Skfteudeb 1, ISfcg.] 



THE GAFDEXEBS' CHBOXICLE. 



241 



in shallow pans or pots filled with a rich gritty 

 compost, and kept close up to the glass in a moderate 

 stove temperature, makes chaste little cushion-like 

 masses somewhat of the habit of Nertera de- 

 pressa. For general purposes larger growing species 

 are required, and of the many species now introduced 

 we have found the following selection the most use- 

 ful: — B.ascotensis, B. insignis, and the variety know- 

 sleyana, all free-growing,|and of branching habit, with 

 pale red, pendant flowers, produced towards the ends 

 of the branches. In favourable localities these sorts 

 are frequently planted outside in summer and lifted 

 about this time — or before there is the least danger 

 from frost — and potted on for winter-flowering, when 

 if kept in a rather close house until established, 

 strong plants are obtained at a small expenditure 

 of labour. B. digswelliana and B. Sandersoni 

 are similar to the preceding, but dwarfer and 

 neater, usually growing from 1 to 1.1 feet high. The 

 plants of the first named group are usually about 1 foot 

 taller. These and succession plants of the others 

 should now be placed in 5 — 6-inch flowering-pots. If 

 the stock for the coming season is deficient, it may 

 still be increased with a fair cbance of success, but 

 at this late period of the season large pieces should 

 be selected for cuttings inserting several of them in 

 60s, and kept in a close growing temperature until 

 rooted, which will be in two or three weeks. Gradu- 

 ally give more air, and pot on without singling out 

 the cuttings ; these will make a capital succession. 

 B. odorata has cymes of fragrant white flowers, and 

 B. nitida, a similar plant, has pinkish-white 

 flowers. Both are well known species, but unless 

 the plants are old they are rather too straggling in 

 habit for pot culture ; however, they do admirably 

 when planted out against a wall or pillar where they 

 can obtain support. Of similar habit but dwarfer is 

 the crimson-flowered species, Lynchiana. B. manicata 

 and B. Berkeleyi, which have short, thick, fleshy 

 stems, and large oblique leaves, are both good spring 

 flowering sorts, and quite distinct from any of the 

 preceding. Manicata, with its long-stalked cymes 

 of pinkish-white flowers, is useful for cutting pur- 

 poses. B. Berkeleyi has rose-coloured flowers which 

 are larger than the former. B. semperflorens is a 

 dwarf white-flowered species, which, by sowing seeds at 

 various times, may be had in flower nearly the whole 

 year. There are also several of the ornamental 

 foliaged sorts which flower during winter and 

 early spring, such as B. erecta multiflora, 

 with its salmon-coloured flowers and reddish 

 bronzed foliage — a telling subject in a young state. 

 B. gogoensis, with its almost round peltate leaves, 

 of a lustrous green on the upper, and claret-red on 

 the under-side, and flowering similarly to manicata. 

 B. peltata has leaves which are covered with a 

 dense silvery furfuraceous matter. It should be 

 rested during the summer. There is only one species 

 of Begonia of a deciduous and tuberous nature, B. 

 socotrana which is naturally a winter-flowering 

 plant, and when well done stands unrivalled. It is of 

 dwarf habit, and produces many-flowered cymes of 

 rose-coloured flowers, which are thrown well up 

 above the leaves. F. Suss, Pendell Court. 



The Flower Garden. 



Chrysanthemums. — Plants growing in open borders, 

 as well as those against walls, have now arrived at 

 that stage of their growth when one of two questions 

 must be decided upon, viz., whether quality or quan- 

 tity of bloom is desired, for it is useless to expect 

 both on the same plant, and one must be sacrificed 

 to the other whichever it may be. The majority of 

 late-flowering varieties are now showing what in 

 Chrysanthemum parlance is called the " crown " bud, 

 and this is the one which must be secured if large 

 flowers of good quality are wanted. Each bud will 

 be found to be surrounded by three or four leaf or 

 growth shoots; these must be taken out with a 

 pointed stick or penknife as soon as practicable, and 

 also all lateral shoots that maybe pushing forth from 

 the exils of the leaves on the main stems. If quan- 

 tities of flowers is the object the young shoots must be 

 allowed to take their own course till they form the 

 "terminal'' bud, which will show itself in about a 

 month hence. Plants intended for lilting at a later 

 period, and for flowering under glass, had better be 

 cut round with a spade, about a foot from the stools, 

 towards the middle of the month ; they will thereby 

 be in better condition for potting when the proper 

 time arrives, and will possess more leaves when in 

 flower than they would under the reverse treatment. 



Keep the shoots well tied in, and after the flower- 

 buds are formed water occasionally with liquid 

 manure or soot-water, but be careful not to use 

 the last named of too great strength or injurious 

 results will follow. Should mildew have made its 

 appearance adopt remedial means without farther 

 delay ; keep also a sharp look-out for earwigs. 



Roses. — Cuttings that were put into pots and placed 

 in warm frames in July are well-rooted by this time 

 where thev have been properly attended to, and if 

 they have not already been potted off into 3-inch 

 pots no time should be lost in doing so. Use for 

 this purpose three parts turfy loam, one of leaf- 

 mould with a little manure from an old hotbed and 

 silver-sand added thereto, returning them to the 

 frames in which they have bei'n rooted for the 

 present, and keep them shaded from bright sunshine 

 for a few days afterwards. Pay close attention to 

 Banksian and other free-growing Roses against walls, 

 keeping them tied-in as fast as growth is made, and 

 adopting remedies to check the spread of mildew on 

 all Tea-scented varieties. 



Pinks. — Rooted cuttings ought now to be planted 

 out in their permanent quarters, assuming they have 

 been properlv hardened off; and if the soil is poor, 

 dig in a little rotten manure, and a dressing of leaf- 

 mould or sifted cinder-ashes, where it is of a clayey 

 nature. If in 4 feet beds, plant three rows, allowing 

 a space of from 12 to 15 inches each way. J. 

 Horsefietil , Hcyteshun/. 



The Hardy Fruit Garden. 



Gathering Fruit. — Peaches and Nectarines 

 should be looked over on alternate days, and fruits 

 of the first-named should be gathered before they 

 become too ripe, and be placed on an airy shelf in 

 the fruit-room, from whence they can be sent up for 

 dessert when sufficiently ripe. Apricots, when fully 

 ripe, always form an acceptable dish for dessert, but 

 in a dull sunless season like the present one it will 

 be a difficult matter to obtain them of the proper 

 degree of ripeness at the base ; and should the 

 weather continue ungenial, there will be a danger 

 of their becoming mealy and juiceless by reason of 

 their hanging so long on the tree. When Apricots 

 are used for bottling the fact of the fruit being un- 

 ripe at the base is an advantage, as they are not 

 then so liable to fall to pieces. To keep up a supply 

 for present use for dessert a few of the ripest and 

 finest fruits may be gathered every two or three days, 

 according to the demand, and put into a box with a 

 close-fitting lid, and be placed in a dry warm room, 

 when they will soon become thoroughly ripened. 

 The same treatment applies to the ripening of Pears, 

 provided thev are in a sufficiently advanced state 

 when gathered. The Summer Beurre d'Aremberg 

 Pear (Rivers) is a perfect sweetmeat when ripened 

 in this way. Some varieties of Apples will also 

 ripen in the same way, but I find they are generally 

 then a little deficient in flavour. After a suffi- 

 cient quantity of Morello Cherries have been 

 gathered for bottling the remainder should be 

 reserved for culinary use and dessert, the finest being 

 reserved for the latter purpose, and which should 

 be allowed to hang until they are quite black, when 

 they are very much appreciated by some persons. A 

 few of Lord' Suffield Apples may now be gathered 

 for the kitchen, the largest and ripest being taken 

 each time. Young Apple trees bearing full crops of 

 fruit will require a little support to be given to the 

 branches to prevent the possibility of their being 

 broken off during high winds. As soon as Currants 

 and Gooseberry bushes are stripped of their fruit the 

 nets should be taken off", dried, and stored away. 

 Gooseberries are not keeping well this season, the 

 abundance of moisture causing the berries to burst. 

 The Pitmaston Green Gage is one which is keeping 

 the best with us, and it is also the highest flavoured ; 

 the red varieties are very acid, and not up to the 

 mark. A. Ward, Stoke Edith Ganl us. 11 reft rd. 



merely sprinkle the paths and walls in the pits when 

 the weather is dull. A superabundance of water is 

 the prime cause of disease at the collar. Plants 

 which are required to fruit in November should 

 now be in a forward state, as but little progress will 

 be made as the days shorten. Do not over-fruit 

 any Melon plants now ; three to four fruits on a plant 

 will be ample. 



"Melons in hotbeds will now require the linings to be 

 frequently renewed, so that the requisite temperature 

 be maintained. These will require still less water 

 than plants growing over a hot-air chamber, as the 

 roots will probably have penetrated into the moist 

 hotbed material. The fruits should be raised on 

 pots so as to afford them the full benefit of sun- 

 light, and turned round frequentlv to secure equal 

 swelling. Cover the sashes with mats or other warm 

 material at night, which should be removed the first 

 thing in the morning. 



Cucumbers. — Seeds of plants to afford fruit in the 

 winter, if not already sown, should at once be put in. 

 Later successions maybe sown up to the first week of 

 September. As these successions will have to keep 

 up a supply of Cucumbers for a long period the 

 drainage should be made perfect, and to this end it 

 will be as well to minutely inspect the beds, and if 

 any imperfections exist to have them rectified at 

 once. Do not make the bed of a large body of soil 

 to begin with, but put in small mounds, consisting of 

 loam, leaf-mould, and spent Mushroom-bed manure ; 

 place the seeds in the heaps at the first, and they 

 will start away with more vigour than they would in 

 small pots. From time to time as the roots appear 

 at the outside dust the roots with Thomson's manure, 

 and place an inch or two of the warmed, compost 

 over them. 



Strawberries which were in a condition to be potted 

 in July will now have well filled their pots with 

 roots, and a little weak manure-water may be given 

 them twice a week. Do not crowd the plants 

 together, but let them stand so far apart that the 

 foliage does nottonch that of the other. Keep the pots 

 clear of weeds, and pick off all runners as they 

 appear. Look after duplicate crowns, and reduce to 

 one. Should the weather be wet some means must 

 be taken to elevate the pots. In order to get the 

 crowns fully developed stand the pots on inverted 

 flower-pots," boards, or trellises. Wm. M. Baillir. 



Fruits Under Glass. 



Melons — These plants will now require careful 

 treatment as regards watering at the root and mois- 

 ture in the air, and should the soil be in a satisfac- 

 tory state of moistness. it will be found to be safer to 

 give a mulch of spent Mushroom-bed manure than to 

 afford water. Syringe the plants only on fine days, and 



The Kitchen Garden. 



Mushrooms. — Manure for the beds should now be 

 collected as fast as possible, and spread out about 

 1:2 inches thick in an open shed until enough is got 

 to form a bed ; in the meantime it will require turn- 

 ing over once in two days, to prevent over-heating, 

 and to get rid of moisture. It is by no means neces- 

 sary to shake all the straw away — the tongest only 

 sho'uld be taken out. Many failures occur in growing 

 Mushrooms through throwing the dung into large 

 heaps and thus getting it too hot. By doing this, 

 much of the ammonia is got rid of before the beds 

 are made, and there is then none left to afford sup- 

 port to the Mushrooms. Care should also be taken 

 tnat no manure is collected from stables where green 

 food or medicine is being given to the animals. If 

 a good supply of manure is obtainable it is well to 

 mix some perfectly dry loam amongst it as soon as 

 collected, which helps to absorb some portion of the 

 ammonia, and prevents overheating. 



While the manure is under preparation the Mush- 

 room-house or cellar should have a thorough cleaning 

 and be well aired, and any repairs, &c, done that are 

 necessary. These structures are best when built of 

 hard materials in the form of a cellar under the 

 garden sheds or elsewhere, but they are often built 

 wholly above-ground. In such cases I have some- 

 times found it a great improvement to put spars 

 across inside, so as to form an inner roof, the space 

 between this and the outer roof being filled with 

 straw; this prevents the undue drying of the beds 

 when fire-heat is used. 



Enough manure having been collected for the bed 

 and well turned until thoroughly mixed and sweetened, 

 it should be rammed into the beds as firmly as pos- 

 sible, and a thermometer inserted therein to ascer- 

 tain when the greatest heat has been attained ; and 

 when it declines to S5°.the spawn should be inserted 

 just under the surface, in pieces about the size of a 

 hen's egg, at inches apart : all should then be made 

 perfectly firm again, and about 11 inch in thickness 

 of good moist loam should be spread over the top and 

 beaten down. W. H. Divers, Kttttm Hall, Sta. 



