514 



JOURNAL OF HOarXOULTUaB AND COXrAGE GABDENEK. 



[ June 29, IMS. 



birds pnlling the Cherries through the spaces of the net. Peaches 

 and Nectarines would seem to be a good crop on walls this year. 

 There are also plenty of Cherries. Other binds have set badly, 

 and no wonder, as not only were the days and nights cold, but 

 the sun seldom shone during the blossoming period. 



The Strawberries out of doors look remarkably well and are 

 producing plenty of runners, which are being laid into small 

 pots as rapidly as possible. We shall have the young plants 

 well established in small pots and ready to be planted out by 

 the third week in July if the ground can be made ready for them. 

 We usually plant on ground that has been cleared of a crop of 

 early Peas. The ground is trenched and well manured, and if 

 possible the young plants are put out in showery weather. Red 

 spider is usually prevalent, and that is destroyed by dipping the 

 leaves in water prepared as that to destroy aphis on fruit trees. 

 We put the plants out 2 feet apart each way. 



Vines on walls require attention at this time. We stop the 

 lateral growths in the same way as has been recommended for 

 those in vineries. The walls should not become too thickly 

 crowded with growths, and some strong young wood should be 

 trained up from the base of the Vines annually. We always 

 find the best Grapes when the wood is frequently renewed. The 

 best way to prevent the appearance of red spider is to syringe 

 the Vines well daily with clear water. 



Small fruits, such as Gooseberries, Currants, andBaspberries, 

 do not receive that amount of attention they deserve during the 

 summer months. Indeed there is seldom anything done except 

 keeping the ground clear of weeds and gathering the fruit as it 

 ripens or as it is required for use. But time may be usefully 

 employed in thinning out the young wood that is not required, 

 and stoppiug any shoots that may be growing too strongly. 

 There are usually from each stool many more canes of B>isp- 

 berries than are required ; they may be as well thinned out now 

 as in the autumn. In all cases jnst as much young wood as is 

 required should be allowed to remain; it wiU be better for the 

 wood, and the sun and air will have freer access to the fruit. 



VINEBIES. 



The Grapes have very nearly all been cut from the earliest 

 bouse, and it would be well if they were all removed, as the 

 leaves are infested with red spider, which can easily be destroyed 

 by the free use of the syringe, which can be used when the 

 Grapes are cleared off. The border generally has a good supply 

 of water at the same time, to plump up the buds from which 

 will come the fruit next year. It is a fatal mistake to allow the 

 borders to become too dry at the time the fruit is ripe ; but it 

 is a mistake often made. The houses are neglected, and the 

 Vines which should be maturing the young wood are suffering 

 from want of moisture, which is needed then as much as at any 

 other time. Plenty of air should also be admitted night and 

 day if the wood is well matured ; if not it will be aa well to keep 

 the house a little closer until the wood is ripe. 



Our Vine borders are seldom disturbed by the digging fork ; 

 but those outside are rather wet and liable to crack, so we just 

 forked over the surface to prevent cracking and to allow the air 

 to act upon the surface soil. The later houses are doing very 

 well, much better than the early Vines, There has been a good 

 show of bunches, and these are large and well formed. It ia 

 only necessary now to keep the leaves free from red spider, and 

 this muBt be done without the use of the syringe. As the 

 nights are now warm we have discontinued the aid of artificial 

 heat in the Muscat as well as Hamburgh houses. 



PLANT STOVE AND OBCHID HOUSES. 



Plants are now making good growth, and are encouraged by 

 a higher moister atmosphere. A few that required repotting 

 have been attended to. Many of the different species of Palms 

 will continue in good health for a very long period in very small 

 pots for the size of the plants ; but the usual run of plants 

 grown for the beauty of their foliage only require liberal treat- 

 ment. If the plants are suffering for lack of nouriRhment the 

 foliage is not bright and healthy, and the plants for the purpose 

 for which they are intended arc worthless. The free use of the 

 syringe is necessary to destroy red spider, which attacks a large 

 proportion of them. 



We have put in cuttings of some of the more useful hard- 

 wooded plants. They are struck in white sand under abell-glass 

 in bottom heat. Cuttings of the half-ripened wood of Ixuras, 

 Gardenias, Dipladeniae, &c., root very frtely. The glass must 

 be kept close for a week or two, when air must he admitted a 

 little at first, and as it is seen that the cuttings are not likely 

 to suffer it may be admitted more freely. Some sorts of cuttings 

 do not root quite so freely as others, and even species of the 

 same genus and varieties of the same species take longer and 

 require rather different treatment. Gardenia florida strikes 

 very freely ; it is easier propagated than almfst any other hard- 

 wooded plant. Ixora jav<nica is easier propagated than I. Wil- 

 Hnmsii, and I. Williamsii than I. Colei ; but these different 

 peculiarities are only noticed by practical experience. Some 

 of the more rapid-growing softwooded plants are propagated 

 annually, and the old stools are destroyed as soon as the young 

 plants are well rooted. 



Ot plants of this character may be named the pretty winter- 

 flowering Eranthemnm pulohellum. Its deep blue flowers 

 supply a felt want at the dullest season of the year. In marked 

 contrast to it and flowering in January is the Thyrsacanthua 

 rutilans, its pendulous racemes of scarlet flowers are more 

 than half a yard long, and are freely produced ; Aphelandras, 

 of which A. aurantiaca Roezlii is one of the moat beautiful — its 

 bright orange-scarlet flowers are very striking in November 

 and December. Conoclinnm iantbinum is another seldom-seen 

 easily-grown plant ; its large clusters of flowers remind one of 

 a gigantic Ageratum. Vinca alba and V. rosea are also very 

 free-growing plants that can be grown to a flowering size in a 

 very little time. Torenia asiatica is an indispensable plant for 

 training on trellises or for hanging baskets, and should be pro- 

 pagated annually to produce the strongest growths and largest 

 flowers. Stephanotis floribunda has now done flowering. The 

 young growths aie trained close to the glass, where they have 

 as much sunshine as possible. This plant may be trained quite 

 close to the glass, and if the sun shines directly upon it the 

 plant will flower all the better next season. 



Orchids that are starting into growth should be repotted at 

 once, there is no better time to repot than this ; but it is a mistake 

 to interfere with any plants that are at rest. All Cattleyaa that 

 are dormant should be kept dry at the roots until they start into 

 growth, but not so dry as to cause the pseudobulb to shrivel. 

 Allowing the bulbs to become desiccated is not resting the plant, 

 but laying the seeds of disease, which will ultimately be its de- 

 struction. The quantity of water a plant requires will depend 

 much upon whether it is grown on a block, in a basket, or potted. 

 We have here Cattleyas in pots that have not received water at 

 the roots for a whole month; the reason was that they were 

 potted in peat and sphagnum. Another plant growing on a 

 block with nothing around the roots had to be watered daily. 

 Other plants must be watered according to the quantity of ma- 

 terial around the roots. It is better not to overpot; indeed 

 blocks are safest for many of the species. Cattleya superba and 

 others of smaller growth will not thrive in pots. If blocks are 

 used care must be taken that the roots are not allowed to become 

 too dry, else the leafy growths will become yellow, and the plant 

 suffers. 



In cool Orchid houses many of the most choice productions 

 are making their growth, including such plants as Masdevallia 

 Harryana, the best of all this fine genus. Odontoglossum cria- 

 pum and many others may be daily syringed overhead when the 

 weather is hot. It is always best when a small house with a 

 north aspect is available for placing all the Alpine genera during 

 the hottest of the summer mouths, as they suffer in a bouse 

 fully exposed to the sun. The shading may be kept down all 

 day long, but this ia not so well for the health of the plants as 

 the diffused light of a north aspect. Hardy Orchids are a very 

 interesting class of plants, and when their requirements are 

 known they are easily grown. For instance, those plants that 

 are found growiug naturally on dry hillsides in the southern 

 countries of Europe must not be grown under cultivation in a 

 shady position and the plants deluged with water; nor must 

 the noble-growing Lady's Slippers of the American bogs be 

 grown in a dry place and j ust kept moist. They must be shaded 

 from the sun, and the material in which the roots are growing 

 may be spongy like a marsh. — J. Douglas. 



HORTICULTDEAL EXHIBITIONS. 

 Seoketabies will oblige ua by informing us of the dates on 

 which exhibitions are to be held. 

 ToEBiY. Jane 29th and 30th. Mr. W. Fane Tucker, Capt., BraSdon Tor, 



Hon. Sec. 

 OxFOBD (Roses). June 30th. Mr. C. R. Kidley, 115, Aldate'a, Hon. Sec. 

 CuYSTAL Paxace (Rosesl. June 30th and July 1st. 



Brochham (Roses). Jnly let. Rev. A. Chealea and Mr. C. Mortimer, Sees. 

 Maksden. July Ist. Mr. J. H. Edmondson, Hon. Sec. 

 SouTHPORT. July 5th. Mr. A Campbell, Sec. 



RiiYAL Caledonian Horticcltukal SuciExy. July 5th and September 13th. 

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

 Wkstminsteu Aquaridm. Jul; Sth and 6th. 

 Ipswich.— July 6tU, and September l7th. Sec, Mr. W. B. Jeflries, Henley 



Road, Ipswich. 

 Frome (Roaee). July 6th. Mr. A. R. Baily, Hon. Sec. 

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

 NoTTlNOHAM. Ju'y 6th to loth. Mr. A. Kirk, Municipal Offices, See. 

 Sandown Park. JuW7th and Bth. Mr. Willi*, RoyalEiotic Nurs:ry, Onslow 



Crej^cent, South Kensington, ^ec. 

 Alexandra Palace. Roses, July 7th and 8tb. 

 Wellinoborodgh. July 7tb and 8th. Mr. W. B. Parke, Hon. See. 

 Reioate (Roses). July 8tb. Mr. J. Payne, Treasurer. 

 Ealino, Acton, and Hanwell. July Hlh (at Fordhook). Mr. R. Dean, 



Etilinf^, Sec. 

 Enfield. July 12th. Mr. J. T. Rofe. Bloomfield Nursery, Sec. 

 Helensburgh (Rises). July I2th and l:-ith. Mr. J. MitcbeU. Sec. 

 Wimbledon. July l"2tbaudl3th. Mr. P Appleby, fi.Lindeu Cottages, Hon. Sec. 

 HiGHGATE. July 13th. Mr. W. M. Blirck, 6, North Road, Higbgate, See. 

 West of England (Hereford). Boses. July 13th. Rev. C. H. Bnlmer, 



Credenbill, Sec. 

 Clifton, Bristol iRoBBB, &c.). July 13th. Mr. J. T. Jackson, Sec. 

 Leek (Robcb). July 18th. Mr. S. Cartwright, Sheep Market, Leek, Stafford- 

 shire, Hon. Sec. 



