JOUENAL OF HOETICULTUBK AND COTTAGE GAKDENEK. 



[ Jane 1, 1871. 



toes, Peas, Parsnips, Carrots, and Oflione, never looked better. 

 We must get onr forced Sea-kale cut up and planted again. 

 Oar Globe Artichokes we have partly replanted, as some large 

 stools were killed by the frost, though protected with litter, but 

 not put on thickly. 



TKUIT GAKDEN. 



Strawlierries. — Expecting rain, we had the ground between 

 the rows hoed, and watered with sewage, hoping the rain would 

 wash it more thoroughly down. This is the most profitable 

 way of giving such watering. Shortly afterwards we mulched 

 the ground with long littery dung, from which all, or mostly all, 

 of the short was shaken out, that being too valuable for Mush- 

 rooms and other purposes not to be looked after, and now the 

 rains afterwards have washed the mulching so as to leave it 

 sweet and clean. We used to suiier as early as this with mice 

 cutting off the flowers and nibbling through the flower-stems, 

 but this season, having caught so many in figure-4 traps, we 

 liave seen no sign of them as yet. 



We shall soon have all the Strawberries in pots out of the 

 houses ; the vineries are cleared, and the highest shelves in the 

 Peach house will be cleared in a few days ; we must then depend 

 on those in a pit and in the orchard houses before they come 

 iu out of doors, as we do not think we shall need to raise any 

 and plant under glass this season. There is sometimes an 

 awkward few days between the potted plants and those which 

 bear naturally out of doors. If we are in any doubt we shall 

 place a few lights over a piece on a sloping bank. We have 

 taken several lots from our most forward orchard house, and 

 replaced them with those in pots from out of doors, and thus 

 they came on gradually with little more help than shutting up 

 the house at night. A good many of the forced plants have 

 been planted out. We are surprised that a correspondent has 

 failed, when he adopted this plan. For some thirty years we 

 iave f nnd no plan so sure of yielding an immense crop the 

 first season after planting. Is he sure that the fruit buds had 

 not suffered from the frost of last winter ? We are quite satis- 

 fied that ours have done so. A few open flowers have also 

 suffered from frost, but these are comparatively few, and there 

 are plenty fresh enough, and setting pretty freely. In taking 

 runners, however, it would be advisable to avoid the barren 

 plants. The kinds with us that are up to the usual state of 

 free blooming are young plants of Keens' Seedling; young and 

 older of Black Prince, and Empress Eugenie, a rather weak- 

 growing kind as respects the plants, but blooming freely, and 

 producing large fruit. 



One principal reason for turning out Strawberry plants from 

 elevated positions in houses, is the difficulty of getting up to 

 water them, and then the risk iu hot weather of red spider, 

 which may not be easily confined to the Strawberry leaves. If 

 we saw any red spider on a plant we would sooner throw it 

 away than plant it out of doors. When we have any doubt we 

 clear the plants of all flower-stalks, lay the pots on their sides, 

 and syringe them well with clear soot and lime water before 

 planting them. 



From the early vinery we have removed all or nearly all the 

 plants, so that the atmosphere may be dry as the fruit ripens. 

 A little sulphur on the pipes or wall will then do no harm. 

 For late Vines see what was stated the other week. When 

 the berries are forming and young they will not stand hot 

 sulphur fumes, and many things are blamed for rusted berries, 

 when the true cause is simply hot sulphur fumes. Our fruit 

 houses are only truly fruit houses as the fruit approaches 

 maturity, and when the houses are being washed and clean ; 

 at all other times they are either greenhouses in winter or 

 atove-plant houses in summer. Until the foliage becomes too 

 dense, the shade of the Vines is rather grateful to many plants. 

 We have never had better Gesnera zebrina than when grown 

 under the shade of Vines, and where there was every security 

 that the foliage should be dry before a sunbeam reached it. A 

 moist leaf with a scorching ray on it just spoils all the beauty. 

 Towards autumn the leaves are not so sensitive. 



OENAMENTAL DEPARTMENT. 



Dividing, increasing, fresh potting, and fresh surfacing 

 Mosses and Ferns, and getting them for relief under the shade 

 of Vines, have occupied much of our time. Potted Euphorbia 

 jacquiniajflora so that they may become good-sized plants. 

 We cut down Poinsettia pulcherritna, and made cuttings of the 

 length of two buds, and when dried inserted them as cuttings. 

 As soon as the older plants have broken an inch or so, we 

 shall remove most of the old soil, repot, and give at first a 

 little bottom heat. These we shall depend on for something 

 like parasol floral leaves ; the cuttings will supply nice little 



plants with smaller heads. In looking at Caladiums lately re- 

 potted into rather strong, lumpy, fibrous, fresh loam well en- 

 riched, we were much struck with the large roots threading this 

 rather strong loam. Peat earth, or rather heath soil, is be- 

 coming almost a luxury with us, and we are convinced that 

 many plants would do just as well without it as with it, and 

 grow all the more robustly in consequence. We are going 

 back to our old love for charcoal, and char most of our rubbish 

 instead of burning it. Almost the only thing that compara- 

 tively beats us is sawdust ; we have little hope of succeeding 

 with it unless we had some sort of oven on purpose. We have 

 frequently blacked it without charring it. A little charcoal 

 however small, not larger than quills, or even crow feathers, 

 when free from dust, lightens the soil for small pots. Potted 

 flowering and fine-leaved Begonias, Eranthemums, and winter- 

 blooming plants. Greenhouse plants, and changing them from 

 place to place, we alluded to lately. 



Oar chief work at the end of the week was planting out some 

 thousands of bedding plants. Almost everything has been ex- 

 posed for eight days, except Coleus and such other tender 

 plants. We have planted out a few, just to show what we in- 

 tend having, but the bulk we will keep where we can place glass 

 over them for a fortnight or three weeks. On May 29th we 

 hope to turn some hundreds of plants into G-inch pots, and 

 give them a fortnight of free growth, and then some days' ex- 

 posure before they are turned out. " Once bit, twice shy." 

 Once our plants suflered from frost, now we prefer to have 

 largish plants and to turn out later, so as nearly to fill the 

 allotted space at once. We have had nothing so striking for 

 several years in the way of colour as the Coleus Verschaffeltii. 

 We have tried many others, but we have f^uad none to be 

 depended on in our exposed place, either for standing or for 

 colour. We intend using more of the above brown crimson 

 this season. Some we will have in rows, wiih yellow Calceo- 

 larias on one side, and white Madame Vaucher Grranium on 

 the other side ; some in beds edged with yocng plants of Cen- 

 taurea candidissima ; and others in beds edged with Polemo- 

 nium casruleum variegatum. We have put out a lot of strong 

 busby plants of Iresine Herbstii. They had been struck as 

 thickly as grass, and then turned out into the pit from which 

 the Calceolarias had been removed to earth pits, the Iresine 

 lifting well with balls. Iresine Lindenii has been treated in 

 the same way, and will be planted out presently. Paitly from 

 want of water we plant all we can in preparatory beds instead 

 of potting them. Watering and labour are thus greatly mini- 

 mised. Of course the plan would not suit plant-dealers. It is 

 only practicable where you can raise and carry to plant. Our 

 Calceolarias are never in a pot. The plants are lifted with ex- 

 cellent balls, the fresh roots peeping all round. 



One thing has interfered with our proposed arrangements. 

 We had four large spaces which we generally made each into 

 four clumps or groups, surrounded with an edging of the 

 Cineraria maritima. We protected the Cineraria in winter 

 with a ridge of dry ashes, and six weeks ago we thought all 

 was safe. We find now, however, that a great many plants are 

 dead, and that the others will want some nursing, so as to be 

 depended on. We shall have to alter the planting. Had we 

 noticed sooner we might have had lots of seedlings, but they 

 are not good for much the first season, being too green to be 

 thoroughly effective. We notice that the Centaurea stands the 

 winter in the far north. A good many stood here last year. 

 This season, even with a little protection, not a single plant 

 has survived. 



A word to our amatenr readers with small gardens. When 

 hardening-off your plants keep them together in groups ; they 

 will be more easily watered, and if a cold night come they can 

 be easily protected ; in fact, each plant will laelp to protect its 

 neighbour. Many anxious people injure hundreds of plants 

 by setting them in their pots on the beds where they intend 

 planting them, and leaving them there for a number of days. 

 In cold nights and bright days the roots suffer very much, 

 even when the top does not show it. Whenever you take them 

 to the bed get them at once into the soil. As hiuted above, 

 however, do not be in too great a hurry, even in doing that. 

 Plants standing together will be safer than when scattered, 

 and a warmer soil, which has been well exposed to the action 

 of the air, will soon make up for a week or ten days' later 

 planting. — E. F. 



TRADE CATALOGUES EECEIVED. 



W. Milligan, 1, Chnrcli Place, and Westpark, Damtries. — Catalogue 

 of Florists^ 2^ lowers, Bedding-out Plauts, cOe. 



