May 26, 1863. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



383 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GABDEN. 



Slightly earthed-up Potatoes, but the forwardest out of 

 doors will, we fear, be the seoond, as they were much injured by 

 the frost of the 2nd inst. Earthed-up Cauliflowers, drawing the 

 earth to their sides, and leaving a hollow in the centre of the 

 ridge for future waterings if needed. Watered those in bearing 

 that were under hand-lights. We generally place them in two 

 or three rows, some 4 feet apart, and then when the plants are 

 large a trench is dug out to bank them up, which then comes in 

 for Celery. Pricked-out seedlings of Greens as time could be 

 got and a spare piece of ground for the purpose. Broccoli has 

 done very well this season, and even now is contending with 

 the first Cauliflowers. Peas seem to be coming late out ot doors, 

 though when a person can have a good row in an orchard-house 

 it makes one feel more independent. Broad or Garden Beans 

 have done less good. They will not set well if the house is much 

 shut up. Even for such purposes, and Strawberries a week or 

 a fortnight earlier than out of doors, these houses are invaluable, 

 to say nothing of salads, &c, in winter. Run the hoe among 

 all growing crops, and especially young Onions, Carrots, Par- 

 snips, &c, and will defer thinning much until we get a good 

 rain ; for, though thankful for what we have had, the drizzhngs, 

 though putting a little water in our tanks, have done little more 

 than lay the dust, the ground that had previously been mowed 

 —such as flower-beds — being still very dry, and requiring, 

 therefore, more water when planting. 



FETTIT GARDEN. 



Went over Peach and Apricot trees, but not time to do more 

 than a little to them. Syringed with soot and lime water to 

 keep fly and caterpillar at bay. Gave extra syringing to Cherry 

 trees and watered at the root besides, and did the same to Plums. 

 Will thin and nip the shoots of Pears as soon as we can get at 

 them. Went over trees in orchard-house, tied and stopped 

 shoots in Peach-house, and slightly smoked again, as we noticed 

 some signs of our old enemy, the brown beetle. Regulated 

 Strawberries in the houses for the last time, and noticed a berry 

 here and there that Beemed to get hard, refuse to swell, and at 

 last rot away, which I attributed at first to extra moisture, but 

 which my manager thinks is caused by syringing with the 

 sulphur water which I have several times described, and which, 

 though of a milky appearance, leaves no mark behind it, and 

 seems to injure nothing else. It is worth noting, however, so 

 as to keep it from the fruit of Strawberries. Of course, they 

 might be freely syringed before they were in bloom. Thinned 

 Grapes, regulated and tied-iu shoots of Vines. The forwardest 

 ones have still the covering of about a foot of leaves, which 

 keeps the border about 68°— at least at the surface. The late 

 house, which has come earlier than I wanted, has the border 

 fully exposed— only the surface is still cased with the thin film 

 of tar aud sawdust. We will not remove it just yet, as the soil 

 is wet enough beneath, and the casing will throw past these cold 

 rains. In fact, if these cold nights continue, as the Vines are so 

 forward inside, showing the bunches, we will throw a little long 

 litter over the border and rake it off when the sun shines, and 

 put it on again at night ; but if the weather is mild we will save 

 ourselves the trouble. We will let the leaves on the other part 

 alone for some weeks yet ; in fact, until we are sure that the 

 sun will throw in more heat during the day than the border will 

 lose by radiation at night. There would be about 18 inches of 

 leaves covered with litter at first, and that, of course, got closer 

 together. To take advantage of the little heat given off, frames 

 were Bet on the top of the leaves, and lots of things forwarded. 

 A small part next the house has been uncovered, and a little 

 warm water given where it was at all dry. When we move 

 these leaves off and the film of tar, we will, moBt likely, cover 

 with litter at night for a week or two. Stopped shoots and 

 thinned shoots of Figs, and watered well, as it is advisable not 

 to give too much water when the fruit is ripening, and the crop 

 is a very heavy one. Potted Vines, &c. 



OBNAMEHTAL DEPARTMENT. 



Removed faded plants and took fresh to conservatory. Will 

 clear Azaleas of their faded flowers as soon as possible, and then 

 place them together that they may be kept closer and be well 

 syringed. A house, or pit, where they could get a temperature 

 of 50° at night for a fortnight, and then a rise gradually to 60°, 

 would cause them to make their wood quicker, and set their buds 

 sooner. Under the shade of Vines in a rather late house would 

 just be the place for them, if certain that there was not such a 



thing as a single thripa on the plants ; for, if there be, there may 

 be no end of trouble with such insects on the Vines, as they will 

 prefer the Vine to the Azalea. It is advisable to give them a little 

 rest after flowering, before exciting them with extra heat. It 

 enables the plant to recruit its energies as it were. The plants 

 will do very well in a conservatory or a greenhouse, treated as 

 mentioned above ; but the flower-buds will not set at the points of 

 the shootB so early, because the B hoots will not be so soon formed ; 

 and the same rule will apply to all such plants as Camellias, 

 Epacrises, and, to a certain extent, to free-growing Heaths, 

 though the latter must be hardened-off by more air at an early 

 period. , - 



Epacris, when done flowering, cut back, and that may be done 

 pretty freely if the cutting is confined to the wood of last season ; 

 but older wood should rarely be cut into, as many good plants 

 have thus been irremediably injured. These, also, when cut 

 back, should be kept close and cool, with but little water for a 

 fortnight or three weeks, and they, too, will succeed if kept in 

 the warmest end of the greenhouse ; but they will do better if 

 placed in a closeish temperature of from 55° to 60°, and continued 

 in it until the shoots are growing freely ; and then the plants 

 should be moved to a cold pit, where they can have more air 

 admitted by degrees, and then be hardened-off by full exposure in 

 autumn, except during drenching showers. Potted plants for 

 houses, and also for flower garden, as they are too small for 

 turning out— in fact, most of our strength has been directed to 

 the flower garden, looking over herbaceous plants, pricking- 

 out Wallflowers, and turning and preparing beds for bedding 

 plants; and in this turning and burying sunbeams consists no 

 small part of the success in such cold stiff soil as we have to deal 

 with. . . , . , . 



We feel there is something so peculiarly egotistical in speaking 

 of arrangements, that we should not have adverted to them had 

 not several readers and correspondents told me that the arrang- 

 ing of the beds, and the distance of the plants from each other, 

 would be more interesting to many than telling about brown 

 beetles and the planting of Cauliflowers. Now, as already stated, 

 for various reasons, but chiefly to save time in planting and 

 keeping right afterwards, we have resolved to adopt the most 

 simple modes of arrangement this season. We will then just 

 state, to please our friends, the planting of two groups of beds, 

 close to the east side of the mansion. These beds are extremely 

 simple and unique in their way. One group of fifteen beds is 

 on the south side of a corridor and wide piece of pavement and 

 in front of the drawing-room windows ; the other group of fifteen 

 is on the north Bide of the corridor, and in front of the dming- 

 room windows. We will then take one side— say the south, tor 

 both sides are alike, and planted alike. The fifteen beds are 

 squares of 4i feet on the side, and arranged in three lines of five 

 bids in each line. These beds are separated from the mansion 

 by 30 inches of pavement ; from the broad gravel walk m lront 

 by a similar width, and then the beds are separated from each 

 other by stone pannels of 14 inches in width. Every year these 

 beds have been arranged differently. 

 This season they have been planted in 

 squares— that is, a square of 18 inches 

 has been planted in the centre of each, 



□ and that planted different from the 



18 inches all round, and so that the 

 form may be maintained with little 

 trouble; and also that there should 

 be little difference in the height of the 

 beds, the tallest, if anything, next the 

 mansion. The following figures will represent the fifteen beds 

 in three rows, beginning next the house, and marked just as the 



12 

 11 

 13 



man had them to plant bv. 



14 8 

 10 5 



15 9 

 The figures are arranged in this seemingly-without-system 



mode, in order that the planter may see at once he is working 

 from a centre, and that the beds shall jBrwift each other. 

 The centres, 18 inches square, are generally filled with nine plants; 

 the other 18 inches round, leaving a regular space next the 

 pannel required according to the plants and their size, fromone 

 and a half to two dozen more-say from thirty to forty plants m 

 a bed. The inner square of 18 inches will be the first mentioned. 

 1, Madame Vaucher Geranium, white, mixed with bnowfiake 



