150 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENED. 



1 August 17, 1876. 



ing, at any rate they promote damp or mildew, and frustrate 

 the growth of climbers and wall plants which might also have 

 caught the sun that their bulk intercepts. Whilst a stretch of 

 60 acres will afford room for Oaks and Elms, Beech and Lime, 

 Chestnuts, Sycamores, and Maples, as well as for Larch and 

 other less everyday Conifers in suitable situations, and admit 

 of the diversities of avenue, wilderness, grove, thicket, and 

 clump, to say nothing of contrasts of colour in the foliage of 

 the several seasons, it will be the wisdom of such as have but 

 a tithe of that acreage to lay out to go in rather for a few 

 choice Cedars, Pines, or Firs — hardy, ornamental, and useful, 

 and to be content with the deciduous trees ready to hand, an 

 Oak here and an Elm there, of such beauty and dimensions 

 mayhap, that once felled no experience in chooBing the most 

 rapid-growing substitute could succeed in replacing it in a 

 lifetime. — (Quarterly Review.) 



NOTES on VILLA and SUBURBAN GARDENING. 



The Propagation op Bedding Plants. — No doubt it is quite 

 right to advise amateurs to commence propagating as early as 

 possible. My reason is that by beginning early almost all kinds 

 of cuttings can be struck out of doors. One good and easy plan, 

 as well as an economical one, is to level a piece of ground on a 

 border exposed to the sun, and if possible to obtain some road 

 grit or coarse sand and mix it well with the soil to about 4 inches 

 in depth, breaking it up very fine with the rake, and then put a 

 layer of road grit or sand mixed with leaf soil if it can be ob- 

 tained, and if not good garden soil will answer very well, this to 

 be placed on the surface about 3 inches thick, and to be made 

 firm and level. In this the cuttings should be placed firmly 

 and of a uniform distance apart. If the soil is dry the cuttings 

 will be fastened by the quick return of the soil around them as 

 they are put in, but if moist care must be taken that as the 

 work goes on each cutting goes to the bottom of the hole and is 

 properly fastened by the stick with which they are put in, then 

 a plentiful watering will make all right. No doubt the sun will 

 cause many of the leaves to drop off, but this must be considered 

 as a natural consequence and iu no way detrimental to the 

 cuttings; and it is best not to attempt to pull off the decayed 

 leaves until the cuttings are rooted, or the chances are that they 

 will be disturbed and then die off. They must not be Bhaded, 

 and if they are judiciously watered and a proper selection of 

 cuttings made they will bear all the sun and will soon emit 

 roots. The sorts that may be struck in this way are all sorts of 

 Geraniums both plain-leaved and variegated, as well as Ivy- 

 leaved sorts ; then come Gazanias, Mesembryanthemums, and 

 nearly any other sorts of bedding plants that possess vigour of 

 constitution sufficient to withstand the exposure. 



Alyssums, Verbenas, Heliotropes, and many other similar 

 softwooded plants must be propagated in pots, or at least under 

 cover, and shaded from the sun. Verbenas ought to be pro- 

 pagated while there is young growth to be obtained, for if hard 

 wood is put in the cuttings are a long time in rooting, and even 

 then seldom produce healthy plants. I have found it the best 

 plan for those with limited convenience to root these cuttings 

 in pots as early as possible, and have them potted off in store potB 

 with good soil before winter sets in, preserving them healthy by 

 frequent fumigations, and syringing to keep them clean, and keep- 

 ing them pinched-in as they grow in order to make stubby plants. 



Of course the striking of Geraniums outdoors involves the 

 taking of them up, potting or boxing them, and placing them 

 in close quarters for the winter, and to those who object to that 

 I may say that the cuttings will root just as well if put in pots 

 at first and exposed in such a place as I have stated ; then they 

 can be easily shifted if bad weather comes on, and the potting 

 of them can then be deferred till the spring, which in some 

 caseB may be advisable. 



For more tender plants, such as Alternantheras, Lobelias, &c, 

 it is best to put up a frame on a slight elevation, when a little 

 heat can be afforded in the absence of sun ; here the cuttings 

 soon root and do well. 



I consider all sorts of plants that are to be kept through the 

 winter ought to be rooted early enough to have them established 

 before winter. Thus treated they are always healthier, more 

 vigorous, and much less difficult to preserve than when they are 

 struck late. Some may say that it spoils the effect of the beds 

 to take cuttings so early, but if they are taken from the plants 

 in a proper way very little disfigurement will be seen, and by 

 beginning early they can be takea at two or three different 

 times. — T. Record. 



DOINGS OP THE LAST AND WORK FOR 

 THE PRESENT WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



The warm Bhowers gave us an excellent opportunity to plant 

 out the waiting green crops, and more rain after planting has 



given them a good start. In northern districts it is now time 

 to sow Cauliflower seed for the earliest crop next year. It is best 

 to sow the seeds on ground that is not rich, and the plants 

 should be pricked out in fine soil as soon as the first true leaves 

 are formed. When the plants are well established plant them 

 about six in a hand-light, two of them being regarded as super- 

 numeraries, to be subsequently planted out in the open ground in 

 March. The plants which are not required for the hand-lights 

 may be put out under a wall facing south or west, or they 

 may be planted in a cold frame for the winter. These plants 

 closely succeed those that were planted in the hand-lights. At 

 Loxford we do not sow until the last week in August or first 

 week in September. It is best to make two sowings, one two 

 weeks later than the other; if the seeds are sown too early the 

 plants are apt to button. 



Prickly-seeded Spinach is sown about the same time for the 

 winter supply. The ground ought to be deeply worked and 

 well manured for this crop. It is as well to make two sowings 

 of this, and the one should not be on such rich ground as the 

 other. When the winter is very severe crops suffer the most 

 on rich soil. Cabbage seed must be sown at this time ; but some 

 sorts have a tendency to run if the seeds are sown before the 

 last week in this month. Last year we sowed Early Tork, En- 

 field Market, and Hill's Incomparable together, the result being 

 that every plant of Hill's ran to flower, and not one of the others. 

 If Hill's had been sown two weeks later in all probability this 

 running would not have occurred. This is the most useful 

 sowing of Cabbages and ought not to be neglected. The ground 

 should be well worked and richly manured. The plants stand 

 the winter best if they are pricked out into beds the same as 

 has been recommended for Cauliflowers. 



In light soils it is sometimes difficult to obtain a crop of 

 Onions if the Beed is sown in the spring. The maggot attacks 

 them as soon as the hot weather sets in, and at that time the 

 young plants are very easily injured. In a case of this kind it 

 is very desirable to sow now, then the plants become established 

 before the winter. We generally sow in rows about a foot apart. 

 Early in February, if the weather is mild, the plants are thinned 

 out to from 4 to 6 inches apart; the thinnings ought to be planted 

 out the same distance apart as the others which were thinned. 

 It is a very good time now to sow Turnip seed for the winter 

 supply of bulbs. Small roots are most esteemed in the kitchen. 

 We like a moderately rich piece of ground for this crop, and the 

 seeds ought to be sown thinly; if the seeds are good it is not 

 possible to sow too thinly. Some may say it is easy to thin out 

 the plants when they are too thick in the rows ; so it is if time 

 permits, but young Turnip plants are easily injured when they 

 are crowded together. We have had an excellent opportunity 

 of harvesting some choice seeds; when the weather was fine they 

 could be dried in the open air in a sunny position. With suffi- 

 cient moisture there is another crop of weeds on the fresh-dug 

 ground, but the Dutch hoe run through the soil amongst the 

 rows of plants quickly disposes of them. 



pines. 



We have been re-arranging the Pines. The plants from 

 which all the fruit has been cut have been thrown away and 

 the suckers potted. The plants that have been arranged in the 

 fruiting house are very stocky — many of them had thrown-up 

 suckers. These were all removed, as no suckers are allowed to 

 grow from the plants until they start into growth after their 

 season of reBt. Some varieties are very shy in producing 

 suckers ; other sorts, as the Queen, will sometimes throw-up 

 half a dozen at one time. These ought to be removed in an 

 early stage with the exception of two, which ought to be left on 

 for stock. We do not usually remove them from the plant until 

 they are of a large size, and this will be in June or July. If 

 strong suckers can be obtained early in June they may be potted 

 and grown-on to fruit next season, and fruit of the largest size 

 and best quality can be obtained from such plants. The suckers 

 potted now will not be repotted until the spring of next year. 

 We keep the house rather close for a few weeks when the suckers 

 have just been potted; but other houses have air freely admitted 

 both at the front and baok. All plants that are making growth 

 have plenty of room. Overcrowding and insufficient ventila- 

 tion are the causes of long narrow-shaped leaves, which produce 

 inferior fruit. In all our houBes a good supply of atmospheric 

 moisture is kept up from evaporation. We never syringe over- 

 head in very hot weather. The surface of the bed is syringed 

 or watered, as well as the paths and walls of the house. • 



Fruit that ib ripening in late houses requires to be freely ex- 

 posed to light and air, and if the ventilators are fully opened 

 there will not be much danger of the fruit being scorched. The 

 Smooth-leaved Cayenne is very liable to be injured if the direct 

 rays of the sun play upon the house when it is insufficiently 

 ventilated ; but this happens more often in the spring than at 

 any other season. It is well to keep a good look-out for insect 

 peBts. Scale and mealy bug will sometimes appear in a myste- 

 rious manner, and it must be destroyed before it gains a hold 

 upon the plants. The best way is to sponge it off with strong 

 soapy water. 



