April 11, 1885. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



293 



a portion of the superfluous shoots, and in a week or ten 

 days go over them and regulate them finally. The super- 

 fluous shoots of Apricots must also be removed, and the re- 

 mainder carefully examined for the green caterpillar, which 

 not only injures them but also eats holes in the younf^ fruit, 

 thereby causing it to gum, grow deformed, and fall off before 

 it is stoned. 



FLOWEK GARDEN. 



In vacant places patches of showy hardy annuals which 

 usually exist in herbaceous-beds and in the borders of shrub- 

 bery, should now be sown. Double Poppies of various 

 colours. Lupins, Sunflowers, African and French Marigolds, 

 Erysimums, Clarkias, Gilias, Collinsias. Silene, and Nemo- 

 phila, are excellent for that purpose. A sufficient quantity 

 of cuttings and seedlings of half-hardy climbers should now 

 be potted for planting out in May. With such plants as 

 Cobceas, Maurandyas, Lophospermums, Calampelis, Tropseo- 

 lum canariense, &c., many bare places on walls and trellises 

 may be covered and made ornamental which would other- 

 wise be unsightly. Look well to recently transplanted trees 

 and shrubs. A sprinkling overhead with the engine on the 

 evenings of fine days will, when the weather shall have 

 become a little warmer, be of more service to large ever- 

 greens than overwatering them at the root. See that all 

 recently-planted trees, whether large or small, are well se- 

 cured against the wind. Now, with April showers and bright 

 and occasionally warm sunshine, we must bo in readiness 

 for mowing. Have the turf swept, well rolled, and made 

 thoroughly firm without loss of time, and remember, that 

 if the first mowing is deferred until the grass grow long, 

 it will require much time and labour to bring the turf into 

 a proper state. Also, let the edges of the walks be cut and 

 otherwise put in proper order. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATOET. 



What with Azaleas, Camellias, bulbs, and a sprinkling of 

 New Holland plants, the conservatory will now be gay with 

 flowers. Let every plant be placed in the most suitable 

 position, and aim at maintaining a pleasing uniformity of 

 arrangement and displaying the colours to the greatest ad- 

 vantage, bearing in mind that no amount of floral display 

 will compensate for bad arrangement. Let climbers, both 

 in pots and borders, have due attention in regard to train- 

 ing, and retain no more shoots than the allotted space will 

 afford room for. Pay particular attention to the Liliums 

 now in pots, by giving them a liberal supply of water and 

 by neatly staking them. Let Fuchsias, which are so useful 

 for summer and autumn flowering in the conservatory, be 

 repotted as required in rich compost, watering occasion- 

 ally with liquid manure. The leading shoots of Epacrises, 

 Chorozemas, Correas, Heaths, together with as many choice 

 plants as produce the best effect in a bushy state, should 

 be frequently pinched or stopped in order to form good 

 specimens ; also, those of Calceolarias, Verbenas, and other 

 young stock intended either for decorating the flower-beds 

 or for succession in pots. Pick off decaying flowers and 

 leaves directly they make their appearance, and endeavour 

 to replace the plants in the conservatory with others as soon 

 as they begin to become shabby. Sprinkle the surface of 

 the beds frequently so as to assist in keeping the atmosphere 

 moist, and also see that the under soil is kept in a uniformly 

 moist state. Watch for insects and attack them as soon as 

 perceived, which is the only way of preventing their doino- 

 mischief. ° 



STOVE. 

 Proceed with the repotting of such plants as require it, 

 and give all necessai'y attention to those in active growth. 

 If any plants require propagation, seize an early opportunity. 

 Keep a moist atmosphere with a sweet and regular circu- 

 lation of air, using abundance of water about floors, and 

 syringing frequently air plants or others suspended. Shut 

 up with a solar heat, if possible, of 80° towards three or four 

 o'clock. As spring-flowering plants and for cutting we know 

 of none more useful than Begonias. Now will be a good 

 time for commencing with a stock for next season's display. 

 As they go out of bloom allow them a short rest in rather 

 a di-y house, when they may be partially disrooted and re- 

 potted, pruning-in any straggling shoots. Keep them close 

 and syrmge ii-equently, when they will soon commence 

 growing. Abundance of light and a tolerable share of pot- 

 room ai'e necessary to insure fine plants. 



PITS AND FRAMES. 



Attend carefully to the stock of bedding plants, and get 

 rooted evittings potted-off as soon as they are in a fit state, 

 and encourage them with gentle bottom heat. Calceolarias, 

 if well established, may be planted out in a turf-pit in poor 

 sandy soil, where they can be protected from frost or cold 

 winds. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST "WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



The anticipated genial change in the weather has made 

 us busy. Forked over the ground among young Cabbage 

 plants and Broccoli, and gave the latter some drainings from 

 the farmyard, making sure that it was not too strong. 

 Turned out Peas, Beans, &c., in turves from between rows of 

 Potatoes, under protection, approaching maturity. Forked 

 the ground and earthed-up Potatoes where wanted. Those 

 grown in pots have turned out useful. Put a few branches 

 among the Peas and Broad Beans for a few days, and then 

 turned them out, dividing a turf some 1 foot in length, into 

 three pieces, and in the case of Peas, staked as the work 

 proceeded, and put a few laurel twigs near the bottom of 

 the rows, to act as temporary protection. Early Peas are 

 such an object that a little extra trouble must not be 

 grumbled at. The twigs and the staking keep the birds, 

 too, at a distance. A neighbouring friend has told us that 

 his Peas have not moved a bit, except downwards, for the ^ 

 last month, the sparrows having a feast on the young shoots 

 every morning. A string Is of little use after staking, but 

 the birds seem to have a dislike to the green twigs of the 

 laurel. The staking as the planting goes on leaves the 

 ground sweet, open, and porous. How different when the 

 ground is all trampled and trodden. Last year our early 

 Peas were wonderful for strength and produce. Against our 

 usual rule, we have put these transplanted ones in the same 

 place this year, as we have only a very small piece of south, 

 border. Potted-offandsowedmore Dwarf Kidney Beans. Now 

 is a good time to sow about half a dozen Beans in a five-inch 

 pot, and place them in moderate heat, and when the plants 

 are stopped and stubby, turn them out under protection in 

 May. Thinned out Caulifiowers from hand-lights, leaving 

 four and five to each. The thinnings were planted in rich 

 ground, the plants left under the hand-lights being well 

 watered and dressed with rich compost, and the glasses 

 raised by placing earth o"n the part where they stand, leaving 

 a basin in the middle. As they become stronger they will 

 be bent outside of the glass to give them room, and the glass 

 itself will be elevated on bricks, so as to keep the stems 

 warm. Those in pots have yielded some nice little heads.' 

 Cucumbers in frames have had some banking-up given to 

 the frames. Sowed more Onions and a good piece of Carrots. 

 Hoed among Onions and other winter crops, proceeded 

 with planting some more Potatoes, and prepared for plant- 

 ing Jerusalem Artichokes, Sea-kale, and Asparagus, sow- 

 ing the two last, and a few Winter Greens, Turnips, and 

 Radishes, the last two under protection and in the open 

 air, the latter to be defended with branches. Carrots and 

 Turnips that have stood the winter, however young, are now 

 apt to be hard and stringy. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



Very mnch the same as last week. Proceeded with out- 

 door pruning, even if we could not follow up with nailing 

 and tying, as all such work, and out-door work in general, is 

 behind this season, owing to the weather having been so 

 unsuitable. A few fine days, however, will permit of many 

 things being done. 



ORNAMENTAL GARDEN. 



Very much the same as last week. Pruned Roses and 

 other shrubs as we could get at them. RoUed lawn after 

 sweeping. The winds have brought lots of tree leaves from 

 a distance which gives a littery appearance, and all dead 

 twigs ha^e been pretty well shaken out of the trees. Looked 

 after fresh-planted trees and shrubs to see if they were firm, 

 and the stakes all right. If we have much bright sun 

 syringing, or a little hay scattered, or fresh-planted ever- 

 greens, wiU lessen the evaporation. We once moved a num- 

 ber of tall-stemmed Oaks from a thick plantation to plant 

 in » paik, and pait we left to take their chance, and round 



