimes choke the drainage before forcing, therefore see that 

 the drainage is free. The plants may be forced in consecutive 

 years, like the Deutzias, or fresh plants may be raised from 

 cuttings in summer, either under a hand-glass or in a shady 

 border. Small plants flower freely. 



Weioela AHAriLis and alba, the one with pink, the other 

 with white flowers, are also fine for early flowering, and force 

 well. 



SvEiXGA (Lilac). — The Persian purple and its white variety, 

 from their smaller growth, arc, perhaps, the best, though the 

 others are equally good for forcing. Plants set with bnda 

 should be taken up in November, preserving a good quantity 

 of fibres, and placed in pots Urge enough to contain the roots. 

 Sandy loam is a suitable soil. The plants may be taken up 

 and potted as required, but to makn sure, it is as well to pot 

 as many as will be required in November, and those not 

 wanted for immediate forcing can have the pots plunged in coal 

 ashes in a sheltered place, whence they can be draughted into 

 the forcing house at intervals as required. A house with a 

 temperature of from 10' to 45° will suit them for the first 

 fortnight, and then from 50° to 53° is tbo highest ni^ht 

 temperature they ought to receive, though I have seen them 

 placed in a stove and roasted into flower, the stalks being then 

 scarcely able to support the heads. For blooming at Christmas, 

 forcing shonld be commenced in the middle of November, j 



Tbe plants are nsually thrown away after flowering, thongb 

 they might be planted in shrubberies advanlageontly. 



To have subjects eligible for forcing, there chould be plants 

 of various ages up to six years, so as to have them of diOercnt 

 bizes ; therefore all vacancies mnst be made good by putting 

 in suckers every year. The plants should be removed every 

 year if thoy grow vigorously, so as to cause more sturdy growth 

 and tlio formation of bloom buds. Standard plants are very 

 useful for varying the monotony of flat surfaces, but nie some- 

 what difficult to form, from the tendency to produce fuckers. 

 The white Lilac is less disposed to produce these than the 

 others, and it might bo employed as a stock. Whether as 

 standards or half-standards, respectively feet and 'A ftet bigb. 

 with good heads they would be really handsome for cunservatory 

 decoration. How they would succeed grafted standard high on 

 the Ash, is a subject for experiment ; but i', is worth a trial. 



When forced, the Lilac requires to have an abundant supply 

 of water, and a light, airy house, with bottom heat if it can 

 bo secured. Growing plants in darkness, in order to produce 

 white flowers on purple-flowering plants, or even tomi.ke white 

 flowers more delicate, is absurd, though it certainly is curious 

 to see the change undergone by a plant grown in daiKness day 

 by day. When it is exposed to light, how it strives to get back 

 its natural beauty! — G. Abbey. 



GARDENING IN TEXAS. 



Althovou gardening here docs not generally receive so mutb 

 labour and care as it does from many northern people — especially 

 those who have market gardens near large cities — among tbe 

 firmers of Texas, yet we have many, A-cry many good gardens. 

 iSome of our gardens, in the variety and excjUenec of their vege- 

 tables, and the number and beauty of their flowers, arc superior 

 to those commonly seen in the noithern States Here, ladies 

 often superintend and work in the gardens, and ladies generally 

 hettcr appreciate good vegetables, and enjoy more the beauty of 

 (loweis, than men. Previius to the late civil war, it was custom- 

 ary, throughout the entire south, for jilanters' wive,* and daughters 

 to have charge of the garden. It received much of their care, and 

 WMS tilled under their direction. This custom still extensively 

 prevails in Texas. Under the ^upel•^ntcndenoe of ladies, some of 

 the finest gardens and grounds in the entue south were made. 

 Many of those in the vicinity of ('barlcston and Sav.nnnah were 

 iImis formed. To specify examples in other places, we mention 

 the Preston or Hampden gard' n, as it was, at Columbia, before 

 the Avar ; also the Magnolia Grove garden of Mr. Urown, beneath 

 the hill on the hanks of the Mississippi, at Natchez. I have 

 seen many bcaiitiful gardens in the northern States, but never 

 anything equal to what these were in 1S.58. 



To return to Texa». Our climate and soil is better suited to 

 gardnning than that of the north. Here we can grow all the 

 vegetables and flowers cultivattd in the rorth, also many others 

 of a .semi-tropical nature. Two crops of the same species of vege- 

 table can here be grown in the same sciison. Slany people in 

 Tcx.is con.siJcr August the most important in the year to make 

 gardens, because many A'cgetahles then sown or planted attain 

 maturity, and their greatest perfection, during the cool months 

 of autumn, such as Cabbage, liroccoli. Cauliflower, Kale, Savoys, 

 Kndive, Bnisscis Sprouts, Celery, Src. Then (.^u^ust) Melons 

 and Cucumbers arc again planted, also Beans and Peas. Then, 

 and in September, are sowti Eadishcs, Ijctluce, Curled and 

 Water Cress, Parsley, O.-iions, Parsnips, Spinach, Carrots, Leeks, 

 Beets, Sec. 



In our own garden, we had green Peas and Beans in April, 

 green Com in May, also summer Squashes and Cucumbers; 

 Lettuce and Kadishes in March ; Avhitc Potatoes the 1st of 

 June, and Sweet Potatoes the 1st of August. Indeed, with a 

 little care, by plautirg in succession, we em liave in our garden 

 a plentiful supply of fresh vejietables for table use during th& 

 entire year. This is a great advantage, which is not generally 

 appreciated here. Our Melons are delicious. One W"ater Melon, 

 weighing CO lbs., was sold in the market at Austin this summer. 

 Water Melons become ripe here about the last of June, and last 

 tmtil frost, which generally comes about the last of November. 

 They arc remarkably healthy, and muth superior in taste to 

 those grown in the north. — {AmcricaJi Gardener's Monthly.) 



"WOUK FOn THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN OARDBK. 



Make it a rule never to allow the haulm or leaves of plants 

 to remain on the gronnd when the crop is gathered. A conve- 



