Much 16, 1876. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



219 



a foot out from the wall. It may be of wood, elate, or glass ; the 

 former is easiest managed. 



Many gardeners are obliged to crop their fruit-tree borders 

 close to the wall. We have seen Cauliflower plants so reared, 

 and various small salads for early use ; and spring flowers, 

 especially Violets of sorts, are brought in very early in such a 

 position. It would be much better if the space at least 3 feet 

 from the walls could be free from crops, so that so much of the 

 ground could be covered with decayed manure. 



Where the walls are much exposed to gales of wind the placing 

 of evergreen branches amongst the trees as a shelter may be a 

 very doubtful advantage. Some growers, especially the amateur 

 class, are very fond of digging amongst the roots of their trees. 

 It the tree does not bear they say, " Let us dig about it and dung 

 it." Very often it would be better to let the ground alone, and 

 for stone fruits especially. Should the soil be firm the mulching 

 of manure will entice the roots to the surface, and will also pre- 

 •vent the ground from cracking. 



The ground is very wet yet, and the Strawberry bed required 

 weeding. A man went over the ground first and picked out all 

 but the very smallest weeds, and on a drying day last week the 

 Dutch hoe was run through between the rows. All ground 

 under fruit trees will be stirred with the Dutch hoe when the 

 ground is dry. Keeping the hoe at work early in the seasoa ia 

 very advantageous to all the trees that are not mulched. 



OECHAHD HOUSE. 



Peach and Nectarine trees are now expanding their blossom 

 buds on the trees in pots. The weather continues cold, but 

 there has been sufficient sunshine to raise the temperature of 

 the house by day, and the high winds are an advantage to the 

 setting of the fruit. When the weather is dull and close it is 

 necessary to gently shake the trees daily to distribute the pollen. 

 The trees require water only about once a-week as yet at the 

 roots, and it is well to be careful not to spill any of it about the 

 paths or borders of the house. Pear and Plum trees have been 

 brought in from out of doors. The blossoms of the Pear trees 

 were considerably advanced. 



VIKERIES. 



There is nothing particular to note in this department. In 

 the early houses the flowering period ia over, and the fruit seems 

 to have set very well. The Vines had been allowed to grow-on 

 unchecked until a few days before the flowering period, when 

 all the laterals were stopped, and until all the bunches had 

 flowered there was no more stopping or tying ; either to bend 

 down a lateral or stop its growth checks it to a certain extent, 

 which is very undesirable when the fruit is setting. Some 

 Grape-growers recommend the temperature to be a little lower 

 at the lime of flowering. Our houses are kept about 5° higher, 

 and the setting of the fruit is aided by merely shaking the 

 bunches gently. No doubt the high winds have been of some 

 Bervice in distributing the pollen. We have had continued 

 gales from the west for the last ten days. 



When all the fruit was set the borders had a good watering 

 with manure water. The inside borders of the late vineries 

 have also had a good watering with manure water. The Vines 

 are breaking freely, and the houses are now kept close. 



The more experience we have with keeping late Grapes so 

 much the more are we convinced of the importance of ripening 

 them early. Late-ripened Grapes are not suificiently firm in 

 the flesh to keep well until March or April. 



We intend to inarch some of the Vines in the late houses this 

 season, and preparation is made for it. The most complete 

 union is made by uniting green wood to green. We allow the 

 shoots to grow about i feet, then take a slice of each about 

 3 inches in length, with a sharp kaife cutting clean and to the 

 centre of the growths, bring them together, and tie firmly with 

 soft matting. The growth on the stock should be pinched-back 

 to a leaf above the union, and the new Vine will make a fine 

 bearing shoot the first season if it is allowed space to develope 

 itself. 



Those who grow Vines in greenhouses or conservatories labour 

 under disadvantageous circumstances, not only when the Vines 

 are starting, but all through the season. Before the Vines start 

 in spring it is necessary to shade the bonne for Camellias and 

 other flowering plants, and in the summer it is necessary to 

 shade the house and air it more than the Vines like. If New 

 Holland and Cape hardwooded plants can be removed out of 

 the house from the end of May Camellias and some other 

 plants require the same treatment as Vines — namely, a close 

 and warm temperature with syringing twice daily. If a supply 

 of flowering plants has to be kept up in the greenhouse during 

 summer it is much better not to grow Vines. 



PLANT STOVE AND ORCHID HOUSES. 



Some of our plants still require repotting, and they will be 

 attended to as soon as possible. If plants are in a healthy state, 

 and the pots pretty well filled with roots, a liberal shift may be 

 given to them. Others may be unhealthy from the compost 

 becoming sour ; it will therefore be quite as necessary to repot 

 them, removing the sour compost and repotting in smaller pots. 

 Nearly all the stove plants are now growing freely, and a higher 



temperature ia necessary — not less than G5' at night with an 

 increase of from 0" by 15° by day. If the weather is dull it is 

 not well to try to maintain a high temperature from artificial 

 heat, but in bright sunshine, even with a shading on, 80' may 

 be reached ; and if the house is closed between two and three 

 in the afternoon with this temperature much less artificial heat 

 will be required. 



Ixoras are breaking freely, and require a plentiful supply of 

 water at the roots and to be freely syringed. The climbing 

 plants are now starting into growth. Our object is to keep them 

 free from insect pests, especially mealy bug. If this pest is in 

 the house it will find its way on to Uipladenias, Stephanotis, 

 Cissus discolor, and Hoya carnosa. The young growths of the 

 above twine tightly round the wires, but they ought not to be 

 allowed to do this, as the plants cannot be loosened down with- 

 out cutting all such growths oil. 



Achimenes and Gloxinias are much admired by some, but we 

 had not sufficient accommodation for them and had to discon- 

 tinue their culture. To grow them well they should be grown 

 in a position near the glass, and Achimenes are the better of a 

 little bottom heat. The pot 9 containing the tubers should now 

 be watered, and when growth has commenced they should be 

 repotted. The plants do well in turfy loam and fibrous peat 

 with a little sand and decayed manure added, draining the pots 

 well. No plant will continue in health if the pots are not well 

 drained and the drainage kept free from loose soil. It is neces- 

 sary that superfluous water should find egress freely and at 

 once. 



All free-growing stove plants require plenty of water, but it 

 must not be applied when the plants do not require it. There 

 is a much closer connection between the vegetable and animal 

 kingdoms than most people are aware of. If any members of 

 either are gorged with food when it is not required they will not 

 remain long in health. An animal will not drink unless it is 

 thirsty (some human beings have not so much sense), and a pot 

 plant will snffer if it is frequently watered before the soil is 

 sufficiently exhausted of moisture. Another point of resem- 

 blance ia in the fact that cleanliness and fresh air is quite as 

 necessary for one as the other. One ia often asked by the inex- 

 perienced, " How often must I water my plants ? " Now this 

 all depends on circumstances — whether the atmosphere of the 

 house is dry or moist, and whether the pots are full of active 

 roots. Every cultivator must learn from experience. If cuttings 

 are not yet put in of the usual aoftwooded stove plants for 

 flowering in autumn, this ought to be done at once. 



Many of the Orchids have been repotted, and others have been 

 placed in fresh baskets or on blocks. Some it was thought 

 better not to shift out of their pots or baskets ; these have been 

 surfaced with fresh compost. This is a good time to shift the 

 large genus of Dendrobinm. This ought to be done as soon as 

 there are signa of growth. We have in flower at present the 

 very beautiful D. lituiflorum. This is a more elegant plant than 

 D. nobile. It very much resembles D. nobile in the flowers, but 

 the growths are more slender. This ia a very free-flowering 

 speciea that ought to be grown in every collection. There ia 

 some difficulty in obtaining good Orchid peat and sphagnum in 

 some districts. Our experience with many Orchids is, that if 

 clean crocks are used aa a potting material this is often better 

 than using either peat or sphagnum for Vandas, Aerides, and 

 Saccolabiuma. We have seen plants of the above turned out 

 of the pots, and the only live roots were those that had been 

 formed above the compost, all that had run into it being found 

 either dead or dying.— J. Douglas. 



HORTICDLTDEAL EXHIBITIONS. 

 Seceetakies will oblige ua by informing us of the dates on 

 which exhibitions are to be held. 



Bristol (Spring Show). March 22ad and 23ra. Mr. G. Webley, Holm 



Wood, Westbury-upon-Trym, Uon. Sec. 

 Glasoow. March 29tti, May luth, and September 12th and 13th. Mr. F. 



Gilb. Doughall, 161, Canning Street, Sec. 

 EoYAL Caledonian Hoeticdltoeal Society. Shows April 5th, July Sth, 



and September 13th. 

 WEBTjirNSTEE Aqoabiom. April 12th and 13th, May 10th and 11th, May 



SOth and 3l8t, July 5th and 6th. 

 Cetstal Palsce, Flower. May 19th and 20th. Rose, Jane 16lh and 17th. 

 TiTEBToN. May 24th and 25tb. Messrs. A. Payne and J. Mills, Hon. Sees. 

 Manchestee (Grand National). June 2nd to 9th. Mr. Brace Fmdlay, 



Eoyal Botanic Garden, Sec. „ t, ,- -j 



Socthampton. Jane 6th, and Aogaat the 6th and 7th. Mr. C. S. Fmdge, 



39, York Street, Sec. „., , _ , 



Sooth Essex (Leyton?). June 13th. Mr. G. E. Coi, Wilmot Road, 



Leyton, Sec. , _ „ 



Coventey. Jane 19tb. Mr. T. WUson, 3, Portland Terrace, Sec. 

 Maidstose (Eoses). Jane 2l9t. Mr. Hobert Bensted, Bockatow, Maid- 

 stone, Sec. 

 Spalding. Jtmo 2l9t and 22nd. Mr. O. Kingston, Sec. 

 EXETES (Roses). June 23rd. Mr. T. W. Gray, Hon. Sec. 

 Reioate (Roses). Jane 21th. Mr. J. Payne, Treasurer. ^ , ,. .,. 



Leeds. June 2Sth, 29lh, aud 3uth. Mr. James Birkbeok, Delph iane, 



Woodhouse, Leeds, Sec. 

 Richmond. June 29th. Mr. A. Chancellor, Hon. Sec. 

 Fkome (Roses). June 29th. Mr. A. R. EaUy Hon. Sec. 



