120 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAQB GARDENEK. 



[ Aognst 6, 1874. 



ingly BO, a rather cnrious appearance presented itself: the roots 

 were bristling with young white growing points, showing that 

 there was plenty of life there, although the knife showed by 

 cutting the bark that the stems were dead to the surface of 

 the soil. Those plants, Cupressus Lairaonii, had been re- 

 peatedly watered, but had failed to keep the part above ground 

 alive ; evaporation had been too rapid throughout the heat and 

 drjness of the day, and coldness and equal dryness at night, 

 that the plant became exhausted in consfquence. Shade, 

 therefore, in this case would have been much more beneficial 

 than watering, but for the practical difficulty of shading trees 

 and ehrnbs per acre. 



Exhaustion, we need not say, in a more or less aggravated 

 form, was the general effect on vegetation, but in a very 

 different degree on different subjects : whereas some plants 

 became permanently paralysed, others only seemed to husband 

 their energies and become exhausted in appearance only. 

 Broad-leaved plants such as Ehodo Jendrons, American Azaleas, 

 and the broad-leaved Japanese plants, suffered permanently, 

 especially those subjected to the full blaze of the sun, and we 

 believe more from the actual heat than the drought. The sun 

 at 100° to 120' blazing on them actually had the same effect as 

 tire — we mean that the atmosphere heated to that extent 

 would not have affected the plants in the same way had they 

 been shaded. Almost the whole of the Coniferse within our 

 experience, which includes a good many representatives of the 

 family, stood the drought well, their wiry foliage being capable 

 of withstmding a dry atmosphere, like the Acacias and other 

 simUar-leaved plants of Auetralia. We refer to recently- 

 planted subjects ; and now since rain has fallen, they are 

 starting to grow with a bound ; they make multitudes of roots 

 with greater freedom when seemingly in an over-dry state. 

 This is strikingly Ulastrated in the case of two specimen plants 

 of Thujopsis dolabrata, both which had in winter occupied pro- 

 minent positions temporarily for the purpose of decoration, 

 from which they were removed in March. It was June when 

 one of them became extremely dry at the root, while the other 

 was even wet ; both are equally fresh at top, but the dry one 

 has made an enormous mass of fresh white roots, while the 

 other and wet one had not made any. What has been the 

 cause of this important difference ? Was it the comparative 

 warmth consequent on the dryness that encouraged root- 

 action, or the natural effort of the plant to obtain for its 

 healthful existence moisture which the other enjoyed ? The 

 moist atmosphere of winter prevented exhaustion .in the case 

 of the dry tree. Probably Coniferous trees as a whole prefer 

 a mois-t atmosphere and a moderately dry soil. Their natural 

 habitats suggest this idea: the various forms of Cupressus 

 Lawsonii seem to stand drought the worst. 



In the kitchen garden the heat and drought have had similar 

 effects on vegetables. Broceolis, Cauliflower, and Cabbages 

 ghowed exhaustion, in spite of much artificial watering. Those 

 useful vegetables will not stand heat, it is foreign to their 

 nature. Onions, on the other baud, though they assume that 

 glaucous bluish green which is the effect of drought, made 

 good their hold in the soil, and when rain came made quite a 

 rush into growth. Water in their case would be beneficial 

 with a scorching sun ; but the Cabbage tribe under strong 

 sun, even with sufficient root moisture, moke a flaccid and 

 ■weakly growth. Herein lies the superiority of Scotland over 

 the South in the matter of small fruits and succulent vegetables, 

 and it is foolish to make disparaging comparisons of the re- 

 Bpective cultivations. The French are not supposed to excel 

 in summer vegetables, and the northern gardener is supposed 

 to beat his southern neighbours ; but if the matter be closely 

 inquired into, it will be found that climate has most to do with 

 it, and not altogether cultural skill. A hot dry atmosphere 

 will cause young Cauliflower to bolt and open their heads in 

 spite of the cultivation, and Cabbage will refuse to make solid 

 crifp hearts ; but we in the south may fairly claim to know 

 more about the cultivation of French Beans, Scarlet Runners, 

 Tomatoes, Vegetable Marrows, &c. 



Sach a season as the present teaches us lessons which have 

 been learned generations ago in Spain — the value of water and 

 irrigation. All watering under such intense heat is useless 

 unless thorough, or in the shape of complete irrigation. This 

 we have been in a position to prove this season by having an 

 abundant supply of water at various points and scarcity at 

 others. At one point we were able to allow water to run in a 

 stream among some Roses, and their freshness and fineness of 

 bloom was a complete contrast to others. Moreover, these 

 irrigated Rjses have been completely free from blight, while 



others were hopelessly infested , and we irrigated a large portion 

 of flower garden with marked results under the bright sun- 

 shine. No garden can be called complete without a ramifica- 

 tion of pipes and hydrants, and an abundant supply of water, 

 which is procurable in the majority of gardens. Water is 

 more particularly necessary in the fruit garden. The flowers 

 and vegetables are too apt to get a full share of water at the 

 expense of fruit trees. Heat and dryness have a ripening or 

 maturing effect on the wood of fruit trees, but in conjunction 

 with plenty of nourishment at the root, otherwise they have 

 a decidedly exhausting effect ; and although wood may appear 

 ripe, and abundance of fruit buds set, say on Peach trees, th& 

 following spring will most assuredly tell a tale of bud-dropping, 

 fruit not setting, and disappointment at the stoning period. 

 And the same remarks apply to fruit trees in general. Shade 

 is a most important auxiliary in a variety of cases during a 

 season of excessive heat, especially in the case of newly- 

 planted trees and shrubs, while watering at the root will be 

 found of no avail to keep plants alive. Shade in some form 

 will be quite successful. It obviates the scorching effects of 

 the sun on a plant, the cultivation of which has been impaired 

 by removal. Materials for shading need not be expensive or 

 difficult to get. Branches of Spruce or of common Laurel, 

 even a handful of grass or straw thrown over a plant, will 

 shade it sufficiently to carry it through a trying time. The 

 shade of trees to grass enables it to retain its green appear- 

 ance, whUe that exposed to the sun is scorched to the colour 

 of hay. 



It is a bad practice to mow grass too closely in times of heat 

 and drought. Grass shades itself, and mulches the ground, 

 and so prevents the sun drying up the soil. Moreover, grass 

 condenses, and is an instrument in the manufacture of dew 

 for the maintenance of its own growth. Without the grass 

 dew is not deposited, and it should therefore not be too closely 

 mown in very dry weather. All that is necessary for appear- 

 ance is an even surface, which can be effected by adjusting the 

 cutters of the machine by a sufficient depression of the front 

 roller. Akin to shade is the benefit derived from the use of 

 the syringe on newly-planted shrubs and trees. Moistening 

 the leaves and branches in the evening assists the leaves naa- 

 terially to maintain life. It may sometimes be possible to 

 moisten a whole clump of shrubs or trees by a hose from a 

 hydrant ; or, when such is not attainable, a large garden 

 engine and attendant water-barrel will effect much with the 

 labour of two men. With several hundred feet of hose and a 

 small hand fire-engine we have been able to do good service 

 among shrubs and trees lately planted. A dry spring and a 

 heavy soil have taught us the lesson that the early autumn is 

 the best time to transplant trees and shrubs, not excepting 

 Hollies and Conifera). 



There is one class of plants that shows wonderful tenacity 

 of life under heat and drought — namely. Mosses and Licheps. 

 No plant seems to enjoy moisture more than they do, even to- 

 saturation, when they grow with wonderful rapidity, yet none 

 stand drought better. The sun does not seem to have the 

 power of killing many of them, even on stones that become 

 so hot that one cannot bear the heat with the hand. Even 

 some Ferns bear the dryness with impunity. Large masses of 

 the common Polypody may be seen perfectly dried up ; to all 

 appearance the fronds are gone, and the roots like a door-mat, 

 yet with the first rain it springs into a mass of verdure. — {The 

 Gardener.) 



WINDOW POT TLiNTS. 



The desire to foster a love of window plants among cottagers 

 has long been experienced by the conductors of our horticul- 

 tural journals, and it is gratifying to see the headway this 

 branch of cultivation has made, and its beautifying effect on 

 many of the dwellings of our artisans. One drawback I have 

 frequently noticed is that, |notwithstanding the owners exer- 

 cise the greatest care and patience with their plants, these do 

 not seem to thrive properly. In many cases which I have 

 examined the reason is evidently the condition of the pots ; 

 therefore a hint or two may be serviceable to many. 



It is too often the custom to place window plants — Gera- 

 niums, Calceolarias, Fuchsias, etc., in their young state in 

 small and dirty pots, and when the plant has attained a cer- 

 tain size, if it is fortunate enough to do so, to endeavour to 

 remove it to a larger pot. From the originally dirty state of 

 the pot this is found to be a work of difficulty, and the plant 

 has to be literally cut out, and the roots are consequently 



