128 



JOUENAIi OF HOKTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENES. 



[ August 17, 1871. 



matters bave been lately alluded to in detail, one of our chief 

 items of work has been 



Clearing the Covering from a Vine Border, that the strong 

 sun might heat the soil well. A thin covering of leaves and 

 litter had been put on in the autumn, and a little more was 

 added in April, when we made the whole border a receptacle of 

 bedding plants, to receive less or more protection before being 

 ■turned out. In general seasons this covering would have been 

 removed at latest early in July, but the season was so wet and 

 <!old that we thought it was better to let it remain, as it so far 

 defended the border from the cold heavy rains, and the weather 

 was too cold to heat the soil of the border to any great extent. 

 With a very porous, well-drained border, we question if all the 

 lain that fell, if passing freely, would do harm. But in other 

 oases, where the border was at all different, we feel certain that 

 many of the stoppages of swelling and colouring recently re- 

 ferred to have been chiefly owing to too much cool moisture 

 stagnating about the roots. Be this as it may, it operated with 

 us as a reason for allowing most of the covering on the 

 Tine border to remain, and more especially as the rains that 

 would pass through it would be rather enriched before getting 

 into the soil. We are also able to serve two ptirposes in the 

 moving — exposing the surface of the ground to the sun, as 

 stated above, and mulching many things in the kitchen and 

 Sower garden that needed that help to save frequent watering. 

 Mulching is best applied after the ground is sufficiently heated. 

 Applied too soon it keeps heat oat. A little fresh surfacing 

 placed over the border will cause all to look clean and neat, and 

 prevent cracking, and in extreme eases of heat we shall be 

 tempted to mulch slightly, and very likely water the late 

 "Vines. Above all things, however, extra watering should ever 

 be avoided, unless the drainage is very good, and no mere sur- 

 face inspection should be deemed satisfactory, but the soil 

 should be carefully examined for several inches in depth. We 

 have known Vines planted inside houses that seemed at a 

 standstill, merely because the soil was watered once or. twice 

 a-week, and the moisture had never penetrated to the hulk of 

 ■ihe roots, but was coniined witbm 3 inches of the surface. 



OENAHENTAl DEPAET3IENT. 



We have had a very busy week in fresh regulating, cleaning, 

 aipplng-out decayed bloom, and, above all, in watering, es- 

 pecially the outsides of beds, from which all traces of moisture 

 seem to depart at once. Before the bright weather came we 

 had to soak several times vases filled with Scarlet Geraniums. 

 Bains must not be depended on in such cases. The plants 

 ■when thick and the leaves filling the space, throw the rains 

 over the vase instead of into it, and, therefore, even after a 

 heavy shower, it will often be found that the soil at the roots 

 ja very dry. The fingers or a stick should often be used to see 

 in what state the under soil is. For plants in beds a mini- 

 mtun of water has been needed this season before the hot 

 weather came. To make safe we watered most things except 

 those that were growing quite as strongly as we wished, 

 having previously stirred and loosened the soil where we cotUd 

 get at it, as it was hard on the surface from the rains. Then, 

 wherever it could be done, we followed with a mulching from 

 •the Vine border. This in many cases had to be confined to 

 the sides, as the centres were too close and full to permit of 

 much in this way being done. Calceolarias had been thus 

 treated some time before, so that helped to keep the ground 

 oool and moist about them, the very thing to enable them to 

 thrive in a bright sun. The material on the border, from 

 ■ibeing turned several times, was pretty well decomposed, and 

 when thrown into a heap was broken small rather easUy with 

 ■the points of a fork, and this did well for the central parts of 

 5)eds. The looser this is so as to be neat, the more effective it 

 will be as mulching for keeping moisture in and heat out, as 

 the ground is now warm enough. For placing near the out- 

 sides of beds, the most important part of all, we pass the 

 material through an inch sieve so as to secure more neatness. 

 The rains will pass through such surfacing easily, and carry 

 much nourishment with them, and the open texture of the 

 mulching soon drying on the surface, will help to prevent the 

 moisture evaporating. Before mulching, the beds and rows 

 that needed it most received a good watering of sewage water 

 not over-strong. Readers are aware that we have more faith 

 in one good watering than in many paltry applications. It 

 should also be remembered that this enriching, even by sur- 

 face mulching, has a very different effect as respects free 

 blooming than digging manure in the soil, which too often 

 encourages great luxuriance of growth. Some people keep 

 their bedding plants in such a miniature state, that we should 



not be able to know them. Now, we like to see something of 

 healthy luxuriant growth, strong plants meeting each other, 

 and keeping the earth out of sight, but this free growth is 

 of little advantage tmless accompanied with density of bloom- 

 ing. Nothing tends more to secure these desiderata than a 

 little surface manuring. The Polemonium csernleum varie- 

 gatum alluded to last week, is now putting on a brighter livery, 

 and Geranium beds, lately scarcely so full and bright as desir- 

 able, are briUiant under the bright sun. 



We pass over what would be a good deal of repetition, about 

 potting, propagating, &a., to say a few words on 



Burning Sulphur and Sulphur Fumes. — Like fire and water, 

 sulphur is a good servant but a fearful devastating master. 

 A keen amateur lately accosted us in great trouble about his 

 Grapes just taking their second swelUng nicely, but he thought 

 there was red spider on them, and he used an iron stove in the 

 house, put a small fire in the stove, and painted the outside of 

 it with sulphur. We can well judge his consternation on see- 

 ing the leaves of his Vines, especially all along the top of the 

 house, flaccid and drooping. We could only advise palliatives, 

 such as to return at once and give air all along the top of the 

 house, and as the sun threatened to be powerful, to make some 

 whitening water in a pail, and throw it on the glass roof outside, 

 thickly with a syringe, so as to shade the house ; to moisten 

 the floor inside, and to encourage fresh growth from laterals 

 where the leaves were totally injured, and would require to be 

 removed. . As the gentleman said he used only a very little 

 sulphur, there might be hope of saving most of the crop and 

 tolerably good wood for next year. This is anything but the only 

 instance of misconception as to burning sulphur this season. 

 Our readers must bear in mind that no growing plant will stand 

 the fumes of burning sulphur — no evergreen plant will stand 

 them at any time. When deciduous plants have lost their leaves, 

 and the wood is perfectly matured and hard, the fumes of burn- 

 ing sulphur for a short time will not injure the wood, but if the 

 wood is at all green and nnripened it will kill these parts to a 

 certainty. Hence the care with which it should be used. We 

 shall never forget the self-accusations of a patriarch in garden- 

 ing when, after smoking his Cinerarias, and the fly not dying 

 soon enough for him, he put a bit of sulphur in the pot with 

 the tobacco, determined to do for the fly ; and so he did, and 

 for the plants too. Hardly one survived the ordeal. We often 

 use burning sulphur in a pit or frame as a cleanser, destroyer, 

 and purifier on finishing, say, a crop of Melons or Eidney Beans, 

 before putting another crop in. A handful of sulphur placed 

 on a few lighted cinders on a tile is generally sufficient, shutting 

 the place, and shading and covering ; but in doing this the 

 greatest care must be taken that none of these fumes can reach 

 by any mode the plants that are growing in neighbouring pits 

 or frames. If there is the smallest opening between a smoked 

 pit and one in which plants are growing, every leaf touched by 

 the fumes will be killed or much injured. Even after such 

 smoking it is well to expose the pit or frame for a day before 

 preparing for another crop. We generally use that day for 

 syringing walls, woodwork, &c., with hot water as near to the 

 boiling point as possible, and we do all this on the principle that 

 it is better to guard against insects than have recourse to means 

 of killing them when they come. In all such cases prevention 

 is better than cure, a fact that people seem slow to learn, or 

 many advertisements would be rather an unremunerative affair. 



So much for sulphur. When there is heat enough to burn 

 it, it will kill, or nearly kill, every plant that is growing. It 

 must be used with great care and judgment in the case of 

 deciduous plants in a state of rest. Every soft, green, unma- 

 tured spot will suffer. For helping to keep red spider under, 

 the fumes thrown off by a wall heated by the sun, from hot- 

 water plates, or even warmed bricks will be useful; but if ever 

 the body on which the sulphur is placed rises higher than 

 from 160° to 170°, you get to danger-point. Hot-water pipes, 

 even, may easily be made too hot for the sulphur placed on 

 them to be safe. — E. F. 



TRADE CATALOGUE RECEIVED. 



B. S. 'WilUams, Yictoria and Paradise Nurseries, Upper HoUoway, 

 London, N. — General Bulb Catalogue. — Catalogue of Fruit Trees, 

 Hoses, de. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



N.B, — Many questions must remain unanswered untU next 

 week. 

 BooES (Joseph MiiJitiard).— Keane's "In-door Gardening" will suit 

 you. It may be had from our office for Is. lid. 



