238 



JOURNAL OF HOBTIOULTDRB AND COTTAGE GAEDENBB. 



[ September 10, 1874. 



roofed honse with its end facing south is the heet. In the early 1 

 summer months and lat-' in the yenr the best form of structure 

 is the half-span. Thu plants should always be trained to a 

 trellis fixed a foot or lo inches from the glass roof. 



Orchard House. — We are now shaking the Peach and Nectarine 

 trees out of their pots, and repotting all the large trees in the 

 same sized pots in which they had been growing. To do this it 

 is necessary to use an iron prong to disentangle the roots, re- 

 ducing the ball of roots sufficiently to allow of an inch of the 

 potting material being firmly rammed-in down the sides of the 

 pots. Good drainage is also necessary to successful culture. 

 One large piece of potsherd should be placed over the hole in 

 the bottom of the pot, and a few larger pieces round it, finishing 

 off with smaller pieces ; over these place some turf with the 

 smaller particles shaken out of it, using only the turfy part. The 

 leaves are sure to flag for a day or two, but dewing with the 

 syringe and keeping the house a little closer than usual will pre- 

 vent any injury. It the trees have been thoroughly watered a 

 few hours before turning them out of the pots, it is better not 

 to give any water for twenty-four hours after repotting, when a 

 sufficient quantity should be BuppUed to thoroughly saturate the 

 whole. 



Nearly all the Peaches have been gathered ; there yet remain 

 Desse Tardive, Exquisite, Lord and Lady Palmerston. The 

 first-named is certainly the very best late Peach we have. It is 

 not quite so good in flavour as Walhurton Admirable, but the 

 Iruit is larger, it colours better, and it is also a better setter. We 

 have tried several trees of W^alburton Admirable in pots, and 

 unless care is taken to impregnate the blossoms the fruit does 

 not set ; whereas Desse Tardive never fails to bear a crop, and 

 no artificial impregnation is required. Dymond has disappointed 

 ns; the fruit sets very well, but it is only of average flavour, 

 and has not yet grown up to the average size ; indeed, it is not 

 BO large as Early York. Let us recommend Exquisite as the 

 best of the yellow-fleshed sorts : large, with a fine crimson 

 Bhade on the sunny side ; the flesh is melting and refreshing, 

 . and though in flavour it cannot be said to touch Noblesse or 

 Bellegarde, this is as good as some. Lord Palmerston is a good 

 kitchen sort, excellent for cooking purposes, and it makes a 

 delicious pie. It may sometimes be sent in for dessert, but can- 

 not be recommended for that purpose. Lady Palmerston is the 

 last to ripen of the four, and is of tener good than Salway ; it 

 ripens ten days or more before that sort. Nectarines are over 

 with "Victoria.— J. Douglas. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



Pine Apple Nursery Company, Maida Vale, Edgware Bead, 

 London, W. — Cataloquc. of Dutch Bulbs, dc. 



Cranston & Mayo, Hereford. — Descriptive Catalogue of Dutch, 

 Cape, and other Flowering Bulbs. 



WiUiam Barron & Son, IG, Market Street, Nottingham, and 

 Elvaston Nurseries, Borrowash, Derby. — Select List of Im- 

 ported Dutch Bulbs, £c. 



Little & Ballantyne, Carlisle, and 30, Mark Lane London, 

 E.G. — Descriptive Catalogue of Bases, Bhododendrons, ttc. — 

 Descriptive and Priced Cataloquc ofHtiacinths, Tulips, i(-c. 



Robertson k Galloway, 157, Ingram Street, Glasgow, and The 

 Hermitage, Helensburgh. — Dutch Boot List. 



Barr & Sugden, 12. King Street, Covent Garden, London, W.C. 

 — Autumnal Descriptive Catalogue of Bulbs and Plants for 

 Winter, Spring, and Summer Flowering. 



George Yates, Uuderbank, and Boyal Oak MUls, Stockport.— 

 Catalogue of Flower Boots. 



C. Huber"& Co., Hyeres, France. — Frix Courant des Graines 

 de Primevcres de Chine. — Graines de Boronia megastigma. 



James Dickson & Sons, 108, Eastgate Street, and Newton Nur- 

 Beries, Chester. — Select Boses. — Bulbous Flower Boots. — List of 

 Strawberries. — List of Grape Vines. 



T. S. Ware, Hale Farm Nurseries, Tottenham, London. — 

 A. B. C. Bulb Guide, Collection of Spring Flowers, d-c. 



George Poulton, Fountain Nursery, Angel Road, Edmonton. — 

 Catalogue of Flower Boots. 



edited the new edition of Mcintosh's " Practical Gardener." Any bookseller 

 can obtain it for you from Messrs. Blackwood, the publishers. 



Gardener's Work on SuND-iYS. — "^ Lancmhire Gard'-mr" wishes to 

 liQow whether gardeners ought to bo expected to gather Peas, dig Potatoes, 

 &c., on Sundays. The rule is that all such work ought to be done on the pie- 

 vious Saturda.v; and the cook or housekeeptr. knowing what dishes of vege- 

 tables will probably be required, ebonld on that day order accordingly. In 

 places where there is a lar;.'e extent of RlasB ere^tioos there is always plenty 

 of necessary work to bo performed by the man in charge. At the same time 

 it is very undesirable for the cook and gardtner to come into collision about 

 this or any other matter in which they have a mutual interest. The gardener 

 should let the cook know in a respectful manner that he does not approve of 

 ha\ing veaetablcs of all sort! gathered on Sundays the tame as on any other 

 day in the week, and ask that everything that is possible be ordered on the 

 previous day. If respectful language fails, a man who is possessed of a due 

 measure of self-respect will take a firm stand for what he considers right. 

 Vases are sometimes sent out to be tilled with flowers on a Sunday, which 

 shows that in those instances emplojers have not a due respect for the day 

 of rest. Having thus expressed our opinion, we add as decidedly that a man 

 who would refuse to do any sort of work on Sundays to oblige a considerate 

 employer had far better not apply for the ofRce of head gardener in any 

 establishment. What ho may justly object to is, either bis employer or the 

 cook persistently requiring work to be done on Sunday which might as easily 

 be done on the Saturday. 



Banksian Rose Pbcnino {K. IT.).— The Banksian Kose requires very 

 little pruning, but you may regulate the shoots, keeping them from becoining 

 very much crowded, cutting them clean out whore too thick, and securing them 

 to the wall. In spring the unripe points of the shoot s should be removed, or II 

 they are firm even tliat is not necessary. The old weak branches may be cut 

 clean out. and replaced by young vigorous shoots trained-in at their full 

 length. The aspect being south there should be flowers next season, bat the 

 plants take some time to overcome the disposition to growth. The main 

 thing is to secure the thorough ripening of the wood, and to tliis our climate 

 is not favourable. 



Stopping Seedlixg Pelargonicms {A. P. R ) —We would not stop them 

 but keep them near the glass so as to have them dwarf, and after they have 

 flowered jou may cut them down to from 4 to 6 iocbes of the surface, pnttmg 

 in the cuttings, it you think tbey are of a kind worth continuing. Keep them 

 rather diy until they hare made new shoots an inch lung, when they may bo 

 turned oiit of the pots, the ball reduced, and repotted in the same size of ^t, 

 shitting into larger pots as those thev are in fill with roots— say m No- 

 vember or December, and shift into the flowering-pots in February, stopping 

 the shoots when tbey have made three or four l.aves. Tie but the shoots so 

 as to form a good, well-fumished specimen. Stopping may be practised as 

 required up to March. 



Alternantheras Wintering (F. J. C.).— The plants will winter safely 

 in a house from which frost is excluded, they bemg well estabUshed in pots 

 before winter, and with no more water than suflident to keep them fresh, lo 

 encourage growth they inoy be placed in a frame in March. They winter 

 best with us in a temperatiu'e of 5U", keeping them moderately moist so as to 

 continue slowly growing during the winter. 



CocrMDERS Shrivelling (rri/in.i?). — It is evident from Meloiis doing 

 remarkably well that the atmosphere is too dry, or not kept regularly moist 

 for the proper swelling of the fruit. Perhaps the syrmaings are heavy, and 

 the water bangs on the ends of the fruit. See to the bottom heat, having 

 it 75", and the border in a proper state as to moisture, not making it very wet, 

 and encourage the surface roots with top-dressings of fresh rich ctmpost, 

 removiu" the surface soil down to the roots with as Uttle injury to them as 

 possible. Be careful to avoid check by air-giving, maintammg a moist 

 atmosphere, and brisk growing heat of 70' to 75-^ by day without sun, and Ho ' 

 or more with snu and air. A minimum of 65° to 70= is smtablo at mght, 

 though in the morning it may be 5° less. 



Indications of Eii-eness in Melons (Beginner).- Thereareno "maxi- 

 mum or many points " indicating "when any class of Melons are fit to out. 

 AU Melons show their ripeness by changing colour, usually from green to 

 yellow The change is sufficioutlv marked in aU to show when a Melon is ht 

 to cut, which is when the ripening colour extends over the greater part of the 

 surface of the fruit. The fruit also when ripening emits an aioma, and after- 

 this takes place it should be cut within twenty-four hours. Of some Melons 

 when ripening the footstalk parts Jrom the stem; and when the aroma 

 commences to be given off. and hefore tho stem is so cracked as to part from 

 th» fruit, the latter should be cut. It is not diflicult to know when a Melon 

 is fit to cut ; all that is wanted is a little experience, and its being fit to cut 

 may be known by its exhibiting a mellowness without signs of decay. 



CiCTi CoTTlNas(Oi>un(ia).—Toumust obtain them from friends; we know 

 of no florist who sells them, nor of any work devoted to their culture. 

 " Greenhouses for the Many " contains much about them. You can have it 

 free by post if yon enclose ten postage stamps with your address. 



Peach HOUSE Arrangement [H., iTonkstmni, Co. Dublin).— You will not 



need a path in front; one where you show the door at the end will answer. 



The ntuning and tying can be done from beneath the trellis, and from the 



nath at back. Wo presume you have the front wall arched or on pillars, so as 



admit of the roots passing from the inside to the outside border ; the trees 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



*,'* It is particularly requested that no commnnication be 

 addressed privately to either of the Editors of this 

 Journal. All correspondence should be directed either to 

 "The Editors," or to "The Publisher." Letters ad- 

 dressed to Mr. Johnson or Dr. Hogg often remain unopened 

 nn avoid ably. 



Correspondents should not mix up on the same sheet questions 

 relating to Gardening and those on Poultry and Bee sub- 

 jects, and should never send more than two or three 

 questions at once. AU articles intended for insertion 

 should be written on one side of the paper only. 

 Books U- T. P.).—" Small Farms," by the Rev. W. Lea, is published at 



our office, and may bo had free by post Jor 6j<i. {J. Fine).— Mr. Anderson 



beiiiK planted inside, and the shoots trained to the under side of the treUis, 

 but with the form of trellis you show the shoots will have to be trained to the 

 urner side. Wo should have the trellis curved as jou show it at bottom, and 

 then flat at 16 inches from the glass. By your plan you wiU gain a little 

 more light for the trees on tho back waU, with the disadvantage of havmg the 

 trees on the upper si ie of the trellis. The front wall should be on pillars 

 14 inches by 9 inches, with openings between of 2 feet 6 inches ; and with a 

 stone headiog of 10 inches by 9 inches, reaching midway between the pillars, 

 you would not need arches, the stone heading being suBicient to carry the 

 ioodwo.k. This wo should have preferred, and we would even yet have the 

 front wall disposed in the way named. We should have three trees m tont 

 and three at the back. On the back wall one Early Leatnce, one Early 

 Alfred, and one Roval George Peach. In front one Notilesse, one Grosee 

 Mignonne, and one Bellegarde ; or if you wish for a ^ectarlne m place of the 

 last-named, have Elruge. Stanwick Elruge, forced with us, is a freo-fetter, 

 aud btars very fine fruit. With the present front waU you will only be able 

 to have two trees in front. Noblesse and Grosse Mignonne Peaches. 



Winter-pruning Pear, Plum, and Apple Trees (S(. Bridj/W) -The 

 trees not having been summer-pruned, should have the shoots cut baoli to 

 within half an inch of tho wood from which they originate. Any Bhoots re- 

 quired for extension should be trained-m their lull length, except the central 



