Gardening for Amateurs 



123 



place in a glass case, preferably possessing 

 a bottom heat of 70. When rooted, remove 

 them to a less close atmosphere, and soon 

 after pot them off singly into small pots. 



Pricking Off. There will be a good deal 

 of transplanting to do now among seedlings 

 of half-hardy annuals and others sown in 

 warmth. Boxes are best for the purpose, and 

 the soil used should be fairly light, but not 

 rich. Place the boxes in a light position in 

 the greenhouse for a time, and then remove 

 to cold frames. 



Melons for Greenhouse or Frame. 

 Seeds may be sown in warmth now to pro- 

 duce plants for this purpose. Pot the seed- 

 lings early, and plant out from 5-inch pots in 

 mounds of loam in the greenhouse, or in 

 beds over a hotbed in frames. Bountiful 

 is a reliable scarlet-fleshed variety, and Hero 

 of Lockinge a good white-fleshed sort. 



Canna or Indian Shot. This plant is 

 often utilised for the centre of a flower bed, 

 and the roots may now be started into 

 growth in pots or boxes in the greenhouse. 

 A temperature of 55 to 60 is high enough 

 when the plants are grown for bedding pur- 



pnsrs. 



Perpetual Carnations. Strong plants 

 which need repotting should be transferred 

 to 5-inch pots without delay, using good 

 soil, mainly loam and leaf -soil ; pot quite 

 firmly. 



THE FRUIT GARDEN 



Watering Wall Trees. Dry ness at the 

 roots is a frequent cause of fruit trees 

 trained on walls failing to " set " their fruit 

 even if blossoms are freely produced, and 

 of fruits falling after they are " set." During 

 the summer and autumn, when the trees 

 are covered with foliage, even after heavy 

 rain the soil for some distance from the 

 walls will be found to be dry, more especially 

 if the rain came from the opposite direction 

 to which the wall faces. Means should always 

 be taken to remedy this dry ness by thorough 

 soakings of water from time to time. 



Currant Leaf Roller. This pest often 

 does considerable damage to lied and White 

 Currants. The caterpillars, which are less 

 than an inch in length, and green in colour, 

 roll themselves in the leaves, which they 

 proceed to devour rapidly. As a preventive, 

 3pray the bushes immediately before the 



buds burst with Abol or other insecticide, 

 but when rolled leaves indicate the presence 

 of the pests later on, picking off the affected 

 leaves and burning them is the safest 

 remedy. 



Peach Leaf Curl. Owing to this disease 

 being very seldom seen in trees grown under 

 glass it was formerly thought to be due to 

 the cold winds often experienced when the 

 foliage is young and tender. But it is now 

 known to be due to a fungus which puts in 

 an appearance when these cold winds check 

 the growth of the trees. Where the damage 

 is not extensive, affected leaves should be 

 removed and burnt as soon as they are 

 noticed. As stated, the disease results 

 primarily from a check, therefore the obvious 

 remedy is to assist the trees to grow away 

 freely, and frequent doses of weak liquid 

 manure will often do a great deal of good hi 

 this direction. A preparation called Medeola 

 is said to cure it. 



Disbudding Peaches. This work should 

 be carried out on Peach trees out of doors 

 similarly as advised for trees growing under 

 glass. Do not in any case attempt to get 

 the work " over and finished with " at one 

 operation, as it stands to reason that the 

 sudden removal of a large quantity of foliage 

 would be a severe check to any tree. Rather 

 distribute the work over a fortnight or more, 

 removing only a few shoots at a time. If 

 a shoot at the extremity of a fruiting branch 

 is required for extension purposes, it must 

 not, of course, be pinched. 



Gooseberry Caterpillar. Gooseberry 

 bushes should be watched closely, as this 

 pest, if left to itself for but a short time, 

 will strip the bushes of nearly all leaves. 

 Hellebore powder should be used if the attack 

 is severe, but as this is poison, the fruit will 

 require washing before being used. If the 

 number of affected bushes is small, hand- 

 picking is the best remedy. 



THE KITCHEN GARDEN 

 Planting Cauliflowers. After being 



thoroughly hardened tin- plant- \\intered 

 in frames may In- planted out nn rich soil. 

 a \\ann slm\\rry day ln-ing l>est for the work. 



M ik a -, ,\\ ing of Autumn (iiant or Walcheren 

 outdoors on a sheltered border. 

 Sowing Salsify. Sow seeds now on 



