1S4 



JODBNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Uaich 4, 1875. 



to be potted each time they are flowered, as of coarse the eoU 

 cannot be impoverished in the time, but I would say, Pot as 

 soon as ever they get potbound. The following is the treat- 

 ment I would recommend. 



After they have done flowering fhake out the bulbs and put 

 four round the outeide of the pot and one in the centre, choos- 

 ing pots according to the eize of the bulbs, using rather a 

 rich compost — three parts loam, one part leaf mould, and one 

 part dung, with a dash of sand, taking care that the pots are 

 well drained. After potting give a good soaking with tepid 

 water, and place them in a light position in the stove for about 

 two months, watering very sparingly until they are nicely 

 rooted, then remove them into a cool house where they can 

 have plenty of light and air, watering them only just suffi- 

 ciently to keep them from flagging. Here they must remain 

 for at least six weeks. Take them from the cool house, accord- 

 ing to the quantity required at a time, and plunge them in 

 a nice bottom heat, keeping the top heat at ordinary stove 

 temperature. In three weeks to a month you may expect 

 to see four spikes generally from each pot. After flowering 

 treat the same as after potting. One thing I would mention, 

 and that is, never give liquid manure until you see the flower 

 spike.— C.E. S. 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



We have received from JMessrs. J. C. Wheeler & Son of 

 Gloucester, samples of that delicious wiuter Apple Ashmead's 

 Keenel. They are now at this late season quite plump and 

 fresh, and the flavour is not to be surpassed. Planters ought 

 to make choice of this in any collection they may form. The 

 name is sometimes, but very erroneously, written Ashmead's 

 Colonel and Colonel Ashmead's — a mere corruption of kernel, 

 which is synonymous with Pippin, which signifies a tree raised 

 from the seed or pip. 



We learn that Mr. A. McKenzie of Alexandra Palace 



and Park, having pretty well completed the outdoor works 

 and glass structures there, is prepared to take coiimssioN-s in 

 landscape gaedenixo and the improvement of landed estates. 

 We tiust that Mr. McKenzie's engagements on private proper- 

 ties will not deprive us of his services in a public capacity, for 

 his admirable work on the Thames Embankment and else- 

 where constitutes him an important public benefactor. It is 

 satisfactory to learn that, although now enabled to enlarge his 

 sphere of operations, he will continue on the official staff of 

 the Alexandra Palace Company. 



A National Horticultural Show is to be held in the 



Gardens of the Manchester Botanical and Horticultural Society 

 from the Uth to the 21st of May. The prizes are very liberal^ 



We have received the announcement that an Inter- 

 national Horticultural Exhibition is to be held at Cologne 

 this year from the 2.5th of .A.ugust to the 2Gth of September, 

 in the grounds of The Flora. It is to be under the auspices 

 of the Empress and the Crown Prince. The programme is a 

 very full and rich one, and embraces every branch of horti- 

 cultural industry. We believe it is intended to form a com- 

 mittee in this country, the arrangements for which we shall 

 announce as soon as they are completed. 



It is known that Sir Alfred Slade, Bart., and the Hon. 



R. W. Chetwyud have resigned their seats on the Council of 

 the Royal Horticultural Society. It is to be hoped that no 

 undue haste will be shown in filling up these vacancies, but 

 that the Council will wait and see what direction is given to 

 the present movement consequent on the disorganised state 



he Society is unfortunately in. 



NOTES ON VILLA and SUBURBAN GARDENING. 



As soon as the weather will allow of it, and the soil becomes 

 workable, proceed to complete the planting of autumn-sown 

 annuals immediately. Sow also patches of hardy sorts in the 

 open borders, and if they should not come up freely and well 

 there will then be time to make another sowing. 



HoLLiTiocKS. — Where these are in request now is the time to 

 plant them out in their blooming quarters. I allude to those 

 plants raised from seed or cuttings last .August, and which, if 

 strong, may bo expected to bloom well during the summer. 

 Those who are fond of raising their plants from seed, and can 

 procure seed from a good collection, should sow the seed early 

 in April, either in boxes in gentle heat or on a prepared bod 

 outdoors. The seedlings should afterwards be planted thickly 

 in a well-prepared nursery bed, and encouraged to grow by 

 every means, and in due time many of these will flower and 



their quality can be decided upon as to whether they are worth 

 retaining for future cultivation. By this means much trouble 

 and disappointment will be spared ; but, on the other baud, for 

 tirBt-class varieties, one cannot do better than go to those who 

 make their cultivation a speciality and secure plants. 



Dahlias. — These may now be started in gentle heat by settiEg 

 the roots upon some light earth and covering them with the 

 same material. They push out their shoots at the crowns, and 

 may be divided into two or more plants ss may be desired, 

 with a tuber attachtd to each, and be potted. The above plan 

 is applicable to those living northwards, but in the southern 

 counties there need not be any such pains taken with them, for 

 the roots can be planted in the bed where they are to flower. 

 The latter part of April or the beginning of May is a good time, 

 but when the shoots come up they will need a slight protection, 

 as I he Dahlia is a very tender plant. 



Carnations, Picotees, and Pinks. — These beautiful flowers 

 should be grown in every garden, and as extensively as space 

 will permit. Their flowers are always welcome, and appropriate 

 for buttoD-holes, bouquets, or in vases, and they possess the 

 quality of lasting almost as long as any flower grown. Those 

 who have a stock of young plants in pots under protection may 

 now let them have more water than formerlv, and if they are 

 named sorts pot in pairs, which will make a much better show 

 than if single. A suitable soil is three parts rich loam, but as 

 fresh as possible, the remainder rotten cow manure and leaf 

 mould. After a short time ihey will thrive outdoors if stood 

 upon a bed of coal ashes so that worms cannot get in, but they 

 will need a slight protection during severe weather. Those 

 which were raised from layers last year and have remained in 

 store pots all winter, must now have more air to prepare them 

 for finally planting out, but meanwhile the beds or places where 

 it is intended to plant them should be well prepared. The Car- 

 nation likes a fresh soil, and if the bed has grown similar plants 

 before, the soil should be taken out and have new added, so as 

 to give them every chance. A stagnant site and very heavy 

 water-holding soil should be avoided. 



Some amateur gardeners pride themselves in raising seedlings 

 of these as well as other florists' flowers, which is a very in- 

 teresting occupation. The seed should be sown in boxes in 

 heat, or they may be sown on a mild hotbed this month, and 

 covered with a handlight ; when well up they should be pricked 

 out into nursery beds, and afterwards planted in a well-prepared 

 bed. They will make fine plants by the autumn, and will stand 

 the wiuter very safely. The next season they will flower, and 

 any that are good and worth growing for cut blooms should be 

 marked, and the layers rooted from them at the proper time, 

 while all the remainder may be dug up and thrown away. 



Chrysanthemums. — Propagate these as soon as possible. It is 

 a first-rate plant for town gardens, and will thrive in the smoke 

 better than most plants. Strike them now, and pot them on till 

 they are sturdy plants. After once or twice pinching back select 

 those to be grown-on in pots. Those for plantingout will grow 

 by the sides of the house, or, if employed to decorate a wall in 

 the autumn, they will answer well if planted-out in May. They 

 will be the better of being stopped once or twice after that; but 

 those in pots will need stopping up to the beginniug of July for 

 the large-flowered sorts, and the Pompons or small-flowered 

 section not after the middle of June. 



Pansies. — Stir the soil among those in beds, and give a top- 

 dressing of manure, and no doubt they will require shelter from 

 bad weather. Those who have a stock of young plants in frames 

 of the Belgian sorts should now pinch out the leading shoot, in 

 order that they may break previous to planting-out in beds or 

 borders where they are to flower. They are very pretty, and 

 will flower nearly through the summer if kept pegged down, 

 manured, and not allowed to suffer from the want of water. — 

 Thomas Record. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST AND PRESENT WEEKS. 



kitchen oabden. 



The prevailing winds durini; the last week have been easterly, 

 and the weather has been quite winterly throughout. Snow 

 fell on two days equivalent to rainfall of 0,35 inch. It has been 

 lying on the ground nearly all the week, owing to the ex- 

 tremely low temperature. The thermometer has fallen several 

 degrees below the freezing point, on one occasion 10^ of frost 

 being registered. Under such adverse circumstances but little 

 work could be done. We wheeled a good dressing of manure on 

 to a piece of ground that required to be trenched ; this kept the 

 frost out of it and allowed of its being finished. In districts 

 where the rainfall is deficient, much summer labour may be 

 saved by trenching as much as possible of the ground during 

 winter when other work is not pressiug. Even it a good dress- 

 ing of manure cannot be obtained, the ground is loosened and 

 the roots thereby enabled to penetrate freely downwards. Oar 

 ground requires to be heavily manured, and this can be applied 

 the more readily during the operation of trenching. 



The system pursued here is to dig-out two spits and to shovel 

 the loose earth out after each. This is wheeled to the further 



