294 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ April 11, 18S5. 



the boles ;inj the principal branches of the rest we wrapped 

 strawbands, and gave them several dashes overhead with 

 the garden engine during a hot spring. Those left alone had a 

 hard time of it, the cold and then the di-y atmosphere were 

 too much for them. The ropes not only lessened evaporation, 

 but gave the plant,s something of the protection they had 

 received in the thick plantation. For want of such little 

 attention at fii-st, we have known Oaks carefully lifted from 

 a thick plantation, and c^irefully planted in bleak exposed 

 places, that were hardly perceptibly larger a dozen of years 

 after they were planted. If the ground had been prepared, 

 for them, and small Oaks, say 3 feet in height, planted with 

 some Larches or other things as nurses, the young plants, 

 if the nurses had been gradually removed, would in less time 

 have been a-head of the transjilanted ones. The want of 

 success in transplanting is vei-y often owing to the want of 

 warmth. 



Roses should be gently smoked if the least fly appears on 

 those in-doors. If done before the bud swells much it will 

 not be wanted afterwai-ds. Two or three gentle smokiugs 

 are better than one strong one, as too much will be apt to 

 iHJvire the tender leaves. If the foliage or buds are hurt by 

 beetles they must be sought for at night. Pinks and Car- 

 nations showing bloom should also be smoked before the 

 buds open. Those to be planted out of doors and now in 

 pits and frames should also be well cleaned before turning 

 them out. If only a few are touched, a finger and thumb 

 run along the shoots will often do all that is necessary, if 

 the qhoots are washed afterwards with clean water. The 

 secret of preventing fly and other insects consists in keeping 

 the plants cool instead of hot, and even then to do well 

 they must bo pretty hot in sunshine, keeping them in a 

 comparatively low temperature at night. A great object 

 would be gained could people be convinced that hosts of 

 insects will attack plants when enervated by heat that will 

 never touch them when they are kept comparatively cool. 

 A difference of from D"^ to W^ of night temperature will 

 frequently make all the difference between clean and healthy, 

 and sickly and insect-covered plants of Cinerarias, Calceo- 

 larias, Pelargoniums, &c. If it should be necessary to smoke 

 the latter and syringe them afterwards, the plants should 

 be shaded untU the foliage is dry. 



Climbers in the conservatory, greenhouse, and stove should 

 now be regulated and pruned. The best plan generally is 

 to fasten the main stems and allow the young flowering 

 shoots to dangle pretty well at pleasure. No system of 

 training will be so effectual and graceful. 



Cockscombs to be fine must have a nice sweet bottom heat 

 until the comb is nearly its full size. Early Balsams should 

 have plenty of air and a lower temperature than Cocks- 

 combs. Xow is a good time to sow Balsams, either for 

 planting in the flower garden in June or for cultivating in 

 pots. After the end of May a cold pit or frame is the best 

 place for them ; and in their young state the plants will be 

 better if never receiving more than 55° from artificial heat, 

 with a rise of 20° from sun-heat after a little air has been 

 given early. 



Stove plants for winter-flowering, as Justicias, Eranthe- 

 mams, Goldfassias, Euphorbias, Poinsettias, Begonias, &c., 

 may now be repotted ; and cuttings of all these inserted in 

 a hotbed now will make nice flowering plants by the autumn. 

 The Begonia fuchsioides n)ay be struck now ; and quickly 

 grown in summer, and a little stinted of water in the 

 autumn, it will bloom nicely all the winter. Old, tall, or 

 long plants make also nice rafter plants if they are now well 

 cut in to the older wood — that is, the winter-flowering 

 shoots cut back to a couple of buds or so, and then fresh 

 earth given to the roots after the plants are breaking afresli. 



Sowed lots of tender annuals, as Cannas and Eicinus, and 

 potted a lot of Cannas that were kept cool under a stage 

 all the winter. In our cold place Cannas do so little as 

 respects robust vigour out of doors, even when encouraged 

 with some hot dung below them, that we are pretty well 

 resolved to use their lino foliage cliiefly for giving a marked 

 feature in the conservatory. One thing against them out 

 of doorg with us last season wa-i the groat deartli of water. 

 The year before they did middling, but not so well as they 

 do farther south, and even much farther north in sheltered 

 warm places. The finest dwarf Balsams we ever saw out 

 of doors wore in the north of Scotland. Considering the 



vigour and robustness they attain in most parts of England 

 when planted out, it is singular that rows of such fine plants 

 are not more frequently met with. Except in cool, open, 

 airy houses it is scarcely possible to obtain such fine plants 

 in pots as may be grown in rich compost out of doors, when 

 planted out about the end of May. We have seen many a 

 sickly shrivelled Balsam standing on the outside sill of a 

 parlour window that would have shown a lively sense of 

 gratitude for favours received if tui'ned out into the adjoin- 

 ing border. 



Grave more room, and thinned the foliage a little of the 

 most forward Pelargoniums, which are now standing in the 

 late vinery, where they obtain plenty of light and air, and 

 no artificial heat except in very cold nights. We have at 

 present no time to train them much. A second lot should 

 have any verj' strong shoots stopped, so as to equalise the 

 growth. Potted a lot of plants struck last autumn. At 

 Latimers and other places wo then saw fine pots of IpomoBas, 

 Convoh-ulus, &c., in the conservatory. These should now 

 be sown in pots, and thinned out to four plants or so They 

 do not do so well transplanted. Even the Canary Nastur- 

 tium does best either sown where it is to grow, or sown in 

 pots and then planted out. After it is from 3 to 6 inches in 

 height it does not transplant so well. 



Sowed a good lot of half-hardy annuals, as Marigolds, 

 Asters, &c., in a bed, to be protected by a cloth, branches, 

 &o. We had a lot of litter that had been used for covering, 

 which wo hope we shall not need now. This formed the 

 bottom and sides of our bed, and some 12 inches of very 

 warm tree leaves the upper portion, with 2 inches of rotten 

 leaves and 2^ inches of fine soil to sow in. Such beds are 

 more hardy than boxes or jjots, and require much less 

 attention afterwards. 



Commenced in earnest to thin our glass houses of bedding 

 plants, by turning out lots of Scarlet Geraniums, &c., under 

 protection, just placing a little rough warm leaf mould over 

 the roots in the trench. Thus treated they generally lift 

 well. Turned out from a hotbed, a lot of vai'iogated ones 

 that had Ijeen planted on pieces of turf, the roots already 

 hanging round the sides of the turf. This turning out will 

 check them a little, and prevent the roots running from 

 home, and they will scarcely want above one or two water- 

 ings until they are transferred to the beds. A lot of young 

 plants of Golden Chain are doing well under tl\is mode of 

 treatment. Now as to protecting material. We shall use 

 almost every conceivable thing — frigi domo, calico, straw 

 hurdles, wattled hurdles, matting, &c. But for the expense 

 we prefer calico. For an eartli-pit 5 feet wide, procure 

 calico about that width, or an iucli or so more ; have the 

 calico in — say 30-feet lengths, and fastened to a pole at 

 each end, with some seven strings fastened back and front, 

 with which to keep the cloth tight, by looping over little 

 sticks when it is rolled over the plants, after placing some 

 stakes across the bed to keep the cloth from the plants. 

 In many cases we have turned out plants under such a 

 cover in the beginning of April, and tliey scarcely wanted 

 any more care, except a little extra protection in a frosty 

 night, until they were exposed some days before final planting 

 out. Frigi domo does very well, but it does not lot the nice 

 subdued light reach the plants in the same way. — E. F. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



E. G. Cooke, S, Stewardston Eoad, West, Approach Road, 

 Victoria Park, London. — Cataloijuc of New and Choice Oera- 

 niums, Fuchsias, Dahlias, Verbenas, Chrysanthemums, and oilier 

 Bedding Plants. 



T. Townsend, St. Mary's Nursery, Hornsey. — Catalogue of 

 Greenhouse and Hardy Plants, Shrubs, Trees, i^c. 



COVENT GARDEN" MARKET.— Apbil 8. 



NolwUliBtundlnK llio mlUlncHs of the woutli'-T suppUus httvo scarcely 

 Improved, and cvcrytliintf reniiiins much tile Bumo a8 laat wook. 



8. d. 8. d 



Ocani?o» 100 C to 14 



Pca-» (ltaclioiij...bmli. 8 12 



dOTwrt doK. 3 10 



Pino Applet lb. 10 OHO 



IMuiQS 4 Bluvo 



SiratvburrluB oz. 10 3 



Walnuts bu.ih. 14 20 



n. d. 



Apples 4 sieve 2 u to ■! " 



Ap-icotn do/,. (I 



Clieslnuta huib. II 2il 



KllotTts 100 Ibf. 40 n II 



Uobj do. 511 r,() 



Oniijcs lb. ir, II 30 II 



U'inon» 100 S 10 



i 



