Septembi a l.">, 1888.] 



THE GAB DENE I? S' CUB ONI GL E. 



299 



Plants and Their Culture. 



Scutellariae— The best species fnr the gardener 

 to grow is Mocciniana, a neat free-flowering plant, and 

 an inmate of the intermediate house. It has compact 

 heads of brilliant scarlet flowers, produced mostly 

 at the seeds of the shoots. The inside of the lip of the 

 corolla is deeply marked with yellow. The plant has 

 an erect habit, and although very accommodating 

 when grown and trained as a small shrub, yet it is 

 perhaps of most service when grown as smaller 

 plants in ."> or 6-inch pots. 



Young plants should be raised periodically for this 

 purpose, the young plants producing the finest heads 

 of flower; moreover, by this method flowers may lie 

 obtained nearly all the year ronnd. For flowering in 

 winter and spring, cuttings should lie put in DOW. 

 There is usually no difficulty in getting them, 

 especially, as in late summer they are freely produced 

 On plants which have recently flowered. Select 

 cuttings, which should be strong ones, and either 

 dibble them into a mild propagating frame, or thickly 

 into small pots, and plunge the latter in the frame, 

 attention being afforded to shading, watering. &c. 

 The cuttings should be rooted in about a fortnight, 

 When they should be immediately potted off into 

 rich, loamy soil which has plenty of sharp sand in it. 

 As soon ns they have taken to the new soil pinch the 



Si i; back, and again after a few inches of fresh 



growth has been made; this will usually give from 

 four to six leads, which will be sufficient for a plant 

 in a 5-inch pot or small ."2. At the last potting the 

 compost should be very rich, and the plants potted 

 firmly. 



If larger specimens or speedier floworingare desired, 

 then place several cuttings in a small pot at first, 

 and simply pot on without pinching. In this way 

 nicely-flowered pots may be had in a few weeks. In 

 all stages of their growth keep them close up to the 

 glass, and syringe freely until the flowers begin to 

 show colour. The plants will last in flower for a 

 considerable time if placed in a cool house. 



S. cordifolia is a fine species with scarlet flowers : 

 it succeeds under the like treatment, but it is not so 

 amenable to times of flowering, and does best when 

 allowed to flower naturally during the autumn 

 months. 



in Pots. —The present is a good time to 

 examine and repot when necessary, top-dress, or make 

 good the defective drainage. Any little check which 

 the plants may experience from any of these opera- 

 tions is much sooner got over than is the ease when 

 in a dormant Btate; moreover, Tea Hoses, 



-many of which, when grown in pots, are almost 

 een — if they receive fresh soil at this season 

 in a short time many of them would be seen to be 

 swelling their buds,' whicli by the time that they 

 are housed in the autumn, or in the case of plants 

 now standing under glass will commence flowering 

 without any forcing whatever. Plants coming into 

 flower under these conditions have a great advantage 

 Over those brought on by means of heat, and lasting 

 mi flower. Roses of all sictions are much 

 better for being well established in their pots before 

 being brought into a forcing house. Where the pots 

 in which the Hoses are growing are large enough, 

 and the soil is in good condition, it is quite un- 

 v to repot, but rather apply liquid manure 

 during the season of growth. A good compost for 

 use in potting is good loam of medium consistency 

 bone-dust, about a peck to 1 bushels of soil, and as 

 much sharp sand as will keep the whole mass swi • t 

 and porous. If the loam be heavy it will be an 

 advantage to add an eighth of leaf-mould or tho- 

 roughly decayed cow-manure. The Koses should 

 either be accommodated under glass or in a shelter. ,! 

 position outside open to the sun. They should be- 

 freely syringed, and no effort spared to keep the 

 foliage in a healthy condition, as if it should drop 

 prematurely the buds would not get sufficiently 

 mature to be able to produce flowers of the first 

 quality when forced. 



Mignonette. — No delay should occur before sowing 

 the seeds to produce plants for the main winter and 

 spring-flowering, for if it be deferred till a later 

 period the plants have not so good a chance of get- 

 ting established before the winter sets in, and are 

 consequently more difficult to manage, especially if 

 it be iutendi-d to keep them in cold frames, which, 

 in the absence of better accommodation, is a good 

 place to winter them, and better than mixing them 

 with a miscellaneous collection of plants. With 

 due attention to covering in cold weather, judicious 

 airing, the frames having: a raMier «hi>.rp pitch, and 



placed in a sheltered, sunny position, excellent 

 results may be had. Sow the seeds rather thinly in 

 well-drained 48 or o2-si/.ed pots, filled to within 

 about three-quarters of an inch of the rim with a 

 compost of about three-parts loam and one part of 

 well-decayed manure, sand, and leaf-soil, varying 

 these in quantity according to the quality of the 

 loam. Add a good sprinkling of gritty old lime 

 mortar and soot to the heap; mix well, and fill the 

 pots evenly and firmly, covering the seed lightly with 

 some of the finer portion of the soil ; plunge the 

 pots in the frames, when, with attention to damping, 

 and shading from bright sun, the seedlings will soon 

 appear; they should be thinned out as soon after- 

 wards as possible, leaving a few more plants than it 

 is ultimately desired to retain, as these can be re- 

 moved before crowding takes place, and if half-a 

 dozen good plants are eventually left these will till 

 the pots. As to the variety to be grown, individual 

 taste differs, but the large-flowered white, red, and 

 yellow varieties are all sufficiently distinct, and some 

 of each should be grown. 



Bulbs /'or Forcing. — The remainder of these should 

 now be potted I'm thwith, and treated as recommended 

 at p. 191. In addition to those mentioned there — 

 Hyacinths, Crocus, and Tulips of all sorts, as well 

 as snowdrops, Scilla bifolia, the scarlet Windllower 

 I Anemone fulgens), Irises of the early flow, red kind*, 

 such as persica, reticulata, and stylosa, not forgetting 

 plenty of while Lilies, both candidum, and llarrisii, 

 for both of which '.I nr ID-inch pots are convenient 

 sizes, and give excellent results. !■'. Boss, BletcMnglfy. 



Fruits Under Glass. 



The Flower Garden. 



Bedding Plants. — Look over cnttings of bedding 

 plants that were put in last month. Zonal Pelar- 

 goniums in pots and boxes standing in the open air 

 require more than ordinary attention this season 

 owing to their sappy growth. Replace with fresh 

 ones all cuttings which have been lost. It will also 

 be advisable to move the cuttings in pots and boxes 

 to col 1 frames forthwith, giving due attention in 

 regard to ventilation, and on bright days take the 

 lights off entirely. Other cuttings, such as Ver- 

 benas, Iresines, Coleus, Mesembryanthemums, Lobe- 

 lias, Ageratums, Troprcolums, &c, must also receive 

 timely attention. The majority of these, if put in 

 and treated as previously advised, should now be 

 well rooted, and should be afforded plenty of venti- 

 lation, the object to aim at being sturdy plants that 

 will pa's safely through the winter months. In a 

 fortnight hence each and all of these subjects ought 

 to be placed in the glasshouses, and from that time 

 onwards must be carefully attended to as regards 

 watering and ventilation. Old plants for stock pur- 

 poses may be lilted and potted up in a compost of 

 fibrous loam, leaf-mould, and sand. Use clean pots 

 ami ample drainage, plan- them in a heated pit or 

 frame, shade and syringe overhead when necessary 

 till the roots have taken hold of the fresh soil, and, 

 with the exception of Alternantheras, cut the jdants 

 down to within a reasonable distance of the pots at 

 the time of potting. 



Hardy Biennials. — The majority of those that 

 were raised from early-sown seed and pricked out 

 afterwards may now be transplanted to where they 

 are to flower; these should include Antirrhinums, 

 Sweet Williams, Bromptou Stocks, and Campanula 

 calycanthema and its varieties. If the soil be 

 fairly good, avoid putting any decayed manure into 

 it, as thisVould tend to excite the plants into growth, 

 and which, in the event of very severe weather, 

 would probably be killed. In stiff clay land it will 

 be found a good plan to add a little leaf-mould, 

 burnt soil, or a few finely sifted cinder ashes to the 

 staple. Where space can be afforded I would advise 

 the growing of a good bed of C. calycanthema, for 

 lifting and potting up just as they are coming into 

 flower, when these will be found very useful for 

 indoor decoration, and after being once grown they 

 are sure to be inquired for again. When grown in 

 beds or borders by themselves they should be given 

 at the time of planting a distance of fully 18 inches or 

 2 feet each way. Wallflowers may also be trans- 

 planted wdiere space can be afforded, or when beds 

 in which they are to flower become vacant. In my 

 case these plants are put into beds that have been 

 occupied with summer-flowering subjects, and it 

 rarely happens that I can do this work before the 

 middle of October, J, Honefiehl, Heytttlmn/, 



Vines. — Late Grapes must now be pushed forward 

 to have them thoroughly ripe by the end of Sep- 

 tember, else they will not keep well during the 

 winter. Pinch out all lateral growths, and allow all 

 the light possible to play amongst the fruit. If 

 necessary, give a good watering, and mulch the border 

 with some dry horse droppings to prevent the escape 

 of moisture. Maintain a night temperature of 75°, 

 with a chink of air to keep the moisture from settling 

 on the bunches. Gros Colinar usually requires a 

 long season to mature its fruit if at all heavily 

 cropped. The greatest failing of this noble Grape is 

 the premature shrivelling of the foliage. Under the 

 circumstances it is as well to allow a moderate lateral 

 growth to develope. No grape I know will stand so 

 much lire-heat as this without shrivelling, and the 

 mine it gets the better the flavour. The earthy 

 taste which is ascribed to this variety oi Grape is 

 scarcely discernible when wrought on the Hamburgh ; 

 I find 1 cannot colour it on the Barbarossa, although 

 it is very free and swells enormous berries ; yet the 

 flavour is little inferior to those of the Hamburgh 

 stock. I consider it should never be grown on its 

 own roots. I remember seeing some splendid samples 

 growing in a Muscat house at Drnmlanrig, where 

 they were wrought on the Muscat if I mistake not. 



Young Vines will require abundance of fire-heat 

 and air in order to properly mature the wood of 

 this season. In all my experience I never remem- 

 ber a more sunless year than the present. Notwith- 

 standing, Grapes have coloured well, and the berries 

 are larger than the past dry years. Remove all 

 lateral growths, and allow a free play of warm air 

 and light to the wood. Now is a good time to attend 

 to the lifting of Vine borders where the Grapes have 

 been cut If the borders are in a bad state the soil 

 should be wholly removed, and the drainage attended 

 to, and new soii substituted, the roots trimmed, and 

 laid about 12 to 1"> inches from the surface. Some 

 sharp soil, largely composed of charred compost, 

 sprinkled over them, and the remaining portion of 

 the border made up. Pot Vines should now have 

 perfected ther growth and shed their foliage. These 

 should be pruned as soon as they are fit, and stood 

 in an airy position until the appearance of frost. 



Where it is intended to make fresh borders 

 during the coming winter the sooner the materials 

 for their composition are got together the better, as 

 wet weather is not suitable for collecting soils for 

 this work; let the soil be placed in sharp ridges to 

 run ell' wet. Wm. M. Bui'/ir Luton Hoo. 



The Hardy Fruit Garden. 



As soon as the Peach and Nectarine trees are 

 cleared of fruit the bearing and useless wood should 

 be cut away, so as to give that which is retained 

 light and air to ripen it. The fruit tree borders 

 should also be examined as to the state of the soil, 

 more particularly when the walls have very wide 

 copings, for although it has been a dripping season, 

 the rain may not have reached the subsoil at the 

 foot of the walls ; and should it be found to be dry, 

 thorough waterings must be repeatedly afforded 

 until all is completely moistened. 



Jargonelle and Beurro Gifl'ard Pears are now 

 ripening, and the forwardest may be gathered at 

 intervals of a few days and placed in the fruit-room, 

 where they will keep for a short period. Plums require 

 looking over frequently, more especially when large 

 quantities are grown and gathering the ripest. For 

 bottling whole the fruit should be gathered before it 

 is quite ripe, and the stalks should be left on the 

 fruit. Late varieties, such as the Hed Magnum 

 lionum, Coe's Golden Drop, Jeffersons and Late 

 Orleans, are all very much improved in flavour by 

 being allowed to hang until they begin to shrivel 

 slightly, ill fact Jeflerson's is like a sweetmeat when 

 it becomes a little shrivelled. If the trees are grow- 

 ing against walls the fruit must be protected from 

 the attacks of wasps and flies. The present is a 

 good time to make notes of the fruit trees wanted 

 for planting during autumn and winter. A visit to 

 a well appointed nursery at this season of the year 

 wiil prove of immense advantage, for the newer 

 varieties of fruit, as well as the proved ones, can be 

 seen growing in quantities, A. Wqrd, Stgkt Edit}] 

 Park, 



