June 27, 1S65. ] 



JOCrJSTAL OP UOR,riCCLTaE.B AFD COTTAGE aAUDENEE. 



431 



OEEENHOTJSE AND CONSEBTATORT. 



These are now gay with Pelargoniums, Fuchsias, Balsams, 

 Cookscombs, Globe Amaranths, and Lilies, intermixed with 

 other gay plants. A slight canvass awning should be em- 

 ployed, and a system of cleanliness maintained. See that 

 there are successions of the above plants and others en- 

 couraged and growing-on for maintaining a display through- 

 out the autumn and winter. The time has now arrived that 

 many Heaths and New Holland plants will require more pot 

 room. Give every attention to Lilium lancifolium, Chiy- 

 santhemums, Salvia splendens. Globe Amaranths, tree Car- 

 nations, Scarlet Geraniums, Cinerarias, Chinese Primroses, 

 Gesneras, Begonias, Euphorbias, &c. Let them have plenty 

 of pot room, good rich compost, a moist atmosphere, and 

 plenty of space for the perfect development of their foliage. 

 We have nothing that surpasses the Epacris, the winter- 

 blooming Ericas, and the Cytisus, and these should not be 

 overlooked in the crowd of suitable plants. The early- 

 flowering Pelargoniums will now have been out of doors 

 some time, and if the wood is thoroughly ripened, they must 

 be cut-in preparatory to the coming season. Do not spare 

 the knife, and after they are all cut-in place the plants in a 

 shady situation, so that they may break reaularly and 

 strongly. Herbaceous Calceolarias which have done bloom- 

 ing, should have their flower-stems removed forthwith, and 

 the plants be afterwards placed in a shady situation under 

 the protection of a frame. The atmosphere of plant-houses 

 can hardly be kept too moist at this season, therefore 

 sprinile every available surface frequently, and syringe 

 growing stock twice a-day during bright weather. Avoid a 

 too free use of shading, and ventilate freely in order to 

 secure compact growth. 



STOVE. 



Take particular care to give liberal syringings, and keep 

 up a constant humidity by dashing abundance of water 

 about the floor, walls, &c. This with abundance of air and 

 light shading will maintain a kindly atmosphere. See to 

 the stock of Gesnera zebrina; also, provide a sufficient 

 number of plants of Euphorbia fulgens, which is one of the 

 most useful of winter-flowering plants both for cutting and 

 furnishing the drawing-room, conservatory, and stove 

 throughout early autumn, winter, and spring, if grown under 

 a good Euccessional system of culture. As plants will soon 

 be ripening their young wood, they want as much light 

 and even moderate sunshine as possible, therefore shading 

 should be then used with great caution. At all times when- 

 ever it is, it should be removed when the weather is in any 

 way dull. In the case of Orchids this is especially neces- 

 sary, in order that the young leaves and pseudo-bulbs may 

 be thoroughly matured. Plants in this condition, or nearly 

 so, should be removed forthwith to a cool house, and care 

 taken not to induce them to push again, as a fresh start 

 would interfere with their flowering next year. 



PITS AND FRAMES. 



These will require abundance of air and the most careful 

 watering daily. Some of the delicate stock will at times 

 require shading during the middle of the day, especially 

 when unplunged. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Turnip Fly.—In general we are little 'troubled with this 

 devastator, but though we cannot see the destroyers, we see 

 their effects so much that we have been obliged to sow 

 thickly under a piece of cloth, and when they had two or three 

 good-sized rough leaves, to transplant some 6 or 9 inches 

 apai't, in rows 2 feet apart. For the first time, they or a 

 similar beetle has attacked our Verbenas, especially Purple 

 King, and as good a deterrent as any is to damp the plants 

 with the syringe and scatter over them a mixture of dry 

 road dust and wood ashes. There are many insects that 

 decamp before a good dusting of road dust. 



Mulching, to keep things cool, has been the chief work in 

 this department. Sowed successions of Onions, Lettuces, 

 &c., for salads, and the main crop of Endive. Among a lot 

 of fine Potatoes that at first were protected by old sashea tn 

 earth-pits, we were sorry to notice some traces of the old 

 disease. We hope we shall see no more of it, but we almost 



dread a continued cold rain after such broiling weather. A 

 good rain and warm weather after it would do much good. 

 Have placed little twigs and branches of trees over all our 

 late-planted Cauliflower. Large flower-pots are good things 

 for the same purpose, taking them off in the afternoon. 

 Every plant or cutting succeeds all the better if never 

 allowed to feel distress. It is much easier to keep such 

 things right, than to make them right after they have gone 

 wrong. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



Watered Strawberries in the afternoon with clear water, 

 as the extreme heat seemed to dry the outside of the fruit 

 so much as to prevent swelling freely. We have had some 

 nice Keens', but our chief supply out of doors up to the 

 middle of last week has been tJlaok Prince. Those plants 

 that we took up and potted late in spring, and plunged out 

 of doors in a heap of tree leaves, have done good service, 

 when placed in a cold pit under glass, in keeping up a good 

 regular supply. 



Went over Peaches and Apricots on walls, thinning out 

 the fruit, superabundant branches, and fastening what were 

 left close to the walls, and lashing them with the engine in 

 the afternoon to prevent 'led spider. We are sorry to say 

 that some of the Strawberry plants out of doors are affected 

 by it, and it is such a pest to spread. Keeping it down and 

 frightening it away are better than destroying it when it 

 boldly takes possession. Dipping plants in sized sulphur 

 water, or even brushing the leaves with a water of soft soap 

 and quinine, are often the quickest and easiest modes of 

 getting rid of the little visitor, that we would all wish to be 

 a little stranger. It is singular in what strange circum- 

 stances the spider will manifest itself In a small Pig-house 

 or pit rather densely clothed with foliage, a small cut-in 

 plant of Linum trigynum had been left on the floor. We 

 could not discover any insects in the house, but the above 

 plant, standing in such a moist shady position, was even 

 ornamented and festooned with the webs of this Acarus. 

 The plant and its embellishments were carefully transferred 

 to quarters where they could do no more harm. For many 

 such things the furnace is the best and cheapest remedy. 

 How often does it happen that the keeping and the attempt- 

 ing to clean a dirty plant, perhaps worth only a few pence, 

 involve the loss of many pounds ? Destroying insects when 

 once they have got fairly ahead is alike unprofltable and 

 unsatisfactory. Many a bed of Cucumbers has had quantities 

 of tobacco wasted on it, and without avail, when a very 

 little of that material or of quassia water would have made 

 all right if the first insect that appeared had been seen and 

 settled. Stirred up soil in borders of Peach-house, and gave 

 a good watering, as the fruit is coming in, and promises to 

 give a long succession. A little air as well as moisture to 

 the soil is enjoyed by the trees. Cut, or removed, or placed 

 aside any leaves shading the fruit, as flavour so much de- 

 pends on full exposure. In these brightest days, however, 

 to prevent anything like scorching of the points of the 

 Noblesse, we syringed on the glass some water slightly 

 whitened, just to break the force of the rays without ex- 

 cluding much light. More air constantly on would have 

 saved such an operation, but the more air would have re- 

 tarded the swelling, and we wished to get some fruit in. 



YineHes. — In the house from which we are cutting, we 

 have now removed all plants in pots, so that the air may be 

 drier. In very hot days we threw a little water on the floor 

 and stages ; in dull days kept dry. Dryness now, however, 

 greatly helps flavour, though it is rather unfavourable to 

 large-swelled berries, if the dry process is too quickly applied. 

 In thinning the late vinery, have as a rule left only one bunch 

 to a shoot, and bushels of bunches have to be cut off. They 

 make nice tarts when young — that is, when smaller than the 

 smallest Peas. After the berries attain the size of Marrow- 

 fat Peas, it would pretty well require a grocer's supply of 

 sugar to make them palatable. A number of ladies and 

 gentlemen have told us, that one of the greatest luxuries 

 they ever tasted, was a tart made of Grapes when not larger 

 than small bird shot, and about one-fourth part of Goose- 

 berries just formed, and the remains of the blossom at the 

 end of the berry. 



Melons. — We have said so much on this fruit, tbat we 

 would merely state now, that to have good flavour in swell- 

 ing and ripening fruit, it is advisable to give water to the 



