196 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 81, 1876. 



one day three-quarters of an inch of rain fall in the dinner hour, 

 and three miles distant not a drop fell during the same day. 

 Again, the severe thunder storm accompanied by hailstones as 

 large as walnuts that occurred a few weeks since was alBO con- 

 fined to a limited radius : it did much damage at Tottenham, 

 Lea Bridge, and Stratford, coming within about two miles of 

 Ilford, but all we had t e same day was a gentle shower of 

 rain. 



Turnips may yet be sown, and a sowing may also be made of 

 Lettuce and RadiBh seeds. A plantation of Celery may also be 

 made at this time. Strong plants may be put out in beds — say 

 from three to six rows. A much larger quantity can be obtained 

 from a limited space than if the plants are put out in single 

 rows. As opportunity offers we earth-up all crops requiring it. 

 Early Celery should be earthed, carefully removing all suckers 

 that start from the base of the plants. The leaves ought either to 

 be lightly tied together with a Btrip of matting, or fastened to- 

 gether with paper. Exceedingly fine Celery is grown at Preston 

 and in the neighbourhood of that town, much of it for exhibition. 

 The growers blanch it in two ways, besides the usual one of 

 earthing up — namely, by fastening the loaves together and cover- 

 ing the stalks to a length of a foot or more with brown paper 

 wrapped round the plants, or else a 3-inch drain tile is placed 

 over each plant. Peat has also been recommended for earthing- 

 up Celery, and the heads turn out of this clean and white. 



It is difficult to know what is beBt to be done with Potatoes 

 this season. Some say, Take the crop up, and others recommend 

 to leave the Potatoes in the ground. With us early Kidneys 

 were a good crop, and the haulm decayed before the ground was 

 dry, and the crop was taken up. Next in succession came what 

 is called here the Early Shaw. At the time the tubers had grown 

 to nearly the full size they were checked by drought, the intense 

 heat causing the Potatoes to sprout. We saved some of them, 

 and they are keeping well. Walker's Regents and Dalmahoys 

 have suffered very much from the drought ; the haulm was in a 

 very drooping condition, and the tubers had quite stopped grow- 

 ing before they were half their usual size, and they also began 

 to Bpront. After the rain the tops started to grow afresh, and the 

 young Potatoes are also Bending shoots through the ground. 

 Whole fields may be seen in this unfortunate condition. 



ORCHABD HOUSE. 



The midseason sorts of Peaches and Nectarines are now ripe ; 

 the earliest sorts are over. We used to be at some pains to 

 fasten a piece of close netting under each fruit, and as the fruit 

 dropped we would gather it every day. This plan, however, is 

 not so good as that of carefully going over the trees and gather- 

 ing all the fruit that parts eaBily from the branches. A little 

 experience is neceBBary to detect which fruits are ready for 

 gathering. We have flat-bottomed baskets with a sheet of wad- 

 ding in the bottom, and over that a sheet of soft paper. The 

 fruit is carefully placed in the bottom of the basket and carried 

 at once to a cool room, where it will keep several days longer 

 and be of better quality than that allowed to fall from the trees. 

 We have very good fruit of Desse Tardive Peach ; it is later 

 than Grosse Mignonne and Bellegarde, and ought to be exten- 

 sively cultivated. We first saw this sort on the back wall of a 

 late Peach house with Mr. Spivey of Hallingbury Houbo near 

 Bishop Stortford, Essex. He had fruit about 12 inches in cir- 

 cumference and of excellent quality. Exquisite is a very good- 

 flavoured yellow-fleshed Peach of the largest size : it 1b such a 

 distinct variety, and withal so valuable for its lateness, that it 

 ought also to be grown in a select collection. The Stanwick 

 Elruge Nectarine during this and last season has been very fine. 

 It is a highly coloured variety with rather more of the Elruge 

 than Stanwick in its composition, as it is not a clingstone, but 

 the flesh is firmer than the Elruge and more highly coloured. 



GBEENHOUSE AND CONSEBVATOBY. 



It is a great advantage to Azaleas and many other species of 

 New Holland plants to be placed out of doors even for a few 

 weeks at this time. We had a plant of Hedaroma tulipifera 

 that had been persistently attacked by mildew, and the young 

 growths did not seem to ripen well. In a sunny position out of 

 doors the plant has much improved, and the mildew has not 

 spread on it. Ornamental-foliaged plants, such as Phormium 

 Colensoi, P. variegatum, Yucca aloifolia variegata, T. quadri- 

 color, and otherB of this section bring out the variegation much 

 more distinct and brighter out of doors. 



Plants that are likely to be blown over by the wind should be 

 fixed in position to avoid this calamity. Oar plants are placed 

 upon bricks in order that the air may circulate underneath the 

 pots. Two bricks are sufficient for a pot up to 15 inches in 

 diameter. The bricks are laid on the ground parallel to each 

 other and 3 inches or more apart; three stont sticks are driven 

 into the ground, and to them the pots are fastened. Azaleas 

 and hardwooded plants generally may be trained into shape as 

 opportunity offers. The new tying material raffia has come 

 much into use for tying purposes, and it is the best to ubo for 

 any softwooded plants of an herbaceous nature requiring to be 

 cut down a few weeks or months after the ties have been made ; 

 but for all hardwooded plants strong black linen thread should 



be used. This lasts much longer than any description of bast 

 or matting. 



In training plants some thought ought to be given to the 

 natural habit of them, and the teachings of Nature ought to be 

 followed closely. How seldom, for instance, do we see Azaleas 

 trained in their own natural habit — that is, in the form of a 

 bush more or less irregular; they are either pyramids with 

 every shoot that projects an inch or two from the regular sur- 

 face tied closely down, so that the plant when in flower presents 

 a cone of colour red, white, purple, or mottled. Equally con- 

 trary to natural teaching are the umbrella-trained plants, with 

 a smooth stem a yard high for a handle, and the plant trained 

 to a framework of wire in imitation of an umbrella. Many of 

 the hardwooded plants at exhibitions in the metropolis are 

 too severely trained, and if the same plants were a little irre- 

 gular in outline they would stand higher in the estimation of 

 the judges, and the general public would have a better idea 

 the habits of the plants. 



Stage Pelargoniums that were cut down a few weeks ago are 

 now starting freely out of doors. When the young shoots have 

 grown an inch the plants will be turned out of the potB, a con- 

 siderable portion of soil Bhaken from the roots, and the plants 

 be repotted in Bmaller pots. Cuttings that were put in early in 

 July, when they show by their making new growth that they 

 are rooted, should be repotted into Bmall pots, one plant in a 

 pot. They should remain in these small pots until February or 

 March and then be repotted into 5-inch pots, when each plant if 

 well managed will produce a dozen trusses of bloom. 



Chrysanthemums have made healthy growth this year. They 

 seem to like a hot season with plenty of water both at the roots 

 and over the leaves ; the plants must also be quite free from 

 insect pests; all the growths must be trained into shape now, as 

 in a few weeks they will be too hard to bend in any direction 

 without snapping. Plants that are grown for the quality of their 

 flowers also require attention, and all the late-flowering sorts 

 should have the buds saved : of these may be named Princess of 

 Wales, Venus, Lady Slade, and others. What cultivators mean 

 by " Betting the buds " is this — about a month or six weeks ago 

 a single Btem branched into three separate growths, on each of 

 these will now be found a flower-bud and three leafy growths. 

 If these three leafy growths are not Btopped the buds will perish, 

 but if they are pinched off close to the flower-buds these will 

 develope themselves into the large flowers that are Been at exhi- 

 bitions in November. Each plant will carry about three flowers, 

 one only being allowed on each branch. After the buds are 

 formed and have begun to swell they are not unfrequently 

 attacked by a maggot very much resembling the Rose maggot. 

 The best way is to pick them off by hand. If aphides still infest 

 the growing shoots the insects must be destroyed by dusting 

 them with snuff or tobacco powder. Red spider will not do any 

 harm if the plants have been well syringed. 



We have potted Cinerarias into their flowering pots, using 

 8-inch pots and moderately rich open Boil. The Cineraria does 

 beBt when the pots are placed on a damp bottom ; the leaves are 

 kept free from green fly and thrips by fumigating. Cyclamens 

 have alBO been shaken out oi their pots and repotted, likewise 

 Primula amcena of sorts. Roses for early forcing have also been 

 potted into their flowering pots; the plants have been placed 

 where they are slightly sheltered from the sun and from south- 

 west winds. — J. Douglas. 



TRADE CATALOGUES BECEIVED. 



Charles Turner, The Royal Nurseries, Slough.— Catalogue 

 of Dutch and other Bulbous Flower Boots, List of Straw- 

 berries, &c. 



Francis & Arthur Dickson & Sons, 106, Eastgate Street, 

 Chester. — Catalogue of Dutch and other Flower Boots. 



Messrs. James Carter & Co., 237, High Holborn, London. — 

 Illustrated Catalogue of Dutch Flower Boots, Boses, Plants, 

 and Garden Bequisites. 



HORTICULTUBAL EXHIBITIONS. 



Sbobetabies will oblige us by informing us of the dates on 

 which exhibitions are to be held. 

 Thornton Heath. September 1st and 2nd. Mr. W. Raines, 10, St. John's 



Villas, Bensham Manor Road, Thornton Heath, Hon. Seo. 

 Montbose. September 1st and 2nd. Mr. Alex. Burnett, 2, High Street, Seo. 

 Stamford. September 7th. Entries close September 2nd. Address the 



Hon. SecB., Stamford. 

 Dundee (International). September 7th, 8th, and 9th. Mr. W. R. MoKelvie, 



26, Euclid Crescent, Seo. 

 Glasgow. September 12th and 18th. Mr. F. Gilb. Doughall, 167, C anning 



Street, Sec. 

 Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society. September 13th. 

 Kilmarnock. September 14th. Mr. M. Smith. 11, Kins Street, Sec. 

 Ipswich. September 17th. Sec, Mr. W. B. Jeffries, Henley Road, Ipswich. 

 Northampton (Chrysanthemums). November 14th and loth. Mr. W. 



Gutteridge, 51, Denmark Road, Northampton, Sec. 

 Loughborough (Chrysanthemums and Fruit). November 21st. Mr. John 



West, Chapman Street, Loughborough, See. 



