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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ September 29, 1870. 



general cry is " House all tender plants ;" while such is pro- 

 ceeding, let all plants that require it be properly staked where 

 necessary, as well as freed from insects. Young stock of Be- 

 gonias for winter flowering may still be shifted. Some of the 

 bulbous tribes will now begin to waken from their dormant 

 state, and Borne will speedily show blossom; these, when fairly 

 started, if pot-bound, may receive a shift, using a compost of 

 sandy loam and vegetable matter ; a little bottom heat would 

 be of service after this operation. Keep the atmospheric tem- 

 perature moderate at this period, and give liberal ventilation. 

 — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK 

 Such a week of sunshine that but for slight frosty mornings 

 and a few leaves falling from Chestnuts and Elms, in the flower 

 garden we might imagine we were in the first days of August 

 instead of approaching the end of September. Everything 

 seems to betoken that the end of autumn is approaching, as 

 from the dryness and heat of the summer all deciduous trees 

 will lose their leaves earlier than usual. Many evergreens, too, 

 suffered from the drought, and there could scarcely have been a 

 more unpropitious season for trees and shrubs planted in 

 spring ; and where, owing to circumstances, no water could be 

 given them, many not convinced before, will bo satisfied now 

 of the importance of early autumn planting when it can be at- 

 tended to. Last autumn in this district such a thing was im- 

 possible, as the plants were far too dry to be raised, and the 

 ground when turned up for planting was little better than so 

 much dust. Without heavy rains the soil will be little better 

 this season, but where the rains have been plentiful, or if they i 

 eome before the weather is much colder, there will be a most i 

 favourable time for early autumn planting, as the summer's 

 growth will be early matured, and the ground will be warmer 

 than usual to encourage fresh rooting. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



It is always well to have enough, and it is more pleasant 

 to pull up what may not be wanted than to find the want of 

 anything. Even Email plants of Endive and Lettuce planted 

 out now in spare places, as among bush fruit, may stand the 

 winter well, and if many fail it will only be the trouble of 

 planting. Winter and spring Lettuces are considered great de- 

 licacies by some, and had we room we would now take up with 

 balls a number of plants 3 or 4 inches high, and plant them 

 where they could have the protection of glass in winter. It is ; 

 on the whole waste of space to plant them too thickly ; they 

 should not be less than 12 or 15 inches apart when we wish 

 them to grow and form fine individual specimens. It is ' 

 enough to make one envious to see whole ranges of cold pits 

 thus filled with young Lettuces, the lights all off, but ready to 

 be put on at the first approach of frost or of heavy rains, but 

 plenty of air given in the latter case. The treatment of such 

 plants ought to be quite different from that of full-grown 

 Lettuces and Endive taken up towards the end of next month, 

 and which may be placed quite close together, in order to be 

 used as wanted. Small plants turned out now in cool unheated 

 orchard houses will come in very useful early in spring. 



Cauliflowers. — We have strewn some charcoal dust and a 

 little lime and soot among our young small Cauliflower plants, 

 as they did not seem altogether right, and showed some signs 

 of mildewing. These we shall prick out thickly in a bed in 

 fresh light soil before transferring them to the hand-glasses or 

 pots for the winter. Succession crops of Cauliflower for pre- 

 sent and late autumn use we have been obliged to refresh with 

 sewage water ; they so hung their leaves in the bright days as 

 to leave the heads, not quite full-grown, exposed to the fierce 

 sun, which has a tendency to make them harder than they 

 ought to be. All vegetables, to be good, should be used soon 

 after they are cut. Many complaints are the consequence of 

 allowing vegetables to remain for some time before cooking 

 them. Even a Cabbage cut and taken to the pot is altogether 

 different from a Cabbage cut and allowed to lie for a day or 

 two. We have known thorough admirers of the Cucumber 

 who would have known if their favourite kind was cut more 

 than half an hour before it appeared at the table. When vege- 

 tables are cooked a little more time after cutting is of less con- 

 sequence. No keeping treatment afterwards entirely makes 

 up in flavour and crispnes3 for cutting fresh and just when 

 wanted. 



Cabbages. — These are growing, if anything, too well, as, ex- 

 cept Coleworts, we do not wish the early crops for next season 

 to be too forward before winter, as there is then a greater likeli- 



hood that they will bolt in the spring, instead of making fine 

 heads. Caterpillars, so ruinous in many places, have troubled 

 us but little ; but when we thought we had got rid of clouds of 

 fly by syringing, &c, we find it is coming again, though in but 

 small patches, and the same remedy must be again applied. 

 Small plants of Cabbages pricked out rather thickly now in 

 poor soil will make much more serviceable plants for spring 

 planting than if they had been left in the seed bed. 



Forking and hoeing all ground amongst young growing crops 

 will greatly promote free growth. 



EP.UIT GAKDEN. 



As soon as we have time we shall clear away all runners and 

 litter from Strawberry plantations, merely pricking over with 

 the points of a fork the surface soil between the rows, and 

 mulching with rotten dung ; better for the purpose, when they 

 can be obtained, are fresh horse droppings, laid in a heap long 

 enough to heat and destroy what vitality may be in the oats 

 that have passed into the droppings. Even eld Mushroom- 

 bed dung is good for such a purpose, but nothing answers 

 better than the droppings, though few can obtain them for 

 such a purpose. When thus used the dropr, iDgs need not be 

 put on so thickly as rotten manure. Even a dressing of a 

 couple of inches of manure becomes very thin before spring. 

 We greatly prefer that all such manure as surface-dressing 

 should just remain on the surface instead of being forked in, 

 however slightly. The crowns of the plants Ehould not be 

 covered, but the manure may rise higher in the middle of the 

 space between the rows. Those who put on such a dressing 

 for the first time will be surprised how little there is left of it 

 in spring. A slight clearing away of dead leaves in spring, with 

 a little of the roughest of the mulching, will leave all neat. 



New plantations of Strawberry plants may now be made, but 

 if the plants are good, less importance attaches to the time of 

 planting than to the condition of the ground, which ought to 

 be well trenched, manured, and then partly solidified on the 

 surface before planting. As in everything else, there is an 

 advantage in early autumn planting, and if the plants are 

 turned out of pots all the better, as they soon establish them- 

 selves in their fresh quarters, and may be expected to bear 

 well in the following summer. Where, however, ground is 

 scarce we can recommend the following plan. Take off the 

 runners as soon as they show roots, prick them out in a bed 

 made light and rich on the surface to the depth of 4 or 5 inches, 

 by adding rotten dung, leaf mould, and eome light sandy 

 matter, and let the plants be from 6 to S inches apart. Shade 

 a little at first, and when the young plants can take care of 

 themselves give all the sun and heat possible, and waterings 

 when needed. On ground heavily cropped until Christmas we 

 trenched, dug, and redug until it was in a finely-pulverised 

 rich condition by the end of February, and then we have lifted 

 these plants with balls, and transferred them to the fine 

 mellow soil, and had as good returns in June as if we had 

 ! planted in the autumn. Many such schemes must be resorted 

 to where the most has to be made of a little piece of ground. 

 The labour is, doubtless, increased, but the ground is made to 

 j yield more. 



Strawberry plants in pots for forcing need less watering 



! now, as the aim, in the forwardest especially, should be to ripen 



the buds or crowns. We must try and give ours a little more 



; room, as the large foliage — quite large enough — is too close 



together. 



As the nights are becoming colder, it is as well to give any 

 watering that may be required about 9 a.m., as the soil, if fresh 

 watered, gets cool in a clear night. The same rule applies to 

 all watering, just as in the hottest weather and the longest days 

 it was advisable to water in the afternoon and evening. Such 

 a system could not easily be carried out with the present stereo- 

 typed hours for gardening and agricultural labour, but often in 

 hot weather one watering after 7 p.m. in July and August 

 would do more good than two similar waterings early in th» 

 afternoon. Often the little water we use had to be given at 

 any time, just when we could get it, but then we had to resort 

 to modes to prevent its quick evaporation which would not 

 have been needed if we could have given the same water when 

 the Bun was low, and twilight and night approaching, so that 

 the plant should have little or no strain on its resources. 



Hardy fruits, as Apples aDd Pears, have been much improved 

 in their appearance during the past week, obtaining that rich 

 colouring which nothing but a bright warm sun can give. 

 Some of our readers were so alarmed by what the late gale 

 did in throwing down many of their fruit, that tbey gathered 

 most of what remained forthwith, they say now to the gTeat 



