May 25, 1S71. ) 



JOURNAL OF HOBTIGULTUEE AND COXTA'JE GARDENEB. 



371 



regular and short intervals to tie-up Lettuces for blanching, 

 and thin-ont all advancing crops of the varieties of Cabbage 

 Lettuce, which are always best left to perfect themselves where 

 sown ; and it small sowings are kept up at short intervals 

 transplanting will be superfluoas. Continue to keep the sur- 

 face well forked-up amongst the growing crops of Feas and 

 Beans. This is at all times attended with the most beneficial 

 results, as it increases their productiveness, and by keeping 

 them in a vigorous-growing state assists greatly to ward off the 

 injurious effects of mildew, which too often attacks the late- 

 sown ones. This may be accounted for on the supposition that 

 pulverising the soil, besides exposing it more to atmospheric 

 influence, has a great effect in retaining moisture about the 

 roots during the dry weather, which, together with hardness of 

 surface, is generally supposed to be favourable to the production 

 of mildew. If this begins to show itself a very weak solution 

 of salt and water sprinkled over the tops will cheek its progress. 

 Eeep up successional sowings of Radishes, Lettuces, and Salads, 

 which require to be sown often now in quantities proportioned 

 to the demand ; the north side of a sloping bank is the best 

 situation for these sowings ; let those who doubt it try, and 

 they will soon be convinced. Continue to make successional 

 sowing of Turnips, and dress both these and other crops likely 

 to be infested with the fly with charcoal dust when they are in 

 a wet state. 



FEUIT GAEDEN. 



Great activity must now be exercised in this department, as 

 the rapid growth of the trees will require constant attention in 

 stopping superfluous shoots and nailing-in. Peaches may now 

 have their final disbudding. Let every shoot not required be 

 removed with a sharp knife and the remainder be carefully 

 nailed-in ; if any of the extreme shoots are getting out of bounds 

 they may be stopped within a few joints of the base in order to 

 preserve the fruit, but take care to train-up another shoot to 

 Buceeed. Give the fruit another moderate thinning, but leave 

 more than will eventually be required, as a portion will certainly 

 fall off in stoning. Apricots must be thinned with the same 

 discretion. Egep the lateral shoots of Vines closely stopped 

 at the first j >int. The practice of removing them entirely is 

 objectionable, as nature does nothing in vain, and, doubtless, 

 they were placed there for some good purpose ; by retaining a 

 joint we preserve them for whatever purpose they may serve in 

 the^ economy of the Vine. We should always endeavour to 

 assist the operations of nature as well as judiciously check over- 

 luxuriance, and in this respect there is no tree more tractable 

 than the Vine. 



FLOWEE GARDEN. 



Eeeently transplanted shrubs and trees must be carefully 

 attended to with water until they become fairly established. It 

 is frequently the case, however, that too much water is given 

 at the roots, thereby souring the soil and rendering it uncon- 

 genial to the young rootlets and the aftergrowth of the plants. 

 The soil should be kept moist, but not to saturation, and the 

 plants should be watered overhead with the engine on the 

 evenings of bright days ; water thus given will be of more 

 service in repairing the loss sustained by evaporation than it 

 given in excess while there is a deficiency of active rootlets 

 to absorb it. Where Edscs are infested with the grub, it will 

 be necessary to go over the plants frequently to destroy this 

 pest. Green fly is also sometimes very troublesome at this 

 season ; a good washing with the garden engine on two or 

 three successive evenings will greatly assist in clearing the 

 trees of these destructive vermin. With wind north and north- 

 east and a fair prospect of a sharp frost any night, there is no 

 temptation to commence bedding-out in earnest. It is to be 

 hoped, however, that we shall liave experienced a favourable 

 change before the appearance of this notice, and that the plant- 

 ing of all properly-prepared stock may be proceeding under 

 favourable conditions. Branches of evergreens are easily enough 

 obtained about most places, and a sprinkling of these stuck 

 into the beds after planting will be of great service in protect- 

 ing the plants from the drying effects of bright sun, etc., and 

 will also ward-off a degree of frost which to unprotected plants 

 would be destructive. All shoots which are long enough to be 

 injured by being blown about by the wind should be pegged- 

 down immediately on planting out. A good watering should 

 be given to the beds to settle the soil about the roots ; this, 

 however, will be better done in the morning, if there be any 

 reason to fear frost. 



GREENHOUSE AND OONSEEVATOET. 



As the New Holland plants go out of bloom the seed-pods 

 should be picked off, the shoots cut back and arranged in the 



form most favourable to secure a compact growlh, placing 

 them in any airy part of the greenhouse until they fairfy start 

 into growth. When the buds have fairly started will be the 

 time for shifting such as require more pot room, as they can 

 then be kept somewhat close for a fortnight to encourage a, 

 free root-action, without incurring the risk of the buds breaking 

 scantily. Some plants, as Boronias, Leschenaultias, Erios- 

 temons, &i., would now be best in a frame or pit, where, while 

 they have free ventilation, they could be protected from chill- 

 ing draughts. Syringe the young plants occasionally, and 

 sprinkle the vacant parts so as to preserve a moist growing 

 atmosphere. 



STOVE. 



Many of the climbers in this house will now be growing 

 rapidly, and some of them will be showing bloom, especially 

 the Stephanotis and AUamandas ; if room can be spared to 

 prevent the plants becoming entangled, it is not advisable 

 to train them too soon, or possibly some of the flowers may 

 prove blind. The most forward of the Clerodendrons will now 

 be showing their bloom panicles ; encourage them as much 

 as possible by a brisk bottom heat and plenty of manure 

 water, and guard against red spider and insects of all kinds.. 

 Eondeletias, Ixoras, Gloriosas, and the like must also be 

 encouraged in a similar manner, as must all young growing 

 specimens. Ventilate freely both by night and day, and keep 

 a moist growing atmosphere. Plants for winter-blooming 

 must be attended to, and Gloxinias, Aehimenes, &c., may, ae- 

 they come into bloom, be removed to a cooler house. Look 

 to successional crops of these, especially of the old Aehimenes 

 coccinea. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 

 A GEEAT week of work, and yet not much to write about. 

 After the frost and snow of the morning of the 17th the weather 

 on the whole has been milder, and we exposed all our bedding 

 plants to the rain of the following days. Potatoes, Beans, 

 Peas, (tc, have suffered considerably in some places in the 

 nfighbourhood, and still more farther north. A visitor told u& 

 that in Yorkshire even the Cabbages held down their heads, 

 and the Potatoes in his little garden, which were very forward, 

 were much blackened. In our rather elevated position we have 

 suffered but little, but, rather singularly, in a good many spots 

 the hardy male Fern has been touched at the points before the 

 expansion of the fronds. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Potatoes, so far as we have noticed, have been unnsuallj' 

 good this season, and we have seen no signs of the disease^ 

 The earliest outside are strong and healthy, and if we have no 

 severe May frosts, there will be an early return of tubers on 

 sloping banks, and even on flat borders. Our ground being 

 very limited, we plant now only for early supply. We have 

 got through a good part of our early Potatoes, have a portion, 

 still left, fully ripened and nice tubers, and a fair piece in 

 an earth pit covered with old sashes at night, and exposed in, 

 favourable days, with the tubers about half-grown, and we 

 thought we were doing pretty well. As the single feather in 

 the air tells the direction of the wind, so the healthiness, 

 ripeness, and freedom from spots of our Potatoes under glass 

 gave us grateful anticipations of what we might expect the 

 great open-air crops to be in these islands. A month ago 

 we saw in Luton fine-looking Potatoes, round in shape, selling 

 at 9<t a punnetful, quite enough for a treat for a small family. 

 These we found came from the Channel Islands. We have 

 known them come even considerably earlier to our country 

 towns from the South of France and the northern coast of 

 Africa. Thanks, therefore, to quick transit, the artisan in our 

 towns can, as respects many early vegetables, follow very quickly 

 in the footsteps of our landed gentry. As a mere matter of 

 commerce it would be useless to force Rhubarb, except in the- 

 earliest part of the winter. In the midland and even the 

 northern counties we have seen on the stalls nice, though short; 

 biraches of Ehubarb from Cornwall and Devonshire, when ours 

 was just beginning to show above ground ; we could not have 

 sent to market such Potatoes as those referred to at such a 

 time and at such a price. The climate of the Channel Islands 

 and the quick transit would beat us. 



We make a passing allusion to this subject, because when 

 recently advocating larger kitchen gardens, or at least vegetable 

 grounds, and less of lawns, some gentlemen have said, " Why, 

 in many cases we could buy vegetables cheaper than we can 

 grow them." As to such early vegetables, we concede the fact 



