September 5, 1873. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



195 



tinue to make suceessional plantations of Endive. Some of the 

 first planted out -will now be in good condition for tying-up 

 for blanching ; a few only at a time should be tied-up, and 

 these should be tied loosely to allow the heads to swell. A 

 small patch of Bath Cos Lettuce sown now will, if the autumn 

 prove mOd, be more valuable than that sown earlier. Now 

 is the best time to make Mushroom beds out of doors. No time 

 should be lost in getting the crops of Onions stored when 

 fully dry. As the ground from which they are taken is 

 generally used for Cabbage, it should be immediately trenched- 

 up ; if manure is necessary, let it be laid on the top of the 

 trenched soil and fork it in. If, however, the ground was 

 well manured for the Onions it ought to carry the Cabbages 

 through, and they will always come the better for it, because 

 if too much manure comes in contact with the roots in the 

 autumn it induces a succulent luxuriant growth, which renders 

 the plants far more liable to injury from alternations of frost 

 and thaw in the winter. Proceed with the earthing-up of 

 Celery in proportion to the demand. Some of the very latest 

 crop may also be planted in rows to stand through the winter. 

 The haulm of Peas laid by now in a dry place is a good 

 material for covering Celery during severe frost. Radishes 

 may still be sown. Thin-out winter Spinach; the plants 

 should stand at least 8 inches apart, and the ground must be 

 constantly stirred about them. Occasional dustings with quick- 

 lime will also be necessary if slugs appear. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



Where wasps are troublesome means must be taken to pre- 

 serve ripe fruit from then' depredations, and Plums and 

 Peaches had better be netted-up, as wasps, if at all numerous, 

 soon do serious damage to these. Also look frequently over 

 any varieties of Pears ripening, and gather those that are 

 fit, for if allowed to hang after they are ripe the wasps will 

 attack the fruit before it is fit for gathering, so that the crop 

 will probably be spoiled unless it can be netted-up. When 

 Currants are covered with mats — which, by-the-by, are very in- 

 ferior to close nets for this purpose, aud much more expensive 

 — the trees should be uncovered occasionally on fine days, so as 

 to expose the fruit thoroughly to the air in order to prevent 

 their being injured by damp, &o. Trim and dress Strawberry 

 plantations, and be careful to injure the leaves of the plants 

 as little as possible ; avoid deep digging between the rows, 

 which only injures the roots, as the Strawberry succeeds best 

 in a somewhat firm soil. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



At this season much labour and attention will be required 

 to keep up an attractive appearance. Plants which have 

 ceased blooming should be cut down before they look unsightly, 

 and annuals that have become shabby should be pulled up and 

 removed. Gaps in flower borders, and empty flower-beds, are 

 not pleasing to the eye at any season, and still less so now 

 that the beautiful in nature is showing evident symptoms of 

 decay. Have recourse to the reserve stock of Fuchsias, Cal- 

 ceolarias, Geraniums, and other similar plants in pots ; plunge 

 these in their pots in the empty beds and vacant spaces in the 

 borders, to remain till the first appearance of frost. Strong 

 plants of biennials, such as Sweet Williams, Wallflowers, 

 Canterbury Bells, &c, may likewise be planted out into open 

 spaces, that they may get well established before winter. If 

 previous directions have been attended to, the propagation of 

 next season's bedding stock will by this time be well advanced ; 

 and where, from the pressure of other work or various causes, 

 this is not the case, every possible dispatch must be used 

 while the weather is favourable for such work. Where cuttings 

 of Verbenas and such-like plants have yet to be put in, they 

 should be inserted rather thinly in deep pans or shallow pots, 

 in which they can be wintered, as they will be better esta- 

 blished in this way than would be the case if they were 

 potted-off before winter. I have frequently found late cuttings 

 managed in this way wintered fully as well as stronger plants ; 

 and except plants intended to furnish cuttings in the spring, 

 it is immaterial how small bedding plants are before winter, 

 provided they are well rooted without being raised in a 

 close warm atmosphere, which renders them sappy and tender. 

 Many persons, through anxiety to procure large plants, keep 

 bedding-out stock close and moist until late in the autumn, 

 and frequently in frames on dung-beds where size is soon 

 obtained ; but plants treated in this way are necessarily so soft 

 and tender, that it is almost impossible to carry them over the 

 winter without serious loss. Therefore, avoid keeping such 

 plants too warm after this season ; and if they are placed in 

 bottom heat give air at night, and whenever it can be done 



without the cuttings flagging, so as to prevent weakly growth. 

 Routine operations will principally consist in keeping down 

 weeds by weeding, hoeing, and raking. Mowing will not be 

 needed so much as heretofore, but the lawn and grass edgings 

 must be kept in good order by frequently sweeping and rolling. 

 Continue to tie-up and support all plants that require such 

 aid ; gather seeds of choice plants, and secure them as pre- 

 viously directed. Walks in the vicinity of deciduous trees 

 should be swept evening and morning, and rolled at intervals. 

 Watering, too, must not be neglected, especially in the case of 

 plants in vases and baskets. 



GREENHOUSE- AND CONSERVATORY. 



Where valuable stove plants have to be kept in the cqn- 

 servatory while in bloom, they will require careful manage- 

 ment to prevent their being injured by damp, and they must 

 not be overwatered at the root, as stove plants are soon injured 

 in a low temperature if kept too wet. Give ah freely on bright 

 days ; but if the house contains many stove plants it will be 

 advisable to shut up rather early in the afternoon, so as to- 

 retain a little warmth for the night ; and in the event of wet 

 cloudy weather setting in, it will probably be found necessary 

 to use a little fire heat to dispel damp and preserve the 

 blossoms of tender plants, and this should be seen to before 

 handsome specimens get disfigured or ruined for the season, 

 for as those in bloom are not over-plentiful about most places 

 at this season they are worth caring for. Keep everything in 

 these houses as clean and neat as possible, removing decayed 

 leaves, flowers, &c, immediately they are perceived, and ex- 

 amine pot specimens frequently, particularly such as may not 

 occupy the most suitable places, turning them partly round in 

 order to expose all their sides equally to light and air. 



PITS AND FRAMES. 



Make a sowing of Nemophilas, Collinsias, Leptosiphons, and 

 other hardy annuals for next spring. The Intermediate and 

 Ten-week Stocks will require to be pricked-out in pans or 

 boxes, likewise the Schizanthus of sorts ; place them in a cool 

 close frame till well established. Pot-off cuttings of Verbenas 

 and other plants as they strike root. See that cuttings in the 

 frame or tank-pit are not suffering from drought, damp, 

 mildew, thrips, or aphis ; if so, apply the usual remedies. A 

 sharp look-out after slugs will be now be requisite here. — 

 W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE 'LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



The showers at the end of the month rendered it necessary 

 to dust with wood ashes, soot, and lime, seedlings of Lettuces,. 

 Cauliflower, and Spinach just coming through the ground, as- 

 a few snails or slugs would at that time soon clear off beds 

 and rows. AH except the last-sown spring Onions have been 

 taken up and spread out to dry before being housed or stringed. 

 We shall give the latter a few days more, but after the tops 

 fall down and show the least signs of getting yellow, the bulbs 

 rarely increase much more in size, and the longer the roots 

 remain in the ground afterwards the less likely will they be to- 

 keep plump and sound. Young Onions coming through the 

 ground now are apt to be nipped over by rabbits and wood- 

 pigeons, and therefore a dusting to make them unpalatable 

 is one of the best means of securing them. We had our 

 winter Onions considerably nipped last year at the end of 

 October, but by that time the roots had become strong enough 

 easily to recover themselves. It is very different when seed- 

 lings like little needles are cropped over. 



We raised Garlic and Shallots to dry thoroughly, as these 

 cannot be dispensed with in the best cookery. We once knew 

 a place, and a large one too, where nothing of the Mushroom or 

 the Onion tribe was allowed to be grown. A gentleman who 

 did know what was good cooking, held up his hands in astonish- 

 ment, and said, "Save me from ever dining there!" The 

 routine work of sowing for succession, watering, gathering, 

 hoeing and forking over ground, has been merely a repetition 

 of previous weeks' remarks. 



FRUIT DEPARTMENT. 



Commenced cleaning out rows of Strawberries intended to- 

 be left. What are to be destroyed will be trenched down. As 

 the surface soil is rich from dressings, and the Strawberry tops 

 placed at the bottom of the trench will be well decomposed 

 before the roots of other plants reach them, Cabbage and 

 Cauliflower, or other crops needing rich soil, come in well 

 after such beds or quarters of Strawberries. It often saves 

 labour to dig down deeply the remains of previous crops in- 



