Horticidtural Operations for August. 383 



Strawberry plantations may be made this month; prepare the ground 

 at once, by a good deep trenching, or thorough spading, and manuring, for 

 the plants, Avhich may be set out any time after the 20th of the month. Old 

 beds should be looked after, and all the young runners laid in, or as many 

 as are wanted to make a good bed. Plants for forcing should be layered 

 now into small pots, three in each. 



Raspberry Vines will be benefited now by cutting away the old bear- 

 ing wood, and give more room for the young shoots. 



Blackberries should have the strong canes of this year tied to stakes, 

 as they are liable to be broken off by higii winds. 



Summer Pruning should still be attended to; some of the shoots stopped 

 in June will require topping again, if growing too strong ; on young trees 

 they most always require it, but in older ones, bearing fruit, there is not 

 tnuch danger of their growing again. 



Mulch and Water Fruit Trees, if fine large and well grown speci- 

 mens are wanted ; thinning should also be attended to. 



Budding plums and pears should be done during this month. 



FLOWER department. 



Now is tlie time to look over thoroughly every collection and examine 

 the stock, so that new propagations may be made of such as are wanting, 

 and the old plants put in the best condition. Heaths and Camellias are two 

 kinds which should be looked well after, and undergo repotting, at least all 

 that require it. Roses, Verbenas, Heliotropes, &c., should be put in, and 

 any kind of seeds sown for winter blooming. 



The same remarks we made under our Fruit Department, in regard to 

 repairing houses, will apply to such as are intended for plants. It is very 

 inconvenient, as well as somewhat dangerous, to be repairing the flues and 

 pipes, or glazing the sashes, when the plants are all housed. Now is the 

 time to get in a complete stock of proper soils and composts, for fall and 

 spring potting, if not already attended to. 



Pelargoniums should now receive more than ordinary attention. Head 

 the plants in at once, close to the root, say within four inches of a single 

 stem, or within a few inches of the previous year's growth, if larger. See 

 our article in another page. Keep the plants quite dry for two weeks, when 

 they may be turned out of the pots, the balls reduced, and placed again in 

 the same size, or such as are a little larger : use a rather light soil for the 

 potting. Put in the cuttings now and they Avill make fine plants by Oc- 

 tober. 



Chrysanthemums will need care; shift all into the blooming pots, 

 plunge in an open airy place — don't crowd them — and nip the tops off for 

 the last time. Keep them well watered. 



Camellias should have a general shift this month and as early as possi- 

 ble. All that are very much pot bound, should have a shift into the next 

 size ; those not crowded with roots, may be merely top dressed. Syringe 

 every night, after the potting is done ; keep them well watered at the root. 

 Grafting and inarching should be done now. 



