216 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ September VI, 1872. 



and caution if sturdiness and blooming in perfection at the 

 proper season be aimed at. Water must now be applied with 

 more eaution in proportion to the difference in the supply of 

 natural light and other changes in the atmosphere. The Orange 

 trees should now be placed in their winter quarters, the drain- 

 -age thoroughly examined, the roots top-dressed if required, 

 and a good fumigation of tobacco smoke applied. 



STOVE. 



The plants in this structure should now be neatly arranged, 

 and both heat and humidity diminished by degrees as we get 

 less solar light. Top-dress any plants that require it, and see 

 well to the drainage of all plants, particularly established 

 plants that have not been repotted for a considerable time. 

 As the nights become cold a little fire must be given, not with 

 any intention to promote growth, but to assist in ripening the 

 succulent wood. As all liberally-potted specimens have made 

 unusual progress, it now becomes a serious matter with the 

 ■cultivator how to sufficiently harden their growth in order to 

 make it stand the winter. Admit as much sunlight as possible, 

 and give air abundantly when the temperature exceeds 80°. 



PITS AND FRAMES. 



Continue to pot-off such cuttings as are rooted, place them 

 in a cold pit or frame for a few days in order that they may 

 become established in the pots, when they should be removed 

 to a sheltered situation to harden. Keep every pit or frame 

 well filled, as no time should be lost in securing a sufficient 

 stock for next year. One of the first things claiming attention 

 at the present time is potting bulbs, as much of the success of 

 «arly forcing depends upon early potting. Respecting the kinds, 

 I will only remark, the common and cheap single varieties are 

 the best, and it is much better to have a dozen or two of the 

 same kind than to provide a collection, many of which will 

 not force. I never saw bulbs in finer condition than they are 

 this season. They are not only large, but sound and perfectly 

 matured. Pinks and Violets must also be looked to, the latter 

 both for potting and blooming planted out in the frame or pit. 

 Take them up carefully, breaking the roots as little as possible, 

 and pot them in 32's or 24's, in a mixture of good loam and 

 leaf mould. Place them in a shady situation until they make 

 fresh roots ; or a frame may be put over them if it can be 

 spared. After they are rooted expose them as much as 

 possible ; as the only thing to prevent their damping-off in the 

 winter and to make them flower abundantly, get the shoots 

 thoroughly ripened. Such "Violets as are not wanted for 

 forcing should be planted out at the foot of a south wall, where 

 they will bloom early in the spring. Mignonette should be 

 -thinned in due season. Teu-week Stocks should be sown for 

 pricking into pots by the end of next month. Cinerarias should 

 now be repotted, and Calceolarias parted, placed in 3-inch pots, 

 and plunged in some cinder ashes in a cold pit or frame close 

 to the glass. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Hoeing, planting where there was room, looking after young 

 •crops, and earthing-up Celery have been our principal work. 

 We have also picked rather closely Scarlet Runners and Dwarf 

 "Kidney Beans, even though we did not want them particularly, 

 as we know that one pod allowed to seed will have a greater 

 tendency to distress the plant than twenty pods gathered when 

 crisp and young. The closer the gatherings the more will 

 there be to gather. We have known cottagers often sacrifice 

 scores of fine dishes of Beans in order to save a few seeds ; in 

 ■other words, to secure a shilling's worth of seeds they sacri- 

 ficed from ten to twenty times that value of rich nutritive 

 vegetables. Our advice is, Except for a few seeds, gather closely, 

 and never allow a pod to grow old. If the pods do not break 

 easily across they are too old for use. 



ERUIT DEPARTMENT. 



We have only been acting in routine. Two things, however, 

 are worthy of consideration. First, we are perfectly foiled 

 in endeavouring to find something like a clue to the reason 

 why, even now, some trees are laden with fruit and other trees 

 have not a single fruit on them. We had the idea years ago 

 that some kinds of hardy fruit stood better than others ; but 

 the very best to stand in our old memoranda are really the 

 very worst this season ; so that we confess to be perfectly at 

 sea on the matter. However, a feeling of ignorance is one 

 advantage, in so far as it makes us anxious to pick up even 

 stray leaflets of intelligence. In this direction there is a wide 



field for observation well worth the attention of our younger 

 brethren. 



The other matter concerns Grapes in greenhouse vineries. 

 Many of the varieties would ripen perfectly without any help ; 

 still, to have Grapes well ripened, a little fire heat is of great 

 advantage, and if it is desired to keep the Grapes some time, 

 the more thoroughly they are ripened in September the better 

 they will keep, and for this thorough ripening moderate firing 

 at the end of August and during the first fortnight of Sep- 

 tember is worth more than any amount of firing in October. 

 Many would enjoy a bunch of Grapes in the first months 

 of winter all the better if they gave a little fire heat to help 

 them in the early autumn months. Keep in mind that Grapes 

 well ripened in September will keep better and longer than 

 those ripened in October or later. 



ORNAMENTAL DEPARTMENT. 



The heavy rains have given us the trouble of picking over 

 our beds again, as many fine corymbs of bloom were black- 

 ened, and spoiled the effect of the fresh ones and those just 

 opening. A few days of moist weather make such a change, 

 that we hope to live long enough to see small flower gardens 

 covered with glass, so that the rains shall not rob them of 

 their beauty. We have known many seasons when we did 

 not require to pick leaves from scarlet Geraniums. We are 

 obliged to do so pretty freely now to give the flower-trusses 

 due prominence. The damp weather has just suited Calceo- 

 larias ; they are still splendid, and showing innumerable buds. 

 We wish our readers would send us their observations on the 

 hints of the other week. We are convinced at present that 

 free blooming in the autumn depends on continuous free 

 growth and flowering in summer ; but we are unwilling that 

 such an idea should be received generally without more corro- 

 boration. — R. F. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



N.B. — Many questions must remain unanswered until next 

 week. 



Books {R. J.). — You con have the " Cottage Gardeners' Dictionary " free by 

 post from our office if you enclose 75. 2d. -with your address. 



Fern Case (F. B. S.). — One or two makers of plant cases advertise in our 

 columns; any one of tliem could supply you. 



Benefit Society (A Constant Reader). — We cannot give you the infor- 

 mation. 



Arnott's Stove (J. C. JR.). — See an article in another page. You will also 

 find the pros aud cons in No. 354, January 8th, 1868. 



Summer and Winter Eape {Y. N. T.). — Very few genera are in more 

 confusion in their nomenclature than the genus Brassica. We believe that 

 practically any one species of Bape may be sown so as to he ready for use at 

 any season of the year. However, the Rape or Colsat of our winter provision 

 is the Brassica Napus. The species known as Summer Rape, Navette d'Ete 

 of the French, and Kohl Reps of the Germans, is Brassica pracox. 



Tomato (W. S.). — It was named on page 138, Orangefield Tomato. 



Caterpillars on Cauliflowers (^4 Subscriber). — Dusting over them 

 white hellebore powder destroys them ; but hand-picking is the remedy we 

 employ. A woman wiU clear a large bed in a very short time. 



Wires for Training {F. H.). — From post to post, and an inch from the 

 boards. 



American Grapes {A. W.). — If of merit they will be soon introduced here, 

 but at present we know of not one equal to those we usually cultivate. 



White-flowered Runner Kidney Bean (J. T.). — It is quite common. 



Wintering Alternanthera magntfica {R. J.). — You can winter this 

 safely in a greenhouse along with the Geraniums and other bedding plants, 

 taking up the plants early in October, potting, and placing them in alight airy 

 position, giving no more water than is needful to keep them fresh. 



Lilium speciosum not Flowering (M. F.). — We presume the cause is 

 the weakness of the bulbs. We should advise you to set the pots oat of 

 doors in an open but warm situation, and when the stems turn yellow repot 

 them. After turning the plants out of the pot remove the soil down to the 

 crown of the bulbs, cut off the stems just above the bulb, and remove all the 

 soil that comes away freely from the roots, if there are any ; if there are none, 

 clear away the whole of the soil. Drain the pots well, and place about an 

 inch of the rougher parts of the following compost over the drainage — viz., 

 two ports light fibrous loam, one part sandy peat, and one part leaf soil, with 

 one-sixth of silver sand. Fill the pots to two-thirds of their depth, introduce 

 the bulbs, placing a little silver sand under them, and then add soil so as to 

 cover them about halt an inch deep. Place the pots in a house or frame 

 secure from frost, give water as required to keep the soil moist; and in spring, 

 when the shoots are a few inches higher than the rims of the pots, top-dress 

 with the compost named, filling up the pots nearly level with the rim, but 

 leaving a space for watering. Keep the plants clear of insects, and water 

 liberally, but not so excessively as to saturate the soil. Lilium bulbiferum 

 grandiflorum will succeed under the same treatment. Our " Greenhouses," 

 6(f., or free by post, Id. ; or " In-door Gardening," ls.6ii., freebypost ls.7^rf., 

 will suit you. Either may be had from our office if you send stamps with 

 your address. 



Grapes Withering ( U. V. A.) — We suppose the Grapes are shanking, or 

 the footstalks of the berries dry up, and the berries, as a consequence, shrivel. 

 It results from an insufficient supply of sap, generally caused by the roots 

 being inactive from being in a wet and cold border. There is no remedy but 

 to provide a drier and consequently warmer soil, and allow a good amount of 



