470 



JOURNAL OP HOBTIOULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENEE. 



[ November , 1875. 



still not to increase the heat too much at first, and when syring- 

 ing is going on the pots should be moistened as well as the 

 plants. Again, under such circumstances special attention is 

 needed as to watering, because a plant not plunged but merely 

 suspended, as it were, on a stage with both air and heat circu- 

 lating freely about it, the ball of soil naturally becomes dry 

 much sooner, and will need water oftener and in larger quan- 

 tities than if the pot is not e-tposed to the air. — Thomas Record. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST AND WORK FOR 

 THE PRESENT WEEK. 



HARDV FRUIT G.LRDEN. 



Weather permitting we shall proceed with the work of prun- 

 ing and nailing the wall trees. The greater part of such work 

 is done during the summer mouths, but when the young growths 

 are covered with leaves they are not so easily laid in straight, and 

 it is also diiBcult to resist the temptation of laying in more 

 young wood than is actually required. In either case we begin 

 to go over the trees and complete the work when they are at 

 rest. These are either " cordons " or what gardeners call fan- 

 trained trees. Pear and Apple trees are usually trained on the 

 cordon sytem ; for what in ordinary parlance is termed hori- 

 zontal training is cordon training after all. 



Amateurs usually make the greatest mistakes in training their 

 wall trees, the art of training such trees not being understood 

 by those who have not been brought up to gardening as a pro- 

 fession ; they do not lay the branches in straight, and they lay 

 them in too thickly, nor do they feel inclined to spur-back the 

 foreright growths so closely as they ought, and the trees be- 

 come furnished with useless spurs, which make them unsightly. 

 There is also considerable difference in the soil for furnishing 

 the trees with fruitful or unfruitful wood. In clayey soils the 

 tendency of the trees is to become furnished with fruitful spurs 

 to such an extent that the trees become weak and exhausted 

 from the want of counteracting leaf-growths. In soils of the 

 opposite class leaf-growths are too freely produced until the 

 trees become old ; but if the knife is too freely used on the 

 branches without a corresponding check being given to the 

 roots a thicket of young growths will be produced and little or 

 no fruit. A case just occurs to me as an example of what I 

 mean ; it is a Jargonelle Pear tree, perhaps nine or ten years 

 old, in an amateur's garden. Through injudicious training and 

 pruning it has not even blossomed, but it is now by summer 

 pruning alone furnished with fruit buds which will in due time 

 gladden their owner's heart. 



The easiest method of training for the inexperienced is the 

 cordon ; if there is any difficulty it is in the formation of the 

 groundwork of the trees. Shoots wiU not always start from the 

 right place, but it is always possible to train the growths where 

 they ought to be, and the leading central growth must be cut 

 back until this is done ; the side branches must be trained 

 opposite each other, and if the waU is of brick, three courses 

 should be between each two branches ; they will be about 

 9 inches apart. All the treatment required is to train the branches 

 horizontally, and stop all side growths in summer and cut-back 

 closely now. In fan training the side branches are nailed-in 

 from the main growths, from which they are trained at right 

 angles. Plum, Cherry, Apricot, and Peach trees are trained on 

 this system ; and the aim of the trainer is to preserve as much 

 bearing wood as possible, cutting away all worn-out branches or 

 any that show traces of disease. 



Apricots are much subject to gumming; if a branch shows 

 signs of this disease it ought to be cut away and others be trained 

 in its place, else it will die in the ensuing summer, causing an 

 ugly blank. Peach trees should be left until the last, and as 

 they are much subject to the attacks of red spider and aphis, it 

 is better to uunail all the branches from the wall and to use 

 new naihng material; it is also a good plan to wash all the 

 wood with strong soapy water. 



FRDIT AND FORCING HOUSES. 



Vineries. — It is a very usual and commendable practice to grow 

 pot Vines for the earliest crop, aud forcing may be commenced 

 at any time. The Vines may either be bought from the nursery- 

 men who grow canes especially for forcing purposes, or they may 

 be grown at home. It will depend upon circumstances whether 

 it will be best to purchase or to grow them. It also depends 

 much upon how they are started whether there will be a good 

 show for fruit or a comparative failure be the result. They must 

 be started in a low temperature to begin with — say 45° at night, 

 and the roots ought to be warmer than the tops, not that a high 

 bottom temperature is necessary or even desirable. (J0° would 

 be the best to start with ; this would gradually bring on the 

 roots until the night temperature of the house was G5'\ when the 

 bottom heat might bo 85*^. This ought to be the highest mini- 

 mum temperature throughout, except that it may be 70° in the 

 house when the Vines are in flower. The best sorts for forcing 

 in pots are Black Hamburgh and Foster's White Seedling. 

 Buckland Sweetwater is a distinct Grape, and when it succeeds 

 is even more esteemed than the other white sort. 



The weather this year has been exceedingly unfavourable for 

 late-keeping Grapes, and the large bunches which are now so 

 much sought after are not adapted for very late purposes. The 

 bunches of Lady Downe's are generally small and seldom 

 shouldered, which is one reason why they keep well when large 

 compact bunches of Gros Guillaume are unsightly from their 

 tendency to decay in the centre. Gros Colman is an excellent- 

 keeping sort, and is gradually obtaining popularity for late 

 houses. Compared with Lady Downe's it is said to keep quite 

 as well, and for appearance far excels it; its flavour is also 

 esteemed by many palates. It is necessary to urge again the 

 importance of carefully cutting out with a pair of Grape soissora 

 all decaying berries as soon as a spot of decay is perceived. We 

 are also very careful not to sweep the passages or any stages 

 that may be in the house so as to cause dust. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



Here it is also very necessary to guard against damp, as, with 

 Grapes, large close soft-petalled flowers suiler most, but the 

 removal of decay is the best way to preserve the flowers for a 

 length of time. Cyclamens require much attention in this 

 respect ; scores of flower buds cluster at the base of the leaves, 

 and not only do these buds become mouldy, but the stalks of 

 the leaves decay and the leaf falls down amongst the buds, 

 causing much damage in a day or two. We brush the leaves 

 aside with the hand and pick all the decaying parts out as often 

 as it becomes necessary. When water is applied to the roots it 

 is best to pour it carefully in close to the rim of the pots. Stage 

 Pelargoniums are now placed very near the glass, and are watered 

 but sparingly. The only insect to be feared is the green fly, aud 

 the plants will not remain healthy if this is allowed to increase. 

 They are also subject to a disease termed " spot." The prevail- 

 ing cause of this is a close atmosphere, or the plants are placed 

 in a position where the air does not play freely amongst the 

 leaves. Too much water at the roots is also very injurious to 

 them. The fancy varieties are even more tender in their con- 

 stitution than the other sorts. They require to be potted in 

 lighter soil, and in other respects must have more attention, 

 not only now but all through the growing period. 



Cinerarias are coming in very useful at this time. There is 

 great variety and brilliancy in the flowers, white, rose, crimson, 

 and red shades, and from pale slaty blue to intense deep blue, 

 others having flowers of the richest plum purple, and the flowers 

 are so lasting in their character that a continuance may be had 

 from now until April. A variety of flowers are obtained by 

 forcing, and when a large supply is required a forcing house is 

 essential ; but it is always possible to introduce a few Roses, 

 Hyacinths, early Tulips, Dielytra spectabilis, and spring-flower- 

 ing shrubs into the vinery ; when a bed is made up it is an 

 excellent opportunity to obtain the requisite amount of bottom 

 heat, and the temperature required for the Vines is that most 

 suitable for the plants. 



Amaryllises are now at rest in the coolest house, no water at 

 all being given to the roots until they are introduced to heat. 

 It may also be noted that they do very well in the early vinery. 

 The gentle bottom heat promotes root action, and as soon as the 

 flower buds and leaves begin to grow out of the bulb, the pots, 

 if necessary, may be removed to a house with a higher tempera- 

 ture. We usually place them on a shelf near the glass in the 

 Pine house, where they enjoy a temperature of from 00' to G5°. 

 j\jnarylUses are sometimes grown in over-large pots. No error 

 in culture is greater than this. The largest pots that we use 

 are 0-inch, and many of the bulbs are potted in a size smaller. 

 Stiffish loam, with an admixture of sharp silver sand and a 

 small portion of leaf mould, is the best potting material. We 

 drain the pots well. A succession of flowers is obtained by 

 introducing a few pots at different times. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



All the beds usually devoted to summer bedding plants, and 

 those that are not planted with spring flowers, may be dug or 

 trenched at a time that is most convenient, but the treatment 

 \vill be different according to the nature of the soil and also of 

 the annual rainfall. Even in what is usually considered wet 

 seasons our plants suffer from drought, and water is not easily 

 obtained. The plan is to trench the ground and manure it highly 

 with cow-dung principally, placing a layer at the bottom of the 

 trench, and this is done about every alternate season, and it is 

 seldom that water is required. Should a very dry period occur, 

 a good supply of water is given and the ground is mulched with 

 short manure. On heavy soils and where the rainfall is much 

 more than ours, treating the beds iu this way would only cause 

 a very luxuriant growth of leaves with few flowers. 



We look over the Auricula frames about twice a week and 

 remove all decaying leaves, watering such plants as require it. 

 After this time water will be almost withheld for two months or 

 more. Carnations and Picoteea are also looked over in the same 

 way. — J. Douglas. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



Robertson A- Galloway, 157, Ingram Street, Glasgow, and the 

 Nurseries, Helensburgh. — Catalogue of Bases. 



