September 7, 1671. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEE, 



183 



error arises from earthing-up Celery too soon. It should be 

 allowed to grow to a considerable size before earthing-up is 

 attempted, and be frequently soaked with water, as but little 

 rain will reach the roots afterwards. It should likewise never 

 be touched when the plants are at all damp. Gardoons will 

 require similar treatment. Leeks in drills may have earth 

 drawn up to them by the hoe. Late Peas and Beans will re- 

 quire close attention to prevent mildew ; well supply the 

 former with liquid manure. Tomatoes are likely to be late, 

 and the leaves shading the fruit should be removed ; prevent 

 the plants making any further growth by constant stopping. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



Any of the Peaoh and Nectarine trees which are observed to 

 be growing too freely should be gone over, stopping all the 

 stronger shoots, and those which were treated in this way a 

 few weeks ago should also be looked over again, stopping a 

 further portion of the shoots, if this appears necessary to pre- 

 vent the formation of gross strong wood. Pears, and, indeed, 

 all trained fruit trees, should also be gone over, removing all 

 superfluous wood so as to expose the trees to sun and air as 

 fully as possible. This will be of service in properly maturing 

 the fruit spurs and bearing wood before winter. Where mulch- 

 ing has been used for Peach and Nectarine trees, it should be 

 removed at once, if not already done, for the fruit is seldom 

 well flavoured if the roots are excluded from the action of the 

 sun and air during the period of ripening. See that Straw- 

 berries in pots for forcing next season are well cared for, 

 placing them in an open sunny situation where they will have 

 all the light possible, and do not allow them to suffer from want 

 of water at the root. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



Unless some precautions be taken to keep the taller plants 

 in the beds of geometric flower gardens within proper limits, 

 they will be likely, towards the end of the season, to become 

 too high, and will destroy the uniform appearance essential to 

 this style of gardening. A constant watch should therefore 

 be kept on plants likely to exceed the standard height, and by 

 frequently pinching-back or pegging-down endeavour to keep 

 beds of the same pattern at the same height. At this season, 

 with beds of flowering plants, frequent cutting-back and trim- 

 ming will be required to prevent a straggling habit in free- 

 growing plants ; at the same time allow no dead flowers and 

 seed-pods to remain on the plants. By careful attention to 

 these little matters the season of blooming may be prolonged 

 till the plants are destroyed by frost. LawEs should be well 

 swept in dry weather to remove worm easts, and afterwards 

 be well rolled. Where worms are very troublesome, water with 

 clear lime water of full strength ; this will bring them to the 

 surface, when they should be removed. Cuttings of various 

 evergreens should now be planted to keep up the reserve 

 garden. Directly the early cuttings of bedding plants have 

 taken root, remove them to an open situation, or place them out 

 of doors, to ensure a hardy habit. It any beds under trees appear 

 to be suffering owing to want of water, give them a good soaking 

 at ones, and see that late Hollyhocks are afforded a liberal 

 supply, which will greatly assist in prolonging their beauty. 

 We may soon have indications of the near approach of frosty 

 nights, and it will be well to be prepared with something with 

 which to cover any beds liable to be injured by slight frost, 

 such as those of Heliotropes, and the variegated Geraniums, 

 the foliage of which is very easily injured. Mignonette for 

 mnter and spring flowering may now be sown. Phloxes and 

 other herbaceous plants will now be making a tolerably good 

 show. If Auriculas are not already potted for the winter they 

 should be potted without delay. Remove suckers or offsets, 

 and place them round the sides of the pot, which should be 

 6 inches across. Auriculas are impatient of rich compost 

 during winter — turfy loam, river sand, and very rotten horse 

 dung, a small portion of the two latter, will make a suitable 

 compost. It is far better to give them a strong top-dressing in 

 the spring than to have it of too forcing a nature for their 

 ■winter food. As regard Tulips, in consequence of the weakness 

 of some of the bulbs, it will be advisable to put a small portion 

 of decayed manure and leaf soil about 2 or 3 inches beneath 

 the offsets. It is argued that manure fouls the cups, and with 

 some show of propriety ; but as there are always exceptions 

 to every rule, I would recommend a stronger diet, at all events 

 for the offsets in the coming season. The layers of Carnations 

 and Picotees may be taken off and potted without delay, using 

 compost as before directed. Many seedlings have missed 

 blooming ; and if not convenient to let them stand over the 

 winter in their present situation, in consequence of the large 



spaces in the beds from whence the single ones have been re- 

 moved, it will be advisable to prepare another bed of suitable 

 compost, and carefully remove them with balls of soil into 

 regular rows. Here they may stand the winter, and will 

 bloom profusely next season. Look well to your composts, 

 especially that for the blooming bed of Tulips, frequently turn- 

 ing it, and picking out wireworms and other insects. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY, 



Keep Begonias for winter display thin, that their foliage may 

 be kept as much as possible from injury. Plumbago oapensis, 

 being almost indispensable for supplying cut flowers for autumn 

 use, must not be overlooked. Attend also to Chrysanthemums ; 

 water them freely with liquid manure. The earliest winter- 

 flowering Heaths and Epacrises should now or soon be placed 

 under cover, as it will forward their blooming ; give air, how- 

 ever, freely. The potting of Hyacinths for forcing must occupy 

 attention ; in doing this, do not forget to pot a few miniature 

 ones, which are stated to bloom beautifully in proportion to 

 their size ; they form good outside rows to vasefuls of large- 

 flowered varieties, which should, of course, occupy the centre. 

 About equal portions of good fibrous loam and decayed leaf 

 mould, with silver sand, will be the best soil for them if for 

 forcing ; but well-decomposed cow dung must be substituted for 

 the leaf mould when the bulbs are intended for late flowering.. 

 After potting place them on a dry bottom, and cover the pots 

 2 or 3 inches deep with old tan or ashes, preserving them at 

 the same time as much as possible from heavy rains. Shake 

 out and repot Pelargoniums that are sufficiently advanced, after 

 being cut back, keeping them rather close and moist until thty 

 strike into the new soil. Plants, however, that are fairly 

 established after repotting can hardly be too freely exposed to 

 air, or kept too cool. Let Cinerarias, also, be kept cool snd 

 moist, attending to repotting such as require it, and fumigating 

 whenever green fly appears on any of the plants. Primulss 

 must also be carefully attended to, in order to encourage them 

 to make rapid growth, particularly the double varieties, which 

 are invaluable for winter. Keep Tree Violets free of their 

 great enemy, red spider, by a liberal use of the syringe, and 

 give them plenty of manure water, which will help to keep 

 them in vigorous health. Pot Intermediate Stocks for early 

 blooming, and also a few annuals for the same purpose. Tro- 

 pteolums of kinds must also be started. Azaleas which have 

 ceased growing, and which have set well for bloom, should now 

 be kept as cool and hardy as possible. Whatever watering may 

 be necessary should now be done early in the morning, so as to- 

 allow of getting the superfluous moisture dried up before night. 

 — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



The bright weather, so cheering to the farmer, brought njo- 

 multitudes of small weeds in the garden, some pieces not long 

 planted looking as if seeds had been sown on purpose. We 

 believe that the soil of every kitchen garden of some years'" 

 standing is a storehouse of seeds of iceecb for many succeeding 

 years. A scuffle with the hoe soon sends them all out of sight 

 in these sunny days, and one or other modification of the Dutcii 

 hoe is the tool for all such work, as it leaves no traces of the 

 workman's feet behind it. 



In the case of all new labourers and inexperienced hoers cara 

 must be taken that they cut up the weeds, and do not shove 

 instead a little earth over the seedlings. It is well to run the 

 foot along the ground of the hoers, to see that the weeds are 

 really cut up when so small, and not merely covered over. 

 With weeds averaging only an inch in height a 6-inoh hoe witli 

 a fair pair of arms will soon go over a large extent of surface, 

 and more especially if the man knows how to use the hoe ; he 

 need never stoop much at his work. There is plenty of back- 

 stooping in gardening without making more of it than is abso- 

 lutely necessary. Some men cannot mow without their body 

 leaning uncomfortably over the scythe. By setting the scythe 

 right for short grass there is no necessity for this doubling-up. 

 We have known people complain because the man who mowed 

 their lawn did not have his head near enough the ground. 

 Like a man bending double over a Dutch hoe, it is all a mistake 

 — a mere waste of energy and muscle over work which coulS 

 be done just as well without such a strain on the muscles of 

 the back. 



We have no doubt that one of the most valuable things in a 

 garden, the rubhish heap, a general omnium gatherum of all 

 odds and ends, is one of the most fruitful sources of seeds oi 



