102 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ .luly SO, 1874. 



something be done to correct this evil — the nurserymen Buffer aa 

 much or more than we amateurs — and save the pockets of poor 

 parsons like myself, who cannot afford to throw money away, 

 but yet cannot bear to run the chance of missing a good thing ? 

 And now I must bring this long yarn to a conclusion by telling 

 you that I returned home by way of the Wye, past Tintern Abbey, 

 and on to Chepstow and to Bristol, and had one of the most 

 delightful trips I ever had in my life.— J. B. M. Camm, Monkton 

 Wi/ld. 



NOTES O.N VILLA and SUBUBBAN GARDENING. 



Winter Vegetahles. — Bear in mind the value of a good supply 

 of wholesome vegetables for autumn and winter; it is yet good 

 time to plant Savoys, Kales, Broccoli, Leeks, Celerj', Lettuces. 

 Sow some Cabbage for late winter and spring use, and prepare a 

 healthy piece of ground for the seed beds for spring and summer 

 Cabbage, which should be sown two or three different times 

 between the 2.5th of July and the 12th of August. A small 

 border or warm corner should also be prepared and worked into 

 a sweet pulverised condition for Winter Spinach, which should 

 be sown about the 10th or 12th of Au^ist. This is also a good 

 time for sowing the hardy kinds of Lettuce for standing the 

 winter. Celery already established should have applications of 

 liquid manure in a diluted state, not to be applied too strong 

 while the plants are small. Now is a good time for getting in 

 full crops of Turnips for use throughout the winter. Allow no 

 waste Cabbages, Greens, Cauliflower leaves and stumps, or Pea 

 haulm to remain, but give all such refuse to the pigs, if any are 

 kept, and if not, it should be trenched at once into the soil as 

 manure, to assist in producing other crops ; it is to some extent 

 returning to the soil what has been taken from it, together with 

 what has been absorbed from the atmosphere. Continue to 

 dredge the young Turnips, Cabbages, and other seedling plants 

 with dry charred dust while damp, or early in the morning. 



Budding Bases. — The desirability of budding Roses being 

 decided upon, the selection of proper stocks is the next subject 

 for consideration. Every gardener should keep a small stock 

 of Briars in some retired place ready for use when the buds of 

 valuable plants come into possession, and these, of course, re- 

 quire winter treatment, which need not now be explained. If 

 you have Briars examine them immediately, and see how many 

 are in a proj^er state for buddiug. The long drought this year 

 has been unfavourable, having checked the growth of young 

 wood and hardened prematurely that which was produced. 

 Unless the bark rises quite freely do not attempt the operation. 

 It has no chance of succeeding if a succulent juicy state is not 

 manifest on cutting the stem, and this will only occur in young 

 wood. New shoots are now being produced, which will be fit 

 for working in about a fortnight, and I would recommend that 

 the Briars be cut down to these shoot.", and all the hardened 

 branches be removed. An opportunity will thus be afforded 

 for budding before August is closed, and, although rather too 

 late, success may be expected. But if you have no Briars 

 budding may be advantageously performed on other stocks. 

 Boursault Roses, climbers such as Adelaide d'Orleans, and many 

 others of free growth, generally throw up fine shoots from the 

 root, f nl if aU the old wood is cut away these may be budded 

 on with every prospect of success. I have found more certainty 

 attending the operation with this class of stocks than any other; 

 and when you have common climbers you may easily replace 

 them with good Roses in this way. Inferior Hybrid Chinas 

 also make good stocks, Celine for instance ; and as these Roses 

 throw-up wood freely, the gardener will easily find shoots for 

 his buds if he has anything of a collection. I budded Paul 

 Joseph on Celine in this way a few weeks back, and the buds 

 have shot half an inch. There is another economical mode of 

 securing stocks which I will mention, having found it of great 

 service myself. Briars which have been budded on will often 

 throw-up suckers at a little distance from the parent stem, so 

 that they may be cut off in the winter with a portion of the 

 root. Bud on these and carefully remove them in the proper 

 season. As, however, trees well established in the ground throw 

 up their suckers very luxuriautly they must be watched, and 

 all new shoots carefully stopped after the budding is performed. 

 If this is neglected the strength of the shoot will run away with 

 the juices necessary for the bud, and it will perish. 



A damp dull day is preferable for budding, but not necessary; 

 still, precautions must be taken to counteract the effects of heat 

 and drought. Bud on the north side, if possible, and with the 

 shade of some neighbouring foliage. Even the ends of the tape 

 with whicla the bud is tied-on may bo made to hang over it so as 

 to shade it from the direct beams of the sun. In all these matters 

 a common-sense view of the affair in hand must be taken, and 

 this will lead to the adoption of the best methods of securing 

 the object. We do not transplant in hot sultry weather if it 

 can be avoided, but if it be necessary at such seasons to remove 

 anything we shade and water more carefully. Now, if it is re- 

 membered that in budding a wound is inflicted, and that the 

 part inserted is very thin and delicate, it will be evident that 

 Buccess cannot be expected in the absence of thoughtfulness. 



similar to that which transplanting requires. Budding requires 

 the nicety of touch and perception of mechanical adjustment 

 which surgery demands ; like that, too, it is an operation per- 

 formed on a living body. Many clever people could never bud 

 well from an inability to perform any nice operation. Are you 

 able to bind-up a cut finger well, tenderly, neatly, and securely ? 

 Then you can bud, and may proceed with the hope of success. — 

 W. Keasb. 



DOINGS OP THE LAST AND PRESENT WEEKS. 



The heavy thunder showers hardened the surface of the 

 gi'ound, and also caused a good crop of weeds to appear in the 

 vegetable quarters. In such a case no time should be lost in 

 running a hoe over the surface of the ground, so that the weeds 

 may be destroyed, and, what is also of great importance, , the 

 ground loosened. There is some difference of opinion amongst 

 gardeners as to the best form of hoe to use in the kitchen 

 garden. We use the Dutch and the swan-neck form of the draw 

 hoe. The Dutch hoe is best adapted for working amongst 

 salads and small vegetables in borders, &c., as it leaves the 

 neatest work; but amongst Cabbages, Potatoes, rows of Peas, 

 and similar crops, it is much better to use the draw hoe, and 

 especially so if the ground is heavy, as the tilth can be worked 

 so much deeper with it. 



Early Potatoes, Peas, and Strawberry plants have been cleared- 

 off sundry quarters, and the ground has to be prepared for 

 ifinter crojys, such as White and Sprouting Broccoli, hardy 

 Greens, Scotch Kale, and Leeks, or to sow with Onions if very 

 lai'ge specimens of these last are to be produced by midsummer. 

 More or less of the above-named vegetables will, of course, be 

 planted according to the requirements of the family, and the 

 capability of the soil to bring them to perfection. In our ground 

 it is sheer waste of seeds and labour to try to grow Broccoli, 

 and if Leeks were planted they would not be used. Indeed , 

 every district has its own favourite vegetable ; even amongst 

 the labouring class this is noticeable to a greater extent than it 

 is in larger gardens. One seldom sees a kitchen garden in 

 Scotland without its bed of Leeks. I have visited gardens of all 

 sizes in the south of England, and have not observed this whole- 

 some vegetable at all. The most profitable crops for us are Cole- 

 worts and Sprouting Broccoli. Those supply us with vegetables 

 all through the winter and spring. A bed of White Stone Turnips 

 sown now will come-in late in the autumn, and will continue in 

 use all through the winter. 



FBUIT AND FOECING HOUSES. 



Pineries. — There are certain disadvantages attending Pines 

 planted-out in beds, but there are also certain advantages; and 

 the question sometimes arises, whether in some instances the 

 planting-out system may not be the more desirable method. Mr. 

 Perkins, of the Gardens, Stanmore Priory, has shown us what can 

 be done with the planting-out system in the way of producing 

 large Pines, and also of doing so in a shorter period than has yet 

 been done with potted plants. There is also but little danger to 

 be feared from under or over-watering. We have put-in a batch 

 of suckers in pots, and as soon as they are estabUshed one of 

 the beds will be prepared for them and they will be planted out. 

 Whether it is intended to grow the Pines to the fruiting stage 

 in pots, or to plant them out in a prepared bed, it is desirable 

 to place the suckers first in pots from (5 to 8 inches in diameter, 

 according to the size of the suckers. The pots should be plunged 

 in a bottom heat of about 9.j°, when roots will very readily be 

 emitted. The plants must also be repotted before they are any- 

 thing like pot-bound. No better material can be recommended 

 for growing Pines than turfy loam — not sandy loam, but what 

 might bo called medium clay. About one-fifth part may be 

 rotted stable manure, and an 8-inch potful of crushed bones may 

 be added to each barrowload of the compost. Pines require 

 careful watering at all times. The pots are usually plunged in 

 tan or some other heating medium, and it is not easy to ascertain 

 the state of the roots. When the fruit lis colouring water ought 

 to be withheld. Careless watering is the frequent cause of Pines 

 not sweUing-off well ; the stalks die prematurely, and the fruit is 

 consequently much depreciated in quality. 



(Irelinrd Hoimr. — The fruit is swelling rapidly on such early 

 varieties as Early York and Early Grosse Mignonne Peach, and 

 just a word in favour of the last-named sort. It is a splendid 

 early Peach ; the fruit is little, if at all, inferior in any respect 

 to Grosse Mignonne, and it ripens almost with Early York. 

 Hunt's Tawny and Rivers's Lord Napier are the earliest Necta- 

 rines, and they ripen in the order named ; they do not come in 

 quite so early as the early Peaches, but they follow them very 

 closely. As soon as the fruit is nearly ripe on the earliest trees 

 a change of treatment is necessary ; previous to this the house 

 had been shut up between four and five o'clock in the afternoon, 

 and the frees at the same time were thoroughly engined over- 

 head with water of the same temperature as the house. This 

 treatment continued would cause the fruit to be watery and poor 

 in flavour. The trees with ripening fruit should not be syringed, 

 and, for convenience, all the trees bearing fruit of one stage of 



