July 25, 1872. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



83 



way in. Pay general attention to gathering and retarding 

 other sorts of fruits. Follow up the system of shortening 

 and stopping, as already recommended. Shoots of Pears may 

 now be headed-back to three or four eyes. In regulating 

 shoots, remember it is important that each should enjoy a due 

 exposure to the influence of the sun. Stop and thin Rasp- 

 berry suckers, &a. 



ELOWEK GAKDEN. 



I must again direct attention to former calendars. Let 

 nothing be allowed to grow out of place, but attend to the 

 wants of growing plants by giving them their proper support 

 and training at this season ; this will take up a considerable 

 portion of time. The next thing requiring consideration will 

 be the propagation of stock for another year. In commencing 

 with Pelargoniums employed for bedding purposes, raised beds 

 of sandy soil will serve to strike the Scarlets and then' allies, 

 whilst the Fancies and other kinds with a delicate habit will 

 be better in pots, or, where large quantities are required, in a 

 frame under glass. Under any eireunistances they will require 

 protection from heavy rains. There is a class, of which 

 Sidonia is one, which strikes with difficulty from cuttings of 

 the shoots, and is best propagated by root-cutting ; prepare 

 cuttings of the thickest roots about 1A inch in length, which 

 should be inserted in shallow pans and plunged in a frame. 

 The oldest plants should be selected for the purpose. Herba- 

 ceous plants and hardy bulbs now in full beauty should be 

 kept in order by tying-up loose growths and keeping the 

 ground free from weeds. Novelties should have their colour, 

 habit, time of flowering, marked down as a guide for future 

 arrangements. Finish the propagation of any choice subjects 

 not yet in, and continue the layering of Cloves, Carnations, 

 Mule Pinks, &c, of which there is rarely an overstock. The 

 cutting-in of Laurels and other loose-growing shrubs should 

 be proceeded with as time permits, and strict attention en- 

 forced in keeping the lawns and gravel walks in neat order. 

 Ranunculus tubers should be taken up forthwith ; should any 

 remain in the ground they would inevitably strike fresh root 

 after the first heavy rain. Let them be gradually dried in the 

 shade. Plant out rooted Pink pipings on well-prepared beds, 

 examine them occasionally to see whether they are uprooted 

 by the worms. Carnations and Picotees, when grown in pots, 

 it is advisable to remove under an awning, where they cau be 

 examined at leisure out of the broiling heat of the sun. 

 Dahlias require abundance of water ; disbud and thin-out as 

 the habit and constitution of the plant require it. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



Let adequate precautions be used to protect the tender 

 greenhouse plants placed temporarily out of doors from the 

 effects of the frequently-recurring storms of wind and rain. 

 Screens may be advantageously employed, all stakes and sup- 

 ports should be proved, and the pots closely examined, lest the 

 plants suffer from defective drainage or the presence of 

 worms. The young reserve stock for filling blanks in the 

 stove should be sedulously encouraged by progressive potting 

 and a warm equable temperature. Gesnera zebrina, Plum- 

 bago rosea, and Torenia asiatica will amply repay attention 

 bestowed on their culture ; decayed Beech leaves with a mix- 

 ture of sharp sand form a compost peculiarly suitable to the 

 first-named plant. Cut clown Pelargoniums; pot-off cuttings 

 directly the roots are formed ; repot those plants previously 

 headed-down ; as soon as they begin to break, propagate by 

 cuttings. Shift and sow Cinerarias and Calceolarias. Sow 

 Mignonette for winter use. The stock of pot Roses should be 

 looked over, useless wood and decayed blossoms removed, and 

 the plants shifted. Camellias which have matured their flower- 

 buds may receive additional assistance either by soil or manure 

 water as circumstances allow. I have previously adverted to 

 the advantage derived from giving plants some kind of rest 

 after blooming, to restore their exhausted energies, and to 

 enable them to make a vigorous start when the new growth 

 commences. At this season of the year greenhouse plants 

 done bloo min g should have a comparatively cool temperature, 

 and no structure presents so many advantages for the purpose 

 as a house with a north aspect. I may further state that 

 for growing delicate-leaved plants through the summer, houses 

 having a north or north-east aspect are preferable, while for 

 the purpose of retarding plants, or for preserving them in 

 bloom, they are indispensable. Such plants, therefore, as 

 Epacrises, Leschenaultias, Pimeleas, Aphelexis, and others of 

 similar habit which have been kept for late bloom and are now 

 over, should be placed in a house of the above description, or 

 in deep frames with the sashes turned towards the north, 



having first picked off the old remaining blooms. Here, by 

 gently syringing once or twice daily, the plants may remain 

 till a new growth commences, when any pruning they may 

 require may be given them, and they may afterwards be 

 placed in more favourable positions for ripening their wood. 

 Camellias, whenever the young wood appears to be ripe, may 

 be removed to the open ah ; they thrive best in the shade, 

 and a situation shaded from the mid-day sun and sheltered 

 from high winds should be secured for them ; be careful to 

 place them on a dry bottom to prevent the possibility of 

 worms getting in. Chinese Azaleas which are equally forward 

 in then - growth, and have formed their next season's flower- 

 buds, may likewise be turned out. Unlike Camellias, the 

 latter require full exposure to sun and ail', and should be 

 placed in an open situation that their wood may become 

 thoroughly ripened ; it will, however, perhaps, be necessary to 

 place them for a week or two in a partially-shaded situation to 

 harden their foliage sufficiently to bear the full sun, as the 

 sudden change from a house to bright sunshine might cause 

 their leaves to turn brown and burn. Orange trees, when too 

 full of bloom, should have the flowers thinned-out. These are 

 always in request for drying or distilling. The young fruit, 

 when too thickly set, should likewise have a thinning, as a few 

 will be sufficient to remain. To produce dark glossy leaves, 

 water with clear soot water. 



stove. 

 A number of Orchids will by this have made then- growth 

 and may be removed gradually to a drier and cooler atmo- 

 sphere. Those which still continue growing must have the 

 syringe two or three times daily, and a humid air maintained 

 by well watering every vacant part of the interior. At the 

 same time growing plants on blocks, or suspended in baskets, 

 should be frequently soaked to effect the complete moistening 

 of the growing material. Some young plants which it is desir- 

 able to lose no time with may again have a shift. They have 

 had a short rest since the spring growth was completed. — W. 

 Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAKDEN. 



The weather has been very trying — so cold and then so hot, 

 and the extremes have been so suddeti that many crops suffer 

 much, and require more than ordinary care. 



Caulifloioers. — We have never had two or three lots in suc- 

 cession finer. That which ought to have come in now has dis- 

 appointed us ; the plants looked all right, but most of them 

 refused to head, making an abortive attempt in something like 

 corkscrew fashion, and yielding little but leaves. We are not 

 sure of the cause, and we find we are not the only sufferers at a 

 time when Cauliflowers ought to be in perfection. At one 

 time we put some of the blame on the wood pigeons, which 

 did much damage by picking out the points of the plants as 

 being the tenderest. We do not consider that these, bad as 

 they were, did all the mischief, as we have had to pull up 

 scores, if not hundreds, of young Cauliflowers, and even winter 

 vegetables, which seemed perfect when planted, but which 

 have lost the terminal bud. Cottagers have suffered terribly 

 round here. We have looked over several very promising seed 

 beds of winter stuff, and in too many cases found more than 

 half the plants so deficient at the points that it would only be 

 waste of labour and ground to plant them out. The lesson to 

 be learned is simply this : Examine the points of all greens 

 before planting them out. We hope the evil is chiefly con- 

 fined to this district. We have heard of some fields of Cab- 

 bages, grown for feeding and market purposes, that have suf- 

 fered in the same way. 



Winter Crops. — As soon as we have ground at liberty we 

 fill it with Broccoli, Borecole, Brussels Sprouts, Savoys, As- 

 paragus Kale, <fec. Of all the Kales none beats the Scotch 

 Cabbaging, as it is dwarf and very prolific of shoots in the 

 spring. Veitch's is also very good. 



Turnips needed thinning. The first crops have done very 

 well. We grow less of them than we used to do, as we find 

 small white Turnips from the field, as soon as they can be ob- 

 tained, are sweeter than those generally grown in old, rich 

 garden ground. But that we must have them, we would say 

 the same of Carrots and Parsnips ; they are always sweetest 

 when grown in a fresh field. As there seems to be a rage for 

 running down and lessening kitchen gardens, though nothing 

 would pay better at market prices, it is well to know that many 

 things might be better grown in fields than in gardens, and, 



