48 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ July 21, 1870. 



Kennan's, which is much the same as Green's. It does not do 

 such perfect work as either of the others, but the ribbing is so 

 regular that it is not nnsightly ; it has rather a quaint appear- 

 ance when seen in a strong light, that is all. It is much more 

 liable to notch than the others if it meets a stone, but stones 

 ought to be cleared off for any machine. 



I never sweep after the Archimedean, and have taken a hint 

 from it, as I now have taken off the box from my other 

 machines, and allow the grass to scatter. This is practically 

 no eyesore, as the grass is not seen after a few hours, and, if 

 too much gets collected on one spot, it is easily scattered with 

 a broom. 



Another great advantage the American mower has — it will 

 cut the grass when it is wet. I have no experience a3 to 

 whether it will cut long grass. — A Subscriber, Co. Clare. 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



A Natural History Association has been established 

 At Natal. Besides many successful researches iu ornithology 

 and entomology, our contemporary Nature notices that in 

 botany the Association reports a new climbing Scrophulari- 

 aceous plant, Buttonia natalensis, discovered by Mr. E. Button, 

 and of a new Date Palm, detected by Mr. M'Ken, Curator of 

 the Natal Botanic Gardens. The colony may be congratulated 

 •on possessing so energetic a Society. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



As we have been favoured with rain at last, and as there is 

 some probability of its being general, I cannot do better than 

 urge the importance of attending at once to those crops of the 

 kitchen garden which must constitute the chief supply for the 

 coming winter and spring. Planting out Celery in its various 

 stages, Broccoli, Cauliflowers, Brussels Sprouts, Savoys, Kale, 

 and many other useful vegetables, should be a matter of fre- 

 quent occurrence. The ground from which early Peas, early 

 Potatoes, early Beans, Winter Spinach, &c, have been cleared 

 will come in for this purpose. Exhausted plots of Strawberries, 

 too, after the fruit is gathered, will be excellent as a change for 

 the better Broccoli and Cauliflowers. Deep digging and heavy 

 manuring must be resorted to in all these cases, more especially 

 for the Celery, which cannot be produced of a tender and crisp 

 character, if lacking manure and moisture. Keep the suc- 

 cession beds of Horn Carrots thinned in due time. A consider- 

 able breadth of Endive should be planted out without delay ; in 

 fact, one-half of the crop. High manuring is absolutely neces- 

 sary to produce this valuable salad in perfection. In planting 

 succeeding crops, keep raising the beds higher as the season 

 declines. Let a good breadth of ground be duly prepared for 

 Winter Spinach forthwith, by thoroughly trenching and bury- 

 ing a good coat of half-rotten manure in the bottom. It gene- 

 rally succeeds best in highly-raised beds, stagnation being its 

 chief enemy. An autumn Mushroom bed should now be made. 

 Throw the dung together to ferment for a few days ; when half 

 dry mix one-third of loamy soil with it to keep in cheek any 

 farther fermentation, and tread or beat hard whilst building 

 the bed, making the spawn holes immediately the bed is 

 finished, to assist in keeping down the heat. Strawberry run- 

 ners should bo procured for new plantations without delay. 

 Those who cannot spare ground for a new plantation may prick 

 them out in prepared beds about 6 inches apart, and remove 

 them with balls in October or the early part of February. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



No flower is more popular or more useful than the Rose, 

 ■whether as standards by the sides of promenades, in beds or 

 masses, festooned about pillars, or enlivening the conservatory 

 in the depth of winter. For all these purposes Roses demand 

 a considerable share of attention, especially at this period. 

 Budding, cutting-striking, final potting, &c, are processes of 

 paramount importance at the present moment. The Hybrid 

 Perpetuals, Teas, Bourbons, and Chinas are the most eligible 

 classes from which to select kinds for pot culture. The follow- 

 ing are good old kinds for a winter collection on account of 

 their general utility : — Devoniensis, Cramoisie Superieure, L"v 

 Paotole, Caroline, Elise Sauvage, Comte d'Eu, Coupe d'Heb6, 

 Prince d Esterhazy, William Jesse, Princess Maria, Clara Sylvain, 

 Aubernon, La Reioe, Madame Laff&y, Duohess of Sutherland, 

 Earl Talbot, Belle de Florence, Bourbon Queen, and Crimson 

 Perpetual. The Persian Yellow and Harrisoni have also been 



found to force tolerably well. Proceed with Rose-budding 

 without delay. Keep down all suckers, and clear the stems of 

 wild shoots. See that all heps are cut away from those which 

 blossomed early ; these exhaust the plants much. Strong 

 Bhoots of Chrysanthemums may now be layered in pots to pro- 

 duce dwarf and compact bushes. Those in pots may soon 

 receive their final shift. Tbe layering of Carnations and 

 Picotees must be proceeded with as rapidly as possible, it being 

 a point of great importance to have the plants well rooted and 

 established before placing them in their winter quarters. More 

 of the next year's success, as to fine, healthy growth, &c, 

 depends on attention to this matter than many people are 

 aware of. All seedling plants should be marked and layered, 

 noting their various properties as to form, colour, texture, 

 pod, &c. Should any seedling, otherwise fine, have serrated 

 petals, it will be advisable to propagate it, as growing it in 

 another situation may, to a certain degree, rectify this defect, 

 for some of our best varieties will come occasionally, when 

 poorly grown, very rough on the edge. As the blooms deeay, 

 extract the faded petals. Amongst the best old flowers are 

 Matthew's Knchantre3s, purple Picotee; Fletcher's Ne plus 

 Ultra, light purple ; Barrenger's Unique, red Picotee ; Gatlifi'S 

 Proconsul, a very fine heavy-edged rose Picotee of extra form 

 and substance ; and Easom's Admiral Curzon, scarlet bizarre 

 Carnation. Plant out rooted cuttings of Pinks on beds of well- 

 prepared soil, but not too rich. A second crop of pipings may 

 also be inserted where an increase of stock is required. Seed 

 may also be gathered, retaining rather long stalks ; tie half a 

 dozen together, and allow them to dry well, after which the 

 heads or pods of seed may be put in small paper bags, which 

 may be fastened round the stems and then hung up in a dry, 

 airy situation till wanted. Seedling Auriculas which had been 

 put out in pans or boxes in spring will now have attained a 

 considerable size ; they may be potted in pint pots (singly) in 

 equal parts of good sound loam and leaf mould, and placed in 

 the shade. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



The pot Roses intended to flower in the conservatory late in 

 the autumn should now receive whatever pruning is necessary. 

 All those which require a shift should have it forthwith, in 

 order that they may have their pots full of healthy roots by the 

 flowering period ; this, and the application of liquid manure, 

 together with a sweet and mild atmosphere, will perform 

 wonders. After these operations they should be piaeed in 

 some open and airy spot, and if plunged in ashes they should 

 be frequently turned, or the interior of the pot will be without 

 fibrous roots. Give them regular waterings, and persist in 

 picking off all blossom buds as they appear from those required 

 to blossom in November and December. Let the Camellia 

 buds have a thinning as soon as possible. Look out and en- 

 courage a lot of good things for a late autumn display. Fuchsias 

 and Achimenes in succession, and even choice Verbenas in 

 somewhat thick masses in wide-mouthed pots, will add to the 

 general effect. Remember that all those plants required to 

 blossom in midwinter must have their final shift betimes. 

 There is no success in forcing, or even retarding, without a pot- 

 ful of roots. 



STOVE. 



Stovo plants in general have made a good growth ; the next 

 point is to have the growth matured. To this end give a still 

 freer circulation of air, and avoid shading as much as possible. 

 The propriety of a second house for Orchids will be more readily 

 seen at this period than, perhaps, any other. The early- 

 growing kinds, several of which are winter or early-spring 

 bloomers, will now require the withdrawal of a portion of th9 

 atmospheric moisture still necessary to many others. Several 

 of them, such as the Cattleyae, might be removed to a vinery 

 were it not for the attack of snails and slugs. In cases where 

 the whole stock must be grown in one house, it is advisable to 

 keep a free circulation of air by day at this period, and even all 

 night ; if possible, endeavour to have a good source of atmo- 

 spheric moisture in the latter half of the day, and dispense 

 with shading as much as possible. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Dry as ever, but we never had better Lettuces for all the 

 heat, and that chiefly owing to sowing thorn, and thinning and 

 mulohing. The roots catered for themselves. Transplanting 

 Lettuces without watering and shading in such weather wonld 



