282 



JOURNAL OF HORTICDLTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



[ September 24, 1874. 



kitchen garden maybe made quite as attractive as any other part 

 of the grounds, but neatness should prevail everywhere. When 

 Cabbages, Cauliflowers, Lettuce, &c,, are cut over the stocks 

 should be forked up at once, and carried to the vegetable mould 

 heap ; this heap should be iu the least frequented part of the 

 grounds, and hidden from sight by a sufficient screen of ever- 

 greens. The Ewglifih Yew, from its dense growth, is perhaps 

 the best subject to plant for this purpose, although Arbor Vitas, 

 Broad-leaved Evergreen Privet, and any plant of a similar 

 character will answer. The last-named will succeed in almost 

 any soil and situation, and it also grows very rapidly. The vege- 

 table refuse from a large garden accumulates iu a year to a very 

 large heap, and where manure is scarce it comes in useful as a 

 dressing either for flower borders or kitchen garden quarters. 

 Our early garden experience was gained in a situation where 

 the gardener could only have manure at the discretion of the 

 bailiff, and nearly all the farmyard or stable manure that found 

 its way to the garden came in the form of horse droppings for 

 the Mushroom house, which, after being spent there, were gene- 

 rally used on the flower beds. In this place every bit of refuse 

 convertible into manure was valuable. A large quantity of 

 leaves raked up in the pleasure ground was added to the heap in 

 the autumn and winter months. A tank which received the 

 drainage of the farmyard was also emptied on the heap once or 

 twice a-year, and though the kitchen garden received scarcely 

 any manure except from this refuse, excellent and plentiful sup- 

 plies of Potatoes and all other vegetables were produced. 



FRUIT .\ND FORCING HOUSES. 



Fine Souses. — It is difficult to say what character of soil is 

 best for potting Pines. We have not been so successful with 

 our plants since a clayey loam which was used for this purpose 

 can no longer be obtained. Our own loam is from a very light 

 sandy soil, and full of fibre; in it the plants grow freely, but the 

 pips do not swell up satisfactorily, which would lead one to 

 suppose that the potting material had become exhausted before 

 the fruit appeared ; and yet a very successful Pine-grower told 

 UB the other day that the soil he uses is very light sandy stuff. 

 Another successful cultivator pots his plants in peat soil. One 

 thing ought to be noted, and that is that Pines do not show the 

 result of injudicious treatment so readily as some other fruits, 

 but very probably the plants suffer quite as much, and will at 

 last show the result in producing very inferior fruit. We filled 

 one of the beds with loam, to which a sixth part of stable 

 manure was added, and in it the suckers which were potted in 

 August have been planted out. The bed is sufficiently drained, 

 and is also provided with hot-water pipes underneath. Very 

 large Providence Pines, some of them weighing over 15 lbs., 

 were produced at Gunnersbury ; the plants were put out in beds, 

 and brick divisions erected between each plant. 



Where young succession plants have been newly potted or 

 planted out, it is desirable to shut-up the house early, say 3 p.m. ; 

 the thermometer should not fall below 70° at night. In the 

 fruiting house a little air is left on all night both at the front 

 and back. 



FeacJi Houses. — The only attention early houses require is to 

 remove decaying leaves. A good drenching from the garden 

 engine answers two purposes ; it removes all loose leaves, and 

 at the same time cleanses those that remain on the trees from 

 red spider and other pests. Late houses are now also destitute 

 of fruit, except some of the latest Peaches. Salway is very 

 well worth growing ; it is the latest of the freestones, and though 

 Bometimes woolly and deficient of flavour, it never fails to make 

 a good show on the dessert table, the fruit being large and rich- 

 looking. It is not so well adapted for pot-culture as Lady Pal- 

 merston, which is also ripe two or three weeks before Salway. 

 Both sorts ought to be grown where fruit is required late in the 

 season. Another variety not so well known as it ought to be is 

 Desse Tardive. This is a finer-looking fruit thau either Wal- 

 burton or Late Admirable, and is rather later. 



Mitshroom House. — We can go out into the fields and gather 

 excellent Mushrooms just now, and many others can do the 

 same; although the ground is very dry large specimens have 

 been gathered. With an inch or two of rain aud mild weather 

 this wholesome esculent would be obtained in quantity from 

 meadows and grass fields. However, there are many places 

 where no Mushrooms are produced naturally. Manure should 

 now be ready to make-up a bed in the house. Our own expe- 

 rience suf-'gests that about a third part should be cow manure, 

 and a little turfy loam added is an improvement. A bed made- 

 up as suggested will not heat violentlv, and will continue in 

 bearing much longer than one composed only of stable manure. 

 We have had heaps of stable manure, loam, and cow manure iu 

 equal proportions that have produced most excellent Mushrooms 

 without any spawn being inserted in the usual way from bricks. 



GREEXHOi;SE AND CONSERVATORY. 



The houses which up to this time have been gay with what 

 are termed softwooded plants, are now to be cleared-out for the 

 summer occupants. Old plants of Fuchsias, Zonal Pelargo- 

 niums, and indeed the whole section of rapid-growing plants, 

 may be cut-up for the rubbish heaps rather thau that the 



vineries and Peach houses should be overcrowded with them. 

 These structures have in nine cases out of ten to become store 

 houses for the larger plants that will be required in the flower 

 garden next year, aud, being drier, are much better adapted for 

 the plants than low damp pits. It is not safe to allow Heaths, 

 Azaleas, Chorozemas, Statice, or, indeed, any Cape or New 

 Holland plants, to remain out after this, unless they are in a 

 position where a canvas screen can be drawn down over them at 

 night, and to protect them from heavy rains as well ; but in any 

 case it is much better to have the plants under the glass. When 

 plants are taken indoors, if a little judgment is not exercised, 

 many of them may suffer, and some severely. Take the Camel- 

 lia for instance. The plants have been in a shady position out 

 of doors; the weather may have been showery, and the leaves 

 of the plants have been wet night and day ; even if no rain has 

 fallen, the leaves are saturated with dew at night. The plants 

 are taken into a greenhouse or conservatory, and if they are in 

 flower little or no moisture is allowed; the atmosphere is dry, 

 even parching. The leaves of the Camellia are dry always. 

 The pots had been standing on the ground, the roots were 

 always cool, which caused the formation of many tender white 

 rootlets. Now the roots are on a dry stage, and surrounded 

 by a dry warm atmosphere, even, it may be, to the extent of 

 injuring the rootlets. The inexperienced cultivator may say, 

 "Yes, that is just the condition of my plants; they were 

 treated as described." Now the plants may show no signs 

 of distress, the leaves will continue green and healthy-look- 

 ing ; but look at the flower buds in a month or so ; the outer 

 scales, which should be quite green, are becoming edged with 

 brown, the buds do not swell, and presently drop oil. Now, 

 when the plants are taken indoors let the paths and stages be 

 damped in the morning, and should the days be warm with 

 sunshine bedew the plants overhead with a fine syringe. No 

 other plant will suffer so much as the Camellia from the change ; 

 but many are attacked by mildew and red spider. Some species 

 of Cape Heaths suffer severely from the former before it is 

 detected ; a quick eye is required to discern the evil, and prompt 

 remedies must be applied, dusting with flowers of sulphur for 

 mildew ; laying the plants on their sides and well syringing 

 with water will destroy the red spider. 



Shaking out and repotting stage Pelargoniums; plants that 

 were growing in 7-inch pots have the balls reduced to be re- 

 potted in 5iuch. The pots are well drained, and the potting 

 material is turfy loam four parts, leaf mould one part, and a 

 little rotted manure added to it. Removed Auriculas from a 

 position under a north wall to a frame facing south ; the lights 

 are drawn off in the day, but the plants are not exposed to rain 

 after this. — J. Douglas. 



Glow-worm in the North. — I see in the chapter on " Beauti- 

 ful and Useful Insects of our Gardens," the writer believes the 

 glow-worm to be scarce in the north of England, and not often 

 noticed in August, aud quite exceptionally in September. This 

 is not correct for Westmoreland, for here iu the lake district 

 we have an abundance of glow-worms, aud we very rarely see 

 them before September. — A Reader of The Journal. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



B. G. Henderson & Son, Wellington Eoad, St. John's Wood, 

 London, N.W. — Catalogue of Bulbs, Flower Boots, Bases, and 

 Fruit Trees. 



S. Dixon & Co., 48a, Moorgate Street, London, B.C. — Caia- 

 lofjue of Dutch and other Flower Boots. 



R. B. Matthews, 6a and 67, Victoria Street, Belfast. — Descrip- 

 tive Catalogue of Dutch Flower Boots. 



T. Bunyard & Sons, Maidstone. — Select List of Dutch Flower 

 Boots. 



John Harrison, Grange Nursery, Darlington. — Descriptive 

 Catalogue of Boses. — Descriptive Catalogue of Fruit Trees. — 

 Catalogue of Flower Boots. 



W. Bull, King's Eoad, Chelsea, London, S.W. — Betail List of 

 Bulbs and Tuberous-rooted Plants, dc. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



*,* It is particularly requested that no commnnioation 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 

 unavoidably. 

 Books. — In anawpr to many inquiries, we can now state that the new edition 

 of Hoc^-'s " Fruit Manual " is passing through the press, and will be pub- 

 lished in the course of a few weeks. This edition ia very much enlarged, and 

 will be printed on the same sized paper as " British Pomology," or what is 

 technically termed demy octavo. 



Acme Frames. — If " E. B., Btrkhamimtcad,'' will write to Mr. B. Looker? 

 Kingstcn-on-Thames, he will receive all the information he requires. 



