August 30, 1877. J 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



185 



was about 9 inches high was ploughed-in, the Potatoes being 

 planted at the same time without any other preparation or any 

 further manuring. The other two acres had a good dressing of 

 farmyard manure and guano, but the part on which the Rye 

 was ploughed-in had the best plants and the greatest crop. We 

 have taken up all the Potatoes, but be it understood none of them 

 are late sorts. Early ABhleaf, Veitch's Prolific, Improved Ash- 

 leaf, Schoolmaster, Blanchard, and a local sort named Earlv 

 Shaw. Disease had attacked most of them, Blanchard most 

 severely. It would certainly have been better if we had dug 

 the crop before the disease had attacked the haulm. When 

 this is done it is necessary to handle the tubers very carefully. 

 We have found that, although the skins are easily injured at the 

 time of taking-up, in less than a week after they set firm and 

 do not Buffer from being moved. All the Potatoes which are 

 required for sets next year have been Btored in a dark loft. 

 They are spread-out thinly. 



After a spell of hot dry weather the ground was dusty dry and 

 hot to the feet. On Wednesday morning for two hours the rain 

 fell steadily and heavily ; rather over an inch was taken from 

 the rain-receiver afterwards. The ground was in good order for 

 planting, and Sprouting Broccoli, also Coleworts, were put out 

 in quantities. 



VINERIES. 



We have pruned the Vines in the earliest house, and will as 

 soon as an opportunity offerB make preparations for starting 

 them. One of the houses shows signs of the Vines being ex- 

 hausted, and we are not surprised at this, as our light gravelly 

 soil is not naturally adapteu for Vine culture. We would like to 

 clear all the soil away from the roots of the Vines to within a few 

 feet of the stem, and renew the border in the same way that it 

 was made at the beginning. Our plan would be this : We would 

 begin at that part of the border furthest from the stem of the 

 Vines, and would cut a trench as deep as the drainage ; from 

 this trench we would work up to the Vines, removing all the 

 Boil but saving the roots. After clearing out the soil to within 

 3 or i feet of the Vines we would see that the drainage was 

 perfect, and would then fill-up the border with fresh compost, 

 raising the roots much nearer to the surface than they were 

 before. The time for doing this is a matter of considerable im- 

 portance. It would be best to do it immediately the fruit was 

 gathered — that is, if the Vines were in good condition ; but if 

 most of the leaves had perished from the attacks of red spider 

 or any other cause, it would not be safe to do it, especially if 

 the compost was formed of turf not quite decayed : the organic 

 matter would heat and start the Vines into growth. Oars will 

 probably be done at the time of starting the Vines, when the 

 gentle heat generated by the decaying turf will probably cause 

 the Vines to start strongly. 



Late houses require a little attention in order to perfect the 

 ripening of the Grapes. Should the temperature fall below 

 65° in the Hamburgh house, or 70° in the Muscat house, it must 

 be kept up to those figures by the heating apparatus — that is, if 

 the Grapes are not ripe ; if they are ripe all the attention that 

 will be required is to keep the temperature and state of the 

 atmosphere so that no decay attacks the berries. A high arti- 

 ficial temperature would cause the berries to shrivel, and a low 

 night temperature has a tendency to induce decay. Moisture 

 will not need to be applied artificially. Care must also be taken 

 in sweeping the paths not to raise dust in the atmosphere, 

 which Bettles on the berries. 



Vines in pots intended to be forced to produce early crops of 

 Grapes should now be enjoying a period of rest, either against 

 awall or in a house with a dry atmosphere and where plenty of 

 air is admitted. It is not desirable to giva much water at the 

 roots, but the Vines suffer more from too little than they 

 do from an occasional overdose. It is well to cut the canes 

 back to the length they are intended to be for forcing, as the 

 eyes that remain on the cane, will continue swelling while the 

 leaves are in a healthy condition. All the pruning that is 

 required should be done as early as possible, as bleediDg gene- 

 rally results from late pruning. If it is intended to start the 

 Vines in October all growth ought to be completed now. 



Strawberries in Pots. — We have now completed the potting of 

 these. All intended to fruit late have been potted in 6-inch 

 pots ; early sorts, like Black Prince and Keens' Seedling, in pots 

 a size smaller. They are just under 5 inches in diameter inside 

 measure. The plants root freely and make rapid growth after 

 potting, and the object of the cultivator is to take advantage of 

 this in order to have the crowns large and well developed before 

 the dull days of autumn. The plants are placed in a favourable 

 position where they receive most of the sun's rays, and the pots 

 must on no account lack an abundant supply of water. An 

 attack of red spider will utterly ruin the prospects of a good 

 crop. On the first appearance of this pest lay the plants on 

 their sides, and thoroughly syringe the under sides of the leaves 

 with soapy water to which a little tobacco liquor has been 

 added. Runners are also produced very freely on the plants, 

 but these must be removed as fast as they are formed, as they 

 must to a certain extent weaken the crowns. 



PLANT STOVE AND ORCHID HOUSES. 



We have had a season of respite from potting or other im- 

 portant operations in this department, and have taken the 

 opportunity to look over all plants that are likely to have any of 

 that terrible pest the mealy bug. We have again and again had 

 it down so that it has been almost annihilated, but we have not 

 yet destroyed the scourge entirely. It is now a good time to 

 thoroughly re-arrange the plants, and any unwieldy specimens 

 which are not required for decorative purposes next year should 

 be destroyed, and only the best specimens be allowed to remain. 

 What can be more unsightly than to see plants of a soandent 

 character growing into one another and farming a tangled mass, 

 which becomes a breeding ground for insect pests 1 See that 

 all plants are neatly but not formally trained, and if possible 

 they ought not to touch each other. Large specimens must 

 stand back from the front of the stage or bark bed, and some 

 neat, healthy, small plants ought to be placed on the outer edge 

 sufficiently large to hide the pots. They ought not to be plants 

 that are intended to make good specimens, as growing them 

 under thoBe of a large size will probably injure them. It 

 depends very much upon the manner in which plants are 

 arranged as to whether they will make handsome specimens or 

 the reverse. Very careful attention is requisite in order to 

 ascertain the requirements of the various subjeots in each 

 house. We have found a specimen would do well in one posi- 

 tion, which on being moved to another part of the house did 

 not succeed. The reason of this is not far to seek : some pfants 

 require to be near the glass and fully exposed to the sun and with 

 free air around them, others require to be grown and flowered 

 in the shade. 



Orchids do not require a large amount of attention at this 

 Beason, but all that they do require must be freely rendered at 

 the right time. Dendrobiums which have been well supplied 

 with water at the roots and often overhead must, now that their 

 growth is completed, be treated to a drier atmosphere, and 

 water must only be applied when the plants really require it— 

 that is, when the compost iB rather dry. As the season ad- 

 vances water must be almost entirely withheld in the case of 

 most of the deciduouB species. Cattleyas must not have much 

 water at the roots after this. Allow the compost to be dry before 

 applying any. Lselia purpurata is now starting into growth, but 

 the plants do not seem to make much root at the same time ; 

 and water, even when the growths are in the course of forma- 

 tion, must be applied with caution. Calanthes have also com- 

 pleted their growth, and the spikes in some instanoes are coming 

 up. We grow our plants in small pots for the size of the bulbs. 

 Three large bulbs in a 5 or 6-inch pot will give us from four to 

 six spikes 2 and 3 feet in length. We have not yet reduced the 

 atmospheric moisture, but now that there are heavy dews at 

 night, and the rains have at last touched our district, we must 

 act with caution in this respect. — J. Douglas. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



James Veitch & Sons, Royal Exotic Nursery, King's Road, 

 Chelsea. — Catalogues of Fruit'Trees and Strawberries, and of 

 Dutch Bulbs. 



Sutton & Sons, Reading. — Autumn Catalogue of Flowering 

 Bulbs, 



Franois and Arthur Dickson & Sons, 106, Eastgats Street, 

 Chester. — Catalogue of Butch Bulbs and other Floiver Boots. 



Thomas Bunyard & Sons, Maidstone. — Catalogue of Butch 

 Bulbs, and Desniptive Bist of Boses. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



%* All correspondence should be directed either to "The 

 Editors," or to " The Publisher." Letters addressed to 

 Mr. Johnson or Dr. Hogg often remain unopened unavoid- 

 ably. Wo request that no one will write privately to any 

 of our correspondents, as doing so subjects them to un- 

 justifiable trouble and expense. 

 Correspondents should not mix up on the same sheet ques- 

 tions relating to Gardening and those on Poultry and Bee 

 subjects, and should never send more than two or three 

 questions at once. All articles intended for insertion should 

 be written on one side of the paper only. We cannot 

 reply to questions through the post. 

 Vegetable Marrows (Major M.) — They appear to have been quite over- 

 looked. If you can seud other examples they shall have our attention. 



Baising Kalosanthes from Seed (T.J.H.). — The seed pods should be 

 cat when ripe, and may be kept after they are dried in a cool dry place until 

 spring, the seed remaining in the pod until that time. Drain a pot or pan 

 half its depth, placiDg over the drainage some of the rough of the compost, 

 ■which should consist of equal parts of sandy fibrous loam and sandy peat 

 with about a fourth of silver sand, well incorporat-d and passed through a 

 quarter-inch sieve. Let the soil in the pots be rather firm, and the surface quite 

 smooth. Water gently and scatter the seeds evenly over the surface, the pods 

 being broken over the pot. Scatter a little fine soil over the Beed and place 

 in a hotbed, keeping the surface regularly moist, but avoid making the soil 

 sodden. In the young state the seedlmgs require to be very carefully watered, 



