Soptembcv 17, 1874. ) JOURNAL OF HORTICDLTURK AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



237 



select a few of those plants most easily grown, believing that 

 these are the things to be appreciated by the amateur rather 

 more than plants of a very tender nature. Beginning first with 

 Ferns, there are the well-known Adiantums cuneatum, for- 

 mosum, and venuatum ; the former an excellent Fern to afford 

 fronds for cutting, but requires to be kept in the warmest part 

 of the house, and in a moderately moist position. The other 

 two sorts are somewhat hardier, and will do with greenhouse 

 treatment. Some others that will thrive under the same con- 

 ditions are Aspleniums bulbiferum, flaccidum, and luoidum. 

 The former is an erect-growing sort with vigorous habit, and 

 has a handsome appearance; the next is more graceful in ap- 

 pearance than either, having a droopiug habit, which is suitable 

 for suspending in baskets. Then we have Cyi'tomium falcatum, 

 a Fern with fronds of a totally distinct character, and is one to 

 be recommended for its ornamental appearance ; and being a 

 Fern that is almost, if not quite, hardy iu the south of England, 

 it may be looked upon as one of easy culture. I might also 

 name Davallia buUata, a Fern of a creeping nature, dwarf habit, 

 but with handsome fronds ; this ought to grow with the Adian- 

 tums. Doodia caudata is another pretty Fern, also Lomaria 

 gibba, a miniature Tree Fern, but common enough now in cool 

 greenhouses, and is quite distinct from any of the others named. 

 Nephrodium molle corymbiferum, an erect-growing sort with 

 darkish fronds. Nephrolepis exaltata, too, must not be omitted 

 for baskets ; it is rather loose in habit, but its long, narrow, 

 graceful fronds make up for all that. Then we come to the 

 Pterises, of which there are several, such as serrulata, longifoUa, 

 aerrnlata cristata, and tremula, all of which, and many more, 

 are greenhouse Ferns of the easiest culture. They also make 

 capital window plants, but they must not be allowed to stay too 

 long; and for placing on the dinner-table or in vases in entrance 

 lobbies they are especially handy. There is also another class 

 of plants which possess the last qualification, but are of dwarf 

 habit, and as they cau be made to grow in the smallest vessel, 

 how handy they are for placing here and there on the drawing- 

 room tables, mantlepieces, and other places, where they look 

 nice but do not obstruct. These are Selaginellas denticulata, 

 flexuosa, involvens, stolonifera, and Wildenovi as about the 

 hardiest and easiest grown. They delight in moisture over- 

 head when growing, they then throw out their little fork-like 

 rootlets, which support the fronds in an upright position. If 

 larger specimens are wanted, grow them iu pans 8 inches over 

 and peg down the fronds. After a time they throw out fresh 

 ones, which will grow erect ; place between these some small 

 lumps of turf, and peg them to it, and as they grow continue 

 adding to it until a large plant is built up. While this is going 

 on give them moisture overhead frequently, which is their prin- 

 cipal support, for they make very little root in the pan in which 

 they are potted. 



All the above plants enjoy a soil made up of two-thirds peat 

 with plenty of sand added, and one-third loam broken up or 

 sifted fine, and small pieces of charcoal added to the whole, 

 which keeps the soil open. The drainage ought to be perfect, 

 using some charcoal in it, and cover it over with dried moss or 

 any other light dry material to keep the soil from mixing with 

 the drainage. Pot the most of them rather firm, excepting the 

 Selaginellas, which must be potted rather light. Let me men- 

 tion another plant easy to grow — Isolepis gracilis, a kind of 

 Grass, with its foliage of a nice green, and falling closely and 



fracefully over the pot so as in some cases to entirely hide it. 

 'his likes a loamy soil with a little peat added, and to be potted 

 firm. This plant will bear any amount of moving about so long 

 as it is well supplied with moisture, and transferred to the 

 warmest part of the house when turning or inclined to grow out 

 of its ordinary green colour. Tradescantia zebrina is another 

 very ornamental plant which will grow well in those little town 

 conservatories. It produces a profusion of small handsomely- 

 marked leaves, and has a creeping habit. It is suitable, and 

 looks elegant when suspended in pots or baskets. It grows fast, 

 and when the shoots become long or naked take the points of 

 them off and put them tliickly into a small pot filled with fine 

 sandy peaty soil, and they will root quickly. This is the way to 

 keep a pot or basket of fresh-looking plants with the leaves of 

 their true ornamental colour. 



Among fine-foliage plants as well as flowers there is the pretty 

 compact-growing Begonia Weltoniensis, a greenhouse autumn- 

 blooming sort of the easiest culture. It is an odd-looking root, 

 which forms a crown as the plant increases in size, so that after 

 it has ceased flowering the shoots may be cut oS, and young 

 ones soon form, which may be propagated in the ordinary way; 

 or the plant will succeed if, after the shoots break into growth, 

 the soil be shaken from the roots and repotted in rich loam and 

 peat, growing it on in an intermediate temperature until it comes 

 into bloom, when it may be placed in a more airy part of the 

 house. Then there is the old Gesnera zebrina, which does so 

 well upon the shelves of the conservatory when it has light and 

 air, the latter in a moderate degree. It may not flower so freely 

 in such a place as in a stove or warm house, but its foliage gene- 

 rally comes to a good colour, and is so ornamental as to make it 



worth growing. It flowers iu winter, and dies down in spring. 

 The plants are produced from little scaly tubers produced in 

 the soil. After the plant dies the soil should be kept dry till 

 wanted for potting, when the tubers may be turned out and 

 potted about from live to seven in a pot, using a soil of loam and 

 peat in equal proportions, with sand and charcoal added. It is 

 not proper to allow moisture to settle on the leaves after they 

 approach their full size, otherwise it spoils that velvety appear- 

 ance which makes this plant so attractive. The common Musk, 

 which everyone is acquainted with, is also a very excellent 

 autumn-blooming plant. It is always advisable to fill a dozen 

 pots with the roots in the spring of the year, let them grow and 

 flower, which they wiD do abundantly and without requiring 

 any special treatment, and the plant will grow in almost any 

 house or window in any town. After the first flowering is over 

 stand the pots aside for a month or more, then cut the tops off 

 close to the pot, water the whole well, and keep it moist ; very 

 soon the shoots will appear in abundance, and form a most 

 lovely and attractive plant for almost any purpose. As a window 

 plant it stands almost unrivalled for its ease of culture and 

 abundant bloom. 



Those who have got a flower garden may take measures to 

 secure some of the best of the Geraniums for use in the conser- 

 vatory by digging round them, and keeping others near them 

 from interfering with their growth. After a week or two these 

 may be potted carefully and taken to the house, where they 

 ought soon to recover themselves, and in time produce a little 

 bloom. The same may be said of Lobelias and some few other 

 things. 



Those who grow the Solanum Capsicastrum, and everyone 

 should, for it is a capital plant for town gardens and winter 

 decoration of a greenhouse, should be planted-out in May in 

 the open ground, and after the plants start into giowth the 

 little _ white flowers make their appearance in abundance, 

 especially on old plants ; these in time produce a green berry, 

 which grows to the size of a small Cherry. After the middle 

 of September, or not later than the first week in October, the 

 plants must be taken up with great care, with as much soil 

 attached to the roots as possible, put them into pots not over- 

 lai-ge, water them abundantly, and keep them from the sun 

 until are well established, which does not take more than a 

 fortnight, then transfer them to the greenhouse, and before a 

 week is past the berries will begin to change to red ; this they 

 will aU do in time, and if the berries are numerous, which they 

 generally are under ordinary conditions, the plants will become 

 the most handsome and useful plants in the house.— Thojus 

 Eecoed. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST AND PEESENT WEEKS. 



HABDY FHUIT G.IBDEN. 



We are now making preparation to go on with digging and 

 trenching. In our light soil (which under any circumstances 

 from the quantity of sand and gravel that it contains), it is not 

 very important to have this done early. On heavy soils the 

 reverse is the case ; the ground ought to be turned-up to the 

 ameliorating influences of the atmosphere as early as possible. 

 Intending planters of fruit trees should now have the ground 

 prepared for them. It is quite necessary to have it trenched, 

 and if the soil is poor some rotted stable manure may be worked- 

 in during the operation. It may not be out of place to allude 

 to the operation of trencliing. This must not be done anyhow 

 and at any time. When the ground is too wet for other opera- 

 tions, it is not uncommon to go on with the trenching, and 

 men may be seen at work with the soil a perfect puddle under 

 their feet. Now, tliis puddle may be thrown into the bottom of 

 the trench out of sight and out of remembrance, but it is 

 certain that the crop for next season will not be improved by it. 

 Another instance may be quoted, and that is ground that has 

 been trodden upon for weeks and mouths until it is as hard as a 

 footpath, is trenched-up and the hard surface is carelessly 

 thrown in the bottom of the trench without being broken-up as 

 it ought. Before commencing to trench hard ground it is best 

 to break-up the surface with a fork, and let it lie for a week or 

 two, the loosened surface is then thrown into the bottom of the 

 trench, and in that state is well adapted for the roots of all 

 vegetables and trees to work into. 



Besides trenching and preparing the ground, when trees have 

 to be purchased it is desirable to look after them in good time, 

 either by giving the order to the nurseryman early, or going to 

 the nursery and selecting them personally. Two-year-old trees 

 are the best, and they should be clean and regularly furnished 

 with Ibranches. For small or medium-sized gardens, pyramid 

 or bush Apples on the Paradise stock. Pears on the Quince, 

 except a few that do not succeed on that stock, and a few 

 Cherries on the Cerasus Mahaleb. Cherries budded on this stoc 

 bear early and abundantly ; the only objection to their culture 

 is, that the fruit is carried off by marauding birds before it is 

 quite coloured. It is easy to throw some netting over the trees 

 before they grow to a, large size, but when the trees become 



