Gardening for Amateurs 



505 



separately. Use 3-inch pots, and, after 

 properly crocking them, fill with light but 

 rich soil, putting the plants in carefully at 

 the same time, without disturbing the roots 

 more than can be helped. Place them in a 

 shady part of the cool greenhouse or frame, 

 and grow as hardily as possible. 



Show Pelargoniums. The summer treat- 

 ment of these handsome plants consists in 

 ripening the growths thoroughly after flower- 

 ing by standing the plants in full sun and 

 giving less w r ater. The growths are then 

 cut back fairly hard, and when young shoots 

 are developing nicely the plants are shaken 

 out and repotted in the smallest pots possible. 

 The tops may be utilised as cuttings where 

 so desired ; treat them similarly to Zonal 

 Pelargoniums. 



Pruning Peaches. As soon as all the 

 fruit is gathered the old wood of Peaches 

 under glass should be removed, as far as it 

 can be replaced by young growths. To 

 ensure the proper ripening of the latter 

 ventilate freely night and day. Syringing 

 should now be resumed, and do not overlook 

 the fact that the roots still need water. 



Ripening Grapes. The bunches on natur- 

 ally started Vines will be commencing to 

 colour now. At this period free ventilation 

 is necessary to assist this process, and a little 

 air may be left on all night on calm, warm 

 nights. Cease the use of liquid manure also, 

 as swelling is, of course, completed, and the 

 berries may become affected if feeding is 

 persisted in. 



THE FRUIT GARDEN 

 Preparing Strawberry Beds. When old 

 beds of Strawberries have been in use some 

 years, it is always profitable to chop them 

 up and make new ones, the returns from 

 young beds being far in advance of those 

 from older plantations, as regards both 

 quality and quantity. The proposed site 

 should be quite open, unless early gatherings 

 are specially desired, when the shelter of 

 a wall on the north or east aide will be 

 advantageous. In preparing the soil half- 

 measures are not recommended ; trenching 

 is best, and some half-decayed manure should 

 be placed between the two spits. If the 

 preparation is done now the soil will have 

 ample time to settle before planting. 



Pruning Raspberries. This work is 

 seldom carried out at the right time, being 

 frequently left until the winter instead of 

 being undertaken as soon as the fruit is 

 gathered. Not only does this latter method 

 give the plantation a much tidier appearance, 

 but, what is of more consequence, if the old 

 canes and the weakest of the new growths 

 are removed, those left are enabled to ripen 

 thoroughly by obtaining sun and air more 

 freely. The canes retained should be tied 

 up loosely, all weeds and rubbish removed, 

 and the plot hoed over afterwards. 



Wasps' Nests. All fruit-growers should 

 wage unceasing war on wasps, for the damage 

 done by them in favourable seasons is enor- 

 mous. That the nests are not difficult to 

 discover is proved by the numbers destroyed 

 annually by those who make special efforts in 

 tin's direction, and were all fruit-growers so 

 keen the pests would soon be considerably 

 reduced. The most reliable method, and an 

 extremely simple one at that, is to pour into 

 the nests at night water in which cyanide 

 of potassium has been dissolved at the rate 

 of I oz. to the gallon. The holes should be 

 stopped to prevent the fumes escaping, and 

 the operator must be careful not to inhale 

 them since they are very poisonous. 



Strawberry Layers. The layers put 

 down as advised in a previous calendar are 

 now well rooted, and consequently they may 

 be detached from the parent plants. Those 

 rooted in the bed must not be disturbed 

 until required for planting, and they must 

 be given water frequently. Remove the 

 young plants in pots, however, to a more 

 convenient spot, standing them on a base of 

 rough ashes in an open position. 



THE KITCHEN GARDEN 

 Sowing Onions. Onions to stand the 

 winter and come into use the following 

 summer should be sown now. Select for 

 the seed-bed a plot which has carried a crop 

 earlier in the season, as very rich soil will be 

 detrimental rather than otherwise. Make 

 quite firm and draw the drills 9 inches apart ; 

 thick sowing should be avoided, or the plants 

 will he overcrowded all the autumn and 

 unit <T, and consequently weakened. Giant 

 Rocca can be recommended for this sowing, 

 or other varieties of the same type, while 



