May 18, 1876. 1 



JOUHNAIj of HOailGOLXOKB! AND OOTTACIE QARDENER. 



395 



Oar garden quirtora are well sheltered from the east side by 

 a good wall, aud they are farther protected by the rows of fruit 

 trees planted close and trained pyramid fashion. 



MELON AND CUCUMBER HOUSES. 



After this time of the year the details of caltnre are very 

 simple. The Melons are well sapplied with water at the roots 

 until near the time of the frnit ripening, when it should be 

 applied with caution, and if the leaves arc free from red spider 

 the fruit will gradually ripen off. We generally try to manage 

 HO that there is a succession from different plants. This can 

 easily bo managed by proper attention at the time of setting the 

 fruit. An early variety such as Gilbert's selection of Victory 

 of Bath should be set as soon as the female blossoms can be 

 obtained, say three nearly open at one time. The same sort, 

 with Scarlet Gem, may be set a week after, aud a week later 

 other sorts. One of the greatest difficulties in the culture of 

 Melons is the tendency of the plants to damp-off close to the 

 snrface of the ground ; indeed, there are gardeners who are 

 afraid to water their plants in case they should damp-off. But 

 this is an error; Melons require a good deal of water to grow 

 them well, and they are more likely to suffer if they do not have 

 enough than if they have a good supply. It is best to place the 

 plants on a raised mound, and not water quite close to the stem. 



Cacumbers also delight in a good supply of water, but it may 

 be overdone if there is not sufficient drainage underneath the 

 bed. The surface of the ground under Cacumbers is also better 

 for frequent mulchings of rich compost; the young rootlets 

 work into it with marvellous rapidity, and the effects are soon 

 ■visible in the more healthy growth. 



Kidney Beans in pots soon suffer if they arc not frequently 

 mulched. If this i3 attended to, and the pods gathered as soon 

 as they are large enough, the plants will continue bearing for a 

 long period. Manure water is also very good for the plants. 



PLANT STOVE AND OECHID HOUSES. 



In our own plant stove there is not much room for Oloxinias, 

 Achimenes, and other softwooded plants of this class, but they 

 are both useful plants for summer flowering, and in July they 

 may be removed to the greenhouse when in bloom, where they 

 last in great beauty for a v^ry long time. They cannot be grown 

 wall if crowded together amongst specimen stove plants. They 

 do not like much sunshine, and some growers fancy that they 

 may be pushed into any corner ; but such treatment tells upon 

 the plants very soon, and neither Achimenes nor Gloxinias will 

 flower well if they are permitted to become unhealthy. They 

 do very well in an open compost of two parts fibrous loam and 

 one part fibrous peat, with a little decayed stable manure added 

 to it. The pots may either be plunged in a moderate bottom 

 heat or be placed on a stage. In either case they ought not to be 

 far removed from the glass ; and to obtain sturdy specimens that 

 would not suffer afterwards in a well- ventilated greenhouse the 

 growth must not be made in a very high temperature; from 

 55° to 00° is a good temperature, closing the house early in the 

 afternoon, when the degree of heat from the sun may rise to 

 85°. There are now very many fine varieties of the Gloxinia 

 and also of the Achimenes, and their showy flowers are quite 

 a distinct feature either in the conservatory or stove. Vinca 

 alba oculata and the rose-coloured variety are not so much 

 grown now as they were twenty years ago, or as they deserve to 

 be. Young plants should be grown freely, aud the points of 

 the growths should be pinched out continuously to make com- 

 pact specimens. They used to be exhibited many years since 

 .quite 4 feet across, and covered with their charming flowers. 

 They may be had in flower almost at any season by pinching 

 and picking the flowers off. Stephanotis florihunda is now a 

 mass of bloom. A healthy robust specimen of this is exceed- 

 ingly valuable, and is easiest managed if it can be planted oat 

 in the stove, or any honse where the winter temperature is not 

 lower than 55°. Its greatest enemy is mealy bug, and if the 

 leaves are not cleared from this pest before the flower trusses 

 appear it will despoil the delicate texture of the flowers. 



Other climbers require tying and the shoots thinning-out 

 where they are becoming too crowded. In most places the 

 climbing plants are allowed to become too crowded. When this 

 is the case good flowers are never produced, and, what is of 

 more importance, sometimes they are not so abundant. Another 

 evil resulting from a thicket of evergreen growth overhead in 

 plant houses is that neither sun nor air can act beneficially 

 upon the plants. 



All hardwooded plants intended to make good specimens 

 should now be grown-on freely, and they must not be allowed 

 to become root-bound, for that is fatal to rapid and healthy 

 growth. Plants that are not repotted until the roots are quite 

 matted round the sides of the pots suffer in this way. When 

 the plant is tamed out of the pot the best roots will be found 

 coiled round and round the bottom of the pot amongst the 

 drainage. A handful of them may sometimes be uncoiled, 

 reaching from 2 to 6 feet in length. These must be cut off, and 

 the ball of mould pricked round with a pointed stick. If plants 

 are potted as they ought to be before the roots are too much 

 matted, then it is not necessary to disturb the roots. 



Orchids that are making their growth should bo well supplied 

 with water, and as soon as the yonag rootlets are thrown out 

 it is the signal to repot or rebasket the plants if necessary. 

 There are still many persona who overpot Orchids, and it is not 

 uncommon to see a miserable Cattleya, with but one sickly 

 growth, placed in the centre of a i) or 10-inch pot when a pot 

 3 or 4 inches in diameter would be the most suitable. In 

 the large pot the compost will become sour however porous it 

 may be. The best way to do with plants that have lost nearly 

 all their roots from overpotting is to shake all the compost 

 away from the base of the plant, and then to wash the root- 

 stock with tepid water ; the plant should then be repotted on 

 clean drainage in a small pot, and be placed in a close moist 

 atmosphere. The drainage should be moistened frequently; 

 but Cattleyas mast not be syringed overhead. The roots will 

 soon begin to form, and after a while some fibrous peat must 

 be placed over the drainage. Many Orchids are in flower at 

 this season, and the house where they are should be kept cool 

 and the atmosphere only moderately moist. 



FLOWElt GARDEN. 



It is too cold to plant out any bedding plants as yet. They 

 are mostly out of doors, and can be protected by frigi dorao 

 coverings. The more tender subjects are yet in a glass-covered 

 pit. If the temperature should fall to the freezing point tender 

 plants would be ruined for the season even under a slight cover- 

 ing. Calceolarias are out in the open ground, and are not 

 covered even in cold nights. All Pelargoniums of the zonal 

 section are freely exposed to the weather, but just slightly 

 covered if there are signs of frost. The beds are being made 

 ready for receiving the plants. If we have a shower of rain 

 with a west wind we shall be^in to plant out at once. It may 

 be that it will be necessary to plant out before rain comes, in 

 which case the ground will be watered ; and a few hours before 

 commencing to plant the plants will also be well watered, and 

 in planting them out we see that the roots are let well into the 

 ground. Much injury is caused to many plants if the roots are 

 too near the surface. We have been pricking out Asters, Ice, 

 in boxes for later blooming. Asters are such useful flowers 

 either for cutting from or for the decoration of the flower garden 

 that it is necessary to prolong the bloom for as long a period as 

 possible. 



Auriculas are being repotted — indeed, we have very nearly 

 finished them off. Nearly all the best growers repot at this 

 season. The best time to repot is when the plants are making 

 root freely. Any small offsets are also taken off at this time. 

 They are potted in very small pots, and the pots are placed in a 

 close hand-light. 



Carnations and Picoteea are now well advanced, and the 

 flowering growths are tied to sticks as they advance. Last year 

 it was necessary to be frequently looking over them for green 

 fly, aud to dust those attacked with dry Scotch snuff. This 

 year the plants were well fumigated with tobacco smoke before 

 they were removed from the frames. Roses also require con- 

 siderable attention now in order to hunt out and destroy the 

 " worm i' the bud."— J. Douglas. 



HOSTICDLTURAL EXHIBITIONS. 

 Secretabies will oblige us by informing ua of the dates on 

 which exhibitions are to be held. 



Crystal Palace. Flower, Mny 19th anil 20th. Rose, Jane IGth and 17th. 

 Tiverton. May 24th aud 2jth. Messrs. A. Payuo and J. Mili^, H'>n. Sees. 

 WfisTMiNSTER Aqoaridm. Maj 30th and alst, July 5th and 6tli. 

 Undercliff. May Slat. Mr. T. 11. Clough, Hon. Sec. 

 Manchester (Grand National). Juno 2nd to 9th. Mr. Brace Findlay, 



Royal Botanic Garden, Sec. 

 SotJTBAMPToN. June 5th, aud Aagast the 5th and 7th. Mr. C. S. Faidge, 



89, York Street. Sec. 

 Sooth Essex (Levton?). June 13th. Mr. G. E. Cox, Wilmot Road, 



Leyton, Sec. 

 Ipswich.— June 15th, Jnly 6th, and September 17th. Sec, Mr. W. B. 



Jeffries, Henley Road, Ipswich. 

 Edinboroh (Scottish Pauay Society's Show). Jane 16th. Mr. N. M. Welsh, 



1, Waterloo Place, Edinburgh, Sec. 

 Coventry. June 19lb. Mr. T. Wilson, 3, Portland Terrace, Sec. 

 Maidstone (Roses). June 21st. Mr. Hubert Benated, Rockstow, Maid- 

 stone, Sec. 

 Fareham and South Hampshire. June 2l8t. Mr. H. Smith, Sec. 

 Spalding. June 21at and 22nd. Mr. O. Kingston, Sec. 

 Exeter (Rosea). June 28rd. Mr. T. W. Gray, Hon. Sec, 

 Reiqate (Rosea). June 24th. Mr. J. Payne, Treasurer. 

 BORTON dpon-Trent. Juuo 28th. Mr. F. S. Dunwell, Sec. 

 Leeds. June 28tb, 29'h, and 3uth. Mr. James Birkbeck, Delph Lane, 



Woodhouae, Leeds, Sec. 

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

 West of England cHereford). Roaea. June 29th. Rev. C. H. Bolmer, 



Credenhill, Sec. 

 Frome (Roaes). Juno 29th. Mr. A. R. Baily, Hon. See. 

 WiaBEACH (Roae^). June ^Oth. Mr. C. Parker. Hon. Sec. 

 ToBBAY. June 29th and SOth. Mr. W. Fane Tucker, Capt., Braddon Tor, 



Hod. Sec. 

 Oxford (Roses). June SOth. Mr. C. R. Ridley, 115, Aldale's, Hon. Sec. 

 Brockhau (Roses). July Ist. Rev. A. Cheales and Mr. C. Mortimer, Sees. 

 Marsden. July 1st. Mi-. J. H. Edmondsou, Hon. Sec. 



