Jane 1, 1871. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



387 



vantage of by those who intend sending plants for trial, and 

 who should forward them to Mr. Birron, Royal Horticultural 

 Society, Chiswick, London, \V. 



JIr. Mooee, Curator of the Botanic Garden, Chelsea, 



intends giving a course of six lectukes on Botany, the first of 

 which was to take place May Slst, and which are to be con- 

 tinued on succeeding Siturdays and "Wednesdays. 



The Scottish Akeokicultueal Societi has just issued 



its volume of Transactions for the past year, edited by Mr. 

 James Sidler. The objects of the S jciety are the promotion of 

 the science of Arboriculture in all its branches by periodical 

 meetings of the members for the reading of papers, by offering 

 prizes and reports on the practical operations of forestry, and 

 publication of the same, and by such other means as may be 

 found advisable; and it numbers among its members most of 

 the botanists, arboriculturists, and practical foresters of Scot- 

 land. In the present volume are a number of practical essays 

 on various points of tree cultivation, and for the current year no 

 fewer than nineteen prizes are offered, the competition for some 

 being limited to working foresters and woodmen. — (Nature.) 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



kitchen oaeden. 



Now is, a good time to carry out a vigorous crusade against 

 weeds ; the hoe ought never to be at rest in a well-cultivated 

 kitchen garden till they are all destroyed. The ground is so 

 dry that seeds cannot vegetate. When a succession of Horn 

 Carrots, Lettuces, and Radishes is required, it is a good plan 

 to water the ground and cover it with old mats until the seed- 

 lings are fairly above the surface. Prepare trenches for Celery 

 and Cardoons, to be ready for planting as soon as rain comes. 

 Embrace the first opportunity afforded by the ground being 

 moist for thinning Carrots, Beet, Onions, and Parsnips, and as 

 it is presumed that these have mostly been sown in drills, let 

 the hoe be run through between the drills, not merely shaving 

 the surface of the soil, but moving it an inch or two in depth. 

 This, while it roots out the weeds, at the same time checks 

 rapid evaporation and pulverises the ground. Stake Scarlet 

 Runners after drawing a little earth to them with the hoe. 

 Where it is intended to keep tbe n dwarf and not to stake them, 

 let the leaders be pinched off. By constant attention to stop- 

 ping the leaders as they advance above three or four joints in 

 length, Scarlet Runners will be induced to bear well. The 

 latter mode of culture should only be resorted to when stakes 

 cannot easily be procured. Give recently-planted Celery copious 

 waterings once or twice weekly. The method frequently pur- 

 sued of giving plants in the open ground a small drop of water 

 every evening or morning cannot be too much deprecated, such 

 sprinklings cake the ground and lower the temperature of the soil 

 without any corresponding benefit to the plants. Make a small 

 sowing of Red Beet ; when sown early in rich soil it becomes 

 too large and coarse, and does not retiiu its colour in boiling, 

 nor look so well in salad as smaller roots of the same variety. 

 fruit gakden. 



The Strawberry beds will now require attention as to water- 

 ing, &o. After thoroughly cleaning the beds a good soak- 

 ing should be given at the first possible opportunity, and if a 

 moderate watering from the stable tank can be applied when the 

 ground has been well saturated with clean water, it will greatly 

 assist in securing large fruit. The beds should be mulched 

 as soon after watering as convenient, in order to prevent 

 evaporation, and the fruit from being spoiled. Next to slates 

 or tiles, clean straw is the best material tor this purpose. Con- 

 tinne active operations against aphides and other pests to fruit 

 trees. The shoots of Cherry trees infested with the black fly 

 should be dipped in tobacco water immediately the insects are 

 detected, to prevent the shoot from curling, which would stop 

 its growth. Either pick-off the caterpillars with the hand, or 

 apply a wash of lime or clear soot water to Gooseberries and 

 Currants infested with Gooseberry caterpillar, which increases 

 so rapidly that a constant watch must be kept-up for some 

 time. Pmch-back all Currant shoots not wanted for wood. 

 The fruit of Gooseberries, &o., like those of more value, will 

 be considerably improved by summer-stopping the young wood 

 — a fact well-known to those who have paid attention to this 

 , mode of pruning, which is much better understood on the Con- 

 tinent than in England. 



flowee garden. 



The newly-planted subjects will require constant watching, 

 as under the best management failures will sometimes occur. 



Blanks should instantly be made good, and the tying and staking 

 of everything requiring support must on no account be delayed. 

 Where an immediate display of flowers is not wanted the buds 

 may be picked off for a week or two to encourage the plants to 

 cover the ground. A full sowing should now be made of 

 Bcompton Stocks and all perennials for flower-garden purposes. 

 Make a suocessional sowing of some of the most choice hardy 

 annuals for autumn flowering. Pay particular attention to the- 

 stirring of the soil amongst the plants in beds and borders ; this 

 will be attended with the best results, and ought to be carried 

 on till the plants begin to grow and cover the surface of the 

 beds, when it ought to be discontinued. Be sure that plants 

 growing in baskets, vases, &c., are properly attended to, and 

 thoroughly watered at the close of very hot days. The Holly- 

 hocks should now be staked and attended to as they advance 

 in growth. The rosery should have all the attention that can 

 be spared at this busy season ; remove all shoots and suckers, 

 and keep a sharp look-out after insects. The Rose has many 

 enemies, from the appalling earwig to the seemingly harmless 

 aphis ; use all means at hand to destroy these, though nothing 

 is equal to hand-picking for eradicating grubs and beetles. It 

 is a tiresome and laborious method, yet it is the only one ta 

 which recourse can be had with permanent advantage. 



GREENHOUSE AND OONSERVATOET. 



Conservatory and stove climbers will require attention to keep- 

 ing the current year's shoots within proper limits. If possible, 

 avoid everything like formality in arranging the branches, and, 

 provided at the winter regulation of the plants the main shoots 

 were trained to occupy the desired positions, the young wood 

 may to a considerable extent be allowed to follow its natural 

 mode of growth, if this does not create confusion, which is as 

 much to be guarded against as strict formality. Hardenbergias, 

 Kennedyas, &c., may be shghtly cut back after blooming to in- 

 duce a new growth. Water should now be given liberally to 

 plants in the open borders of the conservatory, excepting, 

 perhaps, those recently planted. Use the engine whenever it 

 can be done without interfering with the visits of the family 

 or company ; either early in the morning or late in the evenings 

 will at this season be found the most suitable time, that the 

 house may become dry before it is wanted for visitors. The 

 display of bloom must be kept up, and as there U now a large 

 number of plants to select from, considerable variety may be 

 effected at each regulation of the inmates. Shade daily when: 

 requisite, and give air in proportion to the state of the external 

 atmosphere. The stock of Balsams and other annuals grown 

 for filling vacant places in the greenhouse, should be encouraged 

 by frequent shifts ; keep them in bottom heat and near th& 

 glass, pick off the early-formed bloom-buds, as the plants 

 should attain a considerable size before being allowed to bloom. 

 Continue to train Kalosauths neatly, and water them with 

 liquid manure occasionally. Specimen Scarlet Geraniums 

 should likewise have liberal encouragement. Show and 

 Fancy Pelargoniums for late blooming will thrive better in a 

 somewhat shady situation, where they can at the same time be 

 protected from heavy rains. Fuchsias, it notin their blooming- 

 pots, should be potted forthwith. Train them in the desired 

 form, and pinch back weak and straggling shoots. Young stoct 

 in pits and frames will now be making rapid growth, and must 

 be carefully attended to as to watering, stopping, training, &c. 

 Examine Heaths frequently for mildew, and apply sulphur the 

 moment it is observed. Some of the soft-leaved varieties are 

 very liable to be attacked by that pest at this season. — 

 W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



We earthed-up and mulched Cauliflowers planted out and- 

 pricked out for succession. Did the same with the most for- 

 ward Cabbages, after giving them a good soaking with sewage- 

 two days or so after forking the ground, which had become hard- 

 baked on the surface. We sprinkled Celery pricked out in beds 

 and growing freely. We would have planted out some beds 

 finally, only we should have required much more water, and 

 until fresh tanks are finished and full, we must be careful of 

 what little we have. The expense of carting water last season 

 an expense that to some farmers with a large stock of beasts 

 almost amounted to a second rent, has made many aware of the 

 importance of saving the water from buildings and from drain- 

 age, instead of letting it run off and putrify in stagnant 

 ditches. 



Succession crops, &e., much the same as last week. Pota- 



