September 20, 1888.] 



THE GARDENERS" CHRONICLE. 



357 



Austrian Pine is excellent for the purpose. More- 

 over, it succeeds anywhere, is readily transplanted, 

 and is of very rapid growth. At a convenient dis- 

 tance from the Austrian we may well introduce a 

 clump of the Weymouth Pine, the contrast of the 

 foliage of these two species being pleasing and dis- 

 tinct ; but do not make the clumps of equal size nor 

 of the same outline, else formality and sameness will 

 characterise the work. 



Lawson's Cypress and Juniperus virginiana make 

 good group or margin trees, and if a bit of greenery 

 is wanted in our deciduous winter landscape we 

 have only to introduce throughout the woodland 

 generally a few masses of such shade-loving subjects 

 as the Yew, Holly, and evergreen Oak. The many 

 varieties of American Oaks and Maples are beautiful 

 in the autumn when their foliage is maturing, and 

 most of them are trees of massive proportions. 



Garden Planting. — In conclusion, one word about 

 how to plant will at least be of use to the 

 amateur. The first step towards success in tree 

 and shrub planting is thorough preparation of 

 the ground ; the second, a right choice of trees 

 for particular situations; and the third, using 

 good, well-rooted plants, and planting in a right 

 and common-sense way. Where a tree is to be 

 planted, dig out a pit larger than the spread of the 

 roots by nearly a couple of feet ; well loosen up the 

 sides and bottom with a pick, and substitute fresh 

 and suitable soil for that dug out, if such be found 

 necessary. Now this may seem somewhat expensive, 

 but for valuable trees, such as specimen Conifers, &c, 

 it is well expended, the results obtained compensat- 

 ing in a tenfold degree for the labour and cost of 

 proper planting. Leaf-mould, if thoroughly decom- 

 posed, is a valuable adjunct to any soil, and may 

 be employed to the extent of one quarter of the 

 whole bulk of new or old soil put about the roots of 

 trees and shrubs of all kinds. Do not plant too 

 deeply, and spread out the roots as much as possible. 

 A. D. Webster, Holwood Park, Kent. 



Plants and Their Culture. 



Shading. — This should now be reduced to the 

 least quantity, and, where the blinds are movable, 

 there will be no difficulty in doing this ; and except in 

 the case of very soft-leaved plants growing in a 

 high temperature, it should not be wanted any longer. 

 Still, if it be left on the houses for a little while 

 longer, it could be let down for a short time in 

 the middle of the day if found necessary to do so. 

 Fixed shading on the glass must now be washed 

 off, as all plants, especially tropical plants, will 

 require all the light possible to mature their growth ; 

 and it should not be forgotten that to secure well- 

 ripened growth on these latter plants, a high tem- 

 perature must be kept up. Sometimes when we 

 arrest growth by lowering the temperature we are 

 apt to believe that that is equal to natural ripening 

 of the wood, but there is much difference between 

 this and proper maturation. What we want is 

 to consolidate growth, which can only be done 

 under the influence of light, and a suitable temper- 

 ature. This ripening process is assisted when a drier 

 atmosphere is maintained in the house ; a moderate 

 amount of air being given when the nature of 

 the plants admits of it, but taking care not to sub- 

 ject Marantas, some soft-leaved Amhuriums, Diert'en- 

 hachias, or Cyanophyllums, to it ; at least, consider- 

 able discretion should be used, otherwise the leaves 

 are apt to take on a singed appearance at the 

 edges ; but hard-wooded subjects, whether of the 

 flowering or foliage sections, withstand the vicissi- 

 tudes of winter much better, if matured in plenty 

 of heat, light, and air. Thin out all weak and 

 superfluous shoots in the case of evergreen species 

 if now out of flower; deciduous ones may be stood 

 in the drier parts of the house or removed. But 

 whatever means are employed, the object should 

 be to secure well-ripened growth that will pro- 

 duce strong shoots and plenty of flowers and 

 foliage, as the case may be, in the spring. With 

 greenhouse subjects, it is practically the same, but 

 in their case there is a well-marked difference be- 

 tween the summer and winter temperature common 

 to the temperate zones. 



Housing of Plants. — Although we have been enjoy- 

 ing almost summer weather recently, yet the nights 

 are getting long, when frost may occur at any time. 

 Therefore all plants at present outside and which are 

 likely to be injured by it, should be housed or other- 

 wise protected forthwith ; but if space is not at 



liberty some of the hardier things might, with some 

 kind of protection, be left outside a little longer. 

 The ordinary now disused greenhouse shading will 

 be, in the case of many plants, sufficient covering to 

 ward off slight frost from Camellias, Indian and 

 other Azaleas, Cytisus, many species of Acacias and 

 Rhododendrons, of course taking care to protect the 

 roots from excessive moisture, or cold winds, else 

 they are apt to decay. Indeed, protection to the 

 roots is quite as important as for the foliage, for 

 if the roots are comfortable they will withstand 

 a great degree of cold ; and such things as Indian 

 Azaleas and Camellias, if their roots are in proper 

 condition, are all but hardy in this country. We 

 have seen them growing in the open borders in 

 the neighbourhood of Glasgow, and also in Sussex, 

 where they frequently flower well. If those who 

 have Azaleas infested with red spider or thrips 

 would let them get a few degrees of frost, it 

 would much assist to clean them. However, all 

 tender Cape and Australian plants should be housed 

 as early as possible, at the same time giving them 

 a thorough cleansing, both pots and plants, as well 

 as the house which is to receive them ; and in staging 

 them while keeping an eye to effect, try to allot 

 to each a suitable position, keeping the weakly 

 growers well up to the light, even if it does slightly 

 mar the general effect. In all cases give plenty of 

 air after housing, as if kept close they would pro- 

 bably make fresh growth, which is not desirable for 

 some time vet, that is, speaking generally. F. Boss, 

 Bletchinglcy. 



Fruits Under Glass. 



Melons. — Great care must be taken in watering 

 Melons and especially when they are on the verge of 

 colouring, or splitting will occur. To obviate the 

 necessity of watering place a good mulch of spent 

 hotbed or Mushroom-bed manure over the roots. In 

 order to impart good flavour to Melons at this part 

 of the year a strong dry warmth must be kept up. 

 When they are colouring take advantage of every glint 

 of sunshine to ventilate freely. Plants swelling their 

 fruit must suffer no check and the syringe must be 

 dispensed with, guarding especially against moisture 

 lodging on the stems, or canker may soon put in an 

 appearance. Let the night temperature be kept as 

 near 75° at 10 p.m. as possble. 



Cucumbers. — Plants raised from seed about the 

 middle of the last month will now be considerably 

 advanced in growth and will need a medium amount 

 of moisture in the atmosphere and to be ventilated 

 at all suitable times so that a stocky growth may 

 result. Pinch the shoots freely and pick oft' the 

 male blossoms and all shows of fruit until it is really 

 necessary to let the plants fruit, and crop after- 

 wards with moderation. When the roots appear on 

 the surface afford a dressing of light rich compost 

 of the depth of 1J inch — the plants being kept in 

 better health by this means than by being allowed 

 to! run deeply into a bed of heavy loam. A warmth 

 of 70° to 75° will be high enough at 10 p.m. A 

 successional sowing may be made at once, but unless 

 the autumn should he very favourable it will not be 

 of much value. 



Old plants of Cucumbers must be watered twice 

 a week with some weak manure-water, and all the 

 old injured leaves cut off, but do not do this 

 too closely, rather nip off the leaves, leaving the 

 footstalks. Induce as much young growth as pos- 

 sible before the dull weather sets in, and if the 

 plants should be infested with spider, thrips, or 

 greenfly, fumigate with tobacco and syringe with 

 weak petroleum — one or two applications will be 

 found effectual. When petroleum is used on the 

 rough surface of a leaf of a Cucumber or a Melon it 

 is well to syringe with clean water an hour after- 

 wards, the inequalities of the leaf making it likely 

 that some of the petroleum may be retained on it to 

 the injury of the leaf. Cucumber plants in frames 

 must have the dung linings freshened up with new 

 materials, and mats employed to procure the neces- 

 sary temperature. Strawberries will now have well 

 filled their pots with roots if all has gone well, 

 and where these have been grown on ground 

 trellises they will have had the advantage this 

 season ; the soil in the pots being considerably 

 warmer than that in the pots standing on the bare 

 ground, where, with the best possible drainage, they 

 were at times completely waterlogged. Pinch off 

 all the runners as they appear, and give weak manure- 

 water at every other watering. W. M. Baillie, Luton 

 Hoo. 



The Kitchej^Garden. 



Outdoor Mushroom Beds. — This is the best time 

 for making these beds ; they should be put up in dry 

 weather in a position sheltered from the east and 

 north-east winds, and they will do very well if placed 

 among standard Apples trees, or similar, place, pro- 

 vided the trees do not immediately overhang the 

 beds, the drip from them beingdetrimental to-Mush- 

 room growing. The materials should be prepared 

 in the same way as advised for beds indoors, with this 

 exception, that as these outside beds contain a 

 greater bulk of manure, more care must be taken to 

 prevent overheating when made, and if this occur 

 failure is certain, the ammonia which should support 

 the growth of the Mushrooms getting dissipated 

 before the bed can be spawned, the bed gets dry in 

 the middle, and it is soon too cold. The manure being 

 readv take out a trench 4 feet wide, and one spit deep ; 

 shovel the soil from the bottom, and make level. 

 Place the soil 3 or 4 feet back from the edge of 

 the trench ; the bed when completed should be 

 cone-shaped, 4 feet wide at the base, and 4 feet high, 

 and should be put up in sections of not more 

 than 10 feet at a time, spreading a layer of the 

 manure along the whole length of the trench to 

 this distance, and laying it down as firm as possible, 

 then another layer on top of that, treading it well 

 down as the work proceeds, and drawing in the 

 sides to the required slope ; in order to get this 

 right it is best to place a stake at each corner, and 

 one at each end of the bed, to show the height 

 of the ridge. When the bed is of the required 

 size the sides should be dressed off smoothly with 

 a fork, and the whole left firm and solid. If showery 

 weather ensue it will be necessary to protect the bed 

 with tarpaulins or Eddy's dressed canvas (I have 

 found the latter most useful for the purpose), at the 

 same time give as much ventilation as possible in order 

 to prevent overheating. As soon as the heat of the 

 bed declines to 85° the bed should be spawned, 

 inserting pieces about the size of a hen's egg just 

 under the surface, at six inches apart, making all 

 firm again with a spade (new spawn should always 

 be used in preference to that which has got very hard 

 and drv), soil should then be placed over the surface 

 of the beds to the thickness of ;n inch when beaten 

 down. In many instances the soil taken out of the 

 trench will do for this purpose, if freed from the 

 largest stones and broken down well with the spade. 

 The bed should then have a slight covering of the 

 long litter that was shaken out when preparing the 

 manure, in order to keep the surface from getting 

 dry, and should also be protected from rain as before 

 advised. When there is no more danger of its getting 

 too hot it should be at once covered over with Barley 

 straw, drawn straight and placed carefully so as to 

 exclude the winter rains ; this covering should vary 

 in thickness according to the weather, from 6 to 9 

 inches being necessary at times, and during very 

 sharp frost and heavy falls of snow the tarpaulins 

 may be put on over the straw, the object being to 

 preserve the heat of the beds as long as possible and 

 not to let the temperature in the soil of the bed 

 rise much above 60 J . Early in December the beds 

 should be examined to see if any Mushrooms are 

 ready and to place a little fresh litter on the surface, 

 always choosing a mild sunny day for this purpose, 

 and covering up the bed again as quickly as possible 

 to prevent the lowering of its warmth. This operation 

 will need to be repeated occasionally whenever the 

 litter on the surface of the bed has become wet and 

 decayed. In April and May the beds may require to 

 be watered with lukewarm water, but only part of 

 the straw covering should be removed for this pur- 

 pose. This will be all the attention the beds will 

 require, and those formed in this manner will yield 

 Mushrooms from December to the end of May if duly 

 attended to, unless the weather be very severe ; the 

 produce is larger and of better flavour than that 

 grown in Mushroom-houses, but is not so nice in 

 appearance. W. H. Divers, Ketton Hall, Stamford. 



INDIAN FIGS. — Dr. King, the Superintendent of 

 the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta, has just pub- 

 lished the second part of his illustrated monograph 

 of the species of Ficus found in India, Malaya, and 

 China. This work forms the first volume of the 

 Annals of the Botanic Garden, Calcutta. The species, 

 206 in number, are very fully described, with their 

 synonvms, so that the monograph is of a very exhaus- 

 tive character, and one greatly redounding to the 

 credit of the author for patient examiuation and 

 discriminating judgment. 



