.34 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTDRE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ July 8, 187f, 



Early London, LenormancTs, and Veitoli's Autumn Giant are 

 good Borts of Cauliflowers ; the late rains afford an excellent 

 opportunity to plant them out. It is Eoraetimee necessary to 

 plant out in dry hot weather, but it is seldom that the crops do 

 so well. Plant Autumn Giant 2 feet, and the other two Borts 

 from IS to 20 inches apart. The Cauliflower even more than 

 the Pea delights in a very deep rich soil. Cabbages may also bo 

 planted out now for autumn and early winter use. Coleworts 

 and Atkina's Matchless are excellent varieties. 



We have planted out the main crop of Celery, and those who 

 have not yet done bo should seize the present favourable oppor- 

 tunity. The usual method in this neighbourhood is to plant in 

 single rows, and splendid Celery is produced where attention is 

 given to watering; but where quantity is of more importance 

 than quality it is better to plant in wide trenches, say 4 feet 

 •wide : this will admit of four rows 1 foot apart. The two outer 

 rows would be C inches from the sides, and two rows in the 

 middle a foot between each. Then as to planting in our garden, 

 we dig down very near to the gravel, place in some rotten manure, 

 and 2 or 3 inches of rich mould over this ; the plants are then 

 set out with a trowel. 



One of the most useful winter crops with us is Brussels 

 Sprouts, and we generally manage to obtain a tolerably good 

 supply. We have found that they succeed very well if sown in 

 deep drills, drawn as for Peas 2 feet apart. A little fine mould 

 is Bprinbled over the seeds, and as the plants increase in size 

 the drills are filled in. The plants receive no check in this way, 

 and they make sturdy plants, well furnished to the bottom. Of 

 course they are thinned-out to the usual planting distance in 

 the rows. 



Sowings of Endive may be made this month. Eraser's Im- 

 proved Broad-leaved is one of the best sorts for winter use, and 

 a good stock of the Green Curled sown at the same time will 

 come in earlier. Lettuce must also be sown to keep up a supply 

 of this most wholesome salad. We still hold to Hick's Hardy 

 White Cos as being the best for all purposes ; bnt those who 

 prefer the Cabbage variety cannot do better than sow seeds of 

 "All the Year Bound." Admirers of big Lettuce must sow the 

 old Drumhead or Malta. 



PINERIES. 



The large importations of foreign Pines make some difference 

 in the time of ripening-off the fruit, especially for those esta- 

 blishments where the surplus stock of fruit is sent to market. It 

 is no use at all to start early to obtain fruit in by the end of May 

 or the beginning of June, for at that time the market is stocked 

 with fine fruit from St. Michaels. One is not only struck by 

 the fine appearance of the fruit, but they evidently have the 

 best stock of Smooth-leaved Cayenne, and good British gar- 

 deners have been sent out to superintend the cultivation of the 

 fruit. About the last week in June the supply ceases, and 

 English-raised fruit may pay for growing all through the remain- 

 ing summer months. The earliest Queens will now be nearly all 

 out, and it will then be necessary to re-arrange the plants; the 

 succession houses become crowded and the plants which are far 

 advanced in growth may be arranged in the fruiting house, from 

 which the old plants have been removed. There are very few 

 houses now where the old deep tan pits are used, about ISinches 

 of plunging material (tan is the best), over the hot-water pipes 

 will retain sufficient heat for the roots until it is time to start 

 the plants, when the tan should be sifted if necessary, retaining 

 the rough part only and adding fresh material, the whole to 

 be well mixed-up tof^ether. When the Pines are started is the 

 best time to add fresh tan, or it may also be added when the 

 suckers are potted. 



Ciicuvihers. — Those who are growing their plants in houses 

 will not require any further information than may be obtained 

 from previous notes under that heading. A few remarks may 

 not be out of place on tlje culture in frames. It is not absolutely 

 necessary to keep-up bottom heat iu the beds, but the largest 

 quantity and the finest Cucumbers we ever cut from frames 

 were grown in this way. A space 1 foot wider and a foot longer 

 than the frame was marked out, a lot of rough faggots were laid 

 down on which to build the manure heap, and the faggots when 

 pressed down by the weight of the manure still sustained the 

 load 18 inches from the ground. The bed is 2 feet 6 inches 

 high at the hack, and 2 feet in front. The use of the faggots is 

 to allow the heat from the linings that are applied after the 

 heat declines to raise the temperature of the bed. Freshly-cut 

 turf was laid over the bed with the grass side down, and the 

 plants were put out on hills of good loam with a fourth part of 

 rotted manure added. Cucumbers iu frames ought to be watered 

 overhead every afternoon iu hot weather, and every alternate 

 day if the days are dull and cold. Shut the frames up as soon 

 as the water is applied. The best time is between 4 and .5 p.m. 

 The plants must be looked over once a-week, and have all su- 

 perfluous growths removed, for good Cucumbers will not be 

 obtained if the leaves are crowded together. 



PLANT STOVE .\ND ORCHID HOUSES. 



A high temperature and moist atmosphere should now prevail 

 in the stove, and also in the house devoted to East Indian Orchids. 



Plants that require syringing should be thoroughly washed every 

 day at least, even twice a day in hut weather, for thrips and red 

 spider alike prey upon the young growths of many Orchids, 

 Thrips do the most damage, and it is almost impossible to wash 

 them off without great pains is bestowed upon the plants. Den- 

 drobiums with short thick bulb.'J, such as D. Farmeri, D. thrysi- 

 florum, D. densifiorum, &c., suffer most from thrips. They get 

 down into the heart of the growths in the early stages of their 

 development, and can only be dislodged by fumigating. Of 

 course no thrips should be upon the plants, but they will be 

 there even with careful management, and it is as well to know 

 the best way to destroy them. Bed spider attacks the older 

 leaves, and can readily be washed off with soapy water, or by 

 syringing the plants daily. We are now shifting a number of 

 our Orchids into larger pots. Many of them are just making 

 their growth, aud at that time a large number of young rootlets 

 are thrown out from the base cf the young growth. If they are 

 potted now, the plants have the season before them to make 

 their growths. Some Cattleyas andL.Tlias succeed best in pots, 

 others on blocks, and a few in baskets. When pots are used 

 they are filled to quite three parts of their depth with clean pot- 

 sherds; over the drainage we place clean live sphagnum, the 

 potting material being turfy peat, sphagnum, and potsherds in 

 equal proportions. A good block for Cattleyas is inch teak, cut 

 according to the size of the plant. One of the best, perhaps it 

 is the best, Cattleyas of recent introduction is C. gigas. We 

 have a plant now in flower on a block with three flowers on a 

 spike, and the plant in splendid health; another plant in a 

 basket with peat, sphagnum, and potsherds, has not done nearly 

 so well. The beautiful C. Buperba is also flowering well on 

 blocks ; it will do no good in a pot. 



We also continue to pot any plants that require repotting 

 as speedily as possible. When plants are being repotted the 

 atmosphere should be moist, and the house also be kept close, 

 and the roof shaded. When the plants have rooted into the 

 fresh soil admit air more freely; good growths cannot be pro- 

 duced or matured in a confined atmosphere. If it is necessary 

 to fumigate with tobacco at this season it must be done with 

 great care; better to do it three or four times in succession than 

 to give an overdose. 



FLOWER GABDEN. 



This department must now be kept scrupulously clean and 

 neat. AU bedding plants that required pegging-down have 

 been attended to. Verbenas and other low-growing plants that 

 have been put out to form rows in ribbon borders or edgings 

 must be pegged to a uniform width ; if the plants run into the 

 next lines to them the effect is spoiled. Before pegging-down 

 the plants the hoe ought to be run through amongst them. Any 

 weeds that are left must be hand-picked, as the hoe cannot be 

 worked amongst them afterwards. Put iu pipings of Pinks ; this 

 work is always best done on a rainy day, they will then strike 

 roots out of doors if put-in in a shady place where the sun acts 

 upon them for an hour or two only each day. — J. Douglas. 



HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITIONS. 



SEjRETiRiEs will ob'iga us by iaforaiing us of th? dites on 

 which exhibitions are to he held. 



Fbome (Rose).— July 8th. Mr. A. R. Daily, Hon.-3ec. 



KiLSBT.— July £th. Sec, Mi. C- E. Bracel.ridge. 



Richmond.— July 8th. Mr. A. Chancellor, Hon -Sec. 



NoTTiNGHAiT. — R0S6 Show, &c., July 8th, 9th aud lOlh. Apply to Alfred 



Kllk, Municipal Ofiicee, Nottingham. 

 OXFOED (Rosesl.— July 9th. Mr. C. R Ridley, Hon.-Sec. 

 Grange-over-Sands— July 9th. Mr. ThoiBaa Ashley, Pec. 

 Hkworth.— July 14th. Mr. R. H. Feltce, Heworth, York, Hon.-Sec. 

 OCKDLE.—July 14'h. Mr. Alfred King, Sec. 



ToNBRiDGE.—July 14th. Mr. W. Blair, Free Press Office, Hon.-Sec. 

 Wimbledon.— July 14th and 15th. Mr. P. Appleby, 5, Linden Cottages, 



Sunuyside, Wimbledon. Hou.-Sec. 

 Darlington.- July 16th. at 8outhend. William Hodgson, Sec. 

 Bramley.— July 19th and 20th. Mr. R. Fox, Sec. 

 Brecon.— July 22nd. Mr. W. J. Roberts, Sec. 

 nELEN.snoEGn, N.B. (liote Show).— July 23rd and 24th. Mr. W. Uro, 



Waddell, Sec. 

 CLECKnEATON.— July 24th. Mr. S. H. Williamson Hon.-Seo. 

 BliiDOE.- July 27th. Mr. E. Hardeman, Hon. -Sec. 

 Preston.- July 28th aud 29th. Mr. W. Tronghton, 4, Church Street, 



Hun. -Sec. 

 Bhbewsbdey.- July 29th and 30th. Mr. H. W. Adnitt, Hon.-Sec. 

 Southampton.- July Slsc and August 2nd. Mr. C. S. Fuidge, 32, York 



Strett, Lower Avenue, Sec. 

 Sedoely (Cottagers).- August 3rd. Mr. W. M. Hughes, Sec. 

 Westun-sciper-Mare — August 4th. Mr. W. B. Frampton, Sec. 

 Ilkeston and Shipley.— August 4th and 5th. Mr. R. Blount, Sec. 

 Newport (Monmodthshirei. — August 5th. 

 Otley. — August 7th. Mr. Jno. Lee, Hon.-Sec. 

 RossENDALE — Newchubch. — August 7th. Mr. M. J. Lousdalc, Newchurch, 



Sec. 

 Canteeedry. — August 12th. 

 BURNOPFIELD. — August 14tli. Mr. J. Hood, Sec. 

 Dover. — August 18th 



Northleach. — August 18th. Mr. J. W^alter, Hon -Sec. 

 Eas I BOURNE— in the Devonshire Park. — August 19th. H. A. E. Rumble, 



Esq., 2(), Hyde Gardens, Sec. 

 Glastonbury. — August 19th. Rev. E. Handley, Hon.-Seo. 



