20i 



JOTJENAL OF HOETICULTUEB AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ September 14, 1871. 



border, and as the early plantation attains a proper size the 

 plants should be tied for blanching. Continue to plant out 

 ColewoTts from the July-sown beds. They may be planted very 

 closely, say on the average 9 inches apart. Embrace every 

 opportunity when a wet day occurs to tie up and arrange Herhs, 

 to string Onions, and to beat out and clean the seeds of any fa- 

 vourite vegetable that may have been saved. Make the last sow- 

 ing for the season of Brown Cos and Hardy Green Lettue^ on 

 raised beds of light soil, where they may remain till spring, 

 and be planted out to succeed those which are transplanted 

 this autumn under walls and similar situations. The large pods 

 of Scarlet Fainners should be picked clean ; . these often give 

 over bearing prematurely through the exhaustion occasioned 

 by suffering the pods to run to seed. Another sowing of 

 SadisJies should be made on an elevated and warm border. 

 Winter Spinach and Turnip beds must be kept hoed and thinned, 

 the first to 9 inches or thereabouts. Follow up the plan of 

 promptly clearing away the remains of crops as they succes- 

 sively decay. A proportionate reserve of land must be held 

 ior forward Peas and early spring-cropping generally. Those 

 <!juarters which require trenching the ensuing autumn should 

 be kept free of any further crop after this time of the year, 

 that an opportunity may be afforded of getting the operation 

 performed before the arrival of winter. 



FEUIT GAKDEK. 



It will be an advantage to have the fruit-tree borders free 

 and unshaded by any crop at this season. The effect of plant- 

 ing Endive, Turnips, and similar crops is to keep the border 

 cold and wet, when, in fact, warmth and air are more parti- 

 cularly required. It would be satisfactory to see the width of 

 borders reduced, could even a more limited space be secured 

 exclusively to the wall trees. If no store of material (sods of 

 sandy loam are good for the purpose) is in hand, no farther 

 delay should take place in collecting a sufficient quantity for 

 carrying out any proposed renovation. Continue to attend to 

 "the gathering and storing of Pears and Apples as they ripen. 

 Tomtits are now doing all the mischief they can to Pears. 

 Some people, who are learned in such matters, tell ns that they 

 counterbalance any amount of evil they do by destroying 

 legions of insects at certain seasons of the year, but I have 

 doubts on this point, and have sometimes acted on them with 

 ■evident advantage to the Pears, and without being able to 

 notice any alarming increase of insects. Gather Peaches, 

 ■ Nectarines, and Figs as they ripen ; this has been an uncom- 

 monly favourable season for the latter. 



FLOWER GABDEN. 



If Pansies are to be grown well the bed must be renewed 

 yearly, and in order to secure a good spring bloom the young 

 plants obtained as cuttings or side shoots from the old fa- 

 vourites, in addition to any new varieties which may be bought, 

 should be soon planted. It will be requisite that the bed for 

 "their reception should be prepared, in order that they may be 

 planted out at the end of the month. Auriculas will now begin 

 to excite and require more attention. All decaying leaves must 

 be removed, and occasional top-dressings be given. Examine 

 seedlings that have been pricked out ; if the roots are raised 

 above the surface, which is often the case, re-insert them by 

 making a notch in the soil with the handle of a budding-knife 

 or a piece of ivory. Pinks should be planted out without delay. 

 Seep a sharp eye for seed of Carnations and Picotees, and care- 

 fully examine all pods. The soil for potting-off the layers ought 

 now to be in readiness, keeping it, if possible, under an open 

 shed, as it is then fit for use at any time. Dahlias must, to se- 

 <!nr6 success, have unremitting attention. Pluck off all blooms 

 which are not promising, and cover, &o., as required. Take 

 care that the blooms intended for exhibition do not chafe 

 against the covers. 



GBEENHOUSE AND CONSEBVATOEY. 



The weather is now very favourable, and many may hesitate 

 in the work of introducing the house plants while the promise 

 of a late summer is before them. It is dangerous, however, to 

 trust anything to the weather at this period of the year. 

 Cloudless days are very delightful, and thrice welcome just now, 

 but it not unfreqnently happens that they are succeeded by 

 nights on which clear nipping frosts are also an accompaniment ; 

 therefore the kindly work should proceed uninterruptedly. Lot 

 it, however, be understood that these precautionary hints apply 

 chiefly to plants whose tropical origin renders them peculiarly 

 liable to injury from absolute cold. Where the opportunity of 

 partial protection exists, many hardwooded plants may with ad- 

 vantage be allowed to stand out until the end of the month. 



Let a scrupulous examination be given to the condition of each 

 plant, and defects in the soil or drainage of the pots at once 

 remedied ; clear off moss, remove insects, and replace stakes. 

 Luculias and other winter-flowering plants growing in the 

 border must be freely exposed to light and air, in order to have 

 the growth well ripened and to insure a fine display of bloom. 

 Also see that all plants are clear of black thdps, for this 

 pest is particularly active just now wherever it is allowed to 

 gain a footing, especially on Luculias and plants in a growing 

 state. The ordinary precautions for obtaining a supply of 

 common flowering plants throughout the winter months should 

 be progressively continued. Yiolets should be potted or 

 planted in a frame ; Mignonette thinned and sown ; Hyacinths, 

 Tulips, and other bulbs potted and plunged ; Pinks for forcing 

 encouraged ; and Cinerarias duly attended to. Roses in pots 

 should occupy a fair share of attention. Young plants may 

 yet receive a shift, and manure water may be applied to plants 

 in activity. 



STOVE. 



Winter-flowering subjects should now receive extra attention, 

 as also those succession flowers which have been retarded. 

 Nothing but a light situation will be suitable after this period. 

 Those who are compelled to grow such stock in the shade of 

 late vineries or other forcing houses must be content to en- 

 dure a partial failure. Let the Begonia family be duly esti- 

 mated in this respect. Euphorbia jacquiniaaflora, if propagated 

 early and frequently pinched, will now form dense bushes ; 

 they are generally grown three in a pot, which is much better 

 than single plants. Of course such plants as the winter Ges- 

 neras, Aehimenes, Scarlet Pelargoniums, &o., will not bo for- 

 gotten. When there is but one house for the accommodation 

 of tropical plants, considerable care and attention are neces- 

 sary to properly manage them at this season, as some, having 

 completed their season's growth, require to be kept cool and 

 rather dry, in order to ripen the wood, while others in free 

 growth require to be encouraged with warmth and moisture. 

 If there is no convenience in a cooler house, such plants as 

 have made their growth should be placed together at one end 

 of the stove, keeping them sparingly supplied with water at 

 the roots, and giving air rather freely, which will generally serve 

 to prevent any attempt at a second growth ; and those requir- 

 ing to be kept warm and moist should also be placed together 

 at the opposite end of the house, where very little air should 

 be given, using every care to keep the atmosphere about them 

 moist. See that everything is free from insects, and keep the 

 foliage of Ixoras clean by washing with a sponge and soapy 

 water when necessary. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST "WEEK. 



A heavy shower on the 8th and 9th, which flooded our walks 

 and sent to waste thousands of gallons of water, which would 

 have been valuable if we could have preserved it, has saved us 

 from all thoughts of out-door watering at the end of the week, 

 and what had been watered with sewage previously would just 

 be the better fitted for the downpouring of the sweet water 

 from the clouds.:^ In looking round after the flood-showers of 

 the morning of the 9th, we did not see that anything had 

 suffered except some fine rows of Madame Vaucher Pelargo- 

 niums, the bright white looking a little dingy, and many petals 

 being gone, and also some massive rows and beds of yellow 

 Calceolarias. The wind and the rains have washed off the 

 blooms in bushelf uls. A month or a fortnight ago we should not 

 have so much cared, but from the middle of September there 

 is but scant time for the young shoots to throw up similar 

 dense masses of bloom. Hitherto, even when the weither was 

 dry and hot, they have been everything that could be de»ired, 

 and therefore in this respect we do not at present design to 

 imitate some of our ablest confreres who have given np Cal- 

 ceolarias altogether, and substituted yellow-leaved Geraniums 

 in their place ; very pretty it is true, but not equal to the Cal- 

 ceolaria for a mass of yellow or orange. 



We may here mention that from different reports which reach 

 us, Calceolarias do best when treated as we advised years ago — 

 namely, never to give them, if possible, any artificial heat. 

 Much also depends on putting the cuttings in as late as pos- 

 sible under a cold pit or frame, for we are satisfied when they 

 begin to root after Christmas. They will stand rougher treat- 

 ment before they root than afterwards. These cuttings are 

 generally Ij by 2 inches apart, and put in rough sandy loam 

 they lift with little balls, to be transferred to earth pits at 

 4 or 6 inches apart in March, and so as to receive a little pro- 



