274 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GABDENEE. 



t April 6, 1876. 



drawn np, and includes not only plants and flowers in season, 

 but also frnits and vegetables. The prizes are on a very 

 liberal scale — more than usually so in some of the classes — no 

 less than £56 being offered for Cyclamens, £2-l; for standard 

 Azaleas, and £.54 for Orchids. Bhododendrons are also well 

 provided for, and in all the classes the prizes are tempting 

 and substantial. 



THE LOVE OP FLOWERS. 



The interest which flowers have excited in the minds of 

 mankind from the earliest ages to the present day has never 

 been confined to any particular class of society or quarter of 

 the globe. They appear to have been scattered over the world 

 as a medicine to the mind, to give cheerfulness to the earth, 

 and furnish enjoyment to the inhabitants. The love of flowers 

 commences in infancy, and increases with increasing years, 

 and continues to old age. 



The taste for flowers was never so universal and widely 

 spread as it is at the present time ; it prevails among all 

 classes, from the humble possessor of a few pot plants in city 

 or town to the owner of " broad acres " in the country. We 

 are assured by innumerable proofs that flowers have endless 

 charms. The earliest annals of our race attest the power by 

 which these beautiful objects have added to our enjoyments or 

 assuaged our sorrows. The toiling clerk and the hard-worked 

 artisan participate in their pleasures, and bestow on their 

 modest garden beds their leisure moments, deriving health and 

 deUght from these willing cares. 



Our public parka and gardens have been adorned with the 

 vegetation of the tropics, and from all parts of the globe these 

 floral treasures have come. Those rich gifts from other climes, 

 gathered together in our own gardens in summer, have fostered 

 a wholesome love of flowers, and stimulated their culture in 

 private gardens, and have added to the attractions of numerous 

 homes ; for such plants, as Keble has well said — 



" Need no show of moiiutame hoary, 

 "Wmdiag shore or deepening glen. 

 Where thd" landscape in its glory 

 Teaches truth to wandering men. 

 Give true hearts but earth and sky 

 And some flowers to bloom and die; 

 Homely scenes and simple views 

 Lowly thoughts may best infuse." 



— N. Cole, Kensington Gardens. 



HARDY VINEYARD AT CASTLE COCH, 

 NEAR CARDIFF. 



Pekhaps it will interest the readers of " The Gardener " to 

 know that the Vines growing at Castle Coch in the open have 

 ripened their first season's growth very well, although the 

 summer was a cold and wet one. Most of the Vines had 

 grown to the top of their stakes early in the autumn, and con- 

 tinned to grow and carry their foliage green and healthy till 

 nipped by the first frost. At this time I had some doubts as 

 to the wood being properly ripened, in consequence of the 

 foliage keeping so long green. However, on pruning them on 

 the 6th ult. my fears were dispelled on finding the canes 

 properly ripened for more than a half of their entire length. 

 I cut them down to within two buds of the ground. 



The canes are not very thick, but they are solid, with scarcely 

 any pith to be seen ; the buds are prominent, and, to all ap- 

 pearance, will break strongly next year. MeUer Blanc (white) 

 is a stronger grower than Gamais Noir (black). I purpose 

 striking some hundreds from cuttings — not from eyes, as 1 did 

 last year — in the same way as we strike Gooseberry cuttings. 



If any of your correspondents would like to try a few cut- 

 tings of these hardy French varieties I shall be happy to supply 

 them. 



The Vines on the Castle wall here have made excellent wood, 

 and ripened it thoroughly. — A. Pettigkew, Cardiff Castle. — 

 {The Gardener.) 



DOINGS OP THE LAST AND "WORK FOR 

 THE PRESENT WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAEDEN. 



Gakdeners complain very much this season about their work 

 being behind. So far the weather has been all against doing 

 much work in the open grotmd ; now we have a very pleasant 

 change, the weather is warmer, and the ground is sufficiently 

 dry for working. Oar own work is well forward. The earliest 



crops so far do not look over-promising, but with the pleasant 

 change in the weather all vegetable crops will make good pro- 

 gress. The ground is still very cold, and any seeds that have 

 been sown are taking a long time to vegetate. We never saw 

 Peaa lie so long in the ground before they showed above it as 

 the second sowing. Under such circumstances even good seeds 

 are likely to be injured, and the seedsman may be blamed when 

 it is only the cold wet ground that is in fault. 



We will sow seeds of Seakale this week. We have found that 

 it is not safe to trust altogether to planting the old roots that 

 have been forced, we find that those plants raised from seeds 

 are better. It is necessary to sow early in the season, sowing 

 the seeds in drills about 15 inches apart, and the seeds must be 

 sown very thinly ; if the plants are left G inches apart in the 

 rows it will be sufficient. The old roots have all been planted. 

 We allow them more room — about 18 inches between the rows, 

 and 9 inches between the plants in the row. Pieces of root 

 from 4 to inches long are the best for planting ; the top end of 

 the root should just be covered with soil. We sometimes plant 

 the roots amongst ashes; a little strewed over the crowns is 

 beneficial if the ashes are not used to plant in. 



We have tried again and again to grow Broccoli, but only to 

 fail with it. We are not sowing any this year except the 

 ordinary sprouting sort. From now to the end of the month is 

 a good time to sow the seeds. We do not recommend a large 

 selection of sorts, and those who have had much experience in 

 this matter will not require advice. There is one thing, how- 

 ever, that must be taken into account, and that is, that though 

 a variety may do well in a certain soil and situation, the same 

 sort may not succeed quite so well under altered circumstances. 

 To continue the supply for the longest possible period, early, 

 mid-season, and late sorts must be sown. The Messrs. Veitch 

 of Chelsea are sending out a very fine new sort this season, it is 

 called Veitch's Self-protecting Autumn Broccoli ; the beautiful 

 white heads are quite hidden by the leaves. This with Snow's 

 Superb Winter White and the Walcheren are the best three for 

 the earliest crop. The selection of mid-season sorts are Veitch's 

 fine Spring White, Penzance Early White, and Perkins' Lea- 

 mington. For late use we have Carter's Champion Late White, 

 Sutton's Perfection, and Wilcove Improved. Keep-up suc- 

 oessional sowings of all the various small, salads according to 

 the quantity required. 



CnCnilBER HOUSE. 



Those who have been reading the details of the work in this 

 department in previous weeks will not require much further 

 instruction. We may still note a few essentials towards their 

 successful culture. At no season ought the plants to be over- 

 cropped, but this would be especially injurious during winter at 

 the time they come into bearing, and when the plants are in 

 vigorous growth they would if allowed bear enormous quantities ; 

 and we have seen gardeners careless enough to allow a large crop 

 at first, when in a month or two the effects of it would be plainly 

 visible in the stunted growth of the plants and the inferior qua- 

 lity of the fruit. Keep the leaves free from spider and green 

 fly. " A Nobleman's Gabdeneb "states that spider can be killed 

 by fumigating the house with sulphur fumes without injuring 

 the leaves. We have tried it by painting the pipes, and have 

 injured the leaves without killing the pest. We will certainly 

 try the plan recommended by your correspondent. Cucumbers 

 may very readily be grown and planted out in frames after this 

 without much trouble. A gentle bottom heat from manure is 

 necessary to start the plants into growth, and the temperature 

 of the frame is kept np at night by thick coverings. 



Oranges in pots now require a high temperature. The fruit 

 requires a long period to ripen — very nearly twelve months. 

 We like a succession of it, and the plants are put into a warmer 

 temperature at different periods to obtain this result. Our 

 earliest plant was in flower in January. Others are not yet 

 placed in heat. The earliest sort is the Tangierine. The Maltese 

 Blood and St. Michael's take six weeks or two months longer to 

 ripen their fruit. When the fruit is set the plants are freely 

 syringed, and in nearly every respect treated as the Fig trees. 

 It is not necessary to repot the trees very often — about once in 

 three years, or even less often when the plants are large. A 

 surface-dressing of rotted manure, loam, and charcoal is very 

 good, and it is improved by crushed bones being added to it. 

 greenhouse and consekvatobt. 



At present we have abundance of plants in flower, so that the 

 houses are very gay indeed. Hyacinths and Tulips that have 

 been allowed to flower without forcing are in fall beauty, others 

 that have been forced are in a decaying state ; and it is necessary 

 to remove the Ilyaointiis as soon as they show signs of decay to 

 prevent a disagreeable smell in the house : indeed all decaying 

 flowers should be removed at once, and flowering plants should 

 have the flowers neatly fastened to sticks if it is necessary. 

 While attending to plants in flower it is quite necessary to attend 

 to others for succession. Roses that are being gently forced 

 should be placed near the glass, and the atmosphere of the house 

 should be moderately moist. If small drops of water are hang- 

 ing round the serrated edges of the leaves in early morning it 



