July 18, 1872. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



65 



entrusted for the future with the discretion and responsibility 

 he had hitherto exercised. 



To this letter no answer has yet been received, and the 

 question whether the services of Dr. Hooker are to be lost to 

 the country and to science in order that the susceptibilities of 

 the First Commissioner of Works may be appeased, and that 

 the Government may not lose the patronage of Mr. Ayrton, 

 remains for the decision of Parliament and the country. If the 

 electors of the Tower Hamlets were consulted they would gladly 

 make amends for having, by their deluded choice of a popular 

 member, discredited and harassed a Liberal administration, and 

 turned that ad mir able national establishment at Kew from a 

 botanic into a bear garden. — (Daily News.) 



WOEK FOE THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



By dint of good management and a thorough knowledge of 

 the kinds it is possible in these days to supply a family with 

 Broccoli or Cauliflower all the year round. The most difficult 

 period, perhaps, is January. Many new kinds have come into 

 notice of late, and many old kinds have been revived with 

 new names. The following, if they can be obtained true, I 

 should particularly recommend, for with them a constant suc- 

 cession can be secured — the Cauliflower, the Cape Broccoli, 

 Grange's Impregnated (now sold under new names) , the Branch- 

 ing or Sprouting, Knight's Protecting, Melville's Superior Late 

 White, Somers' Particularly Late White, and Snow's Late 

 White ; the Wilcove is also a good winter White. Of Somers' 

 Particularly Late White, as I had it, too much cannot be said. 

 It is so very late that it carries the spring Broccoli season into 

 that of the early Cauliflower without the interval of a single 

 day — at least, so I have found it. The Cape Broccolis are 

 well known to be very useful for stopping a gap. If properly 

 managed they afford a dish at a time for many months ; and 

 if a good kitchen gardener is puzzled at any time for a single 

 dish of Broccoli he immediately goes to his row of the Cape, 

 and is seldom disappointed. Grange's, if sown in the first 

 and third weeks of April, will produce beautiful heads in the 

 following October, November, and December equal to Cauli- 

 flower in point of size, colour, and texture, and superior in point 

 of hardiness. Melville's Superior White is an excellent hardy 

 late white. Brussels Sprouts are the hardiest and most pro- 

 lific of greens. Too many can scarcely be planted out at this 

 season, and they will stand very close together. The Savoy 

 is very useful, and answers well to save the Coleworts through 

 December and January. Green Curled Kale is too well known 

 to need description, and although hardy and useful, it has a rival 

 in the Brussels Sprouts. The dwarf aDd early -heading Cabbages 

 are the best kinds for small gardens. These, if sown in August 

 for the main crop to remain for winter sprouts, in the last 

 week of February to produce autumn Cabbages, and again at 

 the end of June and beginning of July for Coleworts, will pro- 

 duce a constant succession throughout the year. Look well 

 to Celery crops and sowings of Endive. Plant the Leeks out, 

 also the Scarlet Runners ; and the Marrow Peas, at least those 

 of a branching character, as the British Queen, should have 

 their points pinched off the moment they reach the tops of the 

 sticks, and rather a little before. Those who depend upon 

 young plantations of Strawberries for fruit should plant while 

 the ground is moist and the weather favourable. If planted 

 at once and properly cared for until the plants become well 

 established, a fine crop of superior fruit may be expected next 

 season. Where the plants are to stand only one year they 

 should, however, be planted much more thickly than is usually 

 done — say four lines in a 5-feet bed, 29 inches between the 

 plants in the line, allowing a foot of an alley between the beds. 

 See that plenty of plants for forcing next season are potted 

 at once, if not already done. As ground becomes vacant by 

 the removal of early crops let it be manured, dug, and planted 

 with Winter Greens, and without loss of time. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



Fig trees require much attention at this period ; they will in 

 general continue at intervals to produce gouty shoots ; these 

 must be stopped or entirely removed, at the same time taking 

 care to tie or nail-in all short-jointed wood which may break. 

 Tines on walls need much attention. See that late-growing 

 spraj' does not shade the principal leaves ; these should inva 

 riably enjoy full exposure to the light. The Currant bushrs 

 should have some of the extremities of the watery and late 

 growth cut away, taking off also a handful or two from the 

 interior of the bush when gross. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



The various Roses should now receive attention as to good 



staking, disbudding, stopping, top-dressing or liquid-nianuring, 

 and budding. As regards the latter operation, the principle 

 of ripening the wood should be kept in view. If time is a par- 

 ticular object, the excitable kinds should be put in directly on 

 stocks with a strong root action, and those buds which push 

 in a month or so after budding should by no means be suffered 

 to bloom, but have their tops pinched off when they have pro- 

 duced four or five leaves ; they will then solidify their growth 

 before the approaching winter. Fuchsias require much and 

 regular watering, and it would be well to apply short and 

 neat mulchings, or sphagnum moss, over their roots. Single 

 specimens recently planted on lawns should receive similar 

 treatment. It is a very good plan with the latter to cut a. 

 definite circle or square of turf away, and cover the whole sur- 

 face 2 inches thick with neat pebbles. This will screen the 

 roots and break the action of the water, which is apt to prove 

 injurious by puddling the surface. All cultivators of the 

 Ranunculus should watch the ripening. Take up the roots as 

 the leaves turn yellow, and allow them to dry in the shade- 

 Seedlings in pans or boxes should be placed under cover, and 

 in the course of a few weeks the roots, which are often very 

 small, should be carefully taken out. Some florists allow them 

 to remain in a dry situation till the time arrives to plant irs 

 the spring. Cover the blooms of Carnations and Picotees as 

 they expand, placing cardboard collars beneath them. Layer- 

 ing may be commenced, beginning with the grass or shoots 

 which are most forward. A stone placed over the part which 

 is pegged in the ground will speedily ensure its rooting. As 

 the pipings of Pinks root, prick them out in good soil. It will 

 be advisable to pot some in small pots to be sheltered during 

 winter. Cut the seed-vessels off Tulips, and lay them up to 

 dry. Trench over the bed intended for next autumn's plant- 

 ing, and prepare the soil necessary to renovate it. Look to 

 Dahlias; thin-out where required; stake, tie, and mulch. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



Those who have borders in which the plants are planted-out 

 should see that subjects recently planted-out with balls are duly 

 watered. Indeed, preserving a due amount of moisture through- 

 out the border is a matter that requires some forethought, 

 together with a knowledge of the habits of the respective spe- 

 cimens. The surface of the soil, moreover, should be often 

 sprinkled, if only for the sake of a genial atmospheric moisture. 

 Allow the conservatory-border plants the full advantage of 

 favourable weather, that a compact hardy growth may be pro- 

 duced. Regulate the shoots of climbers, and see that adequate 

 supplies of water are given and insects repressed early. Aza- 

 leas may still be kept in activity, syringe them daily. Attend, 

 to stopping. Some of the stove plants that have recently been, 

 brought into the conservatory will require attention to prevent 

 their being injured by damp in cloudy weather, and it will 

 probably be necessary to use slight fires occasionally for the 

 purpose of drying the atmosphere of the house. The propriety 

 of this will, however, greatly depend upon circumstances, for 

 in some well-ventilated houses damp wiU hardly be trouble- 

 some, whereas in lofty houses with but little ventilation and 

 the roof overgrown with twiners, it may be very troublesome. 

 At this season, however, there is nothing to fear from cold, 

 and air should be freely admitted on every favourable oppor- 

 tunity, using every care to keep the atmosphere as dry as 

 possible, and the plants free of decayed leaves and flowers. 

 Continue to carefully regulate the growth of twiners, but avoid 

 tying them too closely ; allow them to grow according to their 

 natural habits as much as circumstances will admit. 



STOVE. 



Encourage the progress of the young stock for winter bloom- 

 ing; maintain a moist and comparatively high temperature. 

 When a fire is necessary here it should be lighted about 1 p.m., 

 be suffered to bum briskly for a couple of hours, and be 

 permitted to go out by four o'clock. The houses may be 

 shut up at five o'clock, and water used in a liberal way. By 

 this means a very sweet and sufficiently warm atmosphere may 

 be preserved during the night without fire heat, which, although 

 a friend in one sense, is a foe in another. An increased circu- 

 lation of ail- may be allowed to Orchids during bright weather 

 that succeeds a period of gloom ; the humidity constantly stag- 

 nant will otherwise have an injurious effect. — W. Eeane. 



DOINGS OP THE LAST "WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN.. 



Very little was done here except in the way of successions, 

 and - planting out for winter wherever there_was the least 



