364 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



[ May 9, 1865. 



M'OEK FOB THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAXDEX. 



Thb hoe should be employed vigorously in eradicating 

 weeds and loosening the soil about young plants where it is 

 hardened by the sun. Basil and Marjoram, if forwarded in 

 pots, or boxes, may be transpLmted on a rich border after a 

 showei' of rain. Beans, make another sowing of Long-pod, 

 Green Windsor, or any other approved sort. Earth-up the 

 early crops, but if the weather continue dry give them a 

 good watering previous to doing so. Broccoli, the seed-beds 

 should be frequently sprinkled with soot, wood ashes, or 

 dust of some kind to preserve the young plants from what 

 is commonly called the fly. The young seedlings sometimes 

 disappear without any apparent cause, but if they were 

 examined about 10 o'clock at night with a lighted candle, the 

 slugs then visible would remove all doubts as to the cause ; 

 to destroy them, sprinkle them with quicklime. Carrots, thin 

 and water those required for early use. If the first main 

 crops have failed, sow seed 'of the Early Horn immediately. 

 Cucumhers, when the linings of the beds are renewed care 

 must be taken that the heat is not great immediately round 

 the sides of the frame ; as a lai-ge portion of the roots of 

 the plants will be formed there, water should be given more 

 frequently there than at any other part of the bed. As soon 

 as the ridges are ready for the plants, these may be planted 

 out beneath the hand-glasses, they will require to be covered 

 with mats during the night. Parsley, thin the early sowing 

 as soon as it is up. Select some old plants for seed. Peas, 

 eaxth-up and stick the advancing crops, but before doing so 

 they should be watered if the soil is di-y. Make another 

 sowing. Scarlet Runners, make a sowing in the open ground 

 to succeed those that may have been forwarded in boxes, 

 and which will be ready to plant out about the end of the 

 week. Tomatoes, if the plants were raised at the time re- 

 commended, they will now be strong and fit to plant out in 

 the end of the week, to be planted singly, and kept well 

 watered until they obtain roothold. Turnips, thin the ad- 

 vancing crops and make another sowing of the Stone to 

 come in in July and August. "Where any m.ain crops have 

 failed, no time should be lost in getting in more seed ; if the 

 soil is moderately moistened by rain so much the better for 

 sowing the seed, but do not wait for it, for if the seed is 

 sown when the ground is dry and warm, the first shower will 

 be of more service to it than if sown after it. 



FEUIT GAKDES. 



Wall trees now require especial attention. Disbudding 

 should be performed at an early stage of growth, and con- 

 tinued at intervals during their season of active growth. 

 Inspect all grafts, removing wUd shoots and insects. 



FLOWER GAEEEN. 



We shall suppose that all the bedding-out plants are in a 

 fine healthy state, the next consideration wiU then be the 

 arrangement of the colours in the beds, and that arrange- 

 ment must be left to the taste of the i^lanter, who. if at- 

 tention has been given to the subject so frequently adverted 

 to in the pages of The Jottknal of Horticultuke, will be 

 the best judge of the sins of omission, or commission, on 

 former occasions. As showeiy weather generally occurs 

 about the middle of the montli, advantage should be taken 

 of it to plant the bedding-out stock, beginning with the 

 hardier kinds — such as Calceolarias, Verbenas, Scarlet Gera- 

 niums, &c., leaving Heliotropes, Petunias, Anagallis, Nierem- 

 bergia, and such plants as are more susceptible of injury 

 from even slight frosts, iintil the latter pai-t of the month. 

 All shoots which are long and that are likely to be injured 

 by being blown about by the wind should be pegged down 

 and some small branches stuck amongst the plants to shade 

 them from bright sunshine, and protect them in some degree 

 from the effects of such slight frosts as may occur at this 

 time. Many of the coniferous trees of modern introduction 

 are well worthy of a place on the lawn or in pleasure grounds. 

 If it were in contemplation to add such a noble feature to 

 the home grounds, we would advise, from some experience 

 on the subject, this na the most favourable season for plant- 

 ing them on slightly raised mounds of loamy soil, and to 

 water and stake after planting. Tiie leading shoot of the 

 Deodar Cedar, and other naturally drooping shoots, should 

 be allowed free play, for if tied-up strai^;ht they are apt 

 to die. Auriculas to be potted immediately after their 



flowering season. Good turfy loam well rotted, mixed with 

 one-fourth leaf or vegetable mould, one-fourth rotten dung, 

 a small portion of river sand, and a little bone dust if it can 

 be procured, are all the ingredients necessary to grow them 

 to the greatest perfection. Such as are intended to produce 

 seed must not be potted until the seed is gathered. 



qreenhotjse aitd conseevatort. 

 It wiU be well to bear in mind during the summer that 

 the shape and sturdiness of evei-y plant will depend in a 

 great measure upon frequent attention to pinching out the 

 point of every strong-growing shoot before it gets too long. 

 A liberal supply of clear liquid manure to be given occa- 

 sionally — that is, about once or twice a-week, according to 

 the state of the weather or the healthy or Ixixuriant growth 

 of the plants. Plants in a sickly state, or such as have 

 been recently potted, will not require it ; indeed, to such it 

 would be positive injury. Cinerarias should receive plenty 

 of air to keep the plants in a healthy state without drawing 

 the foliage ; green 'jfly-must be kept down by tobacco smoke. 

 The Chinese Azaleas going out of bloom should have the 

 seed-vessels picked off, and such as require more pot-room 

 to be shifted, using rich fibry peat with a good sprinkling of 

 silver sand. The Epacrises that ai-e done blooming, and are 

 now commencing their growth, should be potted; they 

 delight in heath soil like the Indian Azaleas. The young 

 stock of hardwooded plants should be growing freely, and 

 win now require careful attention to supply them with a 

 warm and moist atmosphere, with sufficient air at favour- 

 able opportunities to secure short-jointed and compact 

 growth. Balsams to be frequently shifted into larger-sized 

 pots, and placed in a gentle bottom heat near the glass with 

 sufficient air to prevent them from being drawn. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEE. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



YERTmuch the same as last week — ground-stirring, weed- 

 killing. Pea and Bean sowing, and w.atering where absolutely 

 necessary, as in the case of two successions of Cauliflower. 

 After watering the first lot turned out, removed the Laurel 

 twigs which surrounded them, forked over the ground which 

 had become a little hard, and then threw all over the ground, 

 as the forking proceeded, a little half-rotten stubble and 

 litter which had been used for protection in winter. This 

 will secure the plants from the drought, and a little nutri- 

 ment will be washed out of it if we have a good rain, as the 

 clouds, the dust, the wind, and a falling barometer seem to 

 indicate. 



Modelling. — Much of the usefulness of mulching depends on 



the time it is used. For tender and newly-planted trees in 



winter it is useful for keeping frost and extreme cold from 



the roots. In spring it is also useful at night for the same 



pm-pose, but it acts injuriously in proportion to its openness 



during fine days in keeping the heat of the sun out of the 



ground. If kept on during summer it prevents the ground 



being sufficiently heated, and a clammy, unhealthy, marshy 



I state of the soil is apt to be the consequence. Mulching, 



then, applied in winter should be moved in warm days in 



1 spring. Even scarce as wo have been of water in summer 



we should derive little benefit from mulching before the 



soil was sufficiently warmed to grow healtliily the plants 



I committed to it. We mulch these Cauliflowers because the 



soil is now warm enough for them. If the rain, notwith- 



: standing the prognostics, do not come, we will mulch about 



I Peas, Beans, and, if possible. Cabbage, Asparagus, &c., with 



short grass from the mowings of the lawn. It is a mistake, 



however, to use any sucli mulching too thick, or, as said 



j above, too soon. Thus in a continuous dry season in the 



I flower garden we would, if we could, mulch Calceolarias a 



I month or six weeks before we should think of thus helping 



Scarlet Geraniums. The Calceolarias, from being denizens 



of the hill sides of Chili and Peru, will often have their 



roots refreshed by the liquid from melted snow, whilst their 



tops are exposed to a fierce unshaded sun. A cool bottom 



and a bright warm atmosphere above tliem just suit the 



Calceolaria, whilst with a moderate supply of moisture 



at the roots the soil can never be too warm for Scarlet 



Geraniums. Ours were never better than last season. 



