AprU G, 1S71. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOETICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



259 



In some situations they grow so strongly and flower so abundantly 

 that they merely require at this season to be taken up, parted, 

 and replanted, and if kept free from weeds all will go well ; while 

 in other places they frequently cause more trouble than a col- 

 lection of Auriculas or Polyanthuses. A frame on the north 

 Bide of a wall is the most likely situation for preventing the 

 attacks of red spider to which they are very liable, and which 

 cause them to lose their foliage during the winter. About the 

 beginning of September they should be planted in a frame upon 

 a spent Melon or Cucumber bed, where they will have time to 

 become well established before winter, and if frost is excluded 

 and plenty of air given at all times, perfect success may be 

 expected. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSEEVATOKT. 



Where hardy shrubs are annually forced select the most suit- 

 able when removed from the houses, and give them some kind 

 of temporary shelter to gradually harden their foliage. Those 

 cramped for pot room shift into large pots, using rich turfy 

 loam ; towards the end of the month plunge them in an open 

 situation ia order that the wood may ripen early. From having 

 been previously forced these will bloorn earlier than new stock, 

 of which a portion should every year be potted to replace 

 plants become useless for further work. After they have done 

 flowering, cut down and place in a cold frame the most choice 

 kinds of Cinerarias in order to produce suckers, and put in a 

 stock of Chrysanthemum cuttings for autumn display. As 

 spring-flowering plants for the stove and tor cutting I know of 

 none more useful than Begonias. Now will be a good time to 

 begin with a stock for next season's display. As they go out 

 of bloom allow them a short rest in a rather dry house, where 

 they may be partially disrooted and repotted, pruning in any 

 straggling shoots. Keep them close and syringe frequently, 

 when they will soon commence growing. Abundance of light 

 and a tolerable share of pot room are necessary to insure fine 

 plants. As the plants advance liquid manure may now and 

 then be given. Keep specimen plants in beds or borders pro- 

 perly supplied with water at the roots, and see that everything 

 is clear of green fly and other insects. Heaths and other hard- 

 wooded greenhouse plants should be potted as they require it. 

 Generally speaking, the most suitable time is after they have 

 done flowering and commenced a new growth, but the operation 

 may be performed with propriety at any season when the roots 

 are making progress without being induced to do so by unna- 

 tural excitement. Before potting take care that the old ball is 

 BUfli^iently moist, for if it is potted in a dry state it will be 

 impossible afterwards to moisten it properly without souring 

 and saturating the new soil. The Epacris family is now so j 

 numerous, so beautiful, and so valuable for winter flowering, | 

 that for country establishments they outrival Heaths. Let 

 them have all possible attention in repotting, and let them be 

 kept rather close and moist until they have commenced fresh 

 growth. As soon as the flowering is over the future shape of 

 the plants should be adjusted by removing a portion of the old 

 flowering stems, that their energy may be devoted solely to the 

 growth of the plant. Let climbers both in pots and borders 

 have due attention with regard to training, and retain no more 

 shoots than the allotted space will aiiord room for. A succes- 

 sion of Achimenes intended to flower late in the autumn should 

 now be placed in heat and treated according to the directions 

 given in former calendars. Some of those of former successions 

 may be potted in suspended baskets, for which A. longiflora 

 and cupreata are particularly adapted. Pans or broad shallow 

 pots are preferable for their general cultivation, and, as they 

 require an abundant supply of moisture when they are in flower, 

 let the drainage be very perfect, that they may be" freely watered 

 without stagnating the soil. Besides the permanent plants in 

 the conservatory, many choice plants in pots will be required 

 to keep up a succession of gay flowers throughout the summer. 

 Among the finest for this purpose are Brugmansias, Erythrina 

 Crista-galli, Thunbergia, Stephanotis, Mandevilla suaveolens, 

 AUamanda, Ejhites, Achimenes, Ipomajas, with Heaths and 

 Pelargoniums. Let these have all possible attention, and bring 

 them forward in several lots, so that one set may succeed 

 another. Pay particular attention to the Liliums now in pots 

 by giving them a liberal supply of water and by neatly staking 

 them. A top-dressing of turfy peat, sand, and well-decomposed 

 cow manure will be of great benefit to them, and they will be 

 very useful for conservatory or drawing-room decoration late in 

 the autumn. Let Fuchsias, which are very useful for summer 

 and autumn flowering in the conservatory, be repotted as they 

 may require in rich compost, watering them occasionally with 

 liquid manure. Nearly all the varieties have a tendency to 



form conical bushes, and by a very little attention Ihey may be 

 guided into this appropriate form. One stiong shoot should 

 be selected to form a leader, and should be trained perfectly 

 upright, the remaining shoots being regulated by stopping any 

 which are growing more luxuriantly than is consistent with the 

 proper shape of the plant. 



PITS AND FKAHES. 



Lose no time in potting oft or pricking out into frames or 

 boxes young cuttings as soon as they are sufficiently rooted, 

 and seedlings as soon as they will bear handling. As the 

 potted-oiJ plants become established with new roots they should 

 be gradually inured to the open air. The hardier kinds, if in 

 pots, may be set upon a bed of coal ashes, or plunged in the 

 open air and protected at night by hoops and mats. If plunged 

 in old tan, ashes, or other light material, much of the labour 

 of watering will be saved, and the plants will be in a better 

 state when the planting-out season arrives ; but the most eco- 

 nomical plan is to plant them out in frames, and at the proper 

 season to remove them to the beds with balls. — W. Keanf.. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAHDEN. 



Another fine week for out-door work. Planted more Pota- 

 toes, the ground being in excellent order, and sowed more Peas 

 and Beans. We have to calculate this to a general nicety. We 

 seldom can sow borders or quarters at a time, but must be 

 satisfied with a few rows, so as to have a succession, though a 

 small one. We have frequently alluded to the common prac- 

 tice of expecting so much from an acre or two of kitchen 

 garden, even when the land round it brings in a very small 

 sum as rent. Without liming, &c., ground that never has a 

 chance to rest a little becomes next to inert, and will not pro- 

 duce as when fresher. However, rotten dung and a little lime 

 do wonders. 



Our first Potatoes in pots are very fair, but smaller than 

 usual, which we attribute to the fact of having to move them 

 frequently ; however, ripe tubers, clean and sweet, at the end 

 of March, look almost as well as if they were larger. 



Caidijlowers and Cabbages.— "With the exception of the Cauli- 

 flowers under hand-lights, which, from being covered in the 

 severe weather, have done well, we saved ultimately few others, 

 even when they received a little protection ; very few Cab- 

 bages were left to us, and of the Coleworts on a north bank, 

 though they stood, yet we fear a good many will run to seed. We 

 have a nice lot of strong stubby Cauliflowers and Cabbages that 

 were raised on a slight hotbed, pricked out, and then hardened 

 oiJ by degrees; but well as they look, we expect we must wait 

 some weeks for hearted young Cabbages. We have put a 

 cordon of ashes and lime round the rows to keep intruders at 

 bay. We find that wood pigeons are interfering with our Peas, 

 nibbling off the tops. We would like to knosv what will keep 

 them away if there is to be no noise from a gun. 



We mentioned the other week some seeds of Peas and 

 Beans being disturbed by rats or mice, though red-leaded. 

 That, however, is the only case. All sown before and since are 

 thoroughly unmolested. Some years ago we had no chance 

 with Peas, unless they were securely netted until they were 

 a foot in height, or we planted them out when fully 6 inches 

 high. Thanks to the red-leading, we have been saved the 

 annoyance of raising and transplanting. Even pheasants, which 

 used to clear-out the rows, fight shy of touching the tops,, 

 partridges the same ; but wood pigeons are not so particular, 

 as we have started a bevy of them from the Peas at early morn. 

 When staked, as they will be presently, the wood pigeons will 

 not get so easy access to the top, and they are rather afraid and 

 suspicious of the stakes. 



Hotbeds. — These are sometimes rather uncertain in cold 

 weather. Wo lately stated that beds put up for Cucumbers did 

 not heat as we expected, but when the weather became close, 

 muggy, and warm they heated rather too violently, and we had 

 to take corresponding measures. In all such beds intended for 

 Melons and Cucumbers it is well to have the heat well up and 

 regular before the soil is added. The soil then is soon heated, 

 and the plants when turned out will push along at once. To 

 save all future trouble and checks from moving and exposure, 

 we prefer giving the necessary amount of soil at once. 



We used to have a sort of pitched battle every year here 

 between the rough dung frame and the hot- water pit as respects 

 early spring Cucumbers, and generally for a long succession of 

 years there was little to choose between them. This year. 



