90 



JOUENAL OP HOKTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEE. 



[ Angost 4, 1870. 



and though they saw that every tank and reservoir was empty, 

 they could not but hint that there must be some way of satu- 

 rating them with water. We pulled our boot between the rows 

 to the depth of 6 or 7 inches, to show how dry the soil was ; with 

 a stick we know we might have gone 6 inches deeper without 

 finding a trace of moisture. What mere skiffing showers would 

 ever wet such a depth of earth as dry as ashes ? What would 

 be the use of mere watering on the surface ? The watering at 

 the roots enabled the plants at once to grow, and once fairly 

 set to work they would pump up moisture for themselves all 

 the more easily because the already dry surface helped to keep 

 the moisture about the roots. If the weather should continue 

 dry, we shall most likely give a watering of sewage, which 

 Cauliflowers can take pretty strong, but if possible, besides 

 confining the water to the roots, we shall have a dry surface. 



FEUIT GAEDEN. 



The chief work here has been shortening the summer shoots 

 of bush, pyramidal, and wall trees, chiefly the lower parts of 

 the trees, as the upper parts had been previously done. This 

 balances the strength and vigour of the trees more than if such 

 shortening and stopping had been done all at once. 



Went over Apricot and Peach trees the second time, remov- 

 ing extra shoots, and spurring back, as the Apricots have grown 

 freely again, especially after the watering with sewage. But 

 for that, we are convinced a great portion of the fruit would 

 have dropped, and several large branches would have given 

 way. We are convinced that dryness at the roots is one chief 

 cause why large branches of Apricots frequently die off without 

 any apparent cause. When some of the Apricot fruit began to 

 drop about six weeks ago, we were surprised to find the earth 

 about the roots so very dry. On forking the surface, and 

 making holes to let the water down, we were not at all afraid of 

 strong sewage, knowipg that it would be pretty well filtered and 

 cleared before reaching the bulk of the roots. We would have 

 mulched heavily the little space left between the walls and the 

 crops on the border, in the case both of Apricots and Peaches, 

 only we would thus keep out the sun heat, so favourable to 

 root action and perfect ripening. Many of our wall trees we 

 would wash if we could, if it were only to refresh the foliage, for 

 insects have troubled us but little. In our orchard houses, 

 though the fruit will be fair, the red spider is making its ap- 

 pearance, chiefly owing to our being unable to syringe. We 

 must use more sulphur on the wall, &c, to prevent it spread- 

 ing. The Cherries in orchard houses and on walls were never 

 better. Cherries on standards out of doors were never more 

 abundant, but they came small at first, and ripened very un- 

 equally — all in our favour, as we forget how many weeks we 

 have gathered from them, and still on a short row of May 

 Dukes there are a good many, and finer than the first, as the 

 trees had each a small barrel of sewage, which told amazingly 

 on the fruit. We hope it will do the same with Morellos on 

 north walls, as, though plentiful, they were small when they 

 began to colour. We should like to give them another watering. 

 Even in their case the soil when examined was very dry, 

 though receiving little direct sun. 



With our scarcity of water, we are not so forward with Straw- 

 berry plants as we would wish to be. Took off some of the 

 most forward runners layered in pots, layered more, and potted 

 in 5-inch and 6-inch pots some of the most forward, using 

 loamy soil moderately enriehed, potting firmly, and shading a 

 little from the bright snn for a few days, and to save frequent 

 watering. As several times referred to, future success will 

 chiefly depend on these simple points — keeping the bud of the 

 plant slightly below the rim of the pot ; fastening the young 

 plant firmly in the pot, not merely using the fingers, but a 

 blunt-ended wooden stick for the purpose ; watering and shad- 

 ing a little at first, or syringing in bright sun, instead of shad- 

 ing, where water can be spared ; and as soon as the roots are pro- 

 gressing freely, giving all the sunlight possible, whilst the pots 

 stand on a hard bottom. As soon as the roots reach the sides 

 of the pot, manure water may be given. The health and ma- 

 turing of the plants before the end of autumn will be of more 

 consequence than their luxuriance and size. 



As to drainage, much more depends on the mode than on the 

 quality and quantity of the drainage. In this case we do not 

 like taking up room from the plant by a lot of drainage. Never- 

 theless, nothing spoils a good Strawberry plant in a pot sooner 

 than the pot becoming waterlogged. We have often found a 

 pot made so by the hole getting next to hermetically sealed, 

 outside from the material on which the pot stood. The out- 

 sides of the holes should, therefore, be examined at times. For 

 'Saving room and keeping out worms, there is no plan better 



than the following. Take a clean, dry pot, place one crock, a 

 piece of a broken pot, say roughly from 1 to 1} inch in dia- 

 meter, ov6r the hole in the bottom of the pot, but with its 

 rounded or convex Bide downwards, bo as to securely cover the 

 hole. This will let water escape and keep out worms. Then 

 lay a few more smaller pieces of broken pot round it — say 

 three or four, though we are often satisfied with the one piece. 

 On this or these lay a little clean, dry moss, which is the best, 

 or a scattering of clean straw, chopped into from 1 to 2-inch 

 lengths, which is the next be3t ; over that a sprinkling of soot ; 

 and then, as a base, a handful of the roughest compost. _ Very 

 little space may thus be taken up with drainage, and yet it will 

 be thoroughly effectual. The water will pass quite freely 

 enough, if the hole do not get clogged outside. Though we 

 have used a little half-rotten dung and tree leaves to put over 

 the drainage, the practice is not to be commended. Such 

 material, besides being apt to become too close and unctuous, 

 is also liable to have germs of fungi conveyed along with it, 

 which are often difficult to get rid of. Simple modes are often 

 the best. The moss is the best material for separating soil 

 and drainage, and it has this advantage over chopped straw, or 

 chopped clean litter, that it is in itself such an equaliser of 

 moisture, parting with it freely when in excess, and retaining 

 it to a certain extent when moisture is too limited. 



OENAMENTAL DEPARTMENT. 



With many forebodings when we last wrote, we have reason 

 on the whole to be thankful and satisfied. That dread Friday 

 browned our beautiful Coleus, and though the points are 

 acquiring their rich colour, a near inspection will show the 

 leaves below somewhat browned. Eejoicing in the sunlight, 

 as the Coleus Verschaffelti does, it would appear that about 

 110" in the sun is as much as it can bear with impunity. 

 Against the wall in the open air that day our thermometer rose 

 to 117°. We could not say whether a good watering beneath 

 would have helped much to neutralise the extreme heat and 

 brightness of the sun. In a few days, if the weather be favour- 

 able, the young growth will conceal all the browned leaves, and 

 until then we would wish the plants to be looked at from a 

 distance instead of close at hand. The fine bed at Woburn 

 had suffered on the same day, but you could only observe it 

 when close to it on the 27th, and every trace will be gone in a 

 few days. We have told several times before what that bed 

 was bordered with in former years. This season the combina- 

 tion was the most beautiful we ever saw. 



Iresine Serlstii, though a drinking plant, stood the ordeal of 

 the heat and dryness extremely well. We noticed at Tingrith 

 that Iresine Berkleyi, in a prominent place, had been a little 

 browned, but the brownneBS was gone before that Friday. We 

 have not tried Iresine Lindeni, a kind with a narrow purple leaf, 

 which we hope will be useful. Herbstii is very effective in a 

 moist autumn ; in such a summer as this the plants are apt to 

 get rather lumpy, and the leaves round and large. 



We have not lost more than half a dozen out of long lines of 

 Calceolarias, which are a mass of bloom, and now we hope they 

 will hold on, as even these drizzling rains in the morning have 

 greatly helped them. The ground seems so dry that the roots 

 must have gone down to a considerable depth. We come to 

 this conclusion, for though in other cases we lost few plants, 

 yet the bloom so flagged on small beds and where the plant 

 was used ehiefly as edgings, that we had to cut off more than 

 we liked ; but then in all such cases we could not stir the soil 

 so deeply previous to planting as we could do in the case of 

 these rows and in that of larger beds, which look now as if there 

 had been no such week as that which terminated on the 23rd 

 ult. Say what we will, and use the brightest-coloured yellow- 

 leaved Pelargoniums as you will, and the most graceful and 

 finest-foliaged Marigolds, none will make up for the want of 

 the Calceolaria in flower beds. If Mr. Bobson saw these just 

 now after the severe ordeal through which they have passed, 

 whilst advocating early planting, as he does so well, he would 

 own there was also something to say on the other side. 



Our Hollyhocks would please some people this season ; the 

 flowers are small, and the plants are dwarfs. Giving them any 

 water was out of the question. 



We had much to do in bringing up arrears of potting, and 

 must think ere long of propagating for the flower beds next 

 season. — B. F. 



TRADE CATALOGUE RECEIVED. 



Ant. Eoozen, Florist, Overveen, near Haarlem, Holland.— CatalcffU 

 of Hyacinths, Tulips, Crocus, Narcisms, and other Dutch and Cape Butti. 



