*eo 



JOURNAL OF HOMTCULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



£ June 23, 1863. 



We consider this slight shade of much importance to early 

 Celery, and if among the sticks used for Pea-sticking, or for 

 laying across the bedB, there should be a portion of spruce fir, 

 there will he less likelihood of the fly meddling with the plants. 

 We find the same thing with Turnips. Our sowings aTe always 

 small until the autumn, as small, sweet tubers, rather than old 

 and large ones, are our object ; and in every freBh Bowing of a 

 few yards square, if we coyer with hurdles that have been wattled 

 with spruce, we seldom Buffer either from birds or fly. The 

 resin in the fir seems very hateful to them. Here we may 

 mention that we saw a large piece of ground sown with RadisheB 

 in the garden of a gentleman farmer, and scarcely a plant was to 

 be seen, and did not the seedsman catch it behind his back for 

 sending such seed. The birds knew what the Beed was and 

 acted accordingly. If, surrounded with large thatch buildings, 

 we had sown Kadishes without any protection, we should not have 

 expected to have gathered a handful. Planted out the only little 

 spare piece of ground with equal portions of Scotch Cabbaging 

 Kale, Savoys, and Brussels Sprouts. Planted others between 

 Potatoes, and pricked-out more in beds, to be lifted as space 

 could be had for them, as the Peas come off. Examined Mush- 

 room-beds, spawned a fresh piece, regulated Cucumbers, potted 

 Capsicums, &c. ; and as a mild hotbed in which we had forwarded 

 Celery and bedding plants, and consisting chiefly of leaves, was 

 now empty, had it turned over, placing grass and litter at the 

 bottom, so as to throw in a little fresh heat, put soil over all, 

 and planted with Cucumbers and Vegetable Marrows, so that if 

 they do well they may run over the beds, and beyond them. 

 Even for pickles we find a little bottom heat does them good. 



IfEtTIT GARDEN. 



Went over wall trees, thinning and shortening shootB. Will 

 do so with standard Apples, Pears, and Cherries, as soon as 

 possible. Strawberries, first watered, and then rained upon, are 

 doing well, and coming in to succeed the last of those in orchard- 

 house. Watered borders in the latter heavily with weak manure 

 water, and looked after insects. Kemoved out of doors a few 

 Cherry trees from which the fruit had been gathered. Watered 

 Pigs again which are planted shallow in a house, as it is hardly 

 possible to make them too wet when the fruit is swelling, pro- 

 vided the moisture is not stagnant. Watered Peach-house also 

 heavily with soot water, the fruit coming in a few at a time 

 on the front trellis, whilst those on the back wall are still like 

 bullets. Thinned and regulated Grapes. Those in small early 

 pit have been most useful and abundant— pit 6 feet wide, bed 

 for VineB about 3 J feet, hot water below and above. The plants 

 are in the bed, and have borne too heavily for years. We have 

 Bome fear that some of them have got out of the little bed, 

 and if so, the success will not be so continuous. These have 

 chiefly borne on the young wood. In three lights of Sweet- 

 water, there were from fifty to sixty fair-sized bunches. Melons 

 ripening in frames have had a little water given to the bottom 

 through holes, leaving the surface dry. Pines will want a little 

 shading in bright days, after dull ones, if at all near the glass. If 

 kept cool, about 60° to 65° at night, they will stand a high tem- 

 perature during the day — say from 80° to 95°, if a little air is 

 given early. 



OEKAltENTAl DEPARTMENT. 

 The pits being now more at liberty, from plants going out to 

 the flower garden, have potted into larger pots varieties of Coleus, 

 Begonias, Gesneras, &c, and given them a little bottom-heat; 

 also Balsams, AehimeneB, &c. Potted Perns, dipped Stanhopeas 

 in manure water, as they were getting rather dry, and the flower- 

 buds were coming strong. Potted-off Achimenes, Gloxinias, &c., 

 and kept them at first in the shade, with air, as the least con- 

 densed moisture on the leaves when the sun strikes the house 

 will do them harm, and spot and mark them. Potted Geraniums 

 for succession, Fuchsias, &c., and also Chrysanthemums for 

 large specimens. For want of a better place, clustered moBt of 

 the Azaleas at one end of the conservatory, where we can keep 

 them closer, and give them plenty of the syringe, neither of 

 which would answer Pelargoniums, Fuchsias, &c. We do not 

 expect these to be so forward as those placed in a house where 

 they can have as much moisture and heat as is necessary. The 

 last time we Baw such a house of Azaleas, belonging to one of our 

 princes of nurserymen, every plant wa3 glistening with moisture, 

 aB if they we--e covered with dew-drops ; the hot-water pipes 

 Tvere in reality hot, and the plants were breaking and growing 

 m a close, moist atmosphere at a temperature of from 80° to 90 . 

 Such plants duly hardened-off by more air and less moisture, 



and more sun as the shoots were made, and then Still more 

 hardened-off by greater exposure, would just be in a position for 

 forming, resting, and then swelling and opening their flower- 

 buds, as soon as the excitement of warmth and moisture was 

 given to them. Such sweet plants as the Gardenias, that have 

 been blooming in an intermediate-house, such as a warm green- 

 house, just require similar treatment after pruning and cleaning, 

 only if they should have the advantage of a mild, sweet dung-bed, 

 or a sweet tan- bed, with a bottom-heat notabove 85°, they will like 

 it all the better than mere hot-water moist heat. Free-growing, 

 and free-blooming Heaths, ob Wilmoreana, hyemalis, linnasoides, 

 &c., will delight, after pruning and resting for a week, with just 

 less moisture in the atmosphere, and less heat than the Azaleas, 

 and more ah must be admitted as soon as the young shoots are 

 formed, or there will be danger of drawing and of mildew. 

 Epacrises will now rejoice if fairly started into growth in a cool 

 pit, where they can be slightly shaded in bright sunshine. But 

 as they grow more air must be given, and for part of August, 

 and through September and October, the less obstruction that 

 iB offered to direct sunshine, the better will the wood be studded 

 with flower-buds. All hardwooded plants after flowering require 

 a little of these same conditions — resting, after pruning for a 

 week or two, then a closer and a moister atmcBphere to cause 

 fresh growth, and a drier and sunny atmosphere to consolidate 

 growth. This latter remark refers to Gompholobiums, Lesche- 

 naultias, Pimeleas, Polygalas, and New Holland hardwooded 

 plants in general. 



In growing all these plants, a slight dewing of water from the 

 syringe, morning and afternoon, and even in the middle of the 

 day, does more good than deluging with waterings at the 

 roots, or even flooding the floors of the house. Many a hard- 

 wooded plant is sent to its laBt home from excessive waterings at 

 the roots, when the plant is in that comparatively dormant state 

 that the roots cannot absorb much nourishment, and, conse- 

 quently, if there is the least derangement in the drainage, there 

 can be little result but paralysis and decay. In all such cases, 

 after trimming, and before fresh growth commences, the roots 

 should not be dry, but they should be dry rather than wet. A 

 slight sprinkling among the stems, and a rather close atmosphere 

 for a few weeks, will cause the fresh growth to come away more 

 kindly than if the roots were saturated, and when the shoots are 

 an inch or two long, is the best time to repot or top-dress, &e., 

 according as may be required. 



For all such plants good drainage is indispensable, and freedom 

 from worms if the plants Btand on the floor of a pit, or out of 

 doors. Even a few rough ashes are almost an equal requisite to 

 success. This is still more important if the plant is to be plunged 

 partly or wholly in a hotbed. Then, all precautions to the con- 

 trary, there will most likely be a few worms, and these will pass 

 in by every opening in the plunged part of the pot however 

 Bmafl. For all such plants that have thus to be plunged, as 

 respects their pots, or set upon the ground, or rough ashes, we 

 prefer pots with one good hole in the bottom to these with 

 numbers of holes, greater and smaller in size. Then a very 

 simple means will secure good drainage, and defy the entrance 

 of our otherwise good friends the worms. The best means of 

 securing this would be little convex caps of a mixture of zinc 

 and copper to place over the holes, which with the weight above 

 them would be so close to the pot as to let water out and yet 

 prevent a small worm entering, and that they would soon give up 

 attempting, aB their sleek sides would receive something like a 

 galvanic shock every time they tried it. A much simpler mode 

 is at hand on every potting-bench, if people could be persuaded 

 to use it. We say persuaded, for if you give ever so plain 

 directions on the subject, you will have the pleasure in turning 

 pots up to find that the directions have been more attended to 

 in the breach than the observance. This simple mode is juBt 

 placing a suitable-sized piece of broken pot with its convex side 

 downwards, and so as to cover the hole completely, and from 

 one-quarter to one-half inch on each Bide of it. This will be as 

 secure a barrier to the worm aB the zinc cap. " Oh ! " but says 

 our potter, " it will get choked up with earth and prevent drain- 

 age." And so it would, just as any one piece of drainage in a 

 pot in which the plant was to continue any time. But we by 

 no means mean to confine our drainage to ihis one convex piece 

 of crock with its rounded side downwards. Upon this we lay 

 other pieces not quite so large, with their rounded Bide upwards, 

 forming bo many bridges over the first crock, and extending the 

 process close to the sides of the pot. Upon these goes another 

 layer of smaller pieces, and then a thin layer of smaller pieeeB 



