60 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Jaly 20, 1876. 



other words taking off several of the coarsest leaves in order to 

 throw strength into the bulb similar to that practised with 

 Leeks. — Thomas Recobd. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST AND WOKE FOR 

 THE PRESENT WEEK. 



ETTCHEX GARDES. 



We have now cleared off the early Cauliflowers and early 

 Peas, and have begun to prepare the ground for Strawberries. . 

 The runners will be ready for planting out in a week or ten | 

 days, but we shall not pnt them in the ground in that time 

 unless it should rain. The old plants were attacked with mil- 

 dew almost as soon as the runners were laid into the pots. This 

 year, as well as other seasons, the variety most liable to injury 

 from this parasite is Amateur (Bradley) ; it could not be fruited 

 in pots on that account, and it will be discarded altogether after 

 this Eeason. "When ore variety is attacked all the others in the 

 immediate neighbourhood are likely to suffer. Black Prince 

 was the nest that has been seriously injured ; but this sort so 

 seldom suffers from mildew that we shall not make any difference 

 either in the number saved for potting or planting out. Keens' 

 Seedling, President, La Constante, British Queen, Mr. Badclyffe, 

 Frogmore Late Pine, Dne de Magenta, Anguste Xieaise, and 

 some of our own Eeedlings have suffered but little from it. As , 

 some correspondents have been writing about Sir J. Paxton, it 

 may be as well to say that onr experience with it was similar to 

 that of " W." and " J. -J.;" it was discarded after two or three 

 years' trial. On some soils it is one of the finest Strawberries. 



Planting of green crops, such as Coleworts, Savoys, Sprouting 

 Broccoli, i*c, has been delayed for want of rain. The ground is 

 thoroughly dry and the heat excessive. On Thursday last the 

 maximum temperature in the shade was 90°, on Friday 91.5°, 

 with an east wind and very dry atmosphere. The ground will 

 be prepared for the crops and the plants will be put out on the 

 first favourable opportunity. 



Leeks are seldom planted in this neighbourhood, but in Scot- 

 land they are grown everywhere, and are much esteemed in the 

 kitchen. Cottage gardeners take a pride in growing fine Leeks, 

 and often eclipse the professional gardeners at the autumn exhi- 

 bitions with them. Leeks are very gross feeders, they delight 

 in rich semi-decomposed pig manure, and this the cottager can j 

 sometimes supply when the professional gardener cannot. The 

 Leeks are planted in trenches, or rather deep drills, about 

 15 inches apart and 9 inches between the plants. 



Lettuce, Badish, and other small salads must not only be 

 sown in a shady position, but they must be also well watered. 

 Endive should be sown at once if the ground should be moistened 

 with rain. It is splendid weather for harvesting crops. The 

 autumn-sown Onions are a fine crop, they are nearly ready for 

 lifting ; as socn as they are quite ripe they will be pulled up and 

 laid on the ground to dry. The weeds do not grow much, but j 

 where they are growing they should be hoed up and removed to 

 prevent the seeds from growing again. Weeds seed more readily 

 now than at any other season of the year. 

 pises. 



The very hot weather is ripening the Queens very rapidly. 

 We shall be glad to have them all cut, as the suckers are very 

 strong and ought to be potted at once. It is seldom possible in 

 ordinary establishments to pot strong suckers early in June, 

 repot them again the same season, and have fruit ripe from 

 those plants in June and July the following season; given 

 Btrong suckers a good house well heated with plenty of room 

 for the plants, and it can be done as easily as growing Scarlet 

 Geraniums, but where a succession of fruit is kept up all the 

 houses are full and there is no room for the suckers. Our own 

 are grown in a very small lean-to house which i3 not adequate 

 to their full development ; but they cannot even be put into that 

 house until the succession plants are moved into the fruiting 

 house, and even though the first fruits are ripe, say in June, the 

 latest cannot usually be cut until July or even the first week in 

 August. 



Succession plants are in their fruiting pots, and these are 

 quite fiDed with roots when they are removed to the fruiting 

 house. But little bottom heat will be necessary, and plenty of 

 air must be given to them. They require a good deal of water 

 at this season, and it is necessary to look over the plants twice 

 a week. They have nearly all been potted in 11-inch pots. The 

 tan in the bed has sunk considerably, but it is not safe to add 

 much fresh to it at this season, as the bottom heat will rise 

 from this cause alone to 120 3 . Newly-potted plants might be 

 plunged to half the depth of the pots in this without injury, 

 but where the roots are matted round the sides and the bottom 

 of the pots such a heat would kill them and ruin the plants. 

 If it was thought better to turn the tan and mix it with fresh 

 and the heat became violent, the pots might be placed on the 

 surface until the temperature of the bed fell to 85° or 90', when 

 the pots might be plunged. 



PEACH HOUSES. 



Our trees in pots take large quantities of water at this season, 



and a few hours' neglect may ruin the crops of fruit. When the 

 trees are planted out in a border where the roots can run where 

 they like, there is no danger of the trees being injured by 

 drought if ordinary precautions are used. When the trees are 

 watered it must not be applied in driblets, but a thorough soak- 

 ing should be given so that the water may reach the bottom of 

 the border. Before applying the water some rich manure 

 should be spread over the surface, the nutritive properties of 

 which are washed down with the waterings. This is preferred 

 to mixing the water with manure and applying it in that way. 



Instructions have been repeatedly given to thin-out all young 

 wood not required for fruiting next year, and to ensure the 

 proper ripening of the present crop the trees must be thoroughly 

 syringed night and morning up to the time the first fruits become 

 soft when taken in the hand. At this time there should be 

 no trace of red spider or thrips, because syringing must be 

 withheld and the pests would be left in undisturbed enjoyment 

 of a rich pasture ground for the next six weeks. 



Early houses from which all the fruit has been gathered 

 should have the top lights, if convenient, removed, or at least 

 all the ventilators ought to be opened to their greatest extent 

 night and day, and the trees ought to be quite free from all 

 insect pests. Thrips and the Peach aphis may be destroyed by 

 fumigating; but red. spider will only yield to thoroughly wash- 

 ing the leaves with the garden engine. 



GREENHOUSE AST) CONSERVATORY. 



The season is now drawing near when the Dutch bulbs must 

 be ordered for next Eeason. Some of the more energetic members 

 of the trade are already sending in their lists, and it is certainly 

 good policy to send in the orders in good time. Hyacinths are 

 the most favourite bulbs, and almost everybody, whether they 

 have a garden or not, contrive to grow some. It is not worth 

 while here to give a list of the best sorts, nor under ordinary 

 circumstances is it best to order the bulbs by name. Any re- 

 spectable dealers if they received an order for so many dozera 

 at so mnch, would be better able to select than the buyer would, 

 and at a less rate. The word respectable dealers is used advisedly, 

 as there are some who advertise roots which they recommend at 

 a price for which the best roots cannot be obtained in Holland. 

 Having exhibited Hyacinths successfully for many years, some 

 of the Dutch growers Eend their lists here, and some of the 

 sorts are certainly cheap enough, but they are sorts that will 

 not do for us, and the trade know them; but comparing the 

 prices of the best sorts that are grown in England with the 

 English lists, there is but little difference. The soil ought to be 

 prepared by this time, and laid up in a heap until it is time to 

 pot the bulbs. Good turfy loam, leaf mould, and cow manure 

 in nearly equal proportions is a good compost, to this must be 

 added a little silver sand. Tulip3 are next to the Hyacinth in 

 popularity, and they have a fine effect when arranged with the 

 other plants. We grow the Hyacinths one in a 6-inch, and the 

 Tulips three in the same sized pot. Stable manure is used 

 instead of cow manure. Polyanthus Narcissus are very much 

 admired by some, and they are potted and treated similar to 

 the Tulips. 



All the stage Pelargoniums have been turned out of doors. 

 Very little water is given to the plants, and in a few days when 

 the wood is sufficiently ripe the plants will be cut down. When 

 it is desirable to obtain a succession of bloom the plants must 

 be cut at different times, the bloom will then last from May to 

 the middle of July, but we always have the best bloom about 

 the middle of June. If it is intended to put in any cuttings this 

 ought to be done when the plants are cut down. They ought 

 to be potted in light sandy soil in small pots. If it is intended 

 to propagate a quantity a dozen cuttings may be planted in a 

 5-inch pot, but when there are only a few choice sorts it is better 

 to place one cutting in the centre of a small pot ; the pots should 

 then be placed on the stage of the greenhouse, and water ought 

 not to be applied too liberally. Zonal Pelargoniums of all the 

 sections make a very fine display, and continue much longer in 

 beauty than the stage or fancy sorts. — J. Douglas. 



TRADE CATALOGUE RECEIVED. 

 Little & Ballantyne, Carlisle. — Catalogue of Bulbs, <£c. 



HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITIONS. 



Secretaries will oblige us by informing us of the dates on 

 which exhibitions are to be held. 



Thornton Heath. July 21st and 21nd, and September 1st and 2nd. Mr. 



W. Raines, 10, St. John's Villas. Bensham Manor Boad, Thornton Heath, 



Hon. Sec 

 Tewkesbury. Jaly 25th. Mr. P. Moore and Mr. H. J. Cochrane, Hon. Sees. 

 WnEXHAil. Jaly 25th. Mr. J. B. Shirley, Hod. Sec. 

 Huntingdon. July 26th. Mr. J. Dillev^ Market Place, Sec 

 Headinglet. Jnly 26th and 27th. Mr. T. Atkinson, Burleywood, Head- 



ingley, Leeds, Sec. 

 Aberdeen (Royal Horticoltaral Society). Jnly 26th, 27th, and 23th. Mr. 



Archibald J. Bennie, 128}, Union Street. 

 Brighouse. Jnly 29th. Me'sare. C. Jessop & E. Bawnsley, Hon. Sees. 



