August 1, 1872. ] 



JOUENAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



99 



Cuttings root freely enough, but are difficult to get in 

 quantity, except duplicates or reserve plants are kept for the 

 purpose of yielding stock. Another objection to cuttings is 

 that they branch less freely, and consequently flower less pro- 

 fusely, than seedlings. — W. S. (in The Gardener). 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Clear away haulm, stumps, and the refuse of crops directly 

 they are over, and, even if the ground is not wanted, dig it. At 

 this season, however, there is seldom ground to spare, for it 

 should be remembered that the supply for several months in 

 winter and spring will depend on diligence in planting-out a 

 large supply of those vegetables most likely to be in demand. 

 Potatoes and other crops soon coming off' may be interlined 

 with Broccolis or winter greens ; and if there is not sufficient 

 room, a quantity may be planted 1 foot apart to wait for 

 ground as it comes in, when the whole may be again planted 

 at proper distances, or every alternate row and plant in the 

 row may be removed to vacant ground. Get Endive planted- 

 out on very rich soil, also Lettuce to maintain a succession, 

 and attend to other small salad herbs. See to securing a 

 good supply of Parsley for winter use ; it is always largely in 

 demand. A good bed should be planted in some convenient 

 place, so that it may be protected during severe weather in 

 winter. The soil should be of a light texture, deep, and well 

 drained, as a preventive against damp in winter. Select a 

 piece of light open ground, and prepare it for Winter Spinach, 

 by giving it a heavy dressing of manure, and trenching or 

 digging it deep. This crop should be sown about the 15th of 

 the month in drills in beds, allowing wide alleys, so as to be 

 able to gather the crop without treading on the soil ; also provide 

 ground for winter Onions. Tomatoes must be regularly 

 attended to, keeping the shoots thin, and stopping them above 

 a cluster of fruit, for if the plants are allowed to ramble and 

 grow too freely there will be a poor chance in an unfavourable 

 season of securing a good crop of fruit. Shallots, if left in 

 the ground after the bulbs are matured, are apt to mildew and 

 decay in wet weather, therefore they should be pulled as soon 

 as the tops begin to decay, and spread out in an airy place to 

 dry before storing them away. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



The tendency to excessive luxuriance frequently exhibited 

 by espalier trees, renders disbudding, stopping, and shortening 

 shoots essential. The whole principle of pinching is merely 

 this — in the first place, to pinch all young shoots not neces- 

 sary for the framework of the tree ; secondly, to stop those 

 shoots which threaten to overgrow their neighbours, by which 

 means a due equilibrium of the branches will he maintained ; 

 and finally, having commenced a system of repression, to con- 

 tinue it in regard to lateral shoots which are developed by 

 reason of this practice of stopping. While, according to 

 the general plan pursued, every encouragement is afforded 

 to the development of the roots by the application of soils, 

 a necessary limitation of wood destroys the unity of force 

 between the two. Root-pruning is thus obviously suggested, 

 and may at the proper season be practised with advantage. If 

 attention has been paid to pinching the shoots according to 

 previous directions, there will at this moment probably be 

 found on the branches which have undergone the operation a 

 little tuft of three or four, or even more, lateral shoots. It is 

 a good time now to look to these heads of young spray ; in 

 some cases the chief shoot may be shortened back to the last 

 lateral, allowing it .to become the leader, and if that should 

 take a development stronger than is advisable, it must again 

 be pinched. There are more cases of this kind afforded by 

 the Peach than any other fruit tree. The principle holds 

 good for all of them. The practice above alluded to, if re- 

 gularly pursued for several seasons, will yearly become less 

 troublesome ; the tree will he used to such treatment, and will 

 gradually acquire the desired habit. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



The flower garden now will be in its greatest beauty, and 

 every means must be taken to keep the turf, gravel, and 

 edgings in order. Dead flowers should be picked off daily, 

 and stray growth reduced within proper limits. Trailing and 

 climbing plants should be frequently gone over to keep them 

 neatly trained, and secure them from rough winds; for the 

 same purpose examine Hollyhocks, Dahlias, and other tall- 

 growing plants. Remove the dead flowers from Roses, and 



encourage the production of autumn blooms in the Perpetuals 

 by watering with liquid manure and mulching the surface of 

 the ground where practicable. Continue the propagation of 

 plants for next season, in which dispatch with the more deli- 

 cate Pelargoniums should be urged to get them established 

 before winter. Fork the ground slightly around Dahlias, and 

 mulch the surface with well-decayed manure. Take care that 

 the laterals are well staked-out, and use every means to trap 

 earwigs and other vermin which injure the flowers. Look 

 over the faded blooms of Pinks, extract the petals from the 

 pods. Should wet set in, these decayed petals will act pre- 

 judicially by retaining moisture round the lower part, which 

 will cause rottenness and consequent destruction. Rooted 

 cuttings of Pansies for making up the autumnal beds will now 

 be ready, or nearly so. It wUl, therefore, be necessary to make 

 the beds requisite for their reception. In doing this it is ab- 

 solutely necessary that wireworms should be caught ; therefore 

 the compost should have repeated turnings, for these enemies 

 are as destructive amongst young Pansies as they are to Car- 

 nation layers. Throw out the soil from the Tulip bed on the 

 paths, so that it may sweeten previously to being returned. 

 Some florists adopt with considerable success the plan of 

 sowing Mustard seed on it, which, after having vegetated, is 

 mixed with the soil ; this is believed to be the means of 

 banishing wireworms from the bed. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



In keeping-up a stock of plants there must necessarily be, 

 besides those depended on for the principal show of bloom, 

 younger branches of the same family advancing to supersede 

 their seniors whenever old age or decay shall have consigned 

 the latter to the rubbish heap. I previously adverted to the 

 rapidity with which even difficult plants may be grown ; any 

 plants, therefore, in pots, which it is desirable should be 

 grown quickly, and to aid which purpose have been allowed a 

 kind of rest after their spring growth, may now have a shift 

 according to their habits and condition. It will not, however, 

 be advisable to give them so large a shift comparatively at 

 this season as might have been ventured upon in the spring, 

 as whatever wood the plant makes after the present shift must 

 be ripened, unless in the case of such free-flowering plants as 

 bloom on the current growing wood. As this shift will have 

 to carry the plants through the white* months, the drainage 

 of the pots should be ample. After a few days a free open 

 situation should be selected for the newly-potted plants, that 

 the new growth may be made under favourable conditions for 

 its maturation. The greatest care must be taken where valu- 

 able tender-rooted plants are out of doors ; the heavy drench- 

 ing rains we have had will (unless the plants have been well 

 protected), have placed their roots in an unfavourable state, 

 and no time should be lost in removing such under the cover 

 of glass. The more hardy plants left out of doors should be 

 examined frequently to see that the water passes freely through 

 the pots. 



STOVE. 



If there are sickly or badly-rooted specimens here they must 

 be frequently examined for red spider, otherwise they will be- 

 come a nursery for this pest, which will soon spread to adjoining 

 plants. Also guard against the increase of mealy bug, and. 

 keep black thrips and green fly in check by timely applications 

 of tobacco smoke. See that young growing stock is not allowed, 

 to suffer from want of pot room, and attend carefully to the 

 watering, giving manure water to all plants in free growth that 

 enjoy it. Gardenias, &a., which have been removed to the 

 conservatory while in bloom should be replaced in heat as soon 

 as their beauty is over, in order to allow of their growth 

 being matured before the dull cloudy days of November. 

 Give every attention to plants for winter blooming, affording- 

 them a moist warm temperature, and using every care to- 

 prevent their sustaining any check at the present season. The 

 growing stock of Orchids will require the assistance of a little 

 artificial heat if the weather is wet and cloudy. Shading must 

 be promptly attended to when bright sunshine occurs. Allow 

 them, however, as much light as they will bear without injury, 

 using a very light screen, and that only when absolutely 

 necessary — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 

 Such a week of sunshine and shade, calm and storm, dry- 

 ness and deluge, we never remember ; and these alternations 

 came in such close succession as to baffle the most weather- 

 wise. The lightning, thunder, and deluges of rain on the 



