lis 



JOTJENAL OF HORTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 24, 1871. 



Plums and Apricots. The latter are not ripening so kindly as 

 we would wish, bat there is a heavy crop though the wood 

 suffered considerably by the frost. We notice thit the ants are 

 beginning with them before they are so thoroughly ripe as to 

 make iirst-rate jim. For bottling, &e., and keeping whole or 

 in halves, it is well not to have them over-ripe. We wish we 

 had a little guano from which to form a clear liquid, but in 

 want of it we shall most likely very soon syringe or engine 

 our Apricot trees heavily with clear soot water, beginning at 

 the top and working down, and as soon as practicable repeat 

 the dose, coming over the trees a second time. This will bring 

 the most of the ants to the ground for safety, for next to guano 

 they detest clear soot water, which can hardly be cleared with- 

 out a little quicllime, and that, too, is such an abomination to 

 the ants that Wd have made their colonies disperse by strewing 

 quicklime in their runs. After the syringing to bring the ants 

 down, it is well to run a brush with tar and oil along the 

 bottom of the wall to prevent the ant going up again, for after 

 euce tasting the sDnay side of a ripening Apricot, he will be 

 snxious to get back again. 



Orchard-house trees in pots have wanted a good deal of water- 

 ing, and mulching has helped them and saved watering. The 

 Grapes in the orchard house are doing tolerably well, but 

 Peaches and everything else are later than usual, owing to the 

 want of sun in the early part of the season, and we are doubt- 

 ful if the later Grapes will ripen so well, though we shut up the 

 house with sunshine when we can. It will be quite as service- 

 able to us if Peashes, &c., come in later. Out of doors, as pre- 

 viously stated, our Peach trees have suii'ered from frost; but 

 for the wood giving way we should have had plenty of fruit 

 notwithstanding, as the wood that stood is very fairly supplied. 



Strawberries out of doors have been rather a short crop this 

 season, and wi a'- wa^ worse, the time of gathering was short. 

 The heat of 85° and upwards in the shade seemed to dry and 

 shrivel them up. Even the second crop from forced plants 

 was considerably injured from the great heat, and declined to 

 swell freely, when it could hardly have been suffering from 

 dryness. But for having so many months of forced Strawber- 

 ries that never did better with us on the whole, the glut of the 

 Strawberry season would have been a short one. As opportunity 

 offers we are clearing from runners and extra growth the beds 

 and rows done bearing ; then we run a hoe or merely the points 

 of a fork along, just to loosen the surface soil, and we shall 

 next mulch between with old hotbed and other dung. We have 

 rarely been able to use horse droppings, but we should prefer 

 that to all other manures for the strength and maturation to 

 the buds for next year. The mulching, it raised a little in the 

 middle of the interval between the rows, helps to protect the 

 buds from drying frosty wind?, and keeps the roots secure from 

 the action of frost and dryness. Whitever care is bestowed 

 now, even in watering in excessively dry weather, will be well 

 repaid in general by the abundance of the crop next season. 

 We do not recollect ever having the incipient bloom injured 

 before the buds swelled, as no doubt was the case in the rapid 

 ■ohruges of hst winter. 



We proceeded with potting Strawberry plants for forcing. The 

 essential o success is drainage, not so much of it, as done well, 

 with the ojnvex or rounded side of the crook over the hole, 

 which, with small crooks over it, will allow water to pass freely 

 and yet not permit of worms passing in and upwards. A little 

 sprinkling of bones in small pieces over the drainage is very 

 good, and just a pinch of clean fresh moss over that, and a 

 dusting of soot as much as can ba raised I e'ween the thumb 

 and fioger f jr a pot. We use a little sweet rotten dung along 

 with the soil, but not much, depending more for strength on 

 clear weak manure wa'erings, as soon as the roots begin to 

 meet Iho sides of tie ro',. Then much of the success will 

 depend on fixing the bud but little lower than the rim of the 

 pot, potting firmly, and placing the pot on a hard bottom as 

 much exposed to the sun as pojsible. 



ORNAMENTAL DEPARTMENT. 



Before the rains of the 17th inst., with the help even of 

 mulching, something like a score of our Calceolarias gave way 

 to the dryness, but, on the whole, they have done very well. 

 Coleuses in beds have also done well in rows. Owing to the 

 long continuance of cold weather they have scarcely grown 

 high enough for their neighbours, whilst in such a warm 

 season as the last they would have needed stopping. For 

 many purposes Iresine Lindeni will make a good substitute, as 

 it is a close grower, of good habit and colour, bears pinching 

 well, and is much hardier than the Coleus. 



Ssarlet Geraniums have been in their beauty after the hot 



weather, but the rains reminded us that they needed picking 

 over, as a few spent blooms easily disfigure the rest when 

 beaten by wind and rains. 



We should hope that the lau-ns will now keep of a rich green 

 for the season. We had heavy work in turfing and returfing 

 in the spring, but the labour has been well repaid. The re- 

 turfing consisted in taking-up an old lawn, levelling, and putting 

 the same turf down again. When lawns have been made twenty 

 or more years, and soil was added to make-up inequalities, 

 heights and hollows will begin to show themselves, which are 

 not so pleasant to the eye, the feet, the machine, or the 

 scythe, as a uniform sweep or level. Much may be done in 

 correcting these inequalities by relaying such bits by them- 

 selves; but we find it is best in every way to take ofi the turf 

 entirely in autumn, winter, or early in spring, bring all such 

 inequalities to a general level, and then replace the turf. Even 

 then much will depend on taking-up the turf of a uniform 

 thickness. This relaying helps to get rid of many rough 

 weeds. Ex3ept in the case of turfing over large flower beds, 

 where the grass has grown very strong, the relaid lawn does 

 not retain any trace of the turfing, while the ease of managing 

 it has almost made up for the trouble and labour. 



We must make a commencement in propagating, but we are 

 loath to meddle with the beds. We went on potting, tying, and 

 hardening-cft, as detailed in previous weeks' notices. — E. F. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



Kelway & Son, Lan^iport, Somerset. — Catatogue of Gladioli. 



J. Veitch & Sons, Koyal Exotic Nursery, Kind's Road, Chelsea, 

 S.W. — CataJoque of Hyacinths and other BalboiLS Roots. 



W. Cutbnsli & Son, Highgate, London, N. — Bulb Catalogue for 

 1871. 



Henry Curtis & Co., Devon Nursery, Torquay. — Descriptive Cata- 

 lorjue of Selected Roses, do. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



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

 correspondents of the " Journal of Horticulture, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Country Gentleman." By doing so they 

 are subjected to unjustifiable trouble and expense. AH 

 communications should therefore be addressed solely to 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture, (£c., 171, Fleet 

 Street, London, E.C. 



We also request that correspondents will not mix up on the same 

 sheet questions relating to Gardening and those on Poultry 

 and Bee subjects, if they expect to get them answered 

 promptly and conveniently, but write them on separate 

 communications. Also never to send more than two or 

 three questions at once. 



N".B. — Many questions must remain unanswered until next 

 week. 



Books (A Novice). — Tlie " Cottage G.iTdeners' Dictionary," Thompson's 

 " Gardener's .Assistant," and Jolinson's " Science and Practice of Garden- 

 ing," will be a library fur you. 



The Fruit MiNtjAi. (J. E. B ).— The new edition is not yet printed. 

 We certainly VTould not rub a child with paraffin oil to lieep from it 

 "the harvest bug." We would try an infusion of Elder leaves. 



Mr. Underhili, (F. L., Preston).— His address is Sir Harry Eoad, Edg- 

 hasten, Birmiogham. 



Prize for the Best Geraniuji [A. C). — The members of a com- 

 mittee cannot agree whether a Pelargonium should be allowed to be 

 shown in this class or not. In our opinioD, yes. If restricted to the 

 botanist's genus Geranium, there would probably be no specimen ad- 

 missible. In future we should recommend two classes. Accept the 

 popular name " Geranium," and have a prize for Scarlet Geraniums and 

 another for Geraniums of any other kind. 



Ribbon Borders {A, Y. Z.).—ln our " Garden Plans " you will find 

 numerous pliins for ribbon borders and how to plant them. You can 

 have the volume if you enclose ^s. 'Id. with your address. 



Kitchen Garden Vegetables for Exhibition [A Constant Reader). 

 — Beet, Tomatoes, Celery, and Shallots are kitchen garden vegetables. To 

 your query, " which are the best vegetables to exhibit ?" we can only 

 reply, those of which you have the finest specimens. 



Fancy Pansies (C. Stuart). — They are of an excellent strain, and many 

 of them exceedingly pretty. 



Poppies as a Profitable Crop (S. HI.). — We have made some in- 

 quiry amongst our correspondents, but cannot gain much information 

 on the subject, but we believe that the bulk of the dried Poppies whicli 

 chemists and others use are of foreign growth. We understand that 

 although as line-looking heads can be grown in this country as on the 

 Continent, yet they lack the necessary properties which give the latter 

 value, or rather the foreign-grown ones are of greater strength. In the 

 absence of more correct iuformation we are unwilling to advise their 

 being sown; but if you are determined on a trial, nnd have a piece of 

 fine sandy land ready for the purpose, we would say. Drop a few seeds on 

 the surface of the ground, say half a dozen, in patches 18 inches apart, 

 in rows the same distance from each other. Thin out the seedlings, and 



