August 3, 1871. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



91 



inBtead of a large reach of pleasure grounds, which can rarely 

 be gone over in time to eommenoe in time at the beginning 

 again. In such a season as this, lawns growing healthily could 

 not be kept neat unless gone over every four days — three days 

 would have been better. The labour involved in keeping a 

 large lawn is enormous, and where labour is restricted, and the 

 lawn almost constantly made a special object on every changfi 

 of company, &o., otber things must be neglected or be put off 

 long after they sbonld have been attended to. It is not without 

 reason that we advise all who wish to have everything neat and 

 comfortable to be moderate as to the extent of short grass, as, 

 on the whole, it is the most expensive thing in a garden, and 

 after all a small piece well kept is more attractive and pleasing 

 than ten times the space if it can only be kept indiffeieatly. 

 We make these remarks because it is a growing evil to have 

 large lawns without a proportionate amount of labour to keep 

 them well. We have no objection to fifty or a hundred acres 

 or much more in short grass if the labour is proportionate, and 

 the grass is really well kept, and without involving the neces- 

 sity of neglecting other things. Fifty acres in a rough state 

 will not yield the pleasure of one acre well kept. 



We find, with all our attention to heights in the flower garden, 

 a little tying and training will be necessary, as some plants 

 have grown more than usual, and others, as Scarlet Geraniums, 

 &o., have grown less, owing to the coldness of the soil. These 

 Geraniums with us are not showing the massiveness that they 

 did last season, notwithstanding its dryness, and as yet the 

 masses of bloom are not at all equal. On sandy light soils the 

 masses of bloom have been more nearly up to the mark. Onr 

 Calceolarias have never been better. Verbenas we have pretty 

 well discarded, as for several seasons, however vigorous and 

 fine the plaats, we rarely saw a bloom on them, the buds being 

 nipped off every night by four-footed intruders. This season 

 we have suffered chiefly in this direction in Roses and blue 

 Lobelias. The fresh snoots, and even leaves and buds, of the 

 former are nipped off, and the latter stumped in to the ground, 

 the bitter juice of the shoots acting, we presume, as a condi- 

 ment or a medicine, for otherwise one would think it could not 

 be pleasant. It is rather singular that in some places this 

 Lobelia U stumped in as above, whilst in other places similarly 

 exposed the blue wreaths are left untouched. 



We out down and pruned back Pelargoniums that had been 

 hardened by exposure after blooming, and put others past their 

 best in the open air to harden them off. In wet weather it is 

 well to turn the pots on their sides. Many tender plants will 

 do well in a sheltered place out of doors if the pots are pro- 

 tected, and the heads kept for a little time from the fierce sun. 

 As alluded to above, we made cuttings of Pelargoniums, which 

 will do very well in the open air, but better still in a cold 

 frame or pit under a glass covering. Slips of all Pinks and 

 Cloves may still be inserted. Some varieties of Mule Pinks are 

 very pleasing. Stirred the soil in which were growing flower- 

 ing plants in pots, and surfaced with fresh compost. Potted 

 Fuchsias, Balsams, and feathered Cockscombs for late flower- 

 ing. We regulated twiners, and in the present state of transi- 

 tion, as we are sadly hampered for room for plants, smoked an 

 early vinery before placing a lot of plants in it, as there was 

 just a sign of thrips on a few leaves, so as to give us more room 

 for a few weeks, when other places will be ready for receiving 

 them. 



Were it not for interfering with the symmetry of the beds 

 we would soon begin propagating for next season's display, but 

 the small cuttings we took oS last year in September are now 

 strong, bushy plants, and showing bloom pretty freely. We 

 fear we shall be obliged to adopt a .similar treatment, and take 

 small cuttings from the base of the plants ; but from what we 

 stated in the spring, and what we have observed since, such 

 shaded cuttings will not be likely to yield a profusion of bloom 

 so early in the season as cuttings taken from parts of the plant 

 more exposed to the sun and air. To attain this object, how- 

 ever, without at all spoiling the outlines of beds, there ought to 

 be a reserve garden for producing cuttings, and also for gather- 

 ing cut flowers, as, when the latter are greatly in demand, the 

 taking them from beds robs these so far of their brilliancy. 

 We have had no such reserve as yet. — B. F. 



C. L. Allen & Co., 76, Fnlton Street, Brooklyn, New York.— Whole- 

 sale Catalogue oj Hijacintlis, Tulijjs, Crocus, Lilies, Gladiolus, &c. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



W. EoUisson & Sous, Tootiog, London. — General Catalogue of 

 Stove, GreeiiJiouse, Hardy and Bedding Plants, Trees, Slirubs, dbc. 

 (256 Sto. pages.) 



H. Cannell, Station Road, "Woolwich. — Atctumn' Catalogue of 

 fuchsias, FelargoniuTits, Pentstemom, Calceolarias, &c. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



• » * We request that no one will write privately to any of the 

 coirespondents of the " Journal of Horticulture, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Country Gentleman," By doing so they 

 are subjected to unjustifiable trouble and expense. All 

 communications should therefore be addressed solely tcf 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture, <&c., 171, Fleet 

 Street, London, E.G. 



BooES (C. L ).— Blackwoods' " Geography." 



Pears for Exhibition (G.). — AH frnit for eshibition at the EoyaJ 

 Horticultural Society's Committee meetings should be addressed to Mr. 

 A. F. Barron. 



Peas {CM.}. — We cannot with certainty name Peas from pods only. 

 Those sent appear to be Prizetaker. 



India-rubber Joints (Zieifa).— Mr. T. S. Truss, Friar Street, Black- 

 friars Road, London, S.E. 



Vegetables foe Exhibition (J. Loch).— They should be clean, but 

 not necessarily washed. If Potatoes lift clean tbey should not be washed ; 

 if not, they should be, but they must not be scrubbed or polished. 



Lastrea opaca Fronds Shrivelled (J. Fuller). — Judging from the 

 frond we think the shrivelling has arisen from a sudden check, owing to 

 dryness of the atmosphere, or it may have been caused by a forced 

 development. From the length of the i^tipes we should say the latter i& 

 the cause. We have known it do well in a shady position in a cool green- 

 house, and kept regularly supplied with water. Place it nearer the glass» 

 and keep it moister, shading irom blight sun. Such occun'ences are not 

 rare under the most favourable circumstances, and plants exhibiting the 

 same tendency as yours will in another season, under similar conditions, 

 be quite healthy. 



ExMooTH Magnolia not Thriving (An Amateur). — You give ns no 

 data to form an opinion by, but we presume that it is planted out in 

 rich, rather strong loamy soil, and has good drainage and a sheltered 

 position, or is planted against a wall with a south or south-west aspect.. 

 Under such conditions it ought to thrive, water being given plentilnlly 

 in dry weathei:. Mulch with cow dung, and add some peat and leaf soil 

 if the soil be poor, or sand if it is very heavy. 



Vines for Unheated Vinery {Idem),— You do not say where you live, 

 but south of the Tyne, and not over 300 feet above sea level, the follow- 

 ing Grapes ripen perfectly in a cold house : — Early Saumur FrontignaUj 

 Early Smyrna Frontignan, and Sarbelle Frontignan {these have small 

 berries and bunches, but are desirable on account of the Frontignan 

 flavour) ; Chasselas Vibert, Chasselas Royal, Koyal Muscadine, Foster's 

 White Seedling, General della Marmora, Bucidand Sweetwater, anc^ 

 White Romain. These are white or amber-coloured. Black Grapes 

 are :— Trentham Black, Gros Colman, Dae de Magenta, Frankenthalj. 

 Black Champion, and Black Hamburgh. 



Peach-tree Management (Idem). — The trees being planted as maiden?,, 

 we conclude they were headed-down and have made shoots. Select one as 

 a leader, and dispose of the others as side shoots, allotting an equal 

 number to each side, say two on each, selecting the strongest and best 

 situated, rubbing off all others, training neatly and securing them to the 

 wall, but leaving room for the shoots to swell. If any laterals appear, 

 take out their points at the first leaf or leaves. In February cut back 

 the leader to five eyes, and the side shoots to one-third their length, 

 cutting to a wood or triple bud. Erehaut's ''Modern Peach Pruner'^ 

 gives full instructions on Peach-tree pruning. It may be had free by post 

 from our office if you enclose Ss. 8d. with your address. 



Solution for Dipping Pelargoniums (Thovias Gee). — Quassia chips 

 boiled for ten minutes in a gallon of water and then strained will, when 

 cooled, form an excellent bath for Pelargoniums ; a quarter of a pound of 

 quassia chips is tho proper quantity. It is usual to add soft soap, but 

 that, it should be borne in mind, is not suitable for plants with soft hairy 

 leaves, though it answers admirably for those with smooth leaves, as 

 Roses, Fuchsias, &c. We use tobacco water for Pelargoniums, Cinerarias, 

 Calceolarias, and similar softwooded plants, pouring half a gallon c£ 

 boiling water on 1 oz. of the strongest shag tobacco, covering up closely 

 and allowing the Uqaid to stand till cool ; then we strain it. It answers 

 perfectly. 



Thinning Oranges {Inquirer). — It is a good practice to thin the fruit 

 of the Orange as well as those of other fruit trees, but not until the fruifc 

 is of the size of a marble. The more you thin, the finer will be the fruit 

 both in size and quality. 



RiciNUS (Itfem). — The plants now abont 18 inches high may flower in 

 September, but it is likely they wiU not flower this season. Planted out;, 

 in a sheltered situation they would have a fine appearance in September, 

 but considering the advanced period of the season we should keep them 

 in pots for the conservatory. The flowers are not showy ; the leaves 

 give the plant its decorative appearance. 



Laying Edging Tiles (Amateur).— line great fault of many prepared 

 edging tiles is that they have not sufficient base on which to stand, andt 

 to remedy this we have occasionally put in a brick on the flat underneath 

 them, and secured them to it with cement ; but tbis is also liable to sub- 

 side if the soil is not very firm, still not to such an extent as when narrow- 

 edged tiles are merely inserted in the ground. We have some common 

 bricks that have done duty as edgings to shrubbery walks for upwards ot 

 twenty years, and yet look tolerably well, the ground tbey were fixed in 

 being firm, and it is only where the roots of trees or shrubs have heaved 

 them up that there is anything to complain of. They were laid in dia- 

 gonallv— i.e., with an angle up ; but where edgings are put in adjoining 

 plots of ground kept dug, it is difficult to prevent the nnevenness of 

 which you complain. If your edging material is narrow at the bottom, it 

 would be best to employ a handy mechanic to fix the tiles to bricks laid 

 underneath, especially if the line be a straight one, but as a rule me- 

 chanics are not good hands at a curve. Should this method appear too 

 expensive, wo know of nothing better than firmly ramming the groona 



