122 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 9, 1877. 



more, may be dissolved in a gallon of water and the plants be 

 watered with it twice a-week. Chrysanthemums must be well 

 supported with water. It is only by good attention given to 

 them now that a fine autumn display can be provided. 



Small plants of Cinerarias and Primulas must be potted and 

 placed in cool shaded frames, and be kept regularly moist and 

 free from insects. TheBe plants are very valuable for spring 

 decoration. Seed of Calceolarias — the richly-spotted Calceo- 

 larias — should be sown now. Drain the pots well, fill them 

 with light sifted soil, water thoroughly, and then sow the seed 

 thinly. A dash of silver sand may be sprinkled over the surface 

 after the seed is sown, and the pots should then be placed in a 

 dark cool frame. If each pot is placed in a saucer containing 

 half an inch of water the soil will be kept moist by absorption, 

 and the seeds will germinate freely : light must then be gradu- 

 ally admitted to the seedlings. 



Well trees and wall plants generally must have their shoots 

 secured, and superfluous growth removed. Nothing is more 

 untidy than disorderly wall trees, and nothing more inimical to 

 future crops of fruit or flowers than overcrowded shoots. These 

 remarks apply with special force to outdoor Vines, which are 

 frequently much injured by permitting the shoots to grow into 

 a wild tangled mass. There are many sunny walls in villa 

 gardens where refreshing Grapes might be produced if the ad- 

 vice given from time to time by Mr. Douglas were strictly 

 carried out. 



Kitchen-garden crops must never be overlooked. One of the 

 most important of crops to be provided for now by sowing seed 

 thinly is the crop of Cabbages. If the ground is dry water it 

 well before sowiDg the seed, and shade it for a few days to 

 assist germination. An excellent small Cabbage is the Cocoa- 

 nut. Carter's Heartwell Marrow is a new sort worth growing, 

 and Enfield Market is one of the best larger sorts. Seed of 

 Cabbage Lettuces may be sown for producing a supply during 

 the early winter months. The Victoria and Hardy Hammer- 

 smith are useful sorts. "Winter Onions may be sown thinly in 

 drills ; the White Tripoli is a serviceable variety, the Giant 

 Rocca often growing thick-necked. The crop of winter Onions 

 is a very useful one, as the bulbs are seldom injured by the 

 grub, which is often so destructive to the spring-sown crops. 

 Remove all decaying Pea haulm, and hoe and rake if needed 

 bare ground, for neatness is a chief element in making a kitchen 

 garden attractive. 



DOINGS OP THE LAST AND WOEK FOE 

 THE PEESENT WEEK. 



HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 



The Strawberry runners have been cut from the parent plants, 

 and they are very Btrong, though red spider as usual has gained 

 a footing on the leaves. It will be necessary to dip the leaves 

 in soapy water, which will effectually destroy the pest. We 

 have not yet been able to plant out the runners in the open 

 ground, as we could not get the quarter ready owing to a crop 

 of Peas being on i.t. We seldom have sufficient rainfall for the 

 plants in autumn, and it is always best to plant in a shallow 

 depression in which to retain the water when applying it from 

 the rose of a water pot. Each plant has also a little loam and 

 rich manure placed round the roots to encourage quick growth. 

 " W. S. P." in last week's Journal haB written well on the cul- 

 ture of this fruit._ It has always been stated that our soil is a 

 sandy loam, and it is of the greatest importance that information 

 should be supplied from different classes of loam. It is also 

 certain that sorts which do well in light soil are often the reverse 

 in soil of a heavy nature. Our estimate of sorts is rather dif- 

 ferent from that of " W. S. P." We still retain Black Prince 

 for earliest; next KeenB' Seedling, followed by President, James 

 Veitch, Auguste Nicaise, Due de Magenta, British Queen, Prog- 

 more Late Pine, and Loxford Hall Seedling, a most abundant 

 bearer either for culture in pots or out of doors. It was later 

 by a week than Frogmore Late Pine this year. We had to 

 discard Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury, Sir J. Paxton, Elton, 

 Dr. Hogg, and a sort that is now asked for — Anna de Rothschild. 

 La Constante will not be grown again. 



Wall fruit trees still require considerable attention. They 

 should be looked over to see that no branches have been dis- 

 placed, and any growths that are loose must be nailed-in close 

 to the wall. If the shoots are not close to the wall they shade 

 the truit and also look very untidy. If the fruit of Peaches and 

 Nectarines is shaded by the leaves the foliage ought to be re- 

 moved, else the fruit will not colour well. A leaf on a frnit will 

 cause a green mark, while the rest of the Bkin may be red. Fig 

 trees should also be looked to. Some perBons prefer allowing the 

 young wood to hang loosely about, but this system does not 

 answer in a well-kept garden. Seldom in large gardens is much 

 wall space devoted to Figs, but where it is the shoots must be 

 laid-in to the wall the same as has been already recommended 

 for other trees. The fruit must also be exposed to a certain ex- 

 tent to the sun to bring out its full flavour. Currants, Cherries, 

 and late Gooseberries should be covered with netting to protect 



the fruits from birds. We have gathered a few of the earliest 

 Apples, such as Red Juneating, and Irish Peach is also coming 

 in for use. Cherries from wall trees have been bearing most 

 abundantly. Elton and Bigarreau Napoleon have been quite 

 loaded with frnit. Both the above sorts are well worthy of 

 extended culture ; the latter is particularly useful, as the fruit 

 hangs so well after it is ripe. 



PINES. 



Fruit near the ripening stage should be freely ventilated, and 

 to do this in a place where only a few Pines are grown requires 

 that a compromise must be made with plants in growth. The 

 latter require a rather close moist atmosphere, and the house to 

 be closed early in the afternoon. This treatment will not do for 

 ripening fruit, but when we have any of this description in the 

 house we do not shut the ventilators closely, and we also keep 

 the atmosphere of the house a little drier. As soon as the fruit 

 is cut the plants are destroyed, unless there are suckers required 

 from them which are not yet large enough to remove. The 

 suckers will grow at a much more rapid rate if they are left on 

 the parent plant until they are of large Bize. We do not take 

 off and pot small suckers if we can help it. On the other hand, 

 plants which have fruit formed and swelling require the same 

 treatment as growing plants. It is requisite to pay particular 

 attention to the roots at this! season. The plants must on no 

 account suffer for want of water. The young plants intended to 

 fruit next summer should be encouraged to make plenty of 

 roots, so that the pots are fairly well filled with them by the 

 end of August. The treatment required must be regulated by 

 the state of the weather, which so far is very changeable, but 

 do not draw the plants by a too close and moist atmosphere. 



Orange and Fig Trees in Pots. — If instructions given in 

 previous numbers have been carried out, the surface dressings 

 will have become matted with roots, and the trees will be in 

 good health and well furnished with ripe or ripening fruit. As 

 soon as the Figs are nearly ripe syringing the trees must be dis- 

 continued, but if this has been done well so far, spider will not 

 damage the leaves until all the fruit is gathered. Watering at 

 this time must be done in a careful manner : the trees must not 

 suffer by the want of it, neither must they become water-logged 

 from receiving too much ; in the latter case the fruit will be 

 watery and flavourless. When all the fruit has been gathered 

 we remove the trees to a cool house where air and. light is freely 

 admitted to them, and enough water only is applied to them to 

 prevent the roots from receiving injury. The Orange trees 

 must be kept in a house with the night temperature about 65° 

 or 70° ; they ought to be syringed twice daily with tepid water 

 applied with considerable force. The fruit takes a long time to 

 ripen. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



We have just turned the stage Pelargoniums out of doors, and 

 after being exposed for a few days the plants will be cut down, 

 cutting the growths back to within two or three eyes of the 

 old wood. The beat parts are saved for cuttings, rejecting the 

 long-jointed pithy wood. Small shoots with fresh green leaves 

 strike roots freely. The pots with the cuttings should be placed 

 on a stage or shelf close to the glass. About a day or two after 

 cutting-down the plants the wounds will be dried-up, when 

 water may be applied to the roots. If there is no room for the 

 plants indoors a good plan is to place them in an exposed 

 position out of doors, but this does not answer in wet districts, 

 as an over-supply of water will probably cause " spot " on the 

 leaves. The best place is near the glass in a half-span or span- 

 roofed pit. Air should be freely admitted at this season night 

 and day. When the plants have started into growth, and the 

 shoots are about an inch long, turn the plants out of the pots 

 and shake nearly all the soil from the roots, repottiDg in pots a 

 size smaller than they had been previously potted in. We have 

 arranged a collection of Lilies and herbaceous Phloxes in the 

 place of the Pelargoniums, and a few plants of the moBt choice 

 varieties of zonal Pelargoniums, which are excellent decorative 

 subjects, and when well treated they flower very freely, produc- 

 ing their brilliant trusses of bloom until the Chrysanthemums 

 are in bloom. 



Cinerarias and Calceolarias require to be grown in low-roofed 

 frames or pits, and unless these are shaded by some object on 

 the south Bide some slight shading should be thrown over the 

 glass to prevent the sun from acting in j uriously on the fleshy 

 leaves. No plants are more liable to be attacked by red spider, 

 and none show the effects of it sooner. Fumigate at once when 

 the pest appears. 



A correspondent wishes to know the names of the best varieties 

 of Pinks and Carnations for forciDg. It may be useful to other 

 readers to know that there are varieties specially adapted for 

 tbis pumose. The ordinary florist types would be spoiled if 

 subjected to a high temperature early in the year. Tree or 

 perpetual-flowering Carnations will continue producing flowers 

 all through the winter and spring months in a night temperature 

 of 50? or 55°. Some of the best varieties are GuelderRose, 

 Rose Perfection, Defiance, Empress of Germany, Gloire de 

 Lyon, King of the Belgians, Prince of Orange (Picotee), Proser- 



