12 



JOUENAL OF HOETICULTUBK AND COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



[ July 6, 1871. 



greatest neatness and order in every part where there are hands 

 to admit of it. Flowering shrnbs as they go cut of bloom 

 should have the dead flowers, &c., removed and slightly cut 

 back. For the same reasons remove the seed-pods from Eho- 

 dodendrons, tree P.-eonies, &e. These little attentions will be 

 followed by an increased growth of the plants and with the 

 greater certainty of their blooming nest season. The propaga- 

 tion of Carnations, Picotees, Cloves, &c., should no longer be 

 delayed. Hedges should be cut with the shears, unless when 

 formed of large-leaved plants, as Laurel, Turkey Oak, &e., where 

 the knife only should be employed, as the leaves look badly 

 when clipped with the shears. As a deciduous plant for hedges 

 nothing is better than the Turkey or hybrid Lueombe Oak; 

 and the Tasodium sempervirens will be found a most eligible 

 plant for making evergreen hedges, as it grows quickly, bears 

 the knife well, and has an agreeable appearance. Tulips may 

 now be taken up. Allow the skin and roots, after carefully 

 removing the soil, to remain ; these can be better taken cff 

 when the bulb is dry. Store them away either in cabinets with 

 the drawers properly numbered, or put them in thin paper, 

 allowing them to dry gradually in an airy shady place. 



GREENHOUSE AKD COXSEKVATOKY. 



Hardwooded plants, including most of the genera from New 

 Holland, which bloom early in the spring, and which, after 

 blooming, received the necessary pruning. &c., will now be so 

 far advanced in their growth, that any requiring to be repotted 

 should at once have a shift. After turning them out loosen 

 the outside roots before replacing them in their new pots, to 

 enable them to take to the fresh soil the more readily. Keep 

 them close for a few days, especially if the roots have been 

 much disturbed, and damp them once or twice daily overhead ; 

 water carefully at first, taking pains to insure the old ball 

 Iiaving its proper share, until the roots become established in 

 the new soil. Attention at this season should be directed to 

 the stock of plants intended to furnish the .supply of bloom 

 ■during the next winter, as it is requisite plants should complete 

 their growth early for this purpose. Among Heaths, those 

 which flower through the winter should be encouraged to com- 

 plete their growth, as they are great favourites in most places ; 

 a considerable number of snoh kinds as E. hyemalis, Willmore- 

 ana, gracilis, vernis, regerminan?, &c., should be grown. Con- 

 tinue Epacrises under glass till their growth is complete, but 

 ■more air and light should be allowed them, increasing it as the 

 wood becomes firmer; towards the end of the month they may 

 -be placed out of doors in any open situation, but where they 

 can le protected from heavy rains. Balsams, Thunbergias, 

 and other annuals intended to decorate the conservatory and 

 ■show house for the next two months should be finally potted, 

 using soil of a light and rich description. Keep down red 

 spider with the syringe, and maintain the plants in good health. 

 Thunbergias and other climbers should be neatly trained to 

 their respective trellises as they advance. Kalosanthes and 

 Calceolarias are now in full beauty. Watch the green fly, and 

 fumigate on its first appearance. A few of the more forward 

 Gladioli and other Cape bulbs, Liliiim eximinm, auratum, 

 and lancifolium should be introduced to supply the places of 

 Pelargoniums now on the wane. Brugmansias and similar 

 plants of vigorous habit should be frequently assisted with 

 manure water ; as they are often troubled with the red spider, 

 the engine or syringe must be constantly at work to keep it 

 ■down, taking care, however, not to injure their fine foliage. 



STOVE. 



Besides the above, such stove plants as are intended to flower 

 at the same time, including Justicias, Eranthemum pulchel- 

 ium, Euphorbias, Jasminnms, &c., should be looked at. Many 

 of these plants, for reasons formerly stated, require to be kepi 

 in small pots, and such should be watered with liquid manure 

 to grow them on without potting them into too-large pots. 

 Others may have a shift, but they will bloom more freely by 

 being kept rather under-potted. Several kinds of Gesueras are 

 valuable for the same use, and should be grown for winter 

 flowering. The last batch of Achimenes may now be potted 

 and kept in a close frame for a late show of bloom. Encourage 

 plants now established by liquid manure. Young plants grow- 

 ing into specimens will require constant stopping and tjing-in 

 to get them into proper form. — W. KEA^■E. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAEBES. 



The morning of Jane 25th was one of the most trying of the 

 season, the frost having browned some of the best leaves of the 



Coleus, which we bad exposed fully to harden cff before filling 

 the beds and lines at once with good-sized plants. Dwarf 

 Kidney Beans also suffered a little, but nothing else setmed to 

 do so, with the exception of a few leaves of Iresine Herbstii. 

 We have done nothing in the kitchen garden, except routine 

 work, providing for successions, and gathering abundance of 

 Peas, and dwarf and Mazagan Broad Beans. We planted out 

 some beds of large Celeiy plants in fine condition, raising them 

 with large balls, and planting them in well-aired decayed dung 

 and soil, the heavy showers enabling us to dispense with all 

 waterings. The rains have done wonders for Peas, Cauliflowers, 

 Cabbages, Lettuces, and' Onions, the last of which, as well as 

 Carrots, Parsnips, and Potatoes, seem as yet promising for the 

 season. 



FKUIT GAEDEX. 



Owing to a press of work we have not got on so far as is 

 desirable with shortening and nipping the points out of the 

 shoots of fruit trees. We netted Strawberries, as the birds are 

 bad enough now, and will attack them more when dry weather 

 comes. We have seen comparatively few blackbirds and thrushes 

 since the rains, soft food in the shape of worms and molluscs 

 being so plentiful in the meadows. Late Cherries had also to 

 be netted, or the chance of gathering would have been small. 

 The crop on walls has been very heavy. The crop on some 

 dwarf standards, which used to bear heavily, has been next to 

 a failure. For almost the whole time the trees were in bloom 

 the flowers were either wet or slightly frosted, and in conse- 

 quence most of the bloom, footstalks and all, dropped ( ff. 

 There was not enough of frost to irjjare them if the bloom had 

 been dry. We find, too, that on some Apple trees which set 

 their fruit very thickly, a good many little fruit have dropped, 

 owing to the wet and cold. Melons have been very good after 

 the change from the dull drizzling weather. A few hours of 

 bright sunshine afford to fruit what no artificial heat can sup- 

 ply, though that and fresh warmed air j adiciously applied can do 

 wonders. 



Peach trees with their fruit swelling have been rather freely 

 watered with manure water or sewage. Peach trees ripening 

 have had less water, but those from which the fruit has been 

 gathered have had a watering, as it is desirable to have the 

 wood more plump and well swelled out before submitting it to 

 a drier more maturing process. There is a slight mistake near 

 the bottom of the third paragraph, col. 1, page 463 ; the words 

 " sound fruit " should be " thinned-out fruit." We had pretty 

 well the scores named of ripe fruit at a gathering. The scores 

 alluded to were those thinned-out previously, and they were 

 few in number, as the imperfect setting in the dull weather 

 rendered much thinning unnecessary. The improvement in 

 the weather has told on the setting and swelling more free'y of 

 the Vines in the orchard house. 



Unhealed Glass Cases for Orchard Houses. — If not particular 

 as to the time of the fruit ripening, provided you give plenty 

 of water to the roots, and keep the shoots and leaves healthy 

 and free from insects, you may 'eave air on night and day, and 

 the fruit will ripen about the same time as, or just a little earlier 

 than, it would do on the open wall, and with little extra trouble 

 in management. We are now speaking chiefly as to Peaches, 

 Nectarines, Plums, ito. If you wish to have very late fruit of 

 these and the later Plums — that is, to C3me in after the fruit 

 is gathered from the wall, then, after the fruit is set and swell- 

 ing, not only leave on air when safe night and day. but slightly 

 shade the house or have a double glass roof. We have not 

 done so much in this way as we could wish, but that little 

 convinces us that with a slightly shaded or double roof in the 

 warmest months of summer, and a free circulation of air, we 

 should find little difficulty in gathering Peaches and Pi urns 

 a month or more later than we could have them from the open 

 walls, and being defended from autumn rains, &e , the flavour 

 would be vastly superior. When we wish to use our un- 

 heated glass case in order to forward our fruit, we must take a 

 little rSore pains in regulating air, so as to take advantage of 

 the sun heat. In surnv days most likely all the air-ventilators 

 may require to be open from 9 a.ii. to 3 P.ii. in June, July, and 

 August. If early rising cannot be depended on, it is safest to 

 leave a little air all night ; but then the house may be damped 

 and shut up early in the afternoon, and a little air at top msy be 

 given in the evening. It is less the regular heat than the high 

 temperature from sun heat that brings the fruit forward. Still, 

 it the air can be given early, however little, in a morning, before 

 the sun tells much on the house, the fruit will swell faster, if 

 after the house is shut up, say between three and four o'clock, 

 with sun heat, it remains shut until morning, as there ia gene- 



