i'j6 



JODBNAL OF HORTIOULTUEB AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Jane 22, 1876. 



We have gone over the Bean^ and topped them. Our own 

 stork of Windsor is very much superior in appearance to that 

 of the new Seville LoLgpod. It would be very useful if those 

 who have grown that variety would relate their experience with 

 it in a cold unfavourable season like the present, as it seeme 

 wi(h us to be more susceptible to injury than auy other variety. 



The last crops of Peas may now be sown, and the best early 

 Peas are also the best for late crops, being more hardy than the 

 Marrows, wLich succumb DJore surely to mildew. Those who 

 wish to eave seeds of CauliiiowerB should mark the best heads 

 now, and allow the plants to remain on the ground, which is 

 preferable to transplaDting them. Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, 

 Leeks, Savoys, and Celery may be planted. Choofe showery 

 weather if possible : if this cannot be done it is best to plant at 

 night, as the roots have a better chance to lay bold of the fresh 

 ground if the weather is hot and dry. Working the hoe amontst 

 all growing crops and earthing them up when required may be 

 vigoronsl; prosecated all through this and the following months. 



PINES. 



If the vegetable crops are poor and late the Pines are empha- 

 tically BO. At the Loudon exhibitions we never saw such poor 

 Pines, even the large prizes offered failing to bring out anything 

 but third-rate fruit; at the country shows we have seen none. 

 For one thing Pines are becoming as common as Cabbages, and 

 it was only by the rarity of the fruit and the expense of culture 

 that caused it to be valned so much as an aristocratic fruit. 

 Now, when St. Michael's Pines can be had all through the winter 

 and up to June, and West Indian fruit is carted through the 

 streets in barrowloads by the costermongers in July, English- 

 grown fruit cannot find a place. StiU those who value a really 

 good Pine muet grow their own or purchase home-grown fruit, 

 as British fruit is superior to that of foreign growth, just as 

 British-grown Grapes are superior to any other Grapes in the 

 world. 



It is not necessary at this period of the year to use fire heat 

 at all for this fruit; closing early with sun beat will retain the 

 heat long enough to prevent the thermometer from falling too 

 low. Damping the house night and morning will under the cir- 

 cumstances te sufficient. Suckers that have just been potted 

 and that are intended to fruit next year must he pushed on and 

 be repotted into their fruiting pots as soon as the plants are well 

 established in the small po»s. Ooce potting is quite sufficient. 

 Let the bottom heat be 90° or 95°, and the night temperature 

 70° at the lowest point. 



PEACH HOnSES. 



Where the fruit is ripening some netting may be fixed under- 

 neath the trees, into which the fruit can fall and be safe from 

 bruises. When the weather is dull and cold the flavour would 

 be improved by the heating apparatus being used when the 

 ventilators are open, but they ought not to be closed either by 

 night or day unless it be to keep out the rain. There is but 

 little attention required except to gather the fruit, and this is 

 preferable to letting it drop from the trees. It ought to be 

 gathered very carefully. It will not do to press it with the 

 fingers to ascertain if it is ripe. A very little experience in this 

 is worth a page of inetruotii ns. The fruit will be at the stoning 

 period in late houses at present, and must not be forced too 

 much until stoning is completed. When the second swelling 

 takes place will be the time to syringe freely and keep up plenty 

 of heat and moisture if the fruit is wanted early. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



We generally fall short of flowers at this period, but it is also 

 the time when flowers are not so much valued indoors as they 

 are at other seasons ; and where there is not sufficient glass sup- 

 plementary to the greenhouse to grow plants to keep the house 

 gay all the season, it is better to be short when flowers are of least 

 value, or when they are least wanted. Camellias are now being 

 grown on in heat, and they are well syringed and watered until 

 the buds set, when the heat is reduced and the plants are either 

 transferred to the greenhouse or placed in a shady position out 

 of doors. 



Those who grow a good collection of Capo Heaths and New 

 Holland plants will be able to make a good display at this 

 season, as many of the most choice species and varieties will 

 now be in flower. The difficulty in many places with these 

 plants is to find a place for them when they are not in flower. 

 They are all most valuable for decorative purposes. At this 

 season, when Balsams, Fuchsias, stage Pelargoniums, and other 

 sofcwooded plants are growing freely, the more tender and 

 slower-growing Cape plants are apt to become overcrowded, and 

 they not only suffer from want of air and light", but the insidious 

 pest, mildew, also attacks the young growths, doing them 

 serious ii-jury. Others are more liable to bti attacked by red 

 spider — of these mav be named Pimelea spectabilis, which often 

 loses its leaves without any apparent cause, but if the under 

 Bides of the leaves be examined they will be found covered with 

 red spider. If the leaves attacked by mildew are dusted on the 

 first appearance of the parasite with dry flowers of sulphur this 

 will kill It. Red spider is best destroyed by syringing the plants 

 well daily with clear rain water. All hardwooded plants that 



have done flowering should be picked over, removing the seed- 

 pods and withered flowers. Plants that have been covered 

 wiih flowers to the extent of biding the foliage are exhausted 

 quite enough without having to support decaying flowers or 

 seed-pods. Indeed, those who grow for exhibition are so well 

 aware of this, that in the case of some plants they allow the 

 specimens an entire season to make their growth, and get a fall 

 display of flowers the following seaEon, 



Small pots of Hhodanthe maculata, and the Globe Amaranthna, 

 to which many other half-hardy and tender annuals may be 

 added if grown in Cinch pots, are very useful for the front row. 

 The Liliums are now coniiog in, and will keep the house gay 

 from now until the end of September. The pretty little L. ttnui- 

 folium is now over, and L. Thunbergianum in many distinct 

 varieties fucceed it. These will be followed by L. auratnm, 

 L. Humboldtii, and others of the North American species. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



We have been keeping the hoe at work amongst the bedding 

 plants. Many small weeds were appearing, but the hoe does 

 good in other ways, and by the time the plants are growing 

 freely the ground will be in good order and free from weeds. 

 All the plants are looking healthy, and those that require pegg- 

 ing down will be done at once, as the plants generally grow 

 better after pegging the growths down close to the ground. 



Roses are making very good growth in sheltered places, and 

 where a bed of them was well protected from the east and north 

 winds the growths are as clear and healthy as we have ever 

 seen them, but both green fly and the bud worm are unusually 

 active. There is no better way of destroying the maggot than 

 by picking it out of the bud with a pin. The aphis may be de- 

 stroyed by dipping the shoots in soapy water. 



Herbaceous plants have been trained to sticks where they are 

 required, and all the tall growing species require sticks, such as 

 Phloxes, Pentstemons, Campanulas, Aquilegias, &o. If they are 

 not tied-up when the growths have started about 6 inches, a 

 gale of wind soaps many of them off close to the surface o£ 

 the ground. The flower spikes ought not to be crowded too 

 closely together, as one good spike is worth six weakly drawn- 

 up things. 



Pinks are now coming into flower, and they are very much 

 better than they were last year. A cool season seems to suit 

 this favourite old flower. The pods require to be tied to prevent 

 them from splitting. Carnations and Picotees will be late in 

 flowering this year ; but they are also strong and healthy. Our 

 worst enemy is wireworm ; even although the soil was picked 

 over three times a few small specimens were overlooked, and 

 just as many worms as are left in the soil so many plants are 

 destroyed before the enemy is captured. We destroy green fly 

 by dusting with snuff. — J. Douglas. 



HORTICDLTDRAL EXHIBITIONS. 



Secretaries will oblige us by informing na of the dates on 



which exhibitions are to be held. 



Exeter (Roses). June 2Srd. Mr. T. W. Gray, Hon. See. 



OH131.EHDK8T (Camden Park). Jnne 24th. Mr. 0. H. Pile, SommerfleW, 



Bickley, Hon. Sec. 

 Reioatk iBoees). June 24th. Mr. J. Payne, Treasurer. 

 BUKTON opjn-Teent. Juiie28tb. Mr. F. S. Dunwell, See. 

 Maidstone iKoseBJ. June 28th. Mr. Habert Benated. Bookatow, Maid- 



stoDe, Sec. 

 Colchester. Jane 28tb and 29th. Mr. W. Harrison, Sec. 

 Leeds, .inue 28th, 29'h, and Suth. Mr. James Birkbeek, Delph Lane, 



Woodhouse, Leeda, Sec. 

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

 WisBEACH (Boses). June 29th. Mr. C. Parker. Hon. Sec. 

 ToRBiY. June 29th and SOth. Mr. W. fane Tucker, Capt., Braddon Tor, 



Hod. Sec. 

 OxFOED (Roses). June 30th. Mr O.E. Ridley, 115, Aldate'a, Hon. Sec. 

 Crystal Palace (Roses). June 30th and July lat. 



Brookham (Rusesl. July 1st. Rev. A. Chealea and Mr. C. Mortimer, Seos. 

 Marsden. July let. Mr. J. H. Edmondaon, Hon. Sec. 

 Southport. July 6ih. Mr. A Campbell, See. 



Royal Caledonian Horticdltoral Society. JulyCthand September 18th. 

 OONDLE. July 5th. Mr. Alfred King, Sec. 

 Wkstminster Aqdaricm. Julj 5th and 6th. 

 Ipswich.— July 6tb, and September 17th. Sec, Mr. W. B. Jeflrioa, Henley 



Road, Ipswich. 

 Frome (Bosee). July 6th. Mr. A. B. Baily, Hon. See. 

 Newark (Roses). July 6th. Mr. F. B. Dobney, Sec. 

 NiiTTlNGHAM. Ju'y 6thto 10th. Mr. A. Kirk, Municipal Offices, See. 

 Sandown Park. Julv 7tb »n<i 8th. Mr. Willfl, Boyal Exotic Wutssry, Onslow 



Crescent, South Kensinytou, Sec. 

 Alexandra Palace. Roiies, July 7th and 8th. 

 Wellinqborouoh. July 7th and 8th. Mr. W. B. Parke, Hon. Sec. 

 Ealing, Acton, and Hanwell. July 11th (at Fordhook). Mr. B. Dean, 



EaHdr. Sec. 

 Enfield. July 12th. Mr. J. T. Bote. Bloomfield Nin-sery, Sec. 

 Hklensboroh (E .seal. July 12th and 18th. Mr. J. Mitchell. Sec. 

 Wimbledon. July lathaod LSth. Mr. P Appleby, 5, Linden CottBgeB,Hon..Seo. 

 Hiohoate. July ISt.h- Mr. W. M Biirck, 6. North Road, Highgate,8ec. 

 West of England (Hereford). Bosea. July 13th. Iter. C. H. Bolmer, 



Credeubill, Sec. 

 Clifton, Bbistol iRosos and Strawberries). July 13th. Mr. J. T. Jackson, 



Sec. 



