430 



JOUBNAL OF HORTIOOLTURfi AND OOTTAQB GARDKNEB. 



[ May is, 1874. 



M. teuuifolium dwarf they must have their brauchea pegged- 

 down OQ the soil. This is not only a good plan of makiag com- 

 pact speoimeas, but also a good plan whereby to propagate them, 

 for if the operation be performed in spring every branch will 

 root in a few weeks. 



To check the growth of the foliage of bulbous plants is de- 

 cidedly injurious to them. After flowering the leaves should 

 be stimulated to make strong growth under the influence of 

 bright light, and this should be continued till they show 

 symptoms of having passed maturity, then moisture should be 

 gradually reduced until they are brought to a state of rest. It 

 is therefore wrong to cut oft the foliage of hardy bulbs when 

 they have done flowering, and hurtful, although sometimes 

 necessary, to remove them to another place until it can be done 

 without greatly disturbing the roots. 



Moderate disbudding, or rather thinning the shoots of fruit 

 trees, must be persevered in ; but they must now be removed 

 with a sharp knife and not broken off, as the shoots are acixuir- 

 ing consistency. Some of the strongest shoots of Peaches in- 

 tended to remain will require to be tacked-in. Never forget 

 that to realise the full benefit of the operation it must be dono 

 continually and gradually. Serious injury will always result 

 from sadden and heavy thinnings either of the buds or young 

 shoots. Stop the strongest shoots of Vines a joint beyond the 

 fruit, and commence nailing-in. The fruit of the Peaches should 

 be thinned-out where necessary. Apricots, being generally used 

 for tarts, must be left until they are large enough for that object. 

 Do not forget to use every available means to keep Strawberries 

 in a free-growing state by timely appUcatioua of water and fre- 

 quent surface-stirring. 



Cucumbers which have been planted-out and filled their frame 

 will be greatly benefited by a good soaking of manure water in 

 a clear state, particularly when the soil is of a light and open 

 texture, which should always be the case with Cucumbers. The 

 liquid manure should be transparent and of the same tempera- 

 ture as the bed when applied, and cJre must be taken to let none 

 fall on the leaves in watering. If the fruit is required to grow 

 very large, care should be taken to select the best-formed female 

 flowers near to the main stems, and the rest should be thinned oft. 



To cover your trelliswork or any exposed piece of wall for 

 the summer, plant any of the following, or all of them inter- 

 mixed if you prefer it ; Tropaolum aduucum (yellow), Cobfea 

 scandens (purple^ Calampolis soaber (orange), Loasa aurantiaca 

 (red), the Convolvulus major (various), Lophospermum Hender- 

 soni (rose). If you prefer less-strong-growing plants, substitute 

 Maurandya Barclayana (blue), M. aemperfloreus (rose) ; there is 

 also a white variety, and Clematis Jackmanni (violet), Tropaeolum 

 minus (orange), and Lophospermum scandens (rose). 



Put m snccessional crops in the kitchen garden; prick-out 

 Celery ; stop the first crop of Peas and Beans ; roll gravel walks ; 

 mow, sweep, and roll lawns ; and look after every out-of-the- 

 way place, the nooks and corners. 



What a delightful rain we have had, and just when its presence 

 was wanted I Independently of stirring the surface of the ground, 

 stiff soils were beginning to crack into fissures even where mostly 

 covered with vegetation. Where the ground was previously well 

 broken the crops will have obtained greater advantage from the 

 rain. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST AND PBESENT WEEKS. 



HARDY FBUIT OASDEN. 



We are now becoming aware of the extent to which both wall 

 and standard fruit trees have been iujm'ed by frost. Plums on 

 the wall, which seemed to have set pretty freely ten days ago, 

 have mostly become yellow and dropped oft ; only a very few 

 are swelling. Some varieties of Pears have set well, others are 

 a failure. Cherries ou the wail are a full crop, on pyramid trees 

 they are a partial failure. Apples are a crop, though some sorts 

 have suffered. We have been looking over the trees to destroy 

 the caterpillar of the Lackey Moth. If this pest is not destroyed 

 at once the trees may be injured. Our mischievous friends ihe 

 sparrows seem to have been beforehand with us, and have made 

 havoc with some of the clusters, leaving parts of the skins 

 behind them. They may eat other sorts of caterpillars and 

 insects, and thus to some extent repay us for the woful damage 

 they do to our early Peas, Lettuce, and other tender young 

 crops in the early spring months. 



In a recent number it was stated that Strawberry Amateur 

 was the only one that had suffered from frosts destroying the 

 blossoms. Since that time Sir C. Napier and one or two others 

 have also been slightly injured from the long-continued frosty 

 winds. When fine exhibition fruit is what is desired it is neces- 

 sary to thin out the fruit, and this is best done as soon as the 

 petals begin to drop off, removing small and badly-formed fruit, 

 allowing only about a dozen to remain ou each plant. Instead 

 of allowing these to lay on the ground it is better to support 

 them a little above the leaves with small branches of Elm, 

 Beech, or some similar material. A neat Strawberry support is 

 made of galvanised iron wire. It is intended that the fruit 



should rest on a sort of network, and at first sight these seemed 

 to be a very suitable article, but in practice the small branches 

 are the best. 



The barometer is falling, and various signs prognosticate rain, 

 which is much needed. In our light soil it will be necessary to 

 water the Strawberry beds if no rain come in a few days; they 

 will have a good soaking, and be mulched with some rotted 

 manure afterwards. As Mr. Eadclyffe pointed out many years 

 ago, the best Strawberries are obtained in hot dry weather; this 

 is quite true if an almost unlimited supply of water can be 

 poured over the roots. All our plants are runners of last year ; 

 we do not care to trust to older plants for the best fruit. 



There is no excuse for weeds growing anywhere this year, 

 either iu the kitchen-garden quarters or the fruit-tree borders. 

 A few are springing up on paths, but they can readily be pulled 

 out after a shower. Autumn-planted Cauliflowers seem to 

 require water at the roots as well as other crops, but there is 

 not much advantage in doing so while the night temperature is 

 so low ; with warmer nights it might be applied with greater 

 advantage. 



FORCING HOUSES. 



Vineries. — So much has been noticed of the principal details 

 of the work in this department that it may seem like repetition 

 to say more this week, but we would urge on all who attempt to 

 grow either fruit or flowers to give attention to the most minute 

 detaQs of the work. For instance. Grapes that have to hang 

 some time in summer after they are ripe frequently become 

 coated with dust, in great part through sweeping the paths when 

 they are dust-dry. This ought to be avoided ; it it is necessary 

 to sweep, do it carefully, after a little water has been sprinkled 

 over them. Small house spiders are also a serious hindrance to 

 those who are desirous of keeping their bunches clean and having 

 a perfect bloom on the berries ; they insinuate themselves into 

 the centre of the bunches, and work their webs outwards. These 

 webs are not easily removed without injuring the bloom. If the 

 spider can be detected a cedar pencil may be thrust in, when it 

 will sometimes let itself out. Giving air to the house is another 

 matter which may be alluded to ; this is one of the principal 

 details. Until the fruit is quite ripe we do not care to have the 

 temperature below 60' at night. In cold weather the house 

 must then be pretty well closed at night, but should the sun 

 rise bright and clear in the morning the ventilators should be 

 opened freely at 6 a.m., so that any damp arising from the ground 

 may have free egress and that thorough ventilation may be se- 

 cured. A high temperature in the day is not at all desirable at 

 this time. 



The thermometer has run up very high iu the daytime, and 

 the nights are warmer. This ought to cause watchfulness in the 

 late houses. Red spider may be looked for as soon as the fruit 

 is set, or even before this. With a sponge and soapy water it 

 may be washed-off by hand, as it is dangerous to paint the hot- 

 water pipes with sulphur until the berries have arrived at the 

 stoning period. The first of our bunches that were in flower 

 have set well, and the leaves are free from spider. When the 

 fruit has set give the border a thorough soaking with water, after 

 the surface has been dressed with some rich manure. ^ Atten- 

 tion must be given to setting the fruit ; some sorts which suc- 

 ceed well iu a cool house are at the same time shy setters. 

 Muscat Hamburgh does not always set well ; but a gentle tap on 

 the stalk of the bunch when the flowers are expanding, about 

 twice daily, will cause the pollen to be distributed, and the fruit 

 will set freely. Another and distinct type is Royal Vineyard, an 

 excellent-flavoured Grape, but very shy in setting its fruit. One 

 peculiarity of it is that a small globule is to be found on the 

 stigma of each flower as soon as it opens. A good plan is to draw 

 the bunch gently through the hand to distribute the moisture. 



PLANT STOVE. 



Where there is only one house for growing young plants, 

 flowering specimen, and foliage plants, persons are often driven 

 to their wits' end to know which is the best treatment to adopt. 

 You want to preserve your flowers, and to do this a rather dry 

 atmosphere, with a lower temperature than that suitable to 

 heat-loving foliage plants, is desirable. In such a case the best 

 way to tide over the difficulty is to allow a mean between the 

 two. Many East Indian Orchids which would last in flower 

 about ten days in a hot moist atmosphere will continue in beauty 

 a month in a cool house. Potting small Palms, Dracranas, &3. 

 .\t almost every season of the year, except in the dead of winter, 

 something requires repotting. We may allude to Dracsnas. 

 After a time these plants become leggy, and may be useful to 

 stand on the centre of a stage, or in any position where the stem 

 may be covered with other plants. In some cases it is desirable 

 to increase the stock. In this case the top may be cut off, but 

 before doing so cat the stem half through, and bind some damp 

 moss round the place. Roots will be emitted, and the stem can 

 then bo cut through entirely and the top be potted. The stem 

 that remains may then be cut into half-inch lengths, potted in 

 light soil, and placed in a brisk heat. A bottom heat of 90" suits 

 them. 



Green fly has been troublesome to us, but wherever they ap- 



