October 24, 1S72 ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



333 



and cut them off by handf uls, but do not strip tbem off for fear 

 of injuring the buds. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



Use all diligence in pushing forward any alterations required. 

 Proceed with laying turf and the removal of shrubs. Lengthy 

 discussions and conflicting opinions as to the proper time for 

 transplanting Hollies and other things have frequently occupied 

 the columns of our gardening periodicals, hut I hold that 

 there is nothing sounder in practice or more valid in theory 

 than early autumn planting. The uniformly moist atmosphere 

 in October and November, and the general exemption of these 

 months from severe frosts and drying winds, are circumstances 

 too favourable to the crippled energies of large evergreen or 

 deciduous trees under removal to be overlooked by those who 

 would succeed ; therefore, those who intend alterations should 

 proceed at once. The condition of the autumn-struck cuttings 

 should be ascertained, and whenever indications of damping 

 appear, remove the pots to drier quarters. Give air liberally to 

 young plants in pits and frames. Scarlet and bedding-out 

 Geraniums should be kept in houses where fires can occasion- 

 ally be' lighted, by which they -will grow gently through the 

 winter. As the vineries are cleared of Grapes fill them, unless 

 they are otherwise occupied, with the more choice plants, re- 

 serving the pits and frames for the Calceolarias, Lobelias, and 

 similar plants, which do not suffer so much from cold and 

 damp. As soon as the greater part of the leaves are off the 

 trees, let the pleasure ground he thoroughly cleaned and swept. 

 The leaves, if of sufficient quantity, should be stacked up for 

 forcing purposes, covering borders, and the like. Such parts of 

 the lawn as are contiguous to the house should be swept daily 

 to remove leaves and wormcasts, and the gravel walks should 

 be frequently rolled to preserve a smooth surface. The present 

 is a good time for re-arranging the herbaceous ground, which is 

 rendered necessary every two or three years by many of the 

 free-growing plants becoming too large. Let the borders have a 

 dressing of well-rotted cow dung before replanting. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



Cuttings of Pelargoniums that are now thoroughly rooted 

 should be immediately potted-off, so that they may be well 

 established in their pots previous to the approach of winter. 

 Those -who flower their Pelargoniums late in the season, and, 

 •consequently, propagate' late, will find it preferable to the dis- 

 advantage of late potting, to leave the cuttings in the store pots 

 "until early in spring, placing them on the shelf near the glass, 

 where they can have plenty of air on all favourable occasions, 

 and no more water than is absolutely necessary to keep them in 

 health. A few of the strongest of the Cinerarias should now 

 be shifted and encouraged to grow freely. They will be found 

 useful in the conservatory early in the spring. Place Chrysan- 

 themums under glass, and finish potting Dutch bulbs, &c. — 

 "W. Keane. 



DOINGS OP THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



"We continued to partially earth-up Celery as lately referred 

 to, and looked over banks, or rather ridges, of Lettuces, in order 

 to make-up deficiencies ; also, with the same object, the plant- 

 ation of Cabbages for spring use. Few plants in either case 

 .have gone wrong this season from the attacks of slugs, grubs, 

 or wireworms. The constant scuffling with the hoe and moving 

 are great deterrents, but one year we lost large numbers of 

 Cabbages from the grub of daddy-longlegs, and there was just 

 as much scuffling and hoeing then as now. Strange to say, we 

 have often been less troubled with grubs, snails, and similar 

 enemies after a mild winter than after one in which there was 

 severe frost. 



We planted two rows of Lettuces, a Brown and a White Cos, 

 in the front of a late orchard house, in which little is left but 

 Plums. Close to the fruit is a row of Parsley, and the Lettuces 

 are behind it. In a severe winter the Parsley is invaluable, and 

 the Lettuces come in early iu spring, after those protected in 

 frames are over, and before those on south banks and ridges 

 come in. If at any period a nice crisp Lettuce is a luxury, it is 

 in the early spring months. 



Cauliflowers. — Those coming into use are still fine, and if the 

 -weather be open the others will continue so. If it be otherwise, 

 we must protect and take rip. Young plants under hand-lights 

 planted as previously referred to, are all secure, but as there 

 ■were trails of slugs we scattered ashes and quicklime over the 

 ground outside. We shall try to find a frame empty ere long, 

 and will fill it with stubby plants to turn out in the spring. 

 Even Cabbages, if pricked out now, will make better succes- 

 sions when planted out' in spring than if left standing in the 

 seed-bed. 



We cleared-off Ehubarb, Sea-kale, &c, preparatory to forcing, 

 and cleaned Mushroom-beds, putting a slight covering of dry 

 hay and litter over those from which we wished to gather ere 

 long, as our first bed in the house, though bearing well, does 

 not produce a basketful every day. Gathered a lot of Vegetable 



Marrows, as we wanted the space, and they will keep a good 

 while in a cool place. 



In the wet days we were busy making tallies, washing pots, 

 and cleaning and washing houses intended for plants. We have 

 a new potting shed, with a boiler in connection with the water- 

 receiver, so that hot water or cold water can be supplied at 

 pleasure. Washing pots becomes quite a comfort in a wet cold 

 day when warm water is used. One advantage of the hot water 

 is that the pots dry so much sooner than when cold water is 

 used. For pots that are to be plunged it is of little rise to take 

 much pains with the outside, but the inside should be scru- 

 pulously cleaned. It is next to impossible to take a ball clean 

 out of a pot if, at the time of repotting, that pot was dirty, had 

 some encrustations of soil inside, or was even wet from the tub. 

 One secret of success with pot plants is using thoroughly clean 

 pots. If clean, a pot, however old, is just as good as one fresh 

 from the kiln. For some purposes it is better, as for tender 

 particular plants it is well that new pots should be soaked in 

 water and dried previous to use. New pots used at once are apt 

 to absorb too much moisture from the soil, and thus leave a 

 space between the soil and the pot, through which the water 

 passes too freely without penetrating the ball of earth. 



FRUIT G.ARDEN. 



We have pruned the Vines in a vinery, and thoroughly washed 

 the woodwork, glass, and stages with hot soap water. As there 

 had been plants of Coleus in it, and some mealy bug had ap- 

 peared, we scraped off the surface soil to the depth of nearly 

 an inch, and watered all over with water as near the boiling 

 point as possible, using a rose, so that the water would sink 

 from half an inch to an inch in depth, and thus destroy any eggs 

 that there might be. The Vines were well scrubbed with 

 stronger soap water. Our experience leads us to place much 

 reliance on hot water for getting into every hole and crevice, 

 and though nearly at the boiling point, it is much reduced in 

 temperature before it reaches stems or twigs when applied by a 

 syringe or otherwise, and we have never found that thus applied 

 to deciduous trees when dormant it ever did any harm to twigs, 

 shoots, or buds. 



A Peach house, which we shall prune shortly and clean, so as 

 to fill every available inch with bedding and other plants that 

 are receiving temporary protection out of doors, has undergone 

 the first process of cleaning by copiously syringing wall trees, 

 woodwork, glass, &c, with water as hot as a man can put on 

 with the syringe, using a stout cloth round the syringe where 

 it is held with the left hand. Warm water with half an ounce 

 of soft soap to the gallon, is one of the best protectors from 

 legions of insects. A small copper is therefore valuable in a 

 garden. For home-made marwire water it is also useful, as all 

 the eggs and larva? in the droppings of the sheep, horse, cow, 

 and other animals can by its use be destroyed, and, therefore, 

 the manure water thus made is purer and safer than when the 

 droppings are merely soaked in cold water. 



Proceeded with pruning as the weather would permit, and 

 cleared out the superfluous and weaker shoots of Raspberries. 

 This ought to have been done earlier, as in all our experience we 

 never saw the shoots so green at this season. We fear that 

 owing to the dull and dripping autumn the wood of many fruit 

 trees where there was anything like free growth, will be im- 

 perfectly matured. In this respect we feel sure there will be a 

 difference next season in cases where free growth has been per- 

 mitted, and especially in the case of those pyramidal and dwarf 

 trees that owing to high planting and summer-pinching have 

 been allowed to make but very moderate growth. 



We looked over the fruit-room frequently, and removed all 

 fruit that was decaying. Though this season our crop on the 

 whole was deficient, yet the samples are fair, and we never 

 knew Apples and Pears keep so well. What we have lost is a 

 mere nothing.' Apples, though a little spotted, can be used for 

 kitchen purposes, though they would scarcely be tolerated in 

 seasons when they were abundant. 



In such dull moist weather late Grapes should be frequently 

 looked over. As yet we have not had a dozen decayed berries, 

 but one allowed to remain will soon destroy a bunch. A little 

 fire heat and plenty of air during the day, keeping the atmo- 

 sphere dry from having few or no plants in pots, greatly contri- 

 bute to sound and good keeping. Except in severe frosts, there 

 ought always to be a little air at the back or top of the house at 

 night. We dare not open our front lights, otherwise we should 

 have four-footed intruders that would do more injury than 

 damp. — R. F. 



TRADE CATALOGUES BECEIVED. 



W. Paul, Waltham Cross, London, N. — Descriptive Catalogue 

 of Hardy Ornamental Trees and Shrubs. 



' Charles Turner, Royal Nurseries, Slough.— Catalogue ofBoses, 

 Fruit Trees, Coniferce, Shrubs, &c. 



A. C. Wilkin, Tiptree, Kelvedon, Essex.— List of Forest Trees, 

 Shrubs, Apples, Pears, tic. 



J. Harrison, Darlington. — Descriptive Catalogue of Fruit 

 Trees, Ornamental Trees and Shrubs. 



