256 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ September 27, 1877. 



Thin-out Turnips where they are too thick, they will form the 

 quicker and withstand the winter better, and ply the hoe 

 amongst the myriads of small weeds which have sprung-up 

 during the paBt damp and dull weather. Remove the weeds to 

 the rubbish heap, together with any decayed vegetation, as the 

 sun after this will not have much power in destroying them, and 

 the heavy dews at night, will cause them to take root again. 



Expose Tomatoes to the light as much as possible, and any 

 changing colour^ should be cut and removed under glass, where 

 they will soon ripen. 



Chrysanthemums require daily attention to disbudding, train- 

 ing, and watering; and Fuchsias which have ceased blooming 

 should be placed out of doors for a few days to finally ripen-off 

 prior to housing them for the winter. — J. W. Moorman. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST AND WORK FOE 

 THE PRESENT WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



The weather with ub has during the last two or three weeks 

 been extremely favourable for out-of-doors operations ; very 

 little rain has fallen during that time, and the soil is dry. A 

 good soaking of manure water would very much benefit green 

 crops intended for winter use. Drainage from the farmyard is 

 well adapted for this purpose, but in many cases such useful 

 fertilising material is allowed to run to waste. Sewage water is 

 alBO very valuable for watering; the late Mr. R. Fish used 

 quantities of it both to water the roots and also over the leaves. 

 He stated that it drove away red spider and green fly, and also 

 prevented inBects from settling on the leaves to lay their eggs. 

 Our Brussels Sprouts are not growing so freely thiB year as they 

 have usually done, and are therefore later than usual. It is well 

 to make two sowings of SproutB, one in March and the other a 

 month later. The earliest sowing should now be well advanced, 

 but the sprouts do not form well unless the heart is taken out 

 of the plant. We shall be glad of the Coleworts, which will be 

 in use from now until Christmas ; after which Savoys will be 

 the best, to be succeeded by Sprouting Broccoli. It has been 

 excellent weather for earthing-up Celery ; this is an operation 

 that must be done in a careful manner. It is a good plan to tie 

 the leaves together with a strip of matting, and after breaking 

 down the edge of the trench with a fork or spade hold the 

 Celery plaut with the left hand, and with the right place the 

 finely-broken soil round the plant. In this way the finer par- 

 ticles will not choke the centre, and thus prevent the develop- 

 ment of the plants. Onion, Cauliflower, and Lettuce seeds 

 sown two weeks ago have germinated very freely. The Lettuce 

 and Cauliflower plants are frequently at this season attacked 

 by slugs, and many of them are destroyed ; we shall duBt the 

 rows over at night with fine-ground lime, which will prevent the 

 BlugB doing much misohief . We have been looking over the Pota- 

 toes and find that the disease has destroyed a considerable por- 

 tion of them. This has been a very trying season for the Potato 

 plant: first the ooldeast winds in the spring, with frost at night 

 after the leaves were formed, stopped the growth, and in many 

 instances a second growth had to be made ; this told very seriously 

 against the crop. Now the disease is likely in many instances 

 to destroy half or more of the crop that has arrived at maturity. 

 Except storing Onions for winter and early spring use, and 

 digging vacant ground, but little other work has been done in 

 this department. Some of the ground now prepared by digging 

 and manuring will be planted presently with Cabbage plants 

 for use in May, June, and even into July. E arly York or Atkins's 

 Matchless, planted much closer than usual and in a warm posi- 

 tion, will be found very useful for outting from before the general 

 crop comes in. Those who grow Tomatoes on the walls will do 

 well to take heed that frost may come suddenly, and it would 

 be well to prepare for this by cutting the fruit and placing it 

 on shelves in the vinery or some other structure where it may 

 ripen. In our uncertain climate it is better to grow Tomatoes 

 under glass, but those who have not this convenience will find 

 they do best on a wall facing south or west. Only in very early 

 districts and favourable circumstances will they do well planted 

 in open borders. 



VINERIES. 



We alluded two weeks ago to the necessity for great care in 

 heating and ventilating houses where Grapes are hanging for 

 nse during winter and the early spring months, and aho to see 

 that the deoaying berries are removed at once to prevent further 

 inj ury to those whioh are sound. Another matter connected with 

 forcing Grapes is too often overlooked, and that is the maturation 

 of the wood after the fruit has all been gathered. It does not 

 always follow that because the wood is strong and brown that 

 it is also well ripened; in fact the contrary is often the case, 

 especially if the leaves have been prematurely destroyed with 

 red spider or scorching. The leaves ought to remain in a healthy 

 condition for some time after the fruit has been gathered, and 

 to secure this they must be free from inBect pests, and the roots 

 must also be in a healthy growing condition. It is a fact that 

 at this time the roots are much more active than they are in 



the earlier stages of the Vine's growth. We have also repeatedly 

 urged the importance of having the borders sufficiently moist 

 to their full extent ; and further, it may even be necessary to 

 keep the house closer for a little longer, and also to maintain a 

 higher temperature by artificial means. 



Vines in pots intended to be placed in the forcing house early 

 in November must now be cut back, and either be placed out of 

 doors where the pots can be protected from heavy rains, or they 

 may be placed in the house intended for them if it is ready for 

 their reception, and no more water should be given to the roots 

 than is sufficient to keep them from being injured. When 

 starting them a little bottom heat is an advantage, but this 

 must bear some proportion to the temperature of the house. It 

 is not natural and there is nothing gained by plunging the pots 

 in a bottom heat of say 90° and a temperature for the tops of 

 say 45 Q or 50°. If the bottom heat exceeds 70? we would not 

 plunge the pots very deeply into it. Vines in pots require very 

 much attention as regardB watering ; if they Buffer in this reBpect 

 the leaves will Boon tell the tale of their sufferings. 



Strawberry Plants in Pols. — These are now maturing their 

 growth for next season. The crowns are already very full, and 

 give promise of good results next year. All the attention they 

 require at present is to see that the roots do not suffer by want 

 of water, and to remove all runners as fast as they are formed. 

 We are also careful to see that each plant is fully exposed to 

 the action of the sun's rays. If the plants are crowded together 

 it is not possible that they can come to perfect development. . 



PLANT STOVE AND ORCHID HODSES. 



We have been very busy during the laat week or two in 

 thoroughly cleansing the plants and also the wood and glass- 

 work of the houses. During the summer months we are not 

 careful to thoroughly clean and wash the glass very frequently; 

 but now with the shortening days and cold dull weather every 

 ray of sunshine obscured will tell against the health of the 

 plants. We do not expect to do any more potting until the days 

 are about as long in spring as they are now, and our work will 

 now be cleaning plants, and tying-out and preparing specimens 

 for next season. Choice climbing plants, such as Stephanotis 

 floribunda, Dipladenias, Clerodendron Balfourii, &c, are now 

 having their growths trained to strings ; these are fastened to 

 the trellis, and the Bhoots are trained singly along them in the 

 direction of the glass, and also under the glass within about 

 6 inches of it. It ia necessary that the glass should be quite 

 clean over all such plants, and when the wood is ripening not 

 leBs than 65° of heat should be maintained at night, with a pro- 

 portionate rise by day. Very important also is it to thin-out 

 the young growths ; we not unfrequently see large specimen 

 plants making vigorous growth at this season, and the growths, 

 four or five together, twining firmly round a stout wire ; it is 

 not possible to obtain good results if plants are allowed to grow 

 so. Suoh management, or want of management, reminds one 

 of Allan Ramsey's lines, where he says — 

 " I love the garden, wild and wide, 



Where Oaks have Plnm trees by their side ; 



Where Woodbines and the twisting Vine 



Clip round the Pear tree and the Pine ; 



Where sweet Jonquils and Gowansblow, 



And Roses 'midst rant Clover grow." 



All very well in its place, and others besides the poet could ap- 

 preciate it; but this style is quite out of place in well-managed 

 hothouses. The importance of carefully training the young 

 growths of climbing Btove plants has been repeatedly urged in 

 these columnB, and when they twine round permanent wires it 

 is best to untwine them and arrange the growths out regularly 

 on the trelliswork. The good old Allamanda Schottii is a mag- 

 nificent plant to train to the rafters of large houses, and at the 

 time it is in flower it is best to allow the young growths with 

 the flowers to hang loosely about. Although it may be classed 

 as a climbing plant, the growthB do not twine round the wires 

 to which it may be trained. The plants are now profusely in 

 flower. Except on one occasion that the leaves were attacked 

 with red spider where they could not be readily Byringed, we 

 have never had any insect pests fasten on it. For smaller 

 houses the species A. grandiflora is extremely beautiful; it 

 flowers profusely, and the blooms are quite distinct from any 

 other sort. We have cut-back the young growths of some of 

 the Dipladenias, and as the plants are nearly denuded of leaves 

 it gives us a golden opportunity to waBh the plants thoroughly 

 and to free them from bug. 



Orchids under cultivation must be said to have their season 

 of rest during the months of November, December, January, 

 and February ; but it would be a great mistake to dry the plants 

 off indiscriminately, as some species are now in flower, others 

 are throwing up their flower-spikes, and more starting into 

 growth. Those that have completed their growth and are 

 intended to flower during the spring and early summer months 

 must be reBted by withholding water, so that the growths may 

 be consolidated. Many of the Dendrobes answer to this de- 

 scription, and no water should be applied as long as the growths 

 remain plump; should they begin shrivelling apply water, but 



