188 



JODBNAL OP HOBTICULTURK AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ Angnst 26, 1875. 



and rotten manure added ; they became well established before 

 winter, and made thoroughly good plants. In the spring of this 

 year they threw np so many flower stems, and produced such a 

 numerous quantity of buds on each, that I advised the thinning- 

 out of both flower stems and buds to a great extent. The result 

 has been a mass of a variety of bloom of more than ordinary 

 merit. Now, instead of staking every shoot, the plan adopted 

 was to place stakes round the bed in one row through the centre. 

 Fine string was then connected in different courses one with 

 the other, and the flower stems fastened to the string with 

 matting ; therefore, instead of seeing a forest of sticks to mar 

 the effect, which would be objectionable, nothing of the kind 

 was seen, as the string was quite invisible, and the flowers well 

 supported. 



Of the old-fashioned flowers called the Zinnias too much can 

 scarcely be said in praise of them as decorative border plants. 

 A packet of seed produces a good per-centage of beautiful double 

 flowers of great brilliancy and variety of colour. It is perhaps 

 more of an autumn-blooming plant, bat its mode of culture is so 

 simple and yet so snccessful that I must plead for this plant to 

 be taken in hand more than it is. A packet of seeds costs from 

 2s. Gd. to 3s. 6<Z. They may be sown at the same time and in 

 the same manner as the Aster and Stock, aud the after-treatment 

 is also similar. If the plant itself is staked the individual flowers 

 support themselves. Give it a rich soil and the flowers come 

 fine. 



Of Asters there are several so-called varieties, which after all 

 are very similar ; but there is a selection called Betteridge's 

 Quilled which are worth growing, and would be more so if the 

 habit was not so straggling. They do not carry enough foliage 

 to look well when growing. Among dwarf Asters there is the 

 one called the Chrysanthemum which does not exceed 1 foot in 

 height — a capital sort for small beds and for pots, and it does 

 not look amiss in a ribbon border. — Thomas Eecokd. 



DOINGS OP THE LAST AND WORK FOR 

 THE PRESENT WEEK. 



HABDT FRUIT GAUDEN. 



This is now a busy time in this department, for even in a 

 moderate-sized garden a man is constantly required amongst the 

 trees. It is well to be very careful in gathering all sorts of fruit, 

 although when work is pressing the earliest sorts that keep but 

 a few weeks is not handled quite so carefully as sitting eggs. 

 That intended to keep for months must be carefally handled ; a 

 little dry hay should be placed in the bottom of the basket, and 

 the fruit carefully placed in by hand. We collect all fallen Apples 

 and Pears at once, as the largest proportion of the fruit contains 

 maggots. The fruit is ready for gathering as soon as the pips 

 become brown at the core. It is a good plan to rake the ground 

 nnder all standard and wall trees. We have a fancy that the 

 fruit is of better flavour when the ground is stirred and kept 

 free from weeds. An explanation of this may be found in the 

 fact that the leaves of weeds absorb the heat of the sun's rays 

 and do not give it back, whereas the ground, especially if stones 

 are on the surface, absorbs and gives back much heat ; for this 

 reason it is very undesirable to sow or plant late crops on the 

 fruit borders. All such crops ought to be removed by the end 

 of July, and the borders should be kept quite neat and clean 

 afterwards. We generally go over Apple and Pear trees at this 

 time and stop any shoots that are taking the lead, removing at 

 the same time superabundant growths. 



It is also necessary to look over Peach and Nectarine trees on 

 the wall. All loose shoots ought to be nailed-in to allow of the 

 sun acting upon the fruit, and, besides, it looks slovenly to see 

 the young growths flappiug about on the trees at this season. 

 During the present hot weather the garden engine should be 

 freely used until within a week of the time the first fruits would 

 be ripe. Perhaps this last bit of advice may be taken with 

 some qualification, for in soils suitable for Peach culture spider 

 is not so destructive as it is with us, and if the trees are quite 

 free from this pest the syringing may be discontinued earlier in 

 the season. 



Just a word about packing Peaches. We use boxes deep enough 

 to take two layers of fruit. On the bottom of the box place a 

 thickish layer of cotton wadding, then place each fruit on its 

 hottom upon a square of tissue paper, then wrap each up aud 

 place a layer of them closely together in the same position in 

 the box ; two ledges should be placed in the box on which to 

 rest the second bottom. The same process should be gone 

 through with the upper layer. If the fruit has to be sent a dis- 

 tance so that it is likely to be turned over, some paper shavings 

 ought to be placed over it. A strip of cotton wadding may be 

 wrapped round each fruit if particular care is necessary, such as 

 sending it to an exhibition. 



We have finished planting out the Strawberries. The runners 

 were ready two weeks ago, and would have been put out at that 

 time if the ground had been ready. It gives the plants a con- 

 siderable check if they become root-bound in the small pots. 

 Sometimes, when the ground was not ready for the plants before 



the end of August, they have been potted in larger pots with 

 the best results. 



VINERIES. 



The Vines in the early houses are very nearly denuded of 

 their leaves, and when this happens so early in the season it is 

 difficult to prevent them from starting into a second growth, 

 which is very undesirable. The Vines do not usually start so 

 freely at the time they are required to do so when unseasonable 

 growths have been made. Even if the Vines are in good health 

 and well covered with leaves it is best not to allow secondary 

 growths to be made after this time of the year, therefore we 

 pinch them quite out as soon as they are formed. The object 

 now is to have the buds at the base of the laterals to become 

 plump and thoroughly matured, for until this is done the work 

 of the season is not completed. If the borders inside are dry 

 they must be well watered, and the leaves kept free from insect 

 pests by syringing. As many persons plant their vineries in the 

 autumn it may not be out of place to say a word about the best 

 varieties to plant when it is intended to ripen the fruit in May 

 or June. There is no diSiculty in selecting a black variety, as 

 no other Grape is at all comparable to the Black Hamburgh for 

 use during the summer months. The white companion to it 

 has not yet been introduced to the public, and the raiser of such 

 a Grape would be deserving of the very highest honours. Buck- 

 laud Sweetwater is very much thought of by some, and when it 

 is well grown the flesh is firm and the flavour is much esteemed 

 by some good judges. As it has been grown at Loxford Hall no 

 other white Grape except the Muscat is preferred to it, and until 

 something else is introduced it will be the best for exhibition 

 purposes. Next to it in appearance comes Foster's White Seed- 

 ling: this is more generally useful even than Bnckland Sweet- 

 water, and is steadily working its way into popular favour. 

 Golden Champion, and the more recent sort Duke of Bucclench, 

 are superior to either of the above if they can be grown ; but the 

 Vines are so delicate in constitution that they are not adapted 

 for any but the most experienced cultivators, although a case of 

 their doing well sometimes occurs where no special care has 

 been taken of them. Then the fruit does not keep well, and the 

 skin is so thin that the fruit is injured by draughts of cold air 

 when other sorts would not suffer. But perhaps the most certain, 

 and as regards flavour it is second to none of the above, is the 

 old Eoyal Muscadine. This sort is as popular in France as the 

 Black Hamburgh is in England. In the late houses it has been 

 necessary to look over the bunches to remove some decayed 

 berries. It ought always to be borne in mind that the bunches 

 should be well thinned out when it is intended that the Grapes 

 are to hang late. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



We are now busy preparing plants for autumn and winter 

 flowering. Chrijsantheniuiiis are now being tied and trained 

 into the proper shape to form dwarf compact specimens, pre- 

 senting heads of blooms regularly arranged. To do this the 

 plants must be pinched and tied-down from the first. Our best 

 specimens are formed from two-year-old plants, although as a 

 rule the best blooms are obtained from cuttings struck in the 

 winter or early spring months, and under good management the 

 plants can be grown of large size. Exhibitors who grow for the 

 metropolitan Chrysanthemum shows are required by schedule 

 to have the plants with one stem only, except at South Kensing- 

 ton, where there does not seem to be any clearly defined rule, 

 so that a number of plants have been placed in one pot so as to 

 increase the size of the specimens. At the same time it is very 

 doubtful if there is much advantage gained by the system of 

 crowding three or four plants together. The experienced ex- 

 hibitor very soon finds out the best treatment adapted to each 

 variety. For instance, growing-on old specimens causes the 

 plants to flower earlier, and Venus, Lady Slade, and Princess 

 Teck would be grown from the old plants ; aud Mrs. George 

 Bundle, George Glenny, and the early- flowering free-growing 

 varieties from cuttings struck in January. Each plant will 

 now have numerous growths, which should be tied closely down 

 as soou as possible. Ours have already been tied ; the shoots 

 will grow-up again rapidly, but each shoot will have a bend in it 

 about 6 or 9 inches from the flower bud when it forms, and at 

 the time of training the flowers into their proper position the 

 growths will bend anywhere. If the growths had not been tied- 

 down half the shoots would snap off at the joints. 



Pompons are regularly trained all through the season, and no 

 sticks are required to support the flowers. Many persons who 

 do not wish to exhibit cut flowers, wish to have a few good 

 examples for their own enjoyment. It is now time to "set" 

 the blooms. At this time a very small bud may be observed at 

 the end of each growth, three shoots will also be formed close 

 to the bud. If these are allowed to grow the bud will be barren, 

 but if they are piuched-out the bud will grow and form an im- 

 mense flower, some of the varieties as large as a breakfast-cup. 

 Three flowers are quite a sufficient number to be grown on one 

 plant. As soon as the buds are set liberal suppUes of manure 

 water will be necessary. 



Zonal Pelargoniums are certainly a great boon to us for antamn 



