October 17, 1872. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



313 



of watering and regulating the admission of air, little is required. 

 Trees liable to the attacks of scale should be narrowly looked 

 over at least once a-week that it may be repressed in time. The 

 early-flowering Chrysanthemums that have for some time been 

 staked and placed inside some structure will now be showing 

 their flower-buds. Take care that these are thinned in due time, 

 as half a dozen perfectly well-formed flowers are worth a barrow- 

 load of inferior and defective ones. See, too, that all growing 

 plants of the Chrysanthemum are supplied, as previously di- 

 rected, with clear manure water in moderation ; and if mildew 

 should appear on the foliage, dredge it, after making them damp 

 with the syringe with sulphur vivum, which will readily have 

 the desired effect of eradicating that pest. Heaths or Epacrises, 

 however located, will now need especial attention. Some late- 

 flowering varieties will even now be growing pretty freely, espe- 

 cially those which have received late shifts : greater need of 

 caution as regards watering such sorts will, therefore, be neces- 

 sary. Some few Epacrises, such as E. autumnalis, will soon be- 

 come gay with flowers, and are worthy of every encouragement. 

 Admit air freely both night and day upon all favourable occa- 

 sions, withholding everything in the shape of fire heat until its 

 aid becomes absolutely required, in order to counteract the 

 effects of actual frosts. A perpetual bloom of Hoses may be 

 managed with comparatively little artificial assistance. Young 

 plants in a growing state of the Bourbon and Perpetual kinds, 

 especially if kept in activity by progressive shifting and rich 

 stimulants, will flower until early-forced plants begin to bloom ; 

 a common pit with a very little bottom heat will be found quite 

 sufficient for this purpose. 



STOVE. 



See to the re -arrangement of the plants, putting those to rest 

 that require it, and setting others to work in due time that have 

 taken their rest. These should be shaken out and repotted, 

 cutting-back such as require it, and placing them for a time in a 

 structure of some land that has the means of supplying a mode- 

 rate bottom heat. In these structures, too, as previously di- 

 rected, both heat and evaporation should be modified. As the 

 supply of light diminishes, especial attention must be directed 

 to such subjects as generally afford a supply of flowers during 

 next month or two. Begonias which have been pinched-back 

 and which are pot-bound, old plants of Justicia speciosa, Hibis- 

 cus, Centradenia, Thunbergia fragrans, &c, may be classed 

 among the plants that come in naturally if properly treated; 

 whilst the good old Euphorbia jacquinia?flora will, if kept 

 rather dry for a fortnight or so, come in a month earlier than it 

 otherwise would do. Nor must Poinsettias and the berry-bear- 

 ing varieties of Ardisia be overlooked. The former should not 

 be potted in too large pots, but should be so treated that the 

 ball is well filled with roots just at the commencement of its 

 flowering. The latter description of plants should have less 

 water when the berries have attained their full size. 



, FOBCTNG PIT. 



This should now get a thorough cleaning of the old materials. 

 If heat be applied by fermenting materials, these should be at 

 once properly renewed with kindly substances. Nothing is better 

 for the purpose than good tree leaves with a portion of old tan, 

 saw or wood dust, or other refuse that has been charred for 

 placing on the surface as a plunging material. Nothing is so 

 healthy for this latter purpose as charred matter, which has 

 the power of condensing from the atmosphere such gases as are 

 most congenial for the well-doing of all plants, and the power of 

 giving them off as required for the purification of the interior 

 atmosphere. Of course the thorough lime-whiting of the 

 whole structure from top to bottom should now be performed. — 

 W. Keaxe. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Celery. — We shall gradually earth-up our late Celery, as 

 there will be now no danger from dryness at the roots. We do 

 this by means of two semicircular pieces of old spouting placed 

 together, and dry sifted ashes poured down, so as to give a 

 thin casing of ashes round each plant, the banking earth being 

 outside. 



FRUIT DEPARTMENT. 



We have cleaned and manured most of our Strawberries in 

 the open ground. This greatly tends to protect and nourish the 

 plants for the winter. Strawberries in pots have needed no 

 watering of late. A part of ours are later than usual, but they 

 are rooting freely, and sometimes we have had them too strong. 



This is a good time for preparing to plant fruit trees towards 

 the end of the month. We prefer, when there is much planting 

 to be done, to trench the ground, and then plant on mounds on 

 the surface, keeping these mounds damp enough with mulching. 

 Were we planting trees that we could move at home, we should 

 prefer transplanting them whilst they had still some green 

 leaves, and these and the heat in the soil would ensure early 

 and immediate rooting. We should have similar trees from a 

 distance if the roots were carefully taken up, well puddled, 



and packed in something damp. The last example we saw in 

 the case of an amateur, who wished to do the very best, was a 

 bundle of trees with the roots torn up, and packed in the middle 

 of October in a single covering of mat. The roots were as dry 

 as dry could be, and, as was to be expected, the wood shrivelled 

 in proportion to the number of once green but dried and baked 

 leaves. A great reform is wanted in the mode of taking up and 

 transmitting trees. 



ORNAMENTAL DEPARTMENT. 



The above remarks will also apply to all ornamental trees 

 and shrubs. From practice and observation, if we had much 

 planting to do for ornament or profit, and success and economy " 

 were alike to be considered, we would obtain young plants from 

 the nurseryman, keep them a year or two in a nursery of our 

 own, giving them more room, and then take them up carefully 

 and plant them at once. We do not believe that a gentleman 

 can raise young trees so economically as he can purchase them 

 from the tree nurseryman. On the other hand, it is rarely that 

 trees sent from long distances and in large quantities will thrive 

 so well as those that have been nursed on the estate, and taken 

 up just as they could be properly and carefully planted. Where 

 much is to be done, the most economical and successful mode 

 is to procure the plants from the shrub-and-tree-raiser, and yet 

 have a small home nursery from which to take not more than 

 can be planted in a day ; and arrangements must also be made 

 that the roots shall be but little dried or exposed before planting, 



Flower-beds. — The storm of the night of the 10th and morning 

 of the 11th damaged the flower-beds considerably, but still, few 

 things have suffered except what were gorgeous beds of Coleus. 

 As yet the Iresine Lindeni a little sheltered is safe ; exposed 

 freely, both it and I. Herbstii have suffered a little. 



Where there is room, now is a good time to prepare for form- 

 ing large specimens of Scarlet Geraniums, by taking the roots 

 up carefully and placing them in the smallest pots they will 

 occupy until fresh roots are formed, when they can have more 

 pot room. If the pots can be kept secure from frost the plants 

 will soon root, but they will do this much more speedily if they 

 receive a little bottom heat to hasten rooting. Want of room 

 prevents our doing more in this way, as fine specimens, espe- 

 cially by the last mode, are easily made. In both cases, with all 

 tribes of the scarlets, we strip off most of the leaves, leaving 

 only a few at the points. This saves picking-off afterwards, and 

 every joint of the stems left will throw out side shoots. This, 

 therefore, for fine specimens is a far better mode than cutting 

 the plants down. When a little heat can be afforded, the flower- 

 buds on the points of the shoots will push well for cutting. As 

 example is often better than precept, we may mention that 

 though we fear the double scarlets and pinks will be apt to grow 

 too strong out of doors in our heavy soil, we yet wished to get 

 a stock of good strong plants for pots for corridors. We find 

 that their huge umbels of flowers in rich soil in pots do not 

 shed their petals as most of the single kinds do. We raised, 

 therefore, out of the ground a number of fine strong plants ; all 

 the earth fell from the roots. We potted in as small pots as the 

 roots would go into, tied the plants when necessary, and took off 

 every leaf except the small ones at the points of the shoots : 

 the plants thus stand for the present in little room. We 

 plunged the pots in a mild hotbed in a pit, and after watering 

 each pot left a little air on at the top of each light. We shall 

 watch the bottom heat. H taken care of, each of these may be 

 made a huge specimen next season. The success will greatly 

 depend on the early rooting. 



Everything tender should now be placed under glass; even 

 Chrysanthemums in pots should be protected. — B. F. 



TEADE CATALOGUES BECEIVED. 



Thomas Kivers & Son, Sawbridgeworth, Herts. — Catalogue 

 of Fruit Trees, 1872. 



F. & A. Dickson & Sons, 106, Eastgate Street, Chester. — 

 Descriptive Catalogue of Hoses and Hollyhocks. 



I. Brvmning, 1, Market Place, Great Yarmouth. — Catalogue 

 of Flotcer Boots, Dried Natural Flowers, &c. — Select List of 

 Carnations, Picotees, and Pinks. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



*„* We request that no one will write privately to any of the 

 correspondents of the " Journal of Horticulture, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Country Gentleman."' By so doing they 

 are subjected to unjustifiable trouble and expense. All 

 communications should therefore be addressed solely to 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture, dec, 171, Fleet 

 Street, London, E.C. 

 Haize (F. Richards). — Inform us how a parcel can be sent, and how to be 



directed. 

 Pears Black-rusted (L. J. E.). — Tour deep claTey soil is the cause. 



The roots have descended too far. Cut away the roots that have descended, 



drain the soil thoroughly, and mulch the surface oyer tiie roots to keep them 



near the surface. 



