August 16, 1877 ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



HI 



of bloom are pinched. Every facility should be given them to 

 rippn their fruit before the dull days of autumn are upon na. — 

 J. W. Mookman. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST AND WORK FOR 

 THE PRESENT WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



We have again during the week had genial showers, which 

 have been a great boon to Us, as the ground was very dry and 

 hard, which made digging and trenching a work of Borne diffi- 

 culty. The 8th of August is said to be the proper day to sow 

 the early Cabbage seed, the produce of which will be ready to 

 cut in May and June next year. Oar own seeds were sown on 

 that d»y, but it is quite ridiculous that any date Bhould be chosen 

 in preference to another within a week of the time. The seeds 

 are sown on a piece of ground that does not receive much manure, 

 and we like to sow thinly. We have tried many different 

 varieties, but no sort succeeds so well as the dwarf form of 

 Early York, seeds of which are saved in our own neighbourhood. 

 A true stock of Enfield Market iB very desirable, as it hearts 

 later. This year Wheeler's Imperial has been sown for trial 

 with the others. It does not Bay much for our progression in 

 raising new Borts of Cabbage when this same Early York was 

 grown fifty years ago. 



It is as well to make two sowings of Cauliflowers, as it depends 

 somewhat on the weather as to which will turn out the best. 

 The first sowing with us will be made about the time this 

 appears in print, and again in the last week of the month. It 

 woula be rash to say that the above dates are right for other 

 portions of the British Isles ; still we would not care to sow 

 before the middle of the month unless it was a good way north, 

 as the Cauliflowers are apt to button when the seeds are sown 

 too early in the month. 



As there is now plenty of spare ground it is a good time to 

 make a sowing of Prickly Spinach for furnishing a supply during 

 the winter months. We know that the best Spinach is produced 

 on rich ground, but when this lata crop is grown too Btrongly it 

 is more apt to Buffer from severe frost. It is well if possible to 

 sow a reserve piece on ground that is not so rich. The best 

 winter Spinach we ever Baw was grown on a border facing south 

 and sheltered in all directions from winds. 



The market growers are very busy planting Coleworts, Sprout- 

 ing Broccoli, and in some cases a late crop of Savoys. The 

 recent rains have been very helpful to the planters. Plants that 

 were set out about three or four weeks ago are much strength- 

 ened by having the hoe worked amongst the plants, and where 

 the plants are sufficiently advanced the rows are earthed-up 

 with the draw-hoe. A Bowing of Parsley may be made for winter 

 and spring use. It is also a good time to make a sowing of 

 Turnips for winter use. The plan about herewith the market 

 growers is to run the cultivator over the Potato ground and then 

 harrow it, sowing the seeds broadcast, harrowing agaiD, and 

 running a heavy roller over the ground. Those who delight in 

 American Cress should now make a sowing on a border under 

 a wall facing west; this will stand the winter well with a little 

 protection, and will come in useful in the early spring months. 

 We shall very soon sow the Paris White Cos Lettuce in the open 

 ground in rows a foot apart. Some of the plants will be thinned 

 out, and will be planted in another place, enough being left in 

 the seed drillB for a crop. As the crops of different vegetables 

 are gathered see that the refuse is removed to the rubbish heap 

 at once and the ground hoed, the weeds being burned or in some 

 way destroyed; or the ground may be dug, the weeds and refuse 

 being buried. 



VINERIES. 



The Lady Downe's Grapes in the late house are now colouring, 

 and have passed the stage when scalding of the berries is to be 

 feared. The house will now be kept rather closer, and a tem- 

 perature of not less than 65° will be maintained at night. It is 

 well to see that the Vines have a thorough watering with ma- 

 nure water just at this time, and the surface of the border should 

 be kept damp by frequent sprinklings. We have insisted on 

 plenty of ventilation and other details of the work quite recently. 

 We are not much troubled with wasps and bluebottle flies in 

 this neighbourhood, still they did us much damage one season, 

 and we had a supply of medicated bags which were recommended 

 very much at the time by some writers in the horticultural 

 press, but the bags did more damage to the berries than the 

 flies and wasps, by rubbing the bloom off the berries, and also 

 causing many of them to be attacked by mould. It was there- 

 fore necessary to be continually removing the bags to get at 

 the berries. We would never use such bags again ; better by 

 far is it to keep the insects out altogether, and this can easily 

 be done by nailing some hexagon garden netting over the ven- 

 tilators. 



OBCHABD AND PEACH HOUSES. 



We continue to syringe freely, and will do so until the first 

 fruits are nearly ripe. The trees in pots receive large supplies 

 of water at the roots, and it is necessary to make sure that the 



Peach border has a thorough watering — enough to reach the 

 roots at the bottom of the border. The treatment in all other 

 respects is the same as that recommended for late Vines. Red 

 spider will not do much harm until all the fruit has been 

 gathered ; hut there is more danger in this respect than used 

 to be the case when Boyal George was the earliest Peach, the 

 others succeeded it so rapidly. We shall discontinue growing 

 Early Bivers; it is an early Peach, but mere than half the fruits 

 have invariably split stones, and nearly all of them decay before 

 they are quite ripe. This sort requires peculiar treatment, and 

 might be well grown in a house by itself. Hale's Early is the 

 best early Peach, followed by Early York, both sorts introduced 

 from America. A house of these two would be a good specu- 

 lation for the London market. Early Grosse Mignonne is a 

 grand sort to succeed them before Boyal George comes in. As 

 soon as the fruit is gathered the garden engine may be brought 

 into play upon the leaves ; it will soon rid them of spider, but 

 will not thoroughly destroy the Peach aphis. 



Strawberries. — It may be as well to state here that, although 

 we were late with the runners this year, the plants are now put 

 out in the open ground, and we are busy potting all those 

 intended to fruit in pots. The pots are placed on a hard 

 bottom, and are freely exposed to sun and air. In potting we 

 U8e good loam and rich decayed manure, in the proportion of 

 three to one. The compost is pressed firmly into the pots 

 with a wooden rammer. 



PLANT STOVES AND OKCHID HOUSES. 



We have still a number of specimen plants and Ferns that 

 require repotting. We have not yet been able to do all our 

 work just when it ought to he done, but we hope to have all 

 the large and small plants repotted within a week from this 

 date. 



Dipladenias have been potted, using very fibrous peat and a 

 portion of clean silver sand to aid in keeping the compost open. 

 Of all the flowering plants adapted for stove culture there are 

 none to surpass these beautiful twiners. The only difficulty that 

 we experience with them is that of keeping the house suffi- 

 ciently warm where they are growing. The temperature during 

 winter ought not to fall below 70° during the day, nor 60° to 65° 

 at night. The best of the Dipladenias do not succeed in the 

 lower temperature, which is suitable for most of our other 

 stove plants. Dipladenias are very much subject to be attacked 

 by scale, and, what is much worse, mealy bug. The plants do 

 not require a very abundant supply of water at any time, but 

 during the winter season vary little suffices. In potting it is 

 necessary to drain well, and to place some tough peat from 

 which moBt of the fibre has been removed over the drainage. 

 The finest species is D. Brearleyana, a garden hybrid between 

 D. crassinode and D. splendens. D. crassinode itself is a very 

 beautiful species; its flowers are rose-coloured, and are a suffi- 

 cient contrast to the large rich crimson blooms of D. Brearleyana. 

 D. insignis is similar in character to the latter, but the leaves 

 and flowers partake more of the character of D. crasBinode. 

 Another beautiful species is found in D. boliviense, with its 

 white flowers and yellow throat produced in rich profusion. 

 Clerodendrons are making strong healthy growth, and the best 

 treatment is to train the growths near the glass, where they will 

 have an opportunity of ripening well before the dark days of 

 winter. Rich sandy loam suits C. Balfourianum. 



Gleichenia speluncffl is a most elegant species of Fern, and it 

 succeeds well with us in the warm end of a plant pit. The 

 plants now require repotting ; we shall pot them in turfy 

 fibrous peat, and the pots will be half filled with drainage before 

 potting, as the roots of these Ferns do not descend into the pot 

 to a great distance. Other Ferns requiring repotting will also 

 be attended to. Adiantums succeed best when the compost is 

 principally good fibrous loam with just a little fibrous peat. 

 Indeed, we have been most successful with the beautiful 

 A. farleyense when the potting material has been all loam and 

 a little decayed stable manure. We have not grown the elegant 

 A. gracillimum, but it has been stated that this species does best 

 with the same potting material. Davallias, Dicksonias, Pteris, 

 and Gymnogrammas, indeed most other species, succeed well 

 when loam and peat are used together in equal proportions. 



In the Orchid houses most of the plants are at rest, and no 

 more moisture is applied to the roots or in the atmosphere than 

 is necessary to maintain the plants in good health. Both the 

 cool and Cattleya houses have a temperature from 60° to 65° at 

 night, with the ventilators open a little, and not any heat from 

 the hot-water pipes ; with a little heat from the pipes, and 

 closing the house early, the temperature in the East India 

 house is about 70° as a minimum. — J. Douglas. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



Henry Cannell, The Nurseries, Swanley, Kent. — Autumn 

 Catalogue of Plants, Bulbs, and Strawberries. 



Giles & Son, Grove Hill Nursery, Magill, Adelaide, South 

 Australia. — General Catalogue of Trees, Plants, and Shrubs. 



