244 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ September 14, 1876. 



few Eeeds are mixed with the Onion seeds, and the Cauliflower 

 plants are drawn out before they do any harm. ThoBe who had 

 put out plants in July will find them producing now, and they 

 will continue to do so up to the end of October, according to the 

 weather or district, whether it is early or backward. The hoe 

 should be kept at work amongst all crops in the early stages 

 of their growth, and when the plants are dry at the roots the 

 earth may be drawn-np round them in such a way that a shallow 

 basin is formed, and when water is applied this holds it and 

 causes it to go well into the ground near the roots. 



It will now be time to earth-up Cardoons. The usual method 

 is to tie the large leaves lightly together with haybands. The 

 soil should be well broken-up and placed close to the plants as 

 high as the bands. Other growers say, "Never earth-up Cardoons, 

 but blanch them by tying the leaves closely together and 

 thatching them over thickly with straw." The object in view 

 is to blanch tbe leaves, and the best method is that which ac- 

 complishes this without causing them to rot. They last through 

 the winter months and must be protected from damp and frost. 



Spinach is a useful vegetable for the winter months. That 

 which was sown last month will now require attention. Stirring 

 the ground between the rows with the Dutoh hoe encourages 

 the growth of the plants; these should also be thinned-out by 

 hand, and any weeds growing amongst them should also be 

 pulled out. There is some danger of the kitchen garden being 

 neglected at this season from weeds growing on the walks and 

 borders and fallen leaves littering on the ground. All these 

 should be swept or raked-up, and the weeds should be hand- 

 picked from the walks. 



We are still planting-out Coleworts on vacant ground. The 

 early plants are put out about a foot apart, but so late as this 

 10 inches apart is sufficient. We begin cutting Coleworts early 

 in November, and they are in use until the Sprouting Broccoli 

 comes-in in the spring. Sprouting Broccoli and White Broccoli 

 should also be planted-ont now for the latest crops. It does best 

 to be planted on hard ground, but it ought to have been well 

 trenched and manured for the previous crop. Broccoli is a very 

 good suceessional crop to Strawberries. These maybe hoed-up; 

 the ground should then be raked clean, and if it is very hard the 

 Broccoli plants may be let in with a crowbar. 



Lettuce intended to come into use in the spring may now be 

 planted on a warm border where the plants are to remain during 

 the winter. Seeds sown at once will also produce plants that 

 are more likely to stand through the winter than those sown in 

 AuguBt. Lettuce being so much esteemed as a salad, different 

 plans may be tried to keep-up a succession through the winter 

 months. Good-Bized plants put out in a frame now will be sure 

 to come_ in useful in November and December, and if the 

 weather is mild they will improve in condition even in January. 

 Sow seeds to produce a supply of small Balading in drills under 

 a south wall, or in any sheltered position. 



PINES. 



Plants, mostly Queens, intended to be forced very early nest 

 year have now attained their full development, and the honBe 

 where they are growing is kept well ventilated and a night 

 temperature of from 60° to 65° is provided. The plants re- 

 ceive only sufficient water to keep them in a healthy growing 

 condition. The bottom heat for such plants ought not to ex- 

 ceed 85°. The varieties Charlotte RothBchild and Smooth- 

 leaved Cayenne, which are now ripening their fruit, require a 

 rather high temperature— from 65° to 70° at night will be suit- 

 able — with a rather dry atmosphere, and as much ventilation 

 without exposing the plants to currents of cold air as possible. 

 Succession plants which were potted early in August, and which 

 are intended to fruit next summer, maybe pushed forward with 

 a temperature of 70° at night, or if is up to 75° in warm nights 

 no harm will be done. Close the house early in the afternoon, 

 so that the sun heat may be utilised to keep up the temperature. 

 A little air may be admitted at the top of the house early in the 

 morning, even if the weather is dull and cold. This is quite as 

 necessary as if it was bright and warm. Fresh air is the life 

 and health of plants, and the longer a circulation of it can be 

 kept up the better for the plants. 



Suckers intended to produce fruit in 1878 need not be grown 

 in a high temperature ; there will be plenty of time for them to 

 grow during next season. They should not be allowed to suffer 

 for want of water at the roots, neither must too much water be 

 given them. Watering Pines at the rootB is an operation re- 

 quiring great care ; one man ought to have the entire charge of 

 the watering, and it ought not to be trusted into other hands. 



MELONS AND CUCUMBERS. 



Melons have certainly been of very poor quality this year, and 

 it is unlikely that they will improve now, but all that is possible 

 ought to be done to bring the fruit up to the best flavour possible. 

 It is little use to expect good fruit from frames after this time, 

 and Melons ripening in heated houses ought to be exposed to 

 light and air as much as possible. Lateral growth ought not to 

 be encouraged. If the trelliswork is already covered with leaves 

 all growth should be cut off that is not reanired, and this ought 

 to be done before it iB too hard. When "it ia left too long the 



wounds at this season do not heal readily and decay setB in. 

 65° at night is a good temperature, with as much ventilation aa 

 possible without exposing the plants to cutting winds. Fruit 

 ripening in dang frames should not [lie on the ground but be 

 elevated a little from it, but not so much as to expose the fruit 

 to the sun. It ought to be shaded by the leaves to prevent 

 scalding. As the fruit approaches the ripening stage it ought to 

 be more exposed to the light. 



Cucumbers in dung frames also require much attention at 

 this season ; a lining of hot manure or any fermenting material 

 that would throw the heat into the body of the soil will be of 

 much service in oausing the plants to make growth. The more 

 rapid that Cucumber plants grow the better is the produce. The 

 frame ought not to be allowed to become crowded with growths, 

 as the fruit in that case does not Bet well, is often mis-shapen, 

 and otherwise of inferior quality. After this time Cucumbers 

 are of the best quality when grown in heated houses and trained 

 to a trellis near the glass. Should the leaves become infested 

 with red spider they ought to be syringed every morning with 

 clear water that has been standing in pots over the pipes through 

 the previous night. Mildew is easily destroyed (if it is not 

 allowed to spread to a serious extent) by dusting the affected 

 parts with flowers of sulphur. The old growths ought to be cut 

 out as much as possible, training the young Bhoots in the place 

 of them. The night temperature should be 70°. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



There is generally a difficulty with us in keeping up the display 

 of flowers from this time until the Chrysanthemums come into 

 flower. Zonal Pelargoniums and Fuchsias are the best soft- 

 wooded plants for flowering at this season ; there is also a very 

 great variety, both of colour and form of flower, to be obtained 

 from them. AmongBt Fuohsias there are not only new varieties 

 of the old florists' type in abundance, but some very ornamental 

 and desirable species have been recently introduced. A new 

 species with deep rich crimson-coloured flowers was exhibited 

 by Mr. Cannell last week, F. Boliviana; the same exhibitor also 

 sent a distinct variety with sub-erect flowers, and a variety of 

 the florist type with a tiDge of orange in the corolla. Mr. Laing 

 of Stanstead Park has a hybrid of the F. fulgens type; and the 

 pretty little species from Australia introduced by Mr. Kinghorn 

 of Richmond, F. procumbens, is well adapted for small baskets 

 or vaBes. Where a large quantity of flowers is required at this 

 season the FncbBia and Zonal Pelargonium are of great value. 



Some hardwooded plants which have made more and stronger 

 growth than it was expected of them will still require to be 

 repotted. This work must not be longer delayed. I well 

 remember potting a number of hardwooded greenhouse plants 

 in October. It was north of the Forth, where the sun doeB not 

 have much power, and the plants did not root into the new 

 material as was expected, the result being that some of them 

 died daring the winter. The others received a check, which 

 they did not overcome for a season or two. Of course it was 

 natural to suppose that this would be the case even if the 

 watering had been done in the most careful manner. It was 

 not possible to prevent the fresh soil from becoming sodden 

 when there were not roots to absorb the moisture from it. The 

 roota are sufficiently active at present to start into growth at 

 once ; but repotting ought to be seen to without delay. Some 

 hardwooded plants are very liable to the attacks of mildew, 

 others become infested with red spider. Both are insidious 

 enemies, and must be watched for with the utmost vigilance. 

 Some plants which are liable to the attacks of red spider are 

 syringed every day ; of these may be named the different species 

 of Boronias, Pimeleas, and Statices. When mildew attacks a 

 plant badly a good plan is to lay it on its side with a newspaper 

 spread out under it, then thoroughly dust the plant with flowers 

 of sulphur. Let it be turned over so that the upper and under 

 sides of the leaves are quite powdered. When the operation is 

 finished gently shake the plant to free it from superfluous sul- 

 phur, and that which falls on the paper can be saved and used 

 at another time. Care must be taken to prevent a large portion 

 of the sulphur from falling into the pot. Much of it sadly injures 

 the roots of some plants. — J. Douglas. 



TBADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



Dick Radclyffe & Co., 129, High Holborn, London. — Catalogue 

 of Bulbs, Seeds, and Horticultural Decorations. 



Hooper & Co., Covent Garden Market, London. — Catalogue 

 of Bulbs, Spring Flowers, Seeds, and Fruit Trees. 



Stephen Brown, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset. — Autumn 

 Catalogue of Bulbs and Floicer Boots. 



Barr & Sugden, 12, King Street, Covent Garden, London, 

 "W.C. — Catalogue of Bulbs and Plants. 



S. Dixon & Co., 34, Moorgate Street, City, London. — Cata- 

 logue of Dutch and other Flower Boots. 



Edmondson Brothers, 10, Dame Street, Dublin. — Autumn 

 Catalogue of Dutch Bulbs, Gladioli, &c. 



James Dickson & Sons, 108, Eastgate Street, Chester.— Cata- 

 logue of Dutch Flower Boots, Seeds, and Garden Bequisites. 



