April 13, 187S. ) 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



293 



recapitulate. When the plants go ont of bloom the lights are 

 removed, and iu a fortnight the plants are taken up and 

 divided into aa many parts as they have crowns, each division 

 having a portion of root. They are planted oat on a north 

 border in rows a foot apart, and that distance asunder in the 

 rows; bat Neapolitan, Double Purple or Russian, with Queen 

 of Violets, are only allowed 9 inches in the rows. They are 

 well watered and attended to until established, and the future 

 treatment consists in removing all runners as tbey appear, with 

 weeds as they show themselves. The ground in which they 

 are planted is well manured and deeply dug in autumn, and is 

 forked over prior to planting in spring, a dressing of lime 

 being applied prior to planting and forking. 



So soon as the outdoor plants have flowered we divide them 

 and make fresh beds, four rows of plants in a 4-feet bed, the 

 plants being a foot distance apart for Victoria Regina, and 

 9 inches for Neapolitan, Doable Russian, &c. No addition but 

 water until established, the runners and weeds are removed, 

 and a slight top-dressing in autumn of partially decayed leaves. 

 Cocoa-nut refuse would no doubt answer better, but the cost 

 of transit is against our using it. The outdoor plants follow 

 the frame plants ; and though we have kept the beds a second 

 year we attain a better result by beds fresh planted annually. 



The pits have about 6 inches of rubble for drainage, in 

 front of which is a drain, for it is useless making a hole in 

 clay and putting stones at the bottom for drainage if there be 

 no means of the water percolating through the drainage pass- 

 ing away. It is simply making a hole to hold water. Upon 

 the rabble is placed G to 8 inches of turfy loam three parts, 

 and a fourth of well-decayed manure and leaf soil in about equal 

 parts, the whole well mixed. The plants are taken np with 

 balls and planted rather (irmly and about it inches apart, or so 

 that they just touch, neither crowding nor wasting any room, 

 having after planting a thorough soaking of wa^er, none being 

 given during the winter ; bat the soil is examined in early 

 November, and if at all dry a thorough watering is given, no 

 more being required until February or March. The lights are 

 not put on until frosts occur, and when once they are put on 

 are not again withdrawn altogether until spring ; but when- 

 ever the thermometer is from 35" to 40° the lights are drawn 

 down about G inches, when 50° a foot or more, and when frost 

 prevails they are kept close. About a month after planting 

 all decayed and yellow leaves are removed, and charcoal pass- 

 ing a half-inch sieve sprinkled over the plants. A gentle 

 brushing of the leaves with the hand will remove any charcoal 

 resting upon them. In spring water is given to keep moist. — 

 G. Abbey. 



NOTES ON VILLA, and SUBURBAN GARDENING. 



KITCHEN OABDEN. 



If the soil early in the season should not be iu so good a state 

 as is wished, it is advisable in many cases to delay the work of 

 sowing for a short time, because if seed is committed to the 

 ground when the soil is in a friable and dry condition it gains 

 such a favourable start as to soon make up for a few days' delay ; 

 but then, on the other hand, delays are dangerous, for we must 

 consider that as everything grown requires a stated time to 

 develope itself, the first favourable chance must be taken to put 

 in the crops. In order to provide for proper successions of 

 vegetables frequent sowings must be made. When sowing small 

 beds of seed, if the soil should not be iu the best of condition, 

 it is an easy matter to work-in a little dry soil in order to secure 

 its free working. I deem this very necessary in the case of 

 Carrots, the main crop of which should be sown now, the seed 

 being of a peculiar shape, with so many hairy-like bristles in 

 them, that the soil is apt not to close round the seed sufiiciently 

 to insure its quick germination. Some of my earUest Peas have 

 rotted in the ground instead of coming up, particularly Sutton's 

 Emerald Gem and Laxton's Alpha, while Kentish Invicta and 

 Sutton's Ringleader are growing strong and have come up well. 

 Take care to sow plenty of Bath Cos and Paris Cos Lettuces ; 

 towards the end of the month all such sowings are best made 

 in drills and the plants allowed to remain after being thinned 

 out. They then grow into more bulk during the hot weather of 

 summer. Where vegetables have to be sent to London in the 

 season a small Lettuce is not worth much after being shorn of 

 its outside leaves after travelling. I like to send all salading in 

 small baskets and separated from the heavy vegetables. 



It is time to see about sowing Dwarf Kidney Beans. I advise 

 for the early crop that they should be sown under a hand-light 

 of good soil, and afterwards planted out in a warm spot of rich 

 soil. I do not think that they crop so heavily thus treated, but 

 as they are wanted as early as possible this must not hinder. 

 Sion House and Newington Wonder are excellent sorts. Sow 

 the Musselburgh Leek, Salsafy, and Scorzonera and early Dutch 



Turnip. It is rather early to sow the main crop of Beet, but 

 a little may be sown for early use, though some plants may 

 run to seed. Haud-glassos may now bo removed from Cauli- 

 flowers, and they will come in for other crops. Sow also the 

 main crop of Celery in a frame near the glass, to be afterwards 

 pricked out on a border. Somo sow the main crop in March, 

 but I have never found there was much advantage in that ; of 

 coarse for very early use a little seed must be sown early, 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



About here Apricots are setting freely, and if the weather 

 allows them to swell-off there will be some to spare for preserv- 

 ing iu the green state, but at present they are looking more 

 yellow than usual. The young growth of Peaches and Nec- 

 tarines is coming on fast; it will, therefore, be best to take an 

 early opportunity to disbud a little. Disbudding must be done 

 carefully and at difierent times. Take care that the green fly 

 does not gain too strong a hold upon the young shoots, for if 

 mischief is done so early it is not easy to remedy it. 



In vineries where the fruit is well set take care that the 

 thinning is done in time, and the young growing shoots stopped- 

 in twice or thrice this month. The heat must not be less than 

 65" at night, and up to 75° or 80° by sun heat in the day, with 

 plenty of moisture added to the floor of the house, but not 

 syringed over the fruit if a good bloom is wanted. 'The inside 

 borders must be well watered, sometimes with liquid manure, 

 and if the outside roots are well protected do not remove it in 

 the present stage of the fruit, but the late-house borders may be 

 treated differently. 



FLOWER GAEDEN. 



My Calceolarias, Gazanias, and several other half-ha.rdy 

 plants intended for the summer bedding are all planted-out in a 

 prepared bed of soil. Had it not been for some alterations in 

 the garden, many of them would have been iu the beds, as 

 they could be protected there quite as well as where they are. 

 I do not like moving the Calceolarias much, because the checks 

 they receive make the wood hard too early, and the plants do 

 not grow so freely as is desirable for a continual flowering. 



All tender annuals, such as Stocks, Zinnias, Asters, Migno- 

 nette, Marigolds, &c., have been sown, and many of the seed- 

 lings are up. Sweet Peas, Mauraudyas, Tropfflolums, and 

 Lophospermums have been sown. These being mostly climbers 

 and are used for covering walls and other blank places, they 

 have been sown in small pots, from which they can most con- 

 veniently be planted out at the proper time. Beds of hardy 

 annuals will now be coming into flower ; let them be kept free 

 from weeds, and if the grass around them is kept neatly cut 

 they will soon look fine. — Thoslis Record. 



DOINGS OP THE LAST AND WORK FOR 

 THE PRESENT WEEK. 



HARDY FRUIT GABDEN. 



We have just been examining the Apricot trees, and although 

 the blossoms projecting considerably from the wall have been 

 killed (they were unprotected and in full flower when the ther- 

 mometer registered 10° of frost on the 19th of March), those 

 close to the wall are safe, and the fruit seems to be swelling 

 freely. Apricots do not suffer from the attacks of insect pesta, 

 except that a small maggot will sometimes be found to eat the 

 young leaves ; it draws the leaves round it, and eats in the 

 centre of its protection. This maggot can only be effectually 

 destroyed by hand-picking. The weather is now very favourable 

 for the production of red spider and aphis on the Peach trees. 

 I'sually the aphis can be most readily destroyed by washing the 

 leaves with strong soapy water to which has been added some 

 tobacco liquor. If the trees can be enclosed by nailing stout 

 canvas to the top of the wall and also down the sides of the 

 trees fumigating with tobacco smoke may be tried, and if this is 

 done in a calm night the smoke will be long enough retained 

 about the trees to destroy the aphis. 



Notwithstanding the very large crops of fruit last season there 

 is good promise of plenty this year, nearly all sorts of fruit trees 

 showing abundance of blossom. Trees that were planted in 

 autumn or early winter will not require any water at the roots, 

 but if they are planted against a wall well exposed to the sun 

 it will be a great help to them if they are syringed once or twice 

 a-day. Newly-planted trees may require water at the roots as 

 well as the syringing, but it is not desirable to water them if it 

 can be avoided; the syringing moistens the ground to some 

 extent. 



Vines on Walls. — A gentleman sought advice from us the 

 other day about his Vines. He had a most excellent position to 

 grow them, but for several years the Vines have had plenty of 

 leaves but no fruit whatever. The reason of this was not far to 

 seek : the gardener had continued to prune on the short-spur 

 system for years until the spurs were only able to produce 

 weakly growths which never showed fruit, nor would they ever 

 do so. Royal Muscadine is the best out-of-doors Grape, and this 

 was the variety grown; but to grow frait as well as leaves a 



