450 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTIOULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



{ .Tone 4, 1874. 



too much on a light gravelly soil like ours. The days have been 

 cloudy, so that what water was applied did not evaporate 

 rapidly ; but to save as much of this as possible, a mulchiug of 

 light rotted manure was applied to the whole surface afterwards. 

 The earliest Potatoes on the wall border had been constantly 

 checked by cold frosty nights, and the continued drought has 

 made bad worse ; the haulm seems to have stopped growing, so 

 that the crop will be of the poorest. Early Peas would be 

 greatly benefited by a soaking of water ; but this must not be 

 applied with force to the base of the haulm, otherwise the plants 

 will be injured. A good plan is to draw a drill on each side of 

 the row, and fill it two or three times with water. 



"We made another sowing of Pea^. Oar plan is to sow early, 

 medium, and late at the same time, which gives a succession. 

 Some persons do not care to have all Marrow Peas in the 

 summer, in which case Supreme should be included ; but where 

 Marrows are preferred, a good succession will be G. F. Wilson, 

 Veitch's Perfection, and Omega. The last-named is one of 

 Mr. Laxton's hybrids, and is a great acquisition; it is very dis- 

 tinct in character, and withal the latest Pea in cultivation. It 

 may not be so in a year or two, as Alpha has certainly been 

 superseded by William I., which is a hardier, earlier, and alto- 

 gether a better-looking Pea. It must be obvious to all that 

 there is no advantage in trying for very late Peas, as the longer 

 time that the pods take to arrive at a fit state for picking, so 

 much the longer is the ground occupied with the plants. 



FRUIT .\XD FORCING HOUSES. 



Pine Apples. — In the early fruiting house, where the supply 

 of ripe fruit is equal to the demand, and where a number of 

 fruits are approaching the ripening stage, the house may be kept 

 cool and the atmosphere moderately dry. Experience has 

 taught us that the best way, as well as the most convenient, to 

 adopt with ripe fruit is to cut it, and hang it stalk-uppermost 

 in a cool room, where, if well ripened, it will keep in good con- 

 dition for two or three weeks. The fruit will be of excellent 

 quality, and will keep all the better after being cut, if it is 

 ripened in a somewhat dry atmosphere and a not-too-high night 

 temperature. We require a much larger number of suckers 

 this year, and are potting-up all of them as soon as they become 

 sufficiently large. There is no need to practise, as some do, lay- 

 ing suckers out to dry in the house before potting them. Pot at 

 once, the smallest suckers in G-inch pots, and the larger in 7 and 

 8-inch ; place them in a gentle bottom heat, but do not give any 

 water until the second week after potting. 



Melons and Cucumhei-s. — Clouds of aphides have from time 

 to time multiplied on the Melon plants both this and last season. 

 In all our previous experience we never had seen the Melon 

 plants attacked so persistently. The Melon succeeds best in a 

 clayey loam, and this we have not been able to obtain at aU of 

 the character we would like, nor have the plants been so robust 

 in growth in the light loose loam. Under such circumstances, 

 not only Melons but any other class of plants readily become a 

 prey to insect pests. The fruit is now ripening, the earliest 

 being Gilbert's Improved Victory of Bath. This sets and swells- 

 o3 its fruit well. Read's Scarlet-flesh promised to be the best 

 of its class as to flavour and appearance. It was far ahead of 

 Scarlet Gem, but with us it is the worst setter, and after the 

 fruit has swelled as large as a duck's egg, it would drop off. 

 Though a very large number of flowers were impregnated, only 

 one fruit has swelled to a large size, and the plants, notwith- 

 standing being the strongest and healthiest at first, are not so 

 now. Scarlet Gem is a free-setting sort, and when well grown 

 the fruit is quite large enough, but it has a tendency to crack, 

 which is an objectionable feature. This may, however, be re- 

 medied by allowing the plants to became rather dry at the 

 roots, airing the house freely, and having a dry atmosphere. 

 Cucumbers are kept growing freely, and three or four plants 

 supply us with plenty of fruit. When the plants were put out 

 only half the border was made-up ; the other portion has now 

 been done, using a rather rich compost for this purpose. Syring- 

 ing freely serves to keep them clean and in healthy growth. 



Orchard House. — If the trees are in pots, as with us, abundant 

 supplies of water are of the greatest importance at present. A 

 tree that has suffered two or three times from lack of the neces- 

 sary element, will do little more good that season. Trees planted 

 out must be well attended to, but those in pots require un- 

 remitting attention. Pinching and thinning-out the young 

 growths must now be attended to ; we are careful to stop those 

 near the top of the trees first, and those near the base a few 

 days or a week later. It is also a great mistake to allow the 

 growths to become crowded and then to thin them out when 

 the wood is pretty well ripened. There must be ample room 

 amongst the trees, otherwise the fruit will be wanting in colour 

 and be badly flavoured. 



Strawberries on the shelves are now ripening, and it is neces- 

 sary to be careful when syringing the trees not to allow the 

 engine to play upon the ripening fruit. Many fruits rot-ofi just 

 before they ripen, owing to the damp atmosphere. All that we 

 can do is to withhold syringing altogether on dull cold days; 

 ii:iiev3n ia fine weather the morning is the best time to use 



the engine with a liberal hand. We have gone over the trees 

 and thinned the fruit for the last time. With the pot trees 

 there is no danger of the fruit dropping-off during the stoning 

 period, and to leave more than the ultimate number will only 

 task the energies of the trees. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



Owing to the drying hot winds plants are no sooner in full 

 beauty than tlie flowers lose their brilliant colours and fade iu a 

 day or two, and as nothing looks worse than withered flowers 

 and decaying leaves, the plants require to be looked over twice 

 a-week. Potted some hardwooded plants which had been 

 allowed to become root-bound ; they were well watered pre- 

 viously, then the sides of the balls were picked round with a 

 pointed stick, and the fresh compost was rammed-in firmly with 

 a wooden rammer. It is a recognised fact that certain plants 

 succeed better some seasons than they do in others, and even 

 some flowers of the same species may be only third-rate this 

 year, and super-excellent in 137.5. Hyacinth-growers are aware 

 of it. The Rose, Auricula, Dahha, and Chrysanthemum are all 

 affected by the changing seasons. Human beings are not con- 

 stituted alike, and there is quite as much distinctiveness 

 amongst varieties of the same species of plants. A knowledge 

 of tills fact is essential to the successful cultivation of any 

 flower or fruit. Stage Pelargoniums and Perpetual-flowering 

 Carnations have been especially brilliant this year; the recently- 

 introduced varieties are also richer in their markings, and more 

 highly coloured and of superior form to those sent out some 

 years ago. 



Bases that have been kept under glass and without any forcing 

 are now at their best. Mildew has been very troublesome to us, 

 and very frequent dustings with flowers of sulphur have been 

 necessary to check it. 'The worm that attacks the buds and 

 tender leaves has been hand-picked, and gi'een fly destroyed 

 with tobacco smoke. With Roses, as with Pelargoniums, im- 

 provement in colour, form of the flowers, and habit of the 

 plants has been more rapid than some writers on these matters 

 lead their readers to believe. Teas and Hybrid Perpetuals are 

 the most popular, and deservedly so. There are not yet many 

 highly-coloured flowers of the former. One of the most dis- 

 tinct and beautiful, as well as free- flowering, is the new variety 

 exhibited by Messrs. Veitch, named Duchess of Edinburgh ; it 

 is not quite crimson, but is a move in that direction, and will 

 undoubtedly be the forerunner of brilliant-coloured Teas. Re- 

 moved Hybrid Perpetuals outside when the flowers faded. Teas 

 are best under glass, but must not be smothered with other 

 plants. — J. Douglas. 



PROVINCIAL HOETICULTDEAL EXHIBITIONS. 



[Secretaries will oblige us by informing us of the dates on 

 which exhibitions are to be held. Although we cannot report 

 them fully, we shall readily note anything especially excellent, 

 and we wish for information on such specialities to be sent 

 to us.] 



JUNE. 



Coventry and "Warwickshire 8 



Bath and West of England . .8 to 12 



Leeds 10, H, and 12 



Gloucester and Cheltenham 11 



Royal Oxfordshire 16 



tf osport 17 



Chertsey 17 



Burton-on-Trent 17 



Thorne 17 



.Torsey 17 



Guildford 17 



JUNE 



York 17, 18, and 19 



Fermoy 11^ 



Stamford 28 and 24 



Nottingham 24 



R.H.S. of Iieland 25 



Cambridgeshire 25 



Thettord 25 



Ipawich and E. of England 25 and 26 



Kingston and Surbitou 25 and 26 



Boston 30 and July I 



Devon and Exeter (Boses) 3 



TRADK CATALOGUE EECEIVED. 

 Thomas Sampson, Preston Road, Yeovil. — Catalogue of Bed- 

 din(] Plants, rOr. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



",* It is particularly requested that no communication be ad- 

 dressed privately to cither of the Editors of this .Journal. 

 All correspondence should be directed either to " The 

 Editors," or to " The Publisher." Great delay often ariees 

 when this rule is departed from. 

 Correspondents should not mix up on the same sheet questions 

 relating to Gardening and those on Poultry and Bee sub- 

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 questions at once. Ail articles intended for insertion 

 should be written on one side of the paper only. 

 We also request that no one will write privately to any of our 

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 trouble and expense. 

 Delays { W. Broirn). — You vevy improperly addreesed your letter, enclosing 

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 cnnsequence is it has been sent after him to Italy, and returned with a charge 

 of 1^. for postage. AU such letters ought to be addressed to " The Publi^lier." 



