268 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ September 21, 1876. 



ground Bhould be hoed as soon as weeds appear, whether the 

 ground is planted or not. 



Those intending to plant young trees this season should have 

 the ground prepared at once if it is not already done. The 

 principal operation is the trenching of the Boil ; it is quite neces- 

 sary that this should be done, and if the ground is poor some 

 decayed stable manure should be added. If the soil will allow 

 of it, it ought to be trenched to the depth of 2 feet, and the 

 manure ought to be well incorporated with it. 



We are now gathering the principal crop of Apples and Pears. 

 A much larger proportion of Apples are attacked by the boring 

 maggot than usual. This in conjunction with the scant crop 

 oauses us to be very careful of thoBe fruits that are sound. The 

 fruit is gathered very oarefully and placed in baskets, whence 

 it is conveyed at once to the fruit-room and laid-out on the 

 shelves carefully by hand. "We have gathered so far of Apples 

 — Kerry Pippin, Ribston Pippin, OraDge Pippin, Hawthornden, 

 Pomona, Emperor Alexander, and, of course, all the earlier 

 varieties. Of Pears — Fondante d'Automne and Louise Bonne 

 of Jersey have been gathered. Williams' Bon Chretien and 

 Beurre d'Amanlis are now in use. Madame Treyve is also very 

 nearly ripe. 



Intending planters should note the following Apples as being 

 adapted for small gardens — Betty Geeson.Braddick's Nonpareil, 

 Cellini, CourtPendu-Plat, Cox's Orange Pippin, Cox's Pomona, 

 Early Harvest, Emperor Alexander, Golden Reinette, Golden 

 Pippin, Hawthornden, Irish Peach, Kerry Pippin, Keswick 

 Codlin, Lodgemore Nonpareil, Mannington's Pearmain, Norfolk 

 Bearer, Scarlet Nonpareil, Sturmer Pippin. Of Pears — Ber- 

 gamotte Esperen, Beurre d'Amanlis, Beurre d'Aremberg, Sum- 

 mer Beurr<j d'Aremberg, Beurre Bachelier, Beurre Giffard, 

 Beurr6 Hardy, Beurre Superfin, Doyenne 1 du Cornice, Duron- 

 deau, Fondante d'Automne, Glou Moreeau, Jargonelle, Jose- 

 phine de Malines, Louise Bonne of Jersey, Madame Treyve, 

 Marechal de Oour, Marie Louise, Seckle, Souvenir du Congres, 

 Summer Doyenne, Williams' Bon Chretien, Winter Nelis, and 

 Zepbirin Gregoire. It is now time to Belect fruit trees for 

 planting. The best way is to go to the nursery and have them 

 marked and Bent when they are ready. If it is not possible to 

 do this the order should be sent in good time, the nurserymen 

 make it a rale to pick out the best trees first. 



MUSHROOM HOUSE. 



If the material has not been prepared no time ought to be lost 

 in doing bo. Stable manure is usually the staple material for 

 making the beds ; but if this is not plentiful, and cow manure 

 can be obtained, two parts of stable to one of cow manure is 

 well adapted for the purpose. One objection to cow manure is 

 the difficulty of getting the material sufficiently dry. The best 

 way is to throw it together in a ridge in a dry airy shed, or it 

 may be spread out at a uniform thickness of 10 inches or a foot ; 

 this prevents it from becoming overheated, and the manure will 

 dry quicker this way than any other. It ought to be turned over 

 loosely every day. When pretty well dried the whole may be 

 thrown up into a ridge to pasB off the rank steam and heat. A 

 little very dry turfy loam mixed with it will be an advantage, 

 as it reduces the heat and moisture. The Mushroom house 

 ought to be thoroughly cleaned out now to eradicate all insect 

 peBts. The old manure of the beds is useful in every garden, 

 being available for potting purposes ; and it is also valuable for 

 mulching tender plants through the winter ; it is further excel- 

 lent for placing over the surface of Strawberry bedB or fruit 

 borders of any description. After all the manure has been 

 removed from the beds the walls should be syringed and 

 watered with boiling water. Woodlioe and all other pests will 

 be dislodged with this treatment. 



VINERIES. 



The Vines in the early houses have been pruned, and we 

 are busy preparing for forcing. Perfect cleanliness is absolutely 

 necessary to destroy the red spiders that hybernate under the 

 loose bark. To banish the red spider all the loose bark is 

 removed, the rods are then washed clean with a sponge and 

 soapy water, and before they become dry they are painted over 

 with the usual mixture ; the principal part of it is flowers of 

 sulphur. This should be mixed with soapy water to form a thin 

 paste; a little soot and tobacco water should be added to it. 

 This ought to be applied to the rods with a stiffish brush, work- 

 ing it well into the cracks. We also remove the surface Boil 

 from the inside borders to the depth of 2 or 3 inches, and replace 

 it with fresh loam and rich manure. The walls are washed with 

 lime water, and the rafters, sashbars, and glass are also made 

 clean. It adds greatly to the clean appearance of the house to 

 paint the hot-water pipes at this time. This ought to be done 

 with lampblack and boiled oil when they are hot. The points 

 of the Vines should be bent down to ensure their breaking regu- 

 larly when they start into growth. The earlier the Vines are 

 started, so much more is the chance of their breaking irregularly. 



At this season there is much danger of the berries decaying in 

 late vineries where the bunches have not been well thinned. 

 When it is intended the Grapes should hang until the new year, 

 the berries ought to be well thinned out. Any crowding, bo that 



the berries press firmly against each other, is a great mistake. 

 One berry that has begun to decay, if it is not removed at once, 

 will speedily destroy a whole bunch. No damp should be 

 allowed in the house where the Grapes are. If it is necessary to 

 fill the house with plants, then it is impossible to do the Grapes 

 justioe. We have found it necessary in both houses to apply 

 artificial heat to ripen the Grapes. 



PEACH HOUSE. 



The trees in both early and late houses are now at rest, and 

 the ventilators are open night and day. As soon as the leaves 

 are removed from the early house what little pruning is needed 

 should be done forthwith. There is generally some of the young 

 wood that has grown too strongly ; this ought to be removed, as 

 it is seldom furnished with fruit buds, nor does it produce fruit- 

 ful wood next season. Moderately strong young wood is the 

 best. The inexperienced must be cautioned not to shorten the 

 young wood unless it is possible to cut back to a triple bud. 

 When three buds are together the centre bud is invariably a 

 wood bud. If the summer treatment has been followed out 

 according to previous instructions there will not be much prun- 

 ing required. 



Peach trees under glass are not unfrequently infested with 

 brown scale, and this can only be effectually removed by hand- 

 washing with soapy water. After having done this the trees 

 may be washed with a similar mixture to that recommended 

 for VineB, but it ought not to be quite so strong in soft soap and 

 tobacco water. A mixture that would cause the blossom buds 

 on Peach trees to drop would not in the least injure Vines. 



The borders must not be allowed to become dry — that is, so 

 dry that the fibrous roots are injured. If this happens the 

 blossom buds might drop off in a mysterious manner, or blos- 

 soms would fall instead of setting. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



We have been busy during the paBt week in this department, 

 and there is plenty to do in the week to come. Cuttings of zonal 

 Pelargoniums that were put in some few weeks ago have rooted 

 very well on a Bunny border. Now we are putting in cuttings 

 of VerbenaB, Ageratums, Heliotropes, and, in fact, every tender 

 plant that is increased by cuttings, except Calceolarias, and a 

 month hence will be sufficiently early to put them in. We have 

 placed the boxes and pots containing the cuttings in a frame 

 where there is a very little bottom heat. The frame is kept 

 rather close and is shaded from bright sun. We have also taken 

 up and potted all the plants we require of the trioolor Pelar- 

 goniums ; all the older leaves were removed and the soil shaken 

 from the roots so that the plants might be placad in small pots. 



We have prepared ground by trenching it for Pinks and 

 Tulips. We trench it 2 feet deep, placing a good layer of ma- 

 nure at the bottom of the trench, and another from 6 to 9 inches 

 below the surface of the ground. The Pinks will be planted 

 out at once. We have been potting-off Carnations and Picotees. 

 They might have been done a week or two earlier, but experi- 

 ence has shown us that it is not desirable to pot them before the 

 end of September, as the losses are greater when potting is 

 done so early. The strongest plants are potted two in a 48-sized 

 pot, and the smaller in large and small 60's. The compost used 

 is two parts turfy loam, one of leaf soil, and one of sand. The 

 pots are plunged in cocoa-nut fibre refuse, placed in a frame, 

 and kept close for a few dayB. 



Auriculas in frames have been looked over, the decayed leaves 

 picked off, and the plants cleared from green fly with a small 

 camel's-hair brush. The bedding plants have made a second 

 growth after the drought ; and as Hybrid Perpetual Roses are 

 making the autumn bloom, with a little attention the garden 

 may be made very enjoyable if the weather continues fine. — 

 J. Douglas. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



H. Merryweather, Southwell, Notts. — Catalogue of Roses. 



T. Bunyard & Sons, Maidstone. — Catalogue of Dutch Bulbs, 

 also Descriptive Catalogue of Fruit Trees, 



Tbos. S. Ware, Hale Farm Nurseries, Tottenham. — A B C Bulb 

 Guide, and List of Hardy Perennials. 



E. G. Henderson & Sons, Pine Apple Nurseries, Maida Vale, 

 London. — Catalogue of Dutch Bulbs, also Catalogue of Boses, 

 Fruit Trees, Shrubs, and Climbers. 



HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITIONS. 



Secretaries will oblige us by informing os of the dates on 

 whioh exhibitions are to be held. 



Aberdeen. September 22nd and 23rd. Seo., A. J. Bonnie, V2'.'\, Union 



Street, Aberdeen. 

 Alexandra Palace (Potatoes), September 28th and 29th. Mr. John 



McKeDzie. 1 and 2. Great Winchester Street Baildings, London, E.C. 

 Northampton (Chrysanthemums). - November 14th and 15th. Mr. W. 



Gutteridge, 51, Denmark Boad, Northampton, Seo. 

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



West, Chapman Street, Loughborough, Seo. 



