Mai-oh 5, 1874. 1 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDKNEE. 



207 



for drainage and 3 feet for loam, &c. If it is a higli lean-to vinery 

 the back wall must be 11-iuch bricliworls, and to make a sound 

 tank at the base of this wall a little extra expense will be 

 incurred in the first instance by carrying-up the inside H_ inches 

 in cement ; the rest of the wall may be mortar. Another wall of 

 4J-iuch work may be carried-up parallel to this, and at the dis- 

 tance of 2 feet G inches all the length of the house. The tank 

 must now be thrown into divisions by walls of 4 J-inch work, which 

 will strengthen the other wall, and be more convenient for dip- 

 ping-np the water. The cross walls should be about 6 feet apart ; 

 and as one tank is fiUed from the roof the water will overflow 

 into the next, and so on until all are filled. The same arrange- 

 ment should be made in all houses, so that plenty of rain water 

 can always be dipped up. The insides should be coated over 

 either with Roman or Portland cement. It would also he a great 

 boon to gardeners if undergroimd tanks could be made to receive 

 the water that ran from walks or from other hard surfaces in the 

 kitchen garden. It is a great convenience to have water laid-on 

 by pipes from waterworlis, or from a raised tank where the water 

 has been pumped-up by some means, but it is well to bear in 

 mind that no pump water is so good as rain water. The baro- 

 meter had been falling for the last few days, and rain began on 

 Thursday ; it rained heavily on Thursday night, and on Friday 

 morning the rain-receiver contained IJ05 inch of rain water. 

 This was very acceptable to fill the tanks, as well as beneficial 

 to newly-planted shrubs, which were suffering from drying east 

 winds. 



KITCHEN GABDEN. 



The ground was in good order for planting, and as there were 

 evident signs of rain the second early Potatoes were put out. 

 Thfii-e is no better sort than Dalmahoy for the second crop. The 

 White Don is also good, but it is more susceptible of disease. 

 Pricked out Cauhflower plants from seed-boxes into others, and 

 removed them again into a cold frame. The plants that have 

 stood the winter in hand-lights are looking well ; some that were 

 wintered in boxes will be planted oiit during the week. It is a 

 good plan with these as well as other tender plants to draw a 

 deep drill with a hoe and to plant in this ; the plants are thereby 

 sheltered a little from cold winds. Put the plants out about 

 2 feet apart each way. 



Endeavour by all means to maintain a supply of good salad. 

 Besides Lettuce, which was planted in a sheltered position in 

 autumn and is now making good progress, a sowing was made 

 under glass early in February, and the plants will be ready to 

 go out in two or three weeks. Eadishes under glass are in a 

 forward state. Sowings must now be made for succession. 

 Mustard and Cress may also be sowu out of doors, but if there 

 is convenience it is better grown imder glass as yet. 



Sea-kale may be covered with pots, and some fermenting mate- 

 rial placed round them will be necessary to force it in (luickly. 



FBUIT AND FOECING HOUSES. 



Vineries now take a large share of attention. In our earliest 

 houses the Grapes are flowering. This is a very critical time, 

 as the fruit does not now set so readily as it does in May. It is 

 a good plan to go over the house twice a-day and gently shake 

 the laterals, at 10 .i.m. and 2 r.M. This serves to distribute the 

 pollen. Another source of danger is to be found in the venti- 

 lation. During the present month east winds blow keenly, and 

 at the same time the sun has a powerful effect upon the glass. 

 There is thus a choice of two evils — the leaves being scorched on 

 the one hand, or the Grapes becoming injured by rust on the 

 other ; both, however, may be avoided by skilful management 

 aud unremitting attention. Should red spider appear on the 

 leaves, it is better to wash them by hand with a sponge dipped 

 in soapy water. Sulphur appUed to the pipes sufficiently strong 

 to kill the spider, will certainly cause the Grapes to become 

 rusty ; when the berries are near the stoning period there is not 

 then so much danger of this. When the fruit is setting, water 

 should not be allowed in the evaporating-troughs. Damping 

 the walls and paths of the house twice a-day will be enough at 

 this time. 



Peach Houses. — The growing shoots in the earliest house 

 should be tied-down to the wires, and by all means avoid over- 

 crowding; in most cases one leading shoot and another trained- 

 up from the base of the last season's wood will be enough. No 

 greater mistake can be made than to grow a thicket of wood 

 which has to be cut-out at the winter pruning. The house may 

 now be kept at 65' at night, with a rise of from 5' to 15° more in 

 the daytime. There will be no red spider on the trees if they 

 have been syringed daily with rain water which has been 

 allowed to stand in water-pots over the hot-water pipes to be- 

 come warmed before using it. We do not approve of using 

 manure .water for Peach and Nectarine trees ; but if the liorder 

 is not rich, as Peach borders ought not to be, the surface may 

 be dressed with manure to which a third part of loam has been 

 added. This encourages the roots to come up to the surface, 

 and all waterings from the syringe or otherwise wash the 

 nutriment down to the roots. 



Firjs in Fots. — It is only in very large establishments that & 

 house is entirely devoted to the culture of Figs ; but where this 



is the case the atmospheric conditions are similar to those re- 

 commended for Vines. A few trees in pots can be grown in any 

 garden where there are suitable glass houses, aud they succeed 

 best when placed near the glass aud freely exposed to the light. 

 In such a position, if the fruit is required early, a uight tem- 

 perature of 70° may be maiutaiued after the trees have started 

 into growth. A high temperature before growth has com- 

 menced will cause the fruit to drop off. Water freely at the 

 roots, and syringe the under sides of the leaves to destroy or 

 keep red spider in check. 



Dessert Oranrjes.—The trees have jjassed through the flower- 

 ing period, and the fruit seems to have set well. At the time 

 of flowering, a dry atmosphere and a temperature of 65° are the 

 most. suitable for them. "When the fruit has set, syringe the 

 trees daily. The only insect enemy that attacks our trees is 

 the brown scale, and the only way to cleanse the trees from this 

 pest is to wash it off with a sponge and soft soap dissolved in 

 warm water. The trees ought to be thoroughly cleansed from 

 it, otherwise the leaves cannot be kept clean, or the trees main- 

 tained in health. 



STOVE AND GREENHOUSE. 



This is a trying month for tender stove plants, owing to the 

 exceedingly changeable weather ; drying winds aud bright sun- 

 shine injure the delicate fronds of Ferns aud young growths of 

 plants. Instead of giving too much air it is better to put-up the 

 shading, which ought to be attached to a roller, so that it may 

 be readily rolled up or let down at pleasure. Caladiums which 

 had been wintered underneath the stage had started to grow, 

 and were taken out, watered, and removed to the Pine house. 

 They will be turned out of the pots and repotted in a few days. 

 Gloxinias, Achimenes, &c., should be started into growth now ; 

 the pots to be placed near the glass. The greenhouse or con- 

 servatory should now bo gay with flowering plants. The prin- 

 cipal work has been removing Hyacinths, Lily of the Valley, &c., 

 that have gone out of flower, introducing a fresh supjily, and 

 re-arranging the plants. Tying and training the growing shoots 

 of Lapageria rosea and alba; the latter is the stronger grower, 

 the growths must be trained before they twine into each other. 

 Camellias that have finished flowering should be placed in a 

 hothouse or vinery at work to make their growth. If they make 

 their wood early they will flower proportionably early next year. 

 This is the only way to obtain early flowers, as the Camellia will 

 not bear forcing to bring the plants early into bloom. 



FLOWEB (j-ARDEN. 



The zonal Pelargoniums have been in boxes longer than usual. 

 It is better to pot them off in the autumn. In our case want of 

 space was the reason they were not potted at that time, but we 

 have now finished doing so ; keeping the house close for a few 

 days, and a little heat in the pipes, serve to start them into 

 growth. Boxing-off Verbenas, Ageratums, and a few other bed- 

 ding plants which succeed better in boxes than they do in pots. 

 We also put in cuttings of Verbenas of which there is not suffi- 

 cient stock. Many persons are very careful to make their cut- 

 tings of Verbenas at a joint, and this necessitates cutting over 

 the plant lower than is desirable, whereas it is not at all neces- 

 sary, as the cuttings will strike roots and form plants if there is 

 no joint under the surface at all. Planted out the first lot of 

 Gladiolus. Seedlings which had been grown in pots were 

 watered after the leaves had died-dowu in the autumn, this 

 caused them to start into premature growth ; they were placed 

 in boxes and removed to a house where they were kept cool, 

 but from which severe frost was excluded. Some sandy loam 

 has been placed round the roots. — J. Douglas. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVBD. 



J. Coombs, The Ferns, Enfleld, Middlesex.— Cointof/Kc of 

 Cuttings of Geraniums, d-c. 



F. & A. Dickson & Sons, 106, Eastgato Street, Chester.— Oato- 

 loffue of New and Select Farm Seeds. 



George Poulton, Fountain Nursery, Angel Road, E dmonton, 

 London, ^.—Catalogue of Dutch Flower Boots, Vegetable and 

 Floioer Seeds. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



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

 week. 



Boiler (BrootIn?irfs).— Write to the maker, and ask where you can see it 

 in operation, and acy other particulars you require. 



Glass Cutter (J. L., King's Bock!).— Having tried it ourselves we can 

 testify that you are mistaken. 



Proning \mss IRobert Kurihcs).— The system upon which your gardener 

 has pruned your Vines is quite correct. It is what is known as '' the close- 

 spur " or " single-rod " system. You will find that from every spur shoots 

 will be emitted, and all you have to do is to encourage the strongest by 

 rubbing-ofi all the weaker ones. 



Katinc. Market Gakiieners' Glazed Structures (J A. P.). — ^Vc ar ■ 

 of opinion that they arc not rateable. All that we can say on tho subject we 

 said in our No. 622, page 183. 



Vines Ai'TBR Planting iAmaicur), — If you have not yet planted the 



