218 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ September 13, 1877. 



and plenty of Grapes. Thia summary of cultural points is 

 probably not exactly a correct statement of Mr. Boscawen's 

 practice, but it is just what experience prompts me to jot down 

 here as a serviceable and timely hint. 



Among the Vines in the orchard house were some Roses, 

 just a few choice Teas, which afford quantities of perfect 

 flowers earlier and later than they are to be had in the open 

 air. They are planted at intervals along the sides, and the 

 growth of some trained up under the roof, while others are 

 left with the growth untrained to form bushes. Both plans 

 are good in their way, but when space is an object it is better 

 to turn the roof to account and to reserve the space beneath for 

 other things. Here the space ia fully taken up by a fine batch 

 of Amaryllis, all seedlings raised by Mr. Boacawen from care- 

 ful crossings, just bursting into flower full of promise. Lilies, 

 too, were blooming in pots for seed, each flower being experi- 

 mentally impregnated with pollen brought from flowers of the 

 sturdy plants growing in the open air among the Rhododen- 

 drons. The Amaryllises are never suffered to become dry 

 at the root, nor are the pots laid on their sides, as is often 

 done, but as the growth ceases less water is given, and it is 

 altogether withheld during the period of rest ; yet the soil can 

 never become thoroughly dry, as the pots are either plunged 

 or placed upon moist soil. I quite approve of this plan, having 

 successfully followed a similar one in my own practice. The 

 South American'stove bulb Griffinia hyacinthina was in excel- 

 lent condition, with numerous other plants not often met with, 

 altogether making the orchard house as remarkable in its way 

 as the other features of the garden. A Bamboo, for many 

 years a flourishing plant upon the open slopes, had seeded 

 and died, like so many others in the south and in Ireland. 

 This is much to be regretted, as it is equally striking and 

 ornamental. Phormium tenax from its flourishing condition 

 is evidently perfectly at home here, and the Pampas GraBS is 

 something wonderful ; so large are the clumps of it, and so 

 strong is the growth, that it produces an effect as bold and 

 prominent as the largest shrubs. 



The Cornish Gilliflower, which originated in this neighbour- 

 hood, was well represented by a tree of it growing among other 

 Apples, and which was remarkable for its free clean growth 

 .heavily laden with fruit and the handsome form of the tree 

 itself. It is much valued as a winter dessert fruit. 



In the kitchen garden my attention was drawn to a peculiar 

 sort of Asparagus which never seeds, but is viviparous, pro- 

 ducing numerous young plants upon its branches. Kb origin 

 is somewhat doubtful. It has been here under culture for 

 some twenty years, and is considered infinitely superior to the 

 ordinary sort, being much earlier and yielding large shoots 

 abundantly. — Ebwabd Ltjckhuest. 



DESTROYING WEEDS ON GRAVEL WALKS. 



Soak them with carbolic acid about the strength of one of 

 acid to forty parts of water. I have found it successful, but 

 the process must be repeated at least once a year. — E. C. B., 

 Holton Park. 



AUTUMNAL ROSE SHOWS. 



The county of Sussex is rapidly becoming a great Rose- 

 ahowing county. It hardly equals, perhaps, at present, Kent 

 aud Surrey, its more metropolitan and city-bred sisters, al- 

 though it owns the great London-super-Mare. Still Rose shows 

 are certainly extending, and large Rose-growers being mul- 

 tiplied. The Horsham Rose Association, started this summer, 

 made an excellent start, and can already boast of a lengthened 

 liBt of members. During the last fortnight Roses have been 

 shown of high quality both at West Grinstead and also at 

 Horsham. 



Sussex does not keep all its good things to itself. At most 

 of the shows there are prizes offered to all England. The 

 West Grinstead Show, held in the park of Sir Walter Burrell, 

 was of large extent, taking in almost all autumnal produce. 

 Though a perfectly baronial hospitality, it was also made the 

 occasion of a great county gathering. Very excellent Roses 

 were exhibited by Mr. Graveley, Captain Carter, Mr. Martin, 

 and others. The all-England prizes for twelve beiDg taken by 

 Mr. Martin, and another who, as Mr. Camm would say, shall 

 be nameless. The show of Roses in the beautiful grounds of 

 Horsham Park on September 6th would not have disgraced 

 #uly. Many of the boxes would have taken prizes anywhere. 

 Mr. Martin was again largely successful. Castellane was Bhown 



in great beautv, as also Belle Lyonnaise, one of the very best 

 seedlings of Gloire de Dijon, also Malmaison, Dr. Andre, and 

 E. Y. Teas, which is rapidly ranking as a first-class Rose. There 

 was here a twenty-four as well as a twelve all-England class , 

 besides various county ones, the prizetakers being Mr. Martin 

 first in both ; Sir W. Burrell, and Mr. Davis, second and third 

 for the twenty-four. There was also a large and fine fruit, and 

 vegetable, and other flower exhibition. — A. C. 



THE WEATHER. 



Fkoh recent reports in the Journal I see that the Potato 

 disease is becoming general throughout England. So far as I 

 know it is not begun in our district yet, but yesterday morning 

 we were visited with something of a different character, which, 

 to say the least, made a more rapid change in the appearance 

 of Potato fields than the disease would do. What I refer to 

 was a severe frost. After a few hours' sunshine whole fields of 

 Potatoes had a quite black appearance. This must seriously 

 injure the crop, as, owing to the long period of dark rainy 

 weather we have had, the tubers are in many cases not more 

 than half-grown. Some of the more tender occupants of the 

 flower garden, such as Dahlias, Nasturtiums, Perilla, &c, have 

 suffered considerably from the frost. I do not remember a 

 worse season for autumn flowers. The rainy summer has 

 made them late, and now the frost threatens their destruction 

 when they are but coming to their beat, and in some cases not 

 even that. — J. Haedie, Logic Mar, Aberdeenshire. 



NOTES on VILLA and SUBURBAN GARDENING. 



The harvesting of such fruit as our gardens possess and 

 several of our kitchen garden crops must now for a time receive 

 our immediate attention. Let all fruit be carefully band- picked 

 and carried to the fruit-room or other place for Btoring them, 

 and any bruised, cracked, or damaged by the attacks of an 

 insect should be put on one side for immediate use. A great 

 number of our Apples are attacked by the Apple weevil, which 

 bores down through the centre of the trait and out on one Bide, 

 which causes them to ripen prematurely, and subsequently to 

 drop off. That delicious-flavoured Pear Williams' Bon Chretien 

 should be gathered before it turns yellow, otherwise it speedily 

 decays. By going over the trees at different periods and gather- 

 ing a third of the crop at a time, we have been able to supply 

 the table daily (in former years), for several weeks. These same 

 remarks will apply to early Apples that soon deteriorate in 

 flavour after they are once ripe. Our Pear and Peach crops are 

 very slight indeed, but of Apples we have on several trees a 

 very fair sprinkling. On King of the Pippins, Lord Suffield, 

 Beauty of Kent, Cellini, and Wellington we have an average 

 crop, while Cox's Orange Pippin and several others have just a 

 few. Peaches, Nectarines, and other trees trained on walls will 

 require to be kept tolerably thin and free of breastwood, in order 

 to facilitate the ripening of the shoots before the dark dull 

 days of winter are upon us. Keep down weeds in Strawberry 

 beds by running the hoe through them, and clear-off any runners 

 which may from time to time appear. The newly-planted beds 

 are doing well, but when the stock is limited plants may be put 

 in still. 



In the flower garden there will be very little change in the 

 operations of keeping all neat and tidy. There is as yet in the 

 neighbourhood of London no perceptible falling-off in the gay- 

 ness of the beds. Geraniums are with us still in great beauty, 

 and the carpet bedding wherever we have seen it ia just at its 

 best, while the herbaceous borders are gay with Tritomas, Pent- 

 stemons, Phloxes, and Gladioli. The flower stems of Gladioli 

 and other herbaceous plants should be cut off as they begin to 

 decay. Cuttings of various bedding plants may yet be struck, 

 full directions of which have been given in previous calendars. 

 Roses are still blooming well ; we do not remember having had 

 Buch a 6uccesBional supply before, and unless we have some 

 very bad weather we are likely to have good blooms for some 

 time to come. Look to those that were budded in the early 

 season, and if any failures it is not too late to bud again ; others 

 will require the binding material removed, otherwise it may 

 cut into the wood. Cuttings taken-off now will strike fieely if 

 inserted in a shady border in the open ground. Prepare the 

 cuttings in lengths from 3 to 4 inches, and insert them in rows, 

 making the soil firm around them. 



Spring sown Onions ought now to be fully ripe and to be 

 taken up and exposed to the sun as much as possible, for it is 

 impossible to dry Onions too muob. If a dry and airy place 

 under cover can be spared po much the better ; if not, frequently 

 turning them on mats will oause them to become hard and 

 plump. The ground where the Onions have been lifted will be 

 suitable for planting-out the supply of spring Cabbage, which is 

 in all caseB a most important orop. The ground should be 

 liberally manured and deeply dug before the Cabbages are 



