514 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTDRE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



( December 9, 1876. 



must be laid-in carefully, aucl not be planted when the ground 

 IB frozen, or if it is saturated with wet. We look over all trees 

 in the open borders at this time, and prune where it is required. 

 The eyetem of summer-pruning has a tendency to overcrowd 

 the branches, and if this is the case the fruit is not sufEciently 

 exposed to the iufjuence of sun and air; nor will fruit buds be 

 formed in the thickest parts of the trees at all. The pruning 

 knife thould be used freely in the way of thinning-out the wood ; 

 there is little danger of overdoing it. 



Gooseberry pruning will also be done as soon as it is con- 

 venient. It may be as well in this also to remark on the nature 

 of the bushes to become crowded with young wood. This must 

 he cut quite close back to the main stems, except so much of it 

 as may be required to extend the tree or to fill up spaces. The 

 points of the shoots only ought to be cut off. Any suckers or 

 young growths from the base of the main stem should be 

 wrenched out without leaving any buds from which growths 

 may start the next season. If the bushes were infested with 

 the caterpillar it will be necessary to remove the soil under- 

 neath the bushes to a depth of 3 inches or more, and wheel it 

 on to a space of ground where it may be trenched-in to a con- 

 siderable depth. Some fresh rich mould from the same ground 

 will be required to replace what has been removed. This pest 

 may also be destroyed by placing some fresh tan under the 

 trees where the eggs of the caterpillar have been deposited. 

 The Gooseberry season is very much prolonged either by plant- 

 ing a few bushes of the latest sorts on a border on the north 

 side of a wall, or the trees may be trained to the wall itself. One 

 of the best sorts for this position is the Ked Warrington. 



Red and White Currants are pruned much in the same manner 

 as the above. The young wood is spurred back closely to the 

 stems, the leading growths being cut back to three parts or half 

 their length, or even closer, just as the bushes have grown to 

 the full size or otherwise. The leading growths should always 

 be cut to an outside bud, which will cause the leading growth 

 next season to grow outward instead of into the centre. Black 

 Currants require but little pruning — only to have the branches 

 cut out where crowded, or to get the bushes into shape. They 

 have also a tendency to throw out from the base, but none of 

 them ought to have more than one stem. Bushes can be obtained 

 at such a cheap rate that it is hardly worth while for an amateur 

 or gardener to propagate their own, unless it is desirable to 

 perpetuate some favoiuite variety. The strongest yonng wood 

 should be chosen for cuttings, and it should be removed from 

 the bush with a heel. To prevent suckers from springing up 

 all the buds must be removed with a sharp knife that are under- 

 ground when the cutting is planted. They must also be cut out 

 4 inches above ground, leaving only about from three to five 

 eyes at the top. 



We would again urge the importance of annual, or at least 

 biennial renewal of Strawberry beds. We noticed a man the 

 other day digging between the rows of a Strawberry bed. He 

 had fir.st to set a line, and cut down the side of one, and then 

 measure the distance between the next row, as all traces of the 

 original plants were lost in a confusion of runners. Now we 

 have often grown Strawberries in this way, but have never been 

 able to obtain more than half the quantity from the rows that 

 could be obtained from one-year-old plants, and the quality 

 from the young plants has always been of the best. 



FRCIT AND FORCING HOUSES. 



Vineries. — We are preparing some fermenting material for 

 the earliest house. A thick coating sufficient to cause a 

 gentle heat is placed upon the outside border after it has been 

 watered with tepid water, and to retain the heat shutters are 

 laid over the manure. Equal proportions of stable dung and 

 leaves cause the best heat, and retain it longest. When the 

 thickness is not more than a foot or 18 inches, in six weeks the 

 heat will have gone out of the covering, when it may be renewed 

 by removing some of the most decayed portion and shaking 

 the rougher part up with fresh material. If it is necessary to 

 apply water this can be done at the same time. The Vines 

 always start most strongly when there is a bed of the same 

 material inside the house. As soon as the heat becomes ex- 

 cessive the material may be turned over ; indeed, this may be 

 done every day with advantage to the Vines. It is not necessary 

 to syringe in the house much when a bed is made up in it. It 

 is necessary to look over the bunches about twice a week to cut 

 cut decaying berries. Mrs. Pince's Black Muscat has kept very 

 badly ; the berries decay in the centre of the bunches, and it is 

 not easy to remove them without injuring the outside berries. 

 Bunches of Gros Guillaume quite as large and compact as those 

 of Mrs. Pince have not had any berries decay. Lady Downe's 

 Seedling keeps very well, and looks quite as fresh as they did 

 in September. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



Early-flowering Tulips and Hyacinths that have been plunged 

 out of doors should be removed to shelves near'the glass ; the 

 crowns will have started an inch or more, and the pots will 

 be quite full of roots. A email pot should be placed over the 

 crowns for a few days to gradually inure them to the light. A 



few pots may be placed in the forcing house or early \inery; 

 hut the heat at night ought not to be too high at the first — 

 ij- will be sufficient. If the pots can be plunged in a little 

 bottom heat it will cause a more rapid growth. 



Eoses may now be started in the same temperature. They 

 ought to be pruned six weeks at least before starting ; if they 

 are pruned just before they are apt to bleed. Deutzia gracilis 

 is very easily forced, and is one of the most useful of our deco- 

 rative plants. It is not necessary to go into details of culture, 

 as all these early-forcing flowers require very similar treatment. 

 They are all better to be started gently at first, and, then, with 

 increasing heat, and the plants kept as near the glacs as possible, 

 they will flower freely at any time during the winter months. 

 All are the better of a little bottom heat. 



Hardwooded plants, such as Cape Heaths, Azaleas, and other 

 New Holland plants, do not require very much attention at this 

 season, but what they do require must be done at the proper 

 time. They must have as much air admitted by the ventilators 

 as possible ; but during such weather as we have at present, 

 with a keen frosty air and a thick fog through which the sun's 

 rays cannot pierce at noonday, it has not been possible to open 

 them all. Of course had we houses that could be spared for 

 each class of plants the night temperature for nearly all this 

 class would not be so high, and air would be admitted by day 

 on occasions when it cannot be done at present owing to the 

 house containing more tender-flowering plants. Cape Heaths 

 are very much subject to the attacks of mildew, and when it 

 first seizes hold of the plant it cannot be discerned without 

 minute search, so that those who are not aware of its insidious 

 progress are often taken by surprise. Dusting with flowers of 

 sulphur is a sure remedy, and when applying it the plant should 

 be laid down on its side to prevent the sulphur from falling 

 into the pot, as it is very injurious to the roots. 



Azaleas have been trained into their proper shape, and some of 

 them have been placed in heat for early flowering. The plants 

 that still remain in the greenhouse require looking over occasion- 

 ally to remove decaying leaves. They are free from thrips and 

 red spider. Both these pests hang about the leaves in winter, and 

 where they are now on the plants the house should be fumigated 

 with tobacco smoke, as no better period could be chosen than 

 this to destroy them. The smoke will not kill the eggs ; when 

 these are hatched another application will be necessary. 



One seldom sees the Clianthus puniceus in a healthy condition, 

 and with it may be named Pimelea spectabilis. They are both 

 very difficult subjects to deal with, but they need not be so if 

 the plants were watched for the attacks of spider. In nine cases 

 out of every ten this is what causes the leaves to drop off pre- 

 maturely. Another mistake that is sometimes committed not 

 only with these but other hardwooded plants is this, the mould 

 in the pots is allowed to become too dry. The plants do not 

 suffer so much at this season from that cause as they would 

 when they are making their young wood, but they do suffer, 

 consequently it is better not to allow them to become overdry. 

 It is not possible to describe exactly the state of dryness that 

 the roots ought to be in before they are watered, but it should 

 not be to the extent of the ball parting from the sides of the 

 pot, and when water is applied the whole mass of roots should 

 be saturated. 



Lapageria rosea and the variety L. alba are now in flower. 

 The last-named sort that had pure white flowers in September 

 is now producing them tinged with delicate pink ; but what a 

 useful plant this is for producing flowers at a time when fine 

 flowers are scarce ! The plant has seldom been without them 

 for more than a quarter of a year. Some persons complain that 

 it is not easily managed, but with the right treatment, either 

 planted out or grown in pots, no plant can do better. It docs 

 not succeed in clayey loam, and many persons both plant it out 

 and pot it in that material. It gi-ows most luxuriantly in turfy 

 peat, with the addition of a little sand if necessary to keep the 

 material open. The roots should always be kept in a moist 

 state, as the plant never seems to be at rest. Strong succulent 

 growths are thrown-up either at midsummer or midwinter. 



The Filmy Ferns, which are usually grown in a glass frame 

 in a shady part of the greenhouse, require a little attention at 

 this season, as the fronds sometimes decay and spread contagion 

 to those that are healthy. Todea superba and T. Fraserii, with 

 the Hymenophyllums for a groundwork, are well adapted for 

 this system of culture. They are not only remarkably beautiful, 

 but all this class of plants are instructive to the intelligent cul- 

 tivator. We pot all of them in a compost of three parts turfy 

 peat to one of turfy loam. The case must be kept a little moist 

 in winter, and in fine days the inmates may be gently dewed 

 overhead. Very little water is required at the roots at present. 

 —J. Douglas. 



HOBTICULTUBAL EXHIBITIONS. 



Secretaries will oblige us by Informing us of the dates on 

 which exhibitions are to be held. 

 Helbnsbukoh (Eoses). July 12th ODil IStb, 1876. Mr. J. Mitchell, Sec. 



