Juna 1, 187G. 1 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GABDENEK. 



435 



individaal blooms being remarkable for their size, smooth- 

 ness, and substance. The colours are extremely varied ; the 

 Belfs, primrose, canary yellow, with clarets, and maroons in 

 various shades, and even magenta, being as effective as in the 

 indescribable spotted varieties, and the foliage is as fine as the 

 flowers, the bright green luxuriant leaves half hiding the pots. 

 Mr. James has been engaged in improving the Calceolaria for 

 twenty-two years. When he first took the plants in hand 

 their average height was 3 feet, and much time was involved 

 in training them round stakes for exhibition, but now they are 

 little more than a foot in height with proportionally stout 

 sterna. It ia noteworthy that the greater the perfection to 

 which the flowers are brought the less is their disposition to 

 perfect seeds ; more seed was once obtained from a dozen 

 plants than is now matured by a hundred. Mr. James's 

 system of culture is founded on the principle of permitting no 

 checks by any cause from the moment the seed is sown to the 

 perfecting of the plant. An insect must not be seen, nor an 

 hour's check be given by a dry soil or atmosphere. The seed 

 of these grand plants was sown at the end of July. 



The new Pykethscm aureum laciniatom which ia 



being distributed by Messrs. Osborn & Sons promises to be a 

 desirable acquisition as a spring and summer bedding plant. 

 It is a distinct form of the popular Golden Feather. It is 

 quite hardy, dwarf, and its delicately cut foliage has a very 

 chaste appearance. This plant has received the highest 

 honours — ^ first-class certificates — wherever it has been exhi- 

 bited. As a marginal plant and for panels in carpet bedding 

 it is likely to become popular. 



The Brighton Corporation, we are informed, are to be 



their own nurserymen in order to supply the town with trees, 

 shrubs, and flowers. This is like carrying out on a large scale 

 the plan so frequently condemned of grocers and chemists 

 Belling bulbs and seeds. If the plan of this enterprising cor- 

 poration suecoeds they will probably on " public grounds " 

 proceed to the work of establishing a brewery for the benefit 

 of the town and neighbourhood. 



The Hereford Meeting of the Bath and West of 



England Society and Southern Counties Association, com- 

 mencing Juno 5th and extending over the four following 

 days, promises to equal the most successful of its predecessors. 

 The show-yard, thirty acres in extent, occupies the site of 

 the well-known raoe-courae ; and for the convenience of ex- 

 hibitors a railway siding haa been provided, aa on the occa- 

 sion of the Society's former visit, now eleven years ago. The 

 entries in all departments are unusually large and important. 

 The poultry show will be one of the largest ever held by the 

 Society, there being altogether 475 pens, of which 103 aro 

 pigeons. The horticultural tent will, as usual, contain a rich 

 display of plants and flowers ; and in the arts department will 

 be found some objects of special beauty and interest, including 

 a flne display of Honiton lace. The open judging of stock 

 will commence on Monday morning at ten o'clock ; on Tuesday 

 the annual meeting will be held under the presidency of the 

 Bight Hon. the Earl of Ducie, and in the evening a banquet 

 will be given by the Eight Worshipful the Mayor at the Green 

 Dragon Hotel. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST AND WORK FOR 

 THE PRESENT WEEK. 



HABDY FRUIT GARDEN. 



Plum and Pear trees showed blossom plentifully ; and though 

 we had frosts and cold winds when the blossom opened, the fruit 

 seemed to have set, but in many cases the effect of tlio inclement 

 weather is only now visible by the fruit dropping off. Apricots 

 appear to have set better than the Plums and Pears, but much 

 depends upon the position of the trees, and whether the frosts 

 caught the blossoms at the most critical period. 



We have looked over some of the wall trees and removed 

 superfluous growths. There ia no need to allow a quantity of 

 growths to be formed, and when the shoots have considerably 

 injured each other to remove them. If fruit of first-class 

 quality ia to be obtained from wall trees the young wood must 

 be carefully attended to from the first; every young shoot must 

 be freely exposed to the sun, but this cannot be possible if three 

 or four are allowed [where there ought only to be one. It is 

 much the best way to remove all wood that is not required early 

 in the season. The same advice holds good with regard to 

 superfluous fruit. The practice is, we would fain hope, not 

 generally followed by gardeners, but we have seen Peaches left 

 upon the trees until the stoning period waa completed before 

 the last of them were thinned out. Although the fruit may 



seem stationary for about six weeks at the stoning period it is 

 not really so, for at that time the stone is being formed inside, 

 and there ia probably quite aa great a strain upon the resources 

 of the trees as ^\hen the fruit is rapidly swelUng before the 

 ripening period. 



There is usually a preaa of work at this season, but that must 

 not prevent attention being given to all the fruit trees that were 

 planted last autumn, winter, and during the early months of 

 spring. The later-planted trees may require watering and 

 syringing overhead. Standard trees with large beads, if they 

 have not been securely fastened, are apt to sway with the wind 

 and to become loosened at the surface of the ground. If this is 

 so, see that they are made secure, and let the earth be rammed 

 in close to the stem with a blunt thickish atick. If a mulching 

 of decayed manure waa not applied at the time the trees were 

 planted it ought to be applied now. Wall trees that were planted 

 at the same time will also require attention. If they were 

 headed-back as recommended they will now be growing freely, 

 and the ahoota should be nailed-in to the wall. A very little 

 neglect at this time may spoil the appearance of the trees for 

 all time. We have now had some refreahing showers, which 

 will save us a great deal of watering. The ground was very dry, 

 and the Strawberry beds were in flower, ao that they must have 

 been watered if the drought had continued a few days longer. 

 We shall place a mulching of decayed manure between the rows 

 to retain the moisture. 



Vines on the walls require very similar treatment to those 

 under glass as to pinching the laterals and training the leading 

 growths. Provision ought also to be made for cutting out the 

 old wood, by training up the stroi^geat young growths from the 

 base of the Vine, and, as has been already advised, these growths 

 must not be too much covered by the lateral growths of the old 

 wood. Both Vinea and wall trees may be well watered with the 

 garden engine, and this is necessary even if it haa rained. 

 During March, April, and part of May the treea may have been 

 protected by a projecting coping and canvaa screen, which 

 keeps the rainfall from the roots ; and should the first rainfall 

 after drought be accompanied by a wind, say from the east, the 

 trees on a wall facing west may receive very little on the roots 

 and less on the leaves. This may, indeed ought to be, made up 

 by well operating with the syringe or garden engine. 



VINERIEB. 



The late houses still demand constant attention. Tying-down 

 and stopping the young lateral growths is being proceeded with. 

 It is usual to stop the growths two leaves beyond the bunch, 

 and all secondary growths at the first leaf; but a hard-and-fast 

 rule of this kind cannot possibly be laid down, as the growths 

 differ so much in character. Take, for instance, the Waltham 

 Cross, a new late white Grape : the distance between the bunch 

 and first leaf is from 9 inches to a foot, and all the secondary 

 growths are proportionately long. The Tynningham Muscat ia 

 noticeable by its very short-jointed growth, the distance between 

 the bunch and first leaf being only 3 or 4 inches. When a case 

 of this kind occurs we let the short-jointed growths run out to 

 three or four leaves and stop the ottiers at the first leaf. The 

 principal object to aim at is to distribute the growths regularly 

 over the trellis ; let there be no crowding in one part and a thin 

 growth in another. We seem to have a good set in both the 

 late houses so far. Eoyal Vineyard is just coming into flower 

 with ua, displaying very freely a characteriatio feature of this 

 sort — namely, a small glutinous globule on the atigma of each 

 flower as soon as it opens ; these must be removed by drawing 

 the hand gently down the bunch to disperse the globules, other- 

 wise the berries will not set well. When Grapes aro ready for 

 thinning we try and have them thinned as soon aa possible. It is 

 very diiiicult to fiive directions for thinning-out the berries, aa 

 ao much depends upon how the fruit ia set and also the variety 

 that ia to be thinned. Sorts like the Black Hamburgh, of which 

 it may be said that almost every berry sets, are easily managed. 

 It is quite easy to leave them regularly over the bunch, and 

 there should be no second thinning ; all the berries that are in- 

 tended to be removed should be removed at once. So with all the 

 varieties ; but those sorts which do not set well, of which Muscat 

 of Alexandria ia the type, require more judgment in the opera- 

 tion. However well they may have aet for that sort there will 

 always be some berries that will be stoneless and which will not 

 swell to the usual size ; these ought to be removed first, and after 

 a little experience it is easy enough to recognise them. Mrs. 

 Pince's Black Muscat ia one that aeta very well— indeed ao thickly 

 that it ia difiicnlt to remove the aupcrfluous berries without in- 

 juring thoae that are to remain. The bunch must be held steady 

 with a small stick having a fork at one end, this is thrust into 

 the bunch and held against the centre stem. The operator 

 guides the bunch with one hand, and thins out the berries very 

 carefully with the other. The berries that are to remain should 

 not come into contact with anything. 



MUSHROOJI HOI'SE. 



Mushrooms may now be obtained in quantity and of excellent 

 quality from uuheated houses. At thia season, also, woodlice 

 are very troublesome on beds in a bearing state, especially those 



