336 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUBE AKD COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



[ April 29, 18?6. 



tempera to some extent the force of the chill blast, and the sur- 

 face of the ground is so dry that nothing seems to be injured, 

 and what is also much in favour of the growing crops is the fact 

 that we have had no warm weather this season to accelerate 

 growth. 



The early Potatoes on warm borders are through the ground, 

 but in order to save them from the effects of frost a little mould 

 has been drawn over the haulm with a hoe ; we ran the hoe 

 between the rows to destroy weeds and aerate the ground. 

 Broad Beans have come through the ground rather strongly. 

 These have also been hoed, and a little mould drawn up to the 

 stems. We generally obtain a good supply of Radishes from 

 under the ground vineries, by sowing between the rows of 

 Carrots and Lettuce ; they must be pulled out before they have 

 time to injure the later crops. Any very slight glass protection 

 of this sort ia very useful ; garden crops that are required early 

 may be forwarded a month or six weeks at but a very trifling 

 expense. 



The crops of Onions, Carrots, Parsnips, &o., have come up 

 beautifully and will require thinning out in a week or two, but 

 we would rather have a change of weather before this is done. 

 There is plenty of moisture yet in the ground, and we would 

 rather not have rain until the weather is warmer. The spring- 

 sown Cauliflower plants have been planted oat in the open 

 ground, having been previously hardened by exposure to the 

 weather. Drills were drawn 2 feet apart, about 3 inches deep, 

 and the plants carefully planted 2 feet apart in the drills. The 

 ridge on each side effectually protects the plants from cutting 

 winds, and by the time that it is necessary to hoe the ground the 

 stalks will have grown sufficiently to require the ridges to be 

 levelled daring the operation of hoeing. Brussels Sprouts were 

 some time ago sown in drills drawn in the same manner. We 

 have found that the plants allowed to remain permanently in 

 these drills do better than those transplanted. We do some both 

 ways, as some seasons, mayhap, the transplanted sprouts would 

 be the best. 



We are cutting Asparagus from the open ground from the 

 new sort, Connover's Colossal. We have not been able to dis- 

 tinguish the new sort from the old when a bundle of each were 

 placed together ; but if the one is earlier than the other it will 

 be a very material gain. We have sown some Dwarf Kidney 

 Beans iu a sheltered position ; the Newingtou Wonder is con- 

 sidered our best early variety, and for the general crop no better 

 variety need be desired than Negro. We made another sowing 

 of Peas, and sowed Spinach between the rows. 



FRUIT AND FORCINQ HOUSES. 



Pineries. — The work in this department at present is com- 

 paratively easy. In the fruiting houses where fruit in various 

 stages are approaching to ripeness if necessary a high tempera- 

 ture may be kept up, but the precaution we have always advo- 

 cated should be taken to open the hghts at the top of the house 

 early in the morning, admitting air afterwards as it is required, 

 and this must be done cautiously ; although Pines do not suffer 

 from injudicious ventilation as do Vines, Cucumbers, and Melons, 

 still the east wind may work mischief if admitted in large 

 volumes. Some growers are recommending shading, but we 

 protest against this until the days become hot. In our modern 

 houses the panes of glass are large and easily acted upon by the 

 sun, so that a slight shade is an advantage from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

 At present any ripening fruit may be protected from the sun by 

 a sheet of paper raised above the fruit ; this saves it from injury, 

 and is all the shading required in Pine houses for some time to 

 come. 



Plants which are ripening fruit require but little water at the 

 roots, and plants in pots are frequently injured froni receiving 

 too much. It is seldom that a plant requires water after the 

 fruit changes to the ripening colour, and we never give manure 

 water after the fruit has swelled to about half its size. Weak 

 manure water applied at alternate waterings may not be in- 

 jurious up to within, say, six weeks of the fruit ripening, but an 

 overdose causes it to become black at the core. Excellent Pines 

 are produced without manure water, and it is best to err on the 

 safe side. Shut all the houses up early in the afternoon after 

 syringing underneath the plants, damping the paths and walla. 

 Utilise sun heat as much as possible; it is best for the plants 

 and saves fuel. 



COCUMBEB AND MELON HOUSES. 



Our Cucumbers have not given us much satisfaction this year, 

 notwithstanding more than ordinary care was taken with them. 

 At midwinter they stopped growing without any apparent cause ; 

 the old leaves still remained green, but the young growths with 

 leaves up to the size of a penny died. Evidently the roots were 

 in a bad state, and it was a question whether it would be better 

 to pull them out ; they were, however, allowed to remain and 

 were carefully tended. In a month young growths were put out 

 and the plants recovered. It was our impression that too much 

 moisture was kept up in the atmosphere, and perhaps too much 

 was applied to the roots. They are now doing well and supply- 

 ing fine Cucumbers. Some of the old soil baa been removed, 

 and fresh compost placed near the roots. 



The Melons are now in flower, but before setting any of them 

 a sufficient number of fruitful blossoms must be in flower about 

 the same time. If one or two are set only two days before the 

 others these will run away with the strength of the plant, and 

 the fruit later set will not swell well. Should red spider appear 

 either on Cucumber or Melon plants the only way to check it is 

 to syringe the plants daily with rain water that has stood in 

 the house a few hours. 



ORCHARD HOUSE. 



The Peach and Nectarine trees have now passed the setting 

 period, and the fruit has set abundantly. Pear and Plum trees 

 are now in blossom, and we are not sure of a good set on them ; 

 the rougher the houae ia that is constructed for them the better. 

 If the glass is put in so that there is a little ventilation at every 

 lap, and if the ventilators cannot be shut close by an inch or so all 

 the better. Oar house is far too well constructed for Pears and 

 Plums, there is little or no ventilation except by the ordinary 

 openings. In the rough houses at Sawbridgeworth, and in one 

 we have seen in Mr. John Eraser's nurseries at the Lea Bridge 

 Road, Pears, Plums, and Cherries set without any trouble. A 

 little ventilation ought to be left on at night to cause a circula- 

 tion. Avoid spilling water in the daytime, and the east wind 

 drawing through the house when the sun shines does good. 



Strawberries on the shelves have been thinned out to give 

 those that remain a fair chance. It ought to be noted here that 

 Strawberries will do no good if the plants are crowded. 



PLANT STOVE AND ORCHID HOUSES. 



Caladiums have been shaken out of the pota and repotted in 

 others; the plants were first started into growth. The compost 

 used is turfy loam, peat, and some rotted manure. The plants 

 are placed quite close to the glass, as nothing looks worse than 

 to see Caladium leaves with long and weak stalks that will not 

 bear the weight of the leaf. When foliage plants are badly 

 grown they are not adapted for any decorative purpose what- 

 ever. Other foliage plants require repotting, and it is not well 

 to allow them to become potbound ; most of the foliage plants 

 adapted to stove culture require to be grovm rapidly and must 

 not be checked. Ferns are the same, the roota are not readily 

 discerned, and a plant may become potbound before it is 

 noticed. They should be repotted as soon as the roots begin to 

 grow amongst the drainage. 



All Orchids in baskets or pots which are making fresh roota 

 must now be examined, and chopped sphagnum with some turfy 

 peat be placed round them. Those in amall pota may be re- 

 potted into larger, taking care to preaerve the roots as much as 

 possible, and it is also better to under than over-pot. It must 

 also be noted that all the PhaL-cnopses and most of the Cypri- 

 pediums require much shade, while Cattleyas and Dendrobiums 

 require only to be protected from bright sunshine. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



Mr. Record attends to this department so ably that little is 

 left to be included in the " Doings." Alluding to Pinks he says, 

 Plant them out at once. Of course, if they are not out, the 

 sooner the better ; but to do any good with Piuka they ought to 

 have been planted out six months ago. They should be eata- 

 bhshed in the beds before the winter frosts set in. This has 

 not been a good winter for them ; even the best growers com- 

 plain of many losses, but out of three beds here planted in Octo- 

 ber not a single plant has failed, except one unhealthy plant 

 put out in spring ; they are now making vigorous growth. If 

 Pinks are planted late the lacing will be imperfect. Carnations 

 and Piootees must be wintered iu frames in small pots, so that 

 it is quite necessary to plant in spring. They must be planted 

 out and repotted before they make mnch growth. Ours were 

 done early in April. The pots may be placed out of doors now. 

 The Auriculas are now iu full beauty. As soon as the trusses 

 open they are removed to a north aspect, and the colder is the 

 weather will they last all the longer in beauty. Some of the 

 trusses have been out nearly a month. The flowers are shaded 

 from bright sunshine. 



Rosea are now starting into growth, and so far the frost has 

 not injured any of the young growths, but the bud worm is 

 busy and must be picked out with a needle, which is the most 

 useful appliance for this purpoae. Some of the more tender 

 sorts on the walls have become infested with mildew, and had 

 to be dusted with flowers of sulphur. — J. Douglas. 



TRADE CATALOGUE EECEIVED. 



John Laing, Forest Hill, London. — Catalogue of Slave and 

 Oreenhouse Plants, Florists' Floioers, Bases, lic. 



HOETICULTUKAL EXHIBITIONS. 

 Skoretaries will oblige us by informing ua of the dates on 

 which exhibitions are to be held. 

 .Jebset.— May 5th, Eosea.Iane 16th, Autnmn Ootoior 13th, Chrysanthemnma 



November 10th. Major Howell, SprinR Grove, St. Lawrence, Hon. Sec 

 Bath.— May 12th, aeptember lat and 2nd. Mr. B. Pearson, 13, Milsom 

 Street, Sec. 



