PROPAGATOR'S CALENDAR. 589 



JULY. 



Kitchen and Hardy -Fruit Garden. Vegetables for late crops and 

 Salads may still be sown. Cabbage, Cauliflower, Corn Salad, Cress, En- 

 dive, French Beans, Lettuce, Mustard, Onion, Radish, Spinach, and Turnip 

 should be got in at once in showery weather. Sow the last crop of Peas, 

 the success or failure of which depends on the autumnal weather. Sow 

 Spanish Radish and Horn Carrots. Sow Turnips on the early Potato 

 plots. Sow Walcheren Broccoli for spring use, also Parsley. Make up 

 Mushroom beds ready for spawning. Choice Pears, Plums, Apricots, &c., 

 which failed in spring grafting, may now be budded on the young shoots, 

 so as to save waiting until next grafting season. Keep a sharp look-out 

 among the vegetables intended to bear seed, so as to weed out "rogues" 

 before they bloom. When the flower-stems are nearly fully developed, 

 pinch out the tips of the branches, or thin them out, so as to encourage 

 the production of a few large and well-developed seeds rather than a larger 

 quantity of inferior quality. Watch for any distinct seminal sport or break 

 among the vegetables in the quarters, and if any one plant strikes you as 

 being in any way distinctly superior to its fellows, mark it for seed, and 

 thin out the seed-vessels when they appear, or even the flowers, as above 

 suggested. Much more can be done by careful selection in this way than 

 is generally supposed, especially if followed up year after year. This is 

 the plan adopted by the best seedsmen ; and in this way some of the finest 

 strains of vegetable and flower seeds have been obtained. Fruit-trees of 

 all kinds may now be budded during genial weather. 



Flower -Garden and Shrubbery. Roses and ornamental shrubs of 

 various kinds may still be budded in favourable weather, and the propaga- 

 tion of Verbenas, choice Pelargoniums, and other bedding-plants may be 

 commenced in the open air on a sunny border. Sow seeds and strike 

 cuttings of Pansies and other hardy florists' flowers. Mignonette may still 

 be sown. Cuttings of many choice perennials may be inserted on a cool 

 shady border, and covered with an oiled- paper frame. Now is a good time to 

 insert Rose cuttings in the open air, and these should also be covered with 

 a case or hand-light. Rose cuttings may now be struck freely in bottles of 

 soft water or in pots of damp sphagnum moss. Layering may now be 

 performed in the case of choice Pinks, Carnations, Cloves, Scarlet and 

 Mule Sweet- Williams, &c., also Evergreens and Roses. Many rare and 

 curious shrubs may now be increased by cuttings of the young growth in- 

 serted in light rich soil, and placed in a close humid propagating case or 

 frame. Keep a sharp look-out and save seeds of all new, choice, or rare 

 plants. Most herbaceous perennials may now be readily increased by 

 cuttings or slips from the base of the flowering-stems. Sow a few quick- 

 growing annuals for late flowering. Prick out seedling Conifers, Rhodo- 

 dendrons, and other trees and shrubs in moist weather, shading them until 

 they become established. Budding may be performed more generally in 

 the case of Roses, &c., towards the end of the month. Young seedling 

 Hollies may still be planted out, watering sufficiently and shading when 

 much exposed to the sun : weeding and cleaning of all seedling and young 

 transplanted stuff is imperative ; all should be in a tidy state in this respect 

 before the end of the month. Young grafts should be examined carefully, 

 removing all superfluous growths from the stocks. Commence to bud 

 ornamental trees. 



Plant and Fruit Houses Stove and greenhouse seeds of all kinds 



may still be sown in heat, and cuttings inserted of all decorative plants of 



