Jttuuiuy 10, 187J. 1 



JOUKNAL OP nOllTIGULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 



Gl 



and is also completely sheltered by the cliff from the prevailing 

 wind— the north-west. Besides this natural protection, the 

 north-western boundary of the garden is screened by a Haw- 

 thorn hedge e.xtending along its whole length, and averaging in 

 height about 28 feet. Behind the hedge is a running stream, 

 the percolation from the Virginian Luke, by which the whole of 

 the garden can be irrigated. The spot on which the nursery is 

 laid out was formerly the old bed of the Wangauni Kiver, and 

 sabsequeutly an ancient forest. On the surface, therefore, is 

 an average of from 3 to 4 feet, in many places deepening to 

 tj feet, of decayed vegetable matter, while the subsoil is a rich 

 alluvial deposit. Its extent is live acres, of which about two 

 and a half are orchard, one devoted to nursery stock, and the 

 remainder to specimen trees and shrubs." 



The following table will give some idea of the luxuriant 

 growth of the plants in this garden : — 



cc a to 



Capressus Goveniana , 



tonilosa 



Lftweooii 



Bentbamii 



pendula 



Kniglitii 



sempervixens stricta 



macrocarpa 



ditto (denser in habit) .... 



Corneyana 



Schubertia {from seed) . . 



sempervirens 



Craipiana 



Oyster Bay Pine 



Cryptomeria Lobbii 



elegana 



Pinus iusignis 



sylvestris 



canarien^is 



maritima (from seed) .... 



anstriaca 



Strobus 



Coulteri 



longifolia 



Biota aurea 



CedruH Deodara 



atlantioa 



Arauciiria imbricata 



Bidwillii 



Wellingtonia gigantea 



ditto (last year's gi'owtb) 



Taxus baccata 



Quercus Ilex 



Robur (from seed) 



Magnolia grandiflora 



Betula alba (from seed) 



Arbutus 



Laurustinns (hedge) 



Laurus nubilis 



Taxodium sempervirens 



Fraxinus excelsior (from seed) 



Abies excelsa 



Crataegus crus-galli 



Juniperus Oiycedrus 



Height. 





Ft. In. 



14 



7 



8 U 

 20 



6 



6 



3 6 

 22 6 

 20 6 

 12 



4 6 

 B 



10 



14 



8 6 



6 



10 6 



10 



5 C 



8 



8 



8 

 10 

 12 

 16 

 10 



6 base 

 6 



9 10 



6 

 8 



Trunk 

 at 



Ft. In. 

 2 U 



1 4" 



2 

 2 lU 

 7| 



C 



1 1 

 S 1 



2 10 

 1 

 i). 



io| 



9 



s a 



1 10 

 1 4 



2A 



1 



1 4 



9 



1 5 

 1 1 



1 8 

 11 

 8* 



e" 



6 



2 7 

 8{ 



1 llj 

 of hedge 

 1 10 

 1 1 

 7 



11 



1 



DOINGS OP THE LAST AND PRESENT WEEKS. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



The continued fine weather has allowed us to forward all 

 digging and trenching operations ; and where this work is 

 finished, so that little or no heavy traffic will require to pjass 

 over the walks, the Box edging has been cut and the walks freshly 

 gravelled. We would rather do both operations late in the 

 spring; but if this and similar work were delayed until the most 

 suitable time, in all probability it would not be done at all. 

 There is little to be said about the minor details of such work. 

 Many persons like to have the Box edgings wide, but they are 

 not only neater if they are kept narrow and dwarf in this depart- 

 ment, but wide edgings are a sure refuge for slugs and other 

 pests. If there are a number of gaps in the edging arising from 

 unsuitable soil or other circumstances, causing an unsightly 

 appearance, it is better to lift the whole and relay it. There 

 may not be time to do the whole garden, but a part may be done 

 one year and the rest when convenient. In applying the gravel 

 see that all weeds are removed, and the old gravel stirred up 

 with a fork to the depth of an inch or two. The walks should 

 be left a little higher in the centre than they are at the sides — 

 just enough to throw off the rains. If too high in the centre it 

 is very uncomfortable to walk upon them, and there is no reason 

 why it should be so. 



Made a sowing of Windsor Beans on a south border, and sowed 

 Hicks's Hardy White Cos Lettuce, Early Horn Carrot, and 

 French Breakfast Kadish under ground vineries. These vineries 



are 3 feet 6 inches wide at the base, such as have been recom- 

 mended by Mr. liivers for growing Grapes. There is roorn for 

 four rows of Carrots or Lettuce in each length, and the Radishes 

 are sown between the rows, to be removed before the other crop is 

 sufficiently advanced to bo injured by them. Of course it would 

 be bad policy to sow such seeds in ordinary garden soil. A 

 reserve of di-y loam is always at hand, and as this was rather 

 lumpy it was passed through a gravel sieve, the rough portion 

 being available for potting purposes ; this was spread over the 

 surface of the seed bed to the depth of ii inches and the seeds 

 sown in shallow drills. 



A sowing of Cauliflower seeds may be made under any glass 

 protection. Our Cauliflower jilants under hand-lights were late 

 this year, but they are growing well, and will not have so much 

 tendency to button as larger plants would. It is always advan- 

 tageous to the plants to dress the surface of the ground outside 

 the hand-Ughts with rotted manure, as, should a severe frost 

 set in, the manure prevents it from penetrating the ground, and 

 thus saves the plants. Stirring the surface of the soil round the 

 plants with a small fork or pointed stick is advantageous. 



FRUIT AND FORCING HOUSES. 



Pine Apples which were in their fruiting pots by August, and 

 have been at rest from the first week in November, should now 

 be started. It will probably be necessary to renew the beds 

 with fresh tan, and herein is danger of an excess of bottom 

 heat. If tan remains ton long in Pine beds, it decays into iiue 

 powder, becoming a harbour for worms. Opportunity may now 

 be had to sift it, reserving the rough portion to mix with fresh 

 tan from the yards. This will at first heat violently ; in many 

 instances the temperature of the bed will be as high as 120° 

 Fahrenheit's thermometer— a sufficiently high medium to destroy 

 the roots of the plants if they were plunged in it. It is generally 

 best to place the pots on the surface of the bed, and at the end 

 of ten days, or more, the heat will have declined, so that the 

 pots may be plunged ; 8S' or 90- will be quite high enough for 

 the roots. As it is desirable to make the plants throw-up fruit 

 before they start into growth, this will be best accompUshed by 

 keeping them comparatively dry at the roots. Those which 

 start into growth may throw-up fruit two months after the 

 others, and some of them later still. A mode of treatment re- 

 commended by the best growers, and tried here with only 

 moderate success, is to cut such defaulters over at the surface 

 of the soil in the pot, repotting firmly in a 9 or 10-inch pot in 

 the same way that suckers are managed. The earliest fruit 

 from a batch of Queens started now would be ripe about the 

 middle of June, but the night temperature should be 70°, except 

 in very severe weather, when it may fall 5' lower. 



Cucumhcr House— Attend well to bearing plants. Now is 

 the most trying period to obtain a supply. Much, indeed all, 

 depends upon the variety, and the formation of the house. A 

 true stock of Telegraph is a certain bearer in winter. The house 

 should have a steep pitch and face south. There should be a 

 sufficient quantity of hot- water pipes to raise the temperature 

 to 6.5° or 70% even in a severe frost, without overheating the 

 pipes. Plants that have been in bearing for the last two or 

 three months should have the surface mould removed without 

 damaging the roots, and have a dressing of rich manure, mixed 

 with turfy loam, applied to the surface. Glass and woodwork 

 should be perfectly clean, decaying leaves be removed at once, 

 thrips and green fly to have no place. Water when necessary 

 with tepid water, giving a thorough Boaking to reach the bottom 

 roots. 



Melons.— '^e made the first sowing on the 8th ; Scarlet Gem 

 and Hybrid Cashmere used to be our favourites. The last must 

 certainly give place to Victory of Bath, a good selection of 

 which has been brought into notice within the last few years by 

 Mr. Gilbert, gardener to the Marquis of Exeter; and Read's 

 Scarlet-fleshed Melon, a variety being sent out this year for the 

 first time, will, if it maintain its character, displace all other 

 scarlet-fleshed sorts. We are trying it against Scarlet Gem, 

 and shall in due course state the results. It is best to sow the 

 seeds in 5-inch pots in good loam, with a very small portion of 

 leaf mould and sand, placing the pots in bottom heat, and as 

 soon as the seed-leaves are fully developed the plants may be 

 potted singly in the same sized pot, and they will make the 

 dwarfest and most hardy plants if they are grown on shelves 

 placed near the glass. 



Removed a lot of Sea-kale and Bhuliarb to the forcing houses, 

 the Sea-kale treated as previously recommended. The Rhu- 

 barb roots are placed crowns uppermost in the bottom of flour- 

 tubs, sufficient damp loam is placed round the roots so as 

 not to quite cover the crowns, the tubs are placed in the early 

 vinery or any forcing house, a covering of some sort is put 

 over the tubs, and no water is applied to the roots until the first 

 dish is gathered. 



Divarf Kidney Beans in a bearing condition in pots should be 

 supplied with weak manure water, and freely syringed early in 

 the forenoon. They must be kept free from red spider, and if 

 this is done they will continue in bearing for a long period. 



Orchard Ilouse.— The Peach and Nectarine trees have been 



