406 



JOUENAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ Jime 8, 1871. 



one Apple tree in the place, and it has never borne, and I have 

 not seen a Strawberry plant or any of our small fruits. 



For garden vegetables the winter climate is fine. Peas are 

 producing abundantly now. Lettuce is fine ; Celery equal to 

 ours in September. Market gardening has made no progress, 

 as there has been no demand at home, and no facilities for 

 shipping. The hotel tables are poorly supplied. Every hotel 

 in a place like this should have its garden. Fresh vegetables 

 are very important in a climate like this. — P.Bakey. — (Ainerican 

 ■Journal) 



WOEK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



The young Asparagus beds will be benefited by a dressing or 

 two of salt applied in wet weather during the period of active 

 growth. Sea-Mle beds may have the same treatment. Salt 

 on old worn-out soils acts most beneficially as a manure, in 

 addition to its completely destroying slugs, worms, and other 

 vermin, and it assists the growth of Celery and all cultivated 

 marine plants considerably. Continue to plant out fresh crops 

 of Cauliflmvers, Cabiages, Celery, and Savoys in proportion to 

 what the future demand is likely to be. Plant out Gardoons 

 raised in pots in trenches similar to those recommended for 

 Celery. Keep sowing at intervals of a fortnight such plants as 

 Lettuces, Radishes, Spinach, &c., lasting but a short time in 

 perfection. Select a cool and rather moist situation for them 

 through the summer months. Hoe between and earth-up 

 Potatoes, which at present look healthy. Peas, especially the 

 tall-growing kinds, should be stopped when they show bloom ; 

 •this will not only throw them into bearing earlier, but make 

 them more productive. Treat Scarlet Runners the same for 

 similar reasons. Make up the deficiencies in the herb com- 

 partment by transplanting Thyme, Sage, Savory, &(i., from the 

 ■seed beds. 



EEUIT GAKDEN. 



Tie to the wall the shoots of Peaches, Apricots, &c., as they 

 advance. Keep down the attacks of aphides by remedies pre- 

 viously pointed out. A constant watch must be maintained 

 for some time, otherwise these pests suddenly reappear after 

 they are considered to be eradicated. Frequently look over 

 Apricots, Pears, and Plums to destroy a maggot, which, curhng 

 itself in the leaves, does them and the young fruit much injury. 

 •Gooseberries and Currants attacked by the caterpillar should 

 be daily hand-picked, or the branches exposed to the full force 

 of the garden engine ; this will dislodge the insects, which 

 should be destroyed with the back of a epade. The earth im- 

 mediately under the trees should be watered and beaten firm. 

 This will prevent more of the larvae from rising to attack the 

 shoots. Where the earth is very light a coating of clay or loam 

 of the consistence of mortar should be spread under the trees, 

 and made firm to prevent the escape of the caterpillars from 

 the earth. It these precautions are taken on the first appear- 

 ance of the insects they are more easily kept from doing 

 mischief. 



TLOWER GAKDEN. 



During the continuance of the present dry weather frequent 

 waterings must be given, not only to the recently planted trees 

 and shrubs, but likewise to the bedding plants, annuals, &c. 

 In watering it will be better to give the soil a good soaking 

 two or three times weekly in preference to a mere sprinkling 

 of the surface daily, which has a tendency to make the surface 

 hard. Mulching where practicable should be adopted, as well 

 as damping the foliage of newly planted subjects every evening. 

 Peg down as they advance those plants required to cover the 

 ground, and loosen the surface of the beds and borders, which 

 should afterwards be neatly raked over. Carnations, Picotees, 

 and herbaceous plants, with the taller-growing bedding plants, 

 should be staked and tied up to prevent injury from high winds. 

 The strength and height of the stakes must be proportionate to 

 the size and height of the plants to be secured. Hollyhocks, 

 Phloxes, Delphiniums, Asters, &(!., if not already attended to, 

 should have the shoots thinned out before being tied up, to 

 prevent an appearance of overcrowding, as well as to improve 

 the size of the flowers. When showery weather occurs let the 

 Box edgings be clipped. London Pride, Thrift, Daisies, &c., 

 used for edgings should each year, or once in two years, be 

 taken up, divided, and replanted when the blooming time is 

 over. Koses now require watching to prevent the ravages of 

 the Eose maggot ; a daily look-over is the only prevention. 

 Wash with the engine to dislodge the green fly, or syringe 

 gently with water to which a email portion of naptha or ammo- 



niacal salts has been added ; water freely, and mulch the sur- 

 face over the roots. Banunculuses will now claim the florist's 

 attention, and great care must be taken to properly shade them 

 from heavy rains as well as the direct rays of "the sun, the 

 former dashing the surface soil of the beds over the blooms, 

 and the latter seriously affecting the colour, especially of the 

 dark sorts. There is nothing like cake moss (if it may be so 

 termed) for putting between the rows ; it prevents the rain ■ 

 from splashing the flowers, and it likewise prevents excessive 

 evaporation, and therefore does away with constant watering, 

 which in hot weather is prejudicial to these plants. True, 

 they like a cool subsoil, and that also should be comparatively 

 solid. We do not admire stirring tho soil with a smooth hoe, 

 which injures the plants by breaking the small fibres which lie 

 close to the surface. It may be said that moss will harbour 

 insects. An occasional watering with lime water, just sufiicient 

 to wet the moss through, will not only drive these pests away 

 but prove beneficial to the plants. Seedlings may be inured 

 to the sun by letting them have a little very early in the morn- 

 ing. Carefully weed, and as the flowers expand attend to 

 fertilisation. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



In placing greenhouse plants out of doors a somewhat shady 

 situation, if circumstances permit, should be selected for the 

 purpose, that they may in some measure be protected from 

 the midday sun ; at the same time it is no less necessary that 

 the roots should have a similar protection, for nothing can be 

 more injurious to the greater number of plants than exposing 

 the pots in which they grow to the force of a broiling sun, for 

 the least inattention to watering is likely to prove fatal to the 

 plants, more particularly to hardwooded kinds. It matters not 

 whether the plants are in or out of the house ; this evil should 

 be prevented. Out of doors they may be plunged in ashes, or 

 have the space between the pots filled with mosa, sawdust, &e. ; 

 this will prevent the excessive evaporation through the sides 

 of the pots from the soil containing the roots, and will save 

 many plants from being lost during very hot weather. Shading 

 will be necessary now for all descriptions of plant houses, unless 

 the roofs are covered with climbers, and air admitted largely, 

 allowing more or less at night according to the description of 

 plants grown ; and the paths, floors, &c., should be kept damp 

 by throwing water repeatedly over them to preserve something 

 like humidity in the atmosphere. 



STOVE. 



Stove plants should be closely watched, particularly those 

 with large soft leaves, to guard against the red spider, which 

 the present dry weather is encouraging. Syringe frequently to 

 keep them in check, and plants much infested with them should 

 be dusted over with dry sulphur by the snlphurator. Let the 

 sulphur remain on the plants for a day or two, carefully shading 

 them from the sun, and if possible keeping them in a close 

 place ; this will generally be found sufficient to kill the red 

 spider, when the plants may be washed with the syringe and 

 placed in their usual situation. Care should likewise be taken 

 with this class of plants in supplying them regularly with water, 

 a deflcient supply of which, causing the leaves to become flabby 

 in dry weather, is sure to be taken advantage of by the red 

 spider. Specimen and choice plants nearly done blooming 

 should have the faded blooms picked off, and be well washed 

 with the syringe ; they should then be placed in a cool, shady 

 situation to recover themselves before potting, which, as before 

 advised, should on no account take place until a fresh growth 

 has commenced. Achimenes, Gesneras, Gloxinias, &a., as they 

 begin to show for bloom should be removed to more airy 

 quarters, keeping them, however, partially shaded for a time, 

 when afterwards they may be exposed to a larger share of light. 

 Achimenes must be carefully attended to with water while 

 growing. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 

 A MOST singular and trying week; now a burning sun, now 

 a storm of wind and rain such as we expect to have in March, 

 and anon a sudden chill, reminding one of November with its 

 frosty mornings. Several mornings during the week our grass 

 plots had their fine-pointed blades loaded with ice-drops. Many 

 plants in the flower garden looked distressed. We have heard 

 of the Coleus planted out before the llih. It there was as 

 much cold as we had here, we should expect them to be very 

 browned and stunted, if not irretrievably injured. "Wait a 

 little " is often wisdom. We are generally about the last in 



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