164 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 23, 1877. 



removed halfway up each catting. When the whole of one sort 

 required are made they are placed for awhile in the sun in order 

 that the cat may become dried of its sap; thi3 causes them to 

 heal and emit roots the sooner. 



The modes of striking bedding plants and stowing them away 

 for the winter are many, each plan having certain advantages. 

 One of the oldest plans, and still perhaps one of the best for 

 amateurs if there is plenty of room, is to strike the cuttings in 

 an open and well-prepared piece of ground, and when well rooted 

 (which is generally about six weeks after the cuttings are insetted) 

 to pot them singly in small pots, and place them on shelves near 

 the glass to remain throughout the winter. This is a very safe 

 way and one which we can highly recorr, mend. Where a very 

 large number are required pots are often dispensed with, but a 

 quantity of roughly-made boxes are in readiness ail of one uni- 

 form size, the sizes varying according to taste; but we have had 

 them made 2 feet long, 10 inches wide, and about 6 inches deep. 

 In preparing these boxes to receive the cuttings place about an 

 inch deep of rubble over the bottom of each box, then the roughest 

 of the soil, filling-in the remainder with fine soil, and placing a 

 layer of sand over the surface. The cuttings are then inserted, 

 each box containing about sixty. A good watering is then given 

 to the boxes, which are placed in an open pooition out of doors, 

 where they are left to remain until there are signs of much wet 

 or frosty nights, when they must be removed to their winter 

 quarters. Where a large quantity of Geraniums are required 

 this undoubtedly is one of the best means of storing away large 

 numbers in a limited space ; and temporary stages under Vines 

 and other places have oftentimes to be utilised to hold them. 

 There is another useful method adopted — that is, inserting four 

 or five cuttings in 60-sized pots, and allowing them to remain in 

 these pots until February before potting them off. The same 

 remark applies to cuttings placed in boxes ; they will require 

 potting-off about February, in order to attain full-sized plants 

 for planting at bedding-out time. Commence propagating the 

 choicest Tricolor and other variegated Geraniums first, as these 

 take the longest to root, following with the other sorts ; then 

 with Verbenas, Coleuses, Alternantheras, and such-like subjects, 

 finishing off with the more hardy Calceolarias. The following 

 sorts are among the best Geraniums : — Bedding Golden Tri- 

 colors : Mrs. Pollock, Snphia Dumaresque, Lady Cullum, and 

 Sir Robert Napier; Goiden Bronze : Beauty of Calderdale, Pe- 

 rilla, Bronze Queen, and Mrs. John Lee ; and of the plain Yellow 

 section Crvstil Palace Gem and Robert FiBh; White edged 

 varieties : Queen of Queenff^Flower of Spring, Bijnu, and Little 

 Trot ; and of the bedding Nosegay and Zonal sections : Vesu- 

 vius, Star of Fire, Waltham Seedling, Wellington, Warrior, Lady 

 Kirkland, Lucius, Rose Bradwardine, Bonfire, H. M. Stanley; 

 and Master Christine, the old ChriBtine, and Amaranth among 

 the Pinks. Madame Vaucher and White Clipper are the best 

 white-blooming varieties. 



Verbenas are not so extensively grown now as some few years 

 since, still they are associated with the memories of past-gone 

 days, and are cherished accordingly. They are best struck in seed 

 pans or pots of 6 or 8 inches in diameter, giving plenty of drain- 

 age, and filling the pot with some light soil in which a large 

 proportion of leaf soil and silver sand have been incorporated. 

 Take off short-jointed growths and insert them thickly all over 

 the pots, water them to Bettle the soil, and keep close and shaded 

 for a few days, when air can be admitted. These will not require 

 potting or pricking-off as in the case of Geraniums, but will 

 remain in these store pots, and furnish numerous cuttings, which 

 will strike most readily in the spring and make healthy plants. 

 Petunias may be treated in exactly the same way. Both the 

 double and single varieties are old associates and bloom very 

 freely; the double variety Mrs. Wilson is one of the best for 

 beds. The clippings or trimmings of numerous kinds canbe 

 all utilised as cuttings instead of being thrown to the rubbish 

 -J. W. Moorman. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST AND WORK FOR 

 THE PRESENT WEEK. 



HARDY ERUIT GARDEN. 



The time has again arrived when it is necessary to gather the 

 crops of hardy fruits and to store them away for fatare use. It 

 is well to have the tables and spaces in the fruit room thoroughly 

 scrubbed. The walls ought also to be lime-washed, to make all 

 sweet and cause a healthy atmosphere. Everything ought to be 

 quite dry before the fruit is taken into the house. Some persons 

 gather the fruit before it is ripe ; but this is quite a mistake, as 

 it neither keeps well nor is it of good flavour when gathered 

 thus. The experienced cultivator can tell by the appearance of 

 the fruit whether it is ready to gather or not ; but a good test is 

 to cut one (not the ripest), and if the pips are brown the fruit 

 may safely be gathered. The more choice Apples may have the 

 crops gathered at twice, or even a third gathering may be made. 

 In the case of Pears this is quite necessary, as otherwise the 

 crop would not last nearly so long. The dry weather is seriously 

 affecting the quality and weight of the crop. It may seem 



scarcely possible to our northern friends who are having so 

 much rain and complaining of the want of sun when we make 

 this statement ; but so it is. As we write this there are threaten- 

 ing clouds gathering in the weBt, but most of the farmers would 

 rather that it did not rain for at least two weeks, as they are in 

 the midst of the Wheat harvest. The same circumstance that is 

 checking the growth of our fruit has encouraged clouds of aphis 

 to settle upon the Plum trees, where they have increased to an 

 alarming extent. We never saw this pest attack the Privet 

 before, but the hedge is quite smothered with it. There seem to 

 be several species of aphis. Those that attack fruit trees differ 

 considerably from the green fly of our soft-wooded greenhouse 

 plants, and also of tbe Auricula and Carnation. Our Auriculas 

 are quite close to Morello Cherries, and although the aphis from 

 the latter frequently drop upon the plants, they wander about 

 bat do not settle to extract any nutriment from the leaves. 

 Syringing the trees with a solution of soft soap and a little 

 tobacco liquor added to it is the best way to clear the trees of 

 the insects. 



As opportunity offers we are cutting the young wood away 

 from all the trees in the garden where it is not required for a 

 crop next season. The method of doing this has been described 

 in previous numbers, both as regards wall fruit and that on the 

 open borders. Much of the fruit is attacked with the Apple- 

 boring maggot. It does most damage to the Apples, but Pears 

 and Plums suffer to a considerable extent from it. The fruit 

 ripens prematurely and drops from the trees. On examining 

 any of the specimens a small hole may be observed, and if this 

 is traced the maggot may be found, and most frequently at the 

 core. It is a wise plan to gather all the fruit that is attacked 

 and have it destroyed. Strawberry plants recently put out are 

 making rapid growth, but it has been necessary to keep the 

 plants well supplied with water. Considering that RaBpberry 

 buBhes like a deep moist soil the growth has been very satis- 

 factory, owing possibly to the continued wet weather when the 

 young growths started. 



PINES. 



As long as the nights continue warm and the sunlight is suffi- 

 cient we will not apply artificial heat. Much can be done in 

 this way by careful and patient attention to ventilation, espe- 

 cially at closing time, and this ought to be as early as possible 

 in the afternoon. Either immediately before or after shutting 

 up the house Bhould be damped, and if this is done sufficiently 

 the moisture will gather thickly upon the glass, which to a con- 

 siderable extent prevents the sun from injuring the plants. If the 

 plants intended to fruit next year are not yet potted into their 

 fruiting pots no time ought to be lost in potting them. Com- 

 plaints have been made this year about the plants not throwing 

 up their fruit when expected to do so, but instead starting into 

 a second growth. This is most likely to happen if the pots are 

 not quite filled with roots before the plants are put to rest, and 

 much also depends upon the manner of starting them and also 

 the time. We have given the different details of this work at 

 the proper time ; at present our work is to see that the plants 

 are well matured by being thoroughly exposed to the sun, and 

 as much ventilation as possible must be insisted upon. The 

 temperature of the house ought not to be less than 65° at night 

 (of course it is as high as that now without artificial heat) ; by 

 day 10° to 15° higher than this is desirable, but during hot days 

 the thermometer may range even 20° higher, and that with 

 plenty of ventilation. Those that will be started about Christ- 

 mas should now be very near their resting period. 



CUCUMBERS AND MELONS. 



It is now a good time to sow seeds to produce plants for bear- 

 ing Cucumbers at Christmas. The plants ought not to be 

 allowed to come early into bearing, nor ought they to produce 

 much fruit if it is intended that they are to bear well from 

 Christmas onwards. Munro's Duke of Edinburgh is one of the 

 very best for bearing at that time in the estimation of some, 

 others still hold to Telegraph as being the best ; with a true 

 stock of Telegraph there will not be much danger of failure. 

 We fancy that the half-span houBe is as good as any other for 

 growing winter Cucumbers, others prefer a lean-to. Whichever 

 form is adopted, a main consideration is to have plenty of hot- 

 water pipes, bo that the temperature during a severe frost may 

 be kept up to 65 Q without overheating the pipes. As the plants 

 progress in growth they must be trained, and the shoots should 

 be stopped frequently in order to obtain a uuiform stocky growth 

 all over the trelliswork. This ought to be about 10 inches 

 from the glass in the winter. When the plants are young and 

 producing their first leaves these are usually of large size, and 

 when they overshadow the young growths it is usually better 

 to remove them altogether. Melons ripening should have the 

 ventilators open night and day, and not much moisture to be 

 permitted in the house. Cut the fruit and remove it to the 

 fruitroom as soon as it begins to crack where the stem is 

 attached to it. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



We are not doing muoh in this department except attending 

 to the plants which are in flower and removing any decaying 



