Jnne 15, 187-'. 1 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



475 



i-ito this beantifnl sweet-scented flower. The same flowers kept 

 fresh a month ia water. The double variety comes iu after 

 and takes the place of the single. It ia eiiual to it in all its 

 iiualities, and I tlink might take the place of the Gardenia for 

 scent. Do yon know if they flower every season ? as I have not 

 noticed them before so full of bloom, though my clumps are 

 large and many. I should like to know also if it ia a common 

 ilower or wild. My employer found one of the doubles grow- 

 ing in a field some distance from here last week. — J. D. 



[The Narcissus poetioua is a native of the south of Europe, 

 and those found in a field must have escaped from a garden. 

 It produces flowers annually, and is so well known that we 

 should not have thought it needed this notice, except for the 

 suggestion that it migbt be used instead of the Eucharis for 

 decorations. This Narcissus is grown by the acre for affording 

 cut flowers for the London market. — Eds ] 



DOINGS OF THE LAST AND WORK FOR 

 THE PRESENT WEEK. 



HABDY FBUIT GAHDEN. 



Insect pests where they are not assiduously destroyed give 

 much trouble at this season, a time, too, when the whole strength 

 of most establishments is strained to the utmost to keep the 

 gardens in good order. Aphis has attacked the Plum and Cherry 

 trees on the walls, and if we do not destroy this troublesome 

 enemy it will either destroy the trees or seriously injure them; 

 and we are very much afraid that it is easier to give advice as 

 to how the trees are to be cleaned than it is for those whose 

 trees are affected to fiud time to clean them. The insects are 

 generally found on the points of the young growths, and before 

 nailing them in to the wall the shoots may be dipped into some 

 insect-destroying solution. There are plenty to select from, 

 bat we always make our own. Three ounces of soft soap dis- 

 solved iu a gallon of water with half a pint of tobacco liquor 

 will be strong enough ; but it is best to test the mixture first to 

 see whether it ia too strong, when it might kill the leaves; or 

 it may not be strong enough to kill the fly. One or two shoots 

 should be dipped in and left for an hour or two, when the fly 

 would ba dead and the leaves uninjured if the solution is as it 

 ought to be. If the insects are still alive add a little more soft 

 soap. The best way to use the solution is to fill a haad-basin 

 with it, then hold the basin in one hand and bend the shoot 

 into it with the other. 



The caterpillars of the Bombyx neustria or Lackey Moth where 

 they were not destroyed in a young state are now to be seen in 

 large clusters. If they are disturbed they suddenly let them- 

 selves down by a slender thread to the ground or some other 

 part of the tree. The twig on which they cluster may be very 

 gently cut, or the caterpillars may be destroyed by seiziog them 

 quickly with the hand. Before they are full grown they spread 

 through the tree, and it is very difiicult to destroy them. Nothing 

 is so eilectaal as hand-picking. 



We continue to attend to the wall trees, nailing-in the shoots 

 and removing those not required. This ia necessary to allow 

 the sun and air to act upon the fruit ; but no garden has a tidy 

 appearance when the young growths are hanging loose on wall 

 trees. Continue to syringe the trees as often as they may re- 

 quire it. When the weather is hot and dry and the nights warm, 

 Peach and Nectarine trees on walls ought to be syringed every 

 morning if there is time to do it. We have not looked over the 

 bush and pyramid trees yet, but it will be necessary to do so 

 very soon, and in this case also it is best to thin the growths 

 well out. 



Strawberries have been looked over, and the hoe run through 

 the ground before it was covered with the runners. We hear of 

 rain in different parts and at no great distance from us, but 

 very little has fallen here. The ground is dry, and to have good 

 fruit it must be well watered and a mulching of manure be laid 

 over the ground to check evaporation. We shall very soon lay 

 runners of Black Prince and Keens' Seedling into small pots for 

 early forcing. The sooner they become established in their 

 fruiting pots so much earlier they can be started next season. 



We have seen and tried many different plans to preserve the 

 fruit from injury and to prevent it from coming in contact with 

 the ground. The mowings from the lawn have been used to 

 place under the fruit, but this is about the worst that can be used, 

 as the small portions of grass stick to the fruit and are with 

 difficulty removed. Clean straw is about the best material to 

 place under them, but all such contrivances are not to be com- 

 pared to the plan of placing small branchlets round the plant 

 with the end stuck in the ground so that the fruit hangs over 

 the forks of the branches. It does not touch the ground, and is 

 also very freely exposed to the air, and the sun acting upon the 

 fruit gives it a high colour. 



VINERIES. 



The fruit is now quite ripe iu the early houses, and all that is 

 required to be done is to see that it is preserved from dust and 



not allowed to shrivel from an arid atmosphere in the house. 

 Another cause of the fruit shrivelling after it is ripe is dryness 

 at the roots, and this not only injures the present crop but 

 it prevents the buds from swelling-up for next season. If the 

 borders have been well watered up to the time that the fruit 

 commences colouring there is not much danger of injury from this 

 cause ; but from the time the Grapes begin to colour until that 

 of the last bunch being cut may include a period of more than 

 three months, it is just possible that a shallow border of light 

 soil may become dusty dry in less than that time, and it will be 

 well to examine it. Should the Grapes shrivel, of course a good 

 watering with clear water will be necessary. When all the fruit 

 has been cut, the Vines must be thoroughly syringed to free 

 them from any trace of red spider. , r. ■ , 



We are now thinning the fruit in late houses, and shall finish 

 before this appears in print. Artificial heat had been applied 

 from the time the shoots had grown a few inches. It is a good plan 

 to push on such sorts as Lady Downe's and the rest of the late 

 sorts, for if heat has not been afforded early it will be necessary 

 to apply it earlier in the autumn to ripen the Grapes than other- 

 wise would have been the case. We shall not use artificial heat 

 from now until the second or third week in August, or later 

 even than this, according to the season. When cold nights set 

 in, the fruit, if it is not ripe previously, will not be well flavoured 

 unless the temperature is kept up to G0°, with air admitted by 

 night and a dryish atmosphere iu the house. Muscats when 

 ripening require 6.5'. 



The late vinery borders require plenty of water just now, and 

 Vines can stand manure water as strong as most trees or plants. 

 Guano may be strewed upon the ground pretty thickly, or a coat- 

 ing of manure 2 or 3 inches thick may be placed upon the sur- 

 face in addition to the usual dressing that was applied in the 

 winter. This ia a more convenient way of feeding the Vines 

 than mixing up the manure with water in tanka or waterpots 

 before applying it. In training the growing shoots of Vines see 

 that they are arranged regularly over the treUiswork, and all 

 the growths should be brought down under the wires, vines 

 pruned on the short-spur system soon make sufficient wood, and 

 the growths are usually all trained into their places before the 

 Grapes are in flower. 



CUCUMBER AND MELON HOUSES. 



The treatment in these structures varies so little all the year 

 round, except that the changing temperature from winter to 

 spring, and from spring to summer and autumn, make a less 

 degree of care and watchfulness necessary in the warmest 

 months. Artificial heat is not necessary now, unless to hasten 

 the ripening of the fruit of Melons, or to have Cucumbers in at 

 a certain time. It is a good time now to plant-out Melons to 

 produce ripe fruit in September or about the end of August, 

 and this may be done without any other heat but that from 

 closing the house early. The plants are usually very strong, 

 and are not so liable to be attacked by red spider when artificial 

 heat ia not applied. Cucumber plants should be very freely 

 syringed when the honae is closed. It should again be damped 

 in the morning when the ventilators are opened, and besides 

 this no other moisture is required. To have the atmosphere 

 constantly charged with moisture ia not conducive to the health 

 of Cucumbers or any other vegetable products. A high moist 

 atmosphere causea a rapid growth, but it is not a healthy one ; 

 the leaves are always wanting in su'istance, and will not endure 

 a few hours of bright sunshine. Cucumber and Melon plants 

 ought not to require shading from sun ; when they do the treat- 

 ment is probably at fault, and the most common cause la an 

 overmoist atmosphere. 



PLANT STOVE AND ORCHID HOUSES. 



Here aa in other structures but very little artificial boat ia 

 required ; but it is better not to do without it entirely, as many 

 plants are making rapid growth or maturing the young wood ; 

 and the season so far haabeen unuaually late. Many plants that 

 have usually passed the flowering period at this time are not 

 yet in bloom, and if the weather does not become warmer we 

 shall not be able to dispense with fire heat at all. Stephanotis 

 floribunda is still in flower, but as soon as the flowering period 

 is over the growths should be exposed more to sunshine. This 

 plant may be trained close to the glass and fully exposed to the 

 sun at this season. This and Allamanda should be well syringed 

 daily to keep down red spider. There is little danger of injury 

 from damp at this season, and nearly all stove planta except 

 those that have tender foliage may be ayringed. Young plants 

 are potted- on aa they require it, and any choice plants that are 

 not growing so well as they ought must be examined at the roots 

 to ascertain the cause. If it is from the potting material be- 

 coming sour this is to be removed with a pointed stick from 

 amongst the roots, and the plant repotted in the same or smaller 

 pot in suitable soil. 



Many of the Orchidaceous plants that are starting into growth 

 ought also to be repotted : the best time to do this ia when fresh 

 roots are emitted from the base of the last growth. Bed spider 

 ia a troublesome peat to many of the Eaat Indian Dendrobiams, 

 D. Bensonia>, D. Devonianum, and D. Falconerii especially; all 



