February 20, 187i. J 



JOOENAL OF HOBTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



189 



than 3 feet from the base o£ the wall if it is hiRh ; if the walls 

 are low 2 feet will be enough. Strong webbing should be sewn- 

 on to the top and bottom of the shading ; it may then be nailed 

 to the wall just under the coping, and at the top of each pole 

 a bit of tape or string should be fastened to hold the covering 

 when it is rolled up. A man with a light ladder can go round 

 the walls and undo the strings in a few minutes ; another follows 

 with a hammer and nails, and fastens the covering moderately 

 tight to the base of the poles. We also tried one season to cover 

 pyramid Tears in the open garden by raising a framework round 

 them and throwing a covering over; this entailed considerable 

 trouble, and the result was not very satisfactory, for the trees 

 which were covered did not fare better than those exposed. In 

 whichever way the protecting material is used, it ought on no 

 account to touch the blossoms. 



We have been finishing trenching and digging, and will im- 

 mediately proceed to clear the walks from weeds, and give them 

 a fresh dressing of gravel. All such work ought to be finished 

 aa Boon as possible. 



FKCIT AND FOKCINC. HOUSES. 



Pine Houses. — Many Pines had been cut in the fruiting house, 

 and this necessitated the removal of plants from the succession 

 house to fill the space ; at the same time the old material, which 

 was composed of spent tan, was turned over and mixed with 

 cocoa-nut fibre refuse. The beds i:c the succession house were 

 also turned over, and the plants repotted. In doing this a good 

 portion of the old and exhausted mould is removed, as well as 

 the older leaves near the base of the plants. The compost must 

 be rammed in firmly, the plants also being put in rather deeper 

 than they were before. The bottom heat for newly-potted plants 

 should be 90', and a few degrees above this will be beneficial 

 rather than otherwise, the object being to cause the emission of 

 fresh roots. As the days lengthen more atmospheric moisture 

 will be necessary. The evaporating troughs over the pipes, which 

 have been kept dry up to this time, may now be kept full of 

 water. Seventy degrees is the best night temperature, and this 

 may fall a few degrees in very cold weather. 



The first dish of Strawberries was picked on the 20th — Black 

 Prince. All things considered, this is the best variety for very 

 early forcing ; if the runners are layered in good time and well 

 managed, however early the plants may be started, there is 

 always a certainty of a crop. Keens' Seedling is the next in 

 succession ; this is much superior to it both as regards appear- 

 ance and flavour. President is one of the very best for a main 

 crop, and British Queen the latest. Forced Strawberry plants 

 are persistently attacked by red spider, and good fruit cannot be 

 obtained if this is not kept under. The plants may now be 

 syringed twice a-day up to the time the fi'uit begins tocolour, 

 when syringing must be discontinued. The water must be 

 applied with force to the under sides of the leaves. 



Dwarf Kidney Beans that have been potted from the seed- 

 boxes are apt to flag during bright sunshine ; instead of shading, 

 it is better to dew the plants over with a syringe. 



Planted-out the first house of Melons ; the compost had been 

 in the house about ten days previously. A portion of fine loam 

 was laid on the surface of the bed to raise a small mound where 

 each plant was put in ; this to a large extent prevents the plants 

 from dying-off at the surface of the ground, as Melon plants very 

 often do just before the fruit ripens. When the plants were put 

 out the surface of the bed was dressed with rotten manure ; this 

 keeps it moist, and also retains water which, evaporating gently, 

 is also beneficial to the plants. Pinched the points out of the 

 growing shoots of Cucumbers, and trained the shoots to the 

 trellis, removing also all decaying leaves from the plants. 

 Smoke for thrips, and syringe in the morning for red spider. 



Melons and Cncumhers may now be planted-out in hotbeds. 

 To keep down superfluous heat and steam it is a good plan to 

 cover the surface of the beds with turves, the grass side being 

 placed under ; on this the hills should be raised. When it is 

 ascertained that the temperature is all right, the plants can be 

 turned out, one or two being put on each hill. The glass must 

 be washed before this, as it is highly desirable to have as much 

 light as can jiossibly be obtained. 



Mushroom Souse. — Fresh beds may be made at any time, the 

 object being either to have a continuous supply or to have them 

 at the time they are required for consumption. It is not always 

 possible to ascertain how a bed will bear. The spawn is not at 

 all times equally good, and at another time the manure of which 

 the bed is composed is at fault — it is, perhaps, overheated or 

 too damp ; in either case much of the spawn is injured. The 

 main element of success in Mushroom culture is to have the 

 manure well worked previous to use. It should be laid out on 

 the floor of a dry shed, after having been placed in a heap to 

 ferment ; when moderately dry the bed may be made up — it 

 should be beaten down firmly with a rammer or the back of a 

 spade. About the third or fourth day it can be ascertained how 

 the bed will heat, and if the temperature is suitable at that time 

 the spawn may be put in. Break the bricks into pieces as large 

 as pigeons' eggs, insert them to the depth of IJ inch, and after- 

 wards cover the bed with loam. Should the heat decline before 



the Mushrooms appear, cover with oat straw or hay ; 55° is a 

 good temperature. 



Orchard House. — The blossoms are now in a forward state, 

 and on frosty nights the pipes are warmed sufficiently to keep 

 out the frost. Brown scale has been troublesome to us, but it 

 has always been kept under by going over the trees with a 

 sponge dipped in water wherein some soft soap has been dis- 

 solved. Aphides increase as the blossoms expand ; there is also 

 green fly on the Strawberry plants; so that the house will bo 

 well fumigated with tobacco. Ventilate freely in fine weather. 



STOVE AND GREENHOUSE. 



If stove plants are not free from scale and bug they ought to 

 be washed by hand. If this work is neglected until later in the 

 season the insects increase so fast, and there is so little time to 

 attend to them, that the result by midsummer is that the plants 

 are overrun ; besides, it is not possible to cleanse such subjects as 

 Stephanotis and Ixoras from bug if this pest get into the flower 

 heads. 



Both hard and softwooded plants may be potted now. The 

 greenhouse is gay with spring-flowering plants, forced Roses, 

 &a. These last are invariably attacked by green fly, and should 

 be fumigated before the flower buds are much advanced, as the 

 flowers smell of tobacco if the buds are partially opened whea 

 the house is smoked. Keep the plants as near the glass as 

 possible, and water with manure water, which will bring up the 

 colour in the flowers. 



Hyacinths should also be taken out of the forcing house as 

 the first flowers open ; sticks must be placed to them in good 

 time, and the bells may be regulated with a pointed stick. The 

 bells on some of the varieties are thinly placed, and have also a 

 tendency to hang down, whioh is objectionable. Such sorts 

 may be improved by lifting the bells up with a stick or pencil, 

 so that they may stand out in a horizontal position. 



Stage and Fancy Pclarrjoniums hho\x\(\. be trained now if they 

 are intended to make specimen plants. As they are grown by 

 the London exhibitors the shoots are tied down to a wire fastened 

 round the pot. A wire is fastened under the rim first, then two 

 or three sticks are laid over the pots and tied down to the wire 

 so as to project from 3 to 9 inches according to the size of the 

 plant; a stout ring of wire is then tied down to the ends of the 

 sticks, and in this way a plant maybe trained-out to a large size. 

 If the object is to secure large trusses the shoots should be few 

 in number and ought not to be bent in any way. 



Chrysanthemums that were struck from cuttings in December 

 have been potted into 5-inch pots. It is well not to allow such 

 plants to receive any check to their gi'owth. The point is taken 

 out of the plant when it is about 5 inches high ; this causes the 

 production of from five to seven shoots near the top, and will 

 allow a clear stem about 2 inches above the surface of the mould. 

 Plants intended to produce flowers for exhibition are not pinched 

 at all ; as the leading shoot grows it is tied to a stick to preserve 

 it from injury. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



Eoll the lawn and also the walks ; no litter should be allowed 

 to accumulate on beds or borders. Hardy herbaceous plants 

 may now be divided if it is desirable to increase the stock. 

 Bulbous plants should not be disturbed now, otherwise the 

 flowers will not be so good. It is best to remove all such plants 

 in the autumn. 



This is the best time to propagate Phloxes. The stools, if two 

 or three years old, will have thrown-up a number of shoots ; all 

 of them may be removed except five. The cuttings may either 

 be put-in out of doors or in pots. If the former, a bed should be 

 marked out, and 2 inches of fine mould placed on the surface ; 

 the cuttings may then be put in 3 inches apart and inches 

 between the rows. If in pots, it is best to put one cutting in the 

 centre of a small pot, and then place the pots in a gentle hot- 

 bed ; when well rooted give air freely and shift into 5-inch pots, 

 or plant in beds. When grown in jiots the Phlox is very useful 

 for decorating the greenhouse or conservatory in autumn. — 

 J. Douglas. 



TRADE CATALOGUES EECEIVED. 



H. Canuell, Station Road, Woolwich, S.E. — Floral Guide for 

 187J. 



Sutton & Sons, Heading. — Sutton's Farmer's Year-Booh an3, 

 Grazier's Manual. 



Ewing & Co., Norfolk Nurseries, Norwich. — List of New 

 Roses. 



George Yatea, 29, Little Underbank, Stockport. — Descriptive 

 Catalogue of Select Vegetable and Flnwer Seeds. 



.1. Brunning & Co., 1, Market Place, Great Yarmouth. — General 

 Seed Catalogue. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



N.B. — Many questioua must remain unanswered until next 

 week. 

 NA3IING Plants. — We are most willing to name plants, and have superior 

 botanical aid for the purpose ; yet, even under the most favourable circum- 



