174 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 29, 1872. 



and this seemed to be the case at Shugborough by the forward 

 condition of Tomatoes and other things requiring heat. Every 

 nook, corner, and secondary path was in the best of order, as 

 well as the more open spaces, the whole reflecting great credit 

 on Mr. Prentice's management. The nearest station to Shug- 

 borough is Colwich on the North-Western Railway, but for 

 postal purposes it is attached to Rugeley. — J. Robson. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAEDEN. 



Ground now becoming vacant should be trenched up as 

 roughly as possible, manure being applied if necessary. This 

 should always be done as soon as the crops are off, whether 

 the ground is wanted again immediately or not, as it is an 

 absolute loss of fertilising properties to allow it to lie un- 

 turned. Gravel walks must come in now and then for a share 

 of attention in weeding and rolling. Let Asparagus beds be 

 kept free from weeds, and a sufficient supply of seed saved for 

 the annual sowing. Seedling Cauliflowers must not stand too 

 thickly in the seed bed ; the thinnings may be pricked out a 

 sufficient distant apart, and they will make good stocky plants. 

 The watering of Broccoli, Cauliflowers, and Celery must be 

 diligently followed up. Sow Hammersmith Hardy Green 

 Lettuce on sloping banks to stand through the winter. These 

 banks may be rather small, not more than 4 feet through at 

 the base, and steep. Sow both sides of the bank, and it will 

 produce a succession. See that Spinach is properly thinned 

 and the ground stirred. Make a good sowing of approved sorts 

 of Radishes for winter use. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



In the gathering and storing of fruit, Peaches and Nec- 

 tarines should not be allowed to remain on the tree until they 

 are what is technically called dead ripe. A little practice -will 

 enable a person to determine the degree of ripeness at which 

 it should be gathered. Plums should be allowed to remain 

 until perfectly ripe ; the large amount of saccharina matter in 

 the fruit acts as a preservative, and although something may 

 be lost in bulk by its being allowed to remain on the tree, the 

 flavour will not be deteriorated. Such as the Imperatrice and 

 Golden Drop, if protected from wasps, may be kept until a 

 very late period in the season. Apples and Pears generally 

 fall as soon as they arrive at an early stage of ripeness, and 

 that period must be anticipated, and their removal effected 

 as soon as it is ascertained. After- gathering, the fruit intended 

 for keeping should be laid out in the fruit room for a week or 

 ten days, and exposed to a free circulation of air. The fruit 

 will be found clammy from perspiration ; it should then be 

 carefully wiped and laid out thinly in the store room, which 

 should, as soon as the fruit is introduced, be kept securely 

 closed, aud protected from material alterations of tempe- 

 rature. If Apples and Pears are gathered carefully without 

 contusion, and at a proper period sorted, so that all defective 

 fruit may be removed, and stored in the manner above de- 

 scribed—if they are placed on paper so much the better— they 

 may be preserved with very little loss, and found in a plump, 

 high-flavoured condition throughout the winter. 



FLOWER GAEDEN. 



Mowing and general cleaning must be well followed up at 

 this moment, or much extra labour will be the consequence. 

 Unless particular caution be exercised, many losses will arise 

 from the frequent storms of rain and wind. See to the security 

 of stakes and fastenings generally. Attend unremittingly to 

 the propagation of stock for bedding next year. Wistaria 

 sinensis, Jasmines, and the Virginian Creeper may be pro- 

 pagated by cuttings. China Roses, Heartsease, and the tree 

 Violet may also be increased at this time. All spare time 

 will now be profitably employed in the reserve garden, as 

 success during the spring and summer depends in a great 

 degree upon the efficient manner in which our labour is per- 

 formed just now. Continue to propagate showy and choice 

 herbaceous plants by cuttings and division of the roots, and 

 seedlings of late-sown perennials may still be pricked out with 

 advantage. Pot off a goodly number of the different varieties 

 of Brompton, Giant, and Queen Stocks, likewise Pentstemons, 

 Antirrhinums, Linums, Viscarias, &c, that they may have a 

 little protection should the winter be severe. Continue to 

 plant out Pinks, Clove Carnations, and rooted cuttings of hardy 

 herbaceous plants into nursery beds. See that the plants 

 already established in beds are kept in a state of health and 

 vigour by stirring the surface of the soil. Look now and then 



at the late-budded Roses, and loosen the ligatures when neces- 

 sary. Pinch back to half their length those buds which have 

 made shoots ; if left at full length they are apt to be blown 

 about by the winds. Remove all shoots and suckers from the 

 stock ; if left too long to luxuriate in then' present position, 

 they have a tendency to weaken the constitution of the stock. 

 Those budded in 1871 will likewise require attention. See that 

 the heads are well secured against the high winds which gene- 

 rally prevail during this month and the next. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



Large conservatory specimens which have been retained within 

 the house should be carefully looked over before the general 

 collection is introduced, and thoroughly cleansed by hand- 

 washing wherever the scale is detected. Orange trees particu- 

 larly require this attention. Whatever pruning or training is 

 required by climbing plants, the same opportunity of completing 

 it should be used. Stands should be cleaned, and all the 

 necessary repairs at once effected. As the plants from without 

 are brought in let them be carefully cleansed of moss and all 

 impurities, the drainage looked to, and each plant'scrupulously 

 freed from insects, dead leaves, and all unnecessary ligatures. 



STOVE. 



Stove specimens temporarily disposed in other houses should 

 now be restored to the proper position, and should generally 

 receive that treatment calculated to ripen their summer's 

 growth of wood, and so prepare them against the injurious 

 effects of our trying winters. 



PITS AND FRAMES. 



Some cold frames should now be prepared for the reception 

 of alpine plants in pots, especially the more delicate species, 

 to remain for the winter : this should be done as speedily as 

 possible in case a wet season should set in, which is certain 

 destruction to this humble but interesting class of plants. 

 Previous to plunging them in the frames, water them overhead 

 with clear liine water to destroy the worms which may have 

 found a lodgment in the pots, or slugs that may be lurking 

 behind the foliage. Remember that they must not be covered 

 with the lights during fine weather, but only in times of 

 rain. Continue to put in readiness structures which have been 

 used during the summer months for winter stock, by white- 

 washing the walls, cleaning the flues, &a. Heliotropes, Ver- 

 benas, scarlet Pelargoniums, and Roses required for decorative 

 purposes should be progressively shifted, stopped, and trained. 

 They will be found useful until a late period of the year. 

 Chrysanthemums, Cinerarias, and Primula sinensis are com- 

 mon plants which cannot be put aside, and which amply repay 

 any attention bestowed on their culture. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



So great has been the change in the fine weather for the 

 harvest, when the carts could carry in the Wheat day after day 

 without intermission, that we have had to water finely-pulver- 

 ised soil before sowing our last Cauliflowers. We have some- 

 times sown in the middle of September, and the plants did us 

 good service for the first protected crop early in spring, but 

 on the whole, on our cold heavy soil it is as well to sow at the 

 end of August. What will be our earliest have leaves as large 

 as a threepenny-piece. These and Cabbages in seed-beds we 

 have had to water and shade a little with a few evergreen 

 twigs, as the sun was very powerful on them, for they were in 

 an exposed place. We also watered Lettuces and Endive lately 

 planted-out to get them to grow freely, as neither are of much 

 use when stunted. We find that the Potato disease is worse 

 in small gardens than we even suspected it to be. It will tell 

 hardly on many a poor family. 



Weeds have come up so thickly in some places that hoeing 

 must be freely resorted to ; and in such dry weather the loose 

 surface will be a great advantage to all growing plants, as the 

 ground, where unhoed, became very hard on the surface. 

 The moist warm weather was good for the Turnips, and in 

 many cases since the change of weather the plants as to tuber 

 and foliage have made wonderful progress. As regards sow- 

 ings for succession and for winter and spring use, we must 

 refer to previous weeks. 



FRUIT DEPARTMENT. 



We nearly finished nipping, shortening, nailing, and tying 

 for the summer, but as soon as possible we will go over Cur- 

 rants and Gooseberries, shortening them in a similar manner, 

 as that perforce has as yet been neglected. 



