July 5, 186J. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



13 



most of what is required for the next few weeks. In the 

 meantime some attention must, he paid to propagating 

 various kinds of perennial plants of which a stock is 

 required. Cuttings may he put in of Tea and China 

 Roses, selecting wood of the present year when it hecomes 

 a little firm at the hase. Roots, bulbs, &c, of Anemones, 

 Tulips, Crocuses, Scillas, Fritillarias, &c, which have been 

 out of the ground for some time to dry, should be properly 

 labelled, and put by till the autumn, when they will be re- 

 quired to fill up their respective beds for spring flowering. 

 Keep the smaller and seedling plants free from weeds, and 

 lose no time in sowing perennial and biennial flower seeds 

 for blooming next season. Quick and Privet hedges should 

 be closely cut-in with the shears. Let them slope-in a little 

 towards the top, which will give them a better appearance ; 

 but hedges of larger-leaved plants as Laurel, Turkey and 

 Lucombe Oak, and Sweet Bay, must have the young wood 

 cut back with the knife, as the shears would destroy the 

 beauty of their leaves. Shrubs grown to embellish Italian 

 and geometric gardens, ten-aces, &c, should now likewise 

 be cut into the figures they are to assume; in many cases 

 wires will be necessary to keep the branches in the proper 

 places at first, when afterwards the. knife and shears will 

 suffice to keep them in proper form. Portugal Laurel, Cy- 

 presses, Arbor Vitaes, Yews, Bays, and tree Box, are the 

 plants most commonly employed for this purpose, and when 

 cut into architectural figures are fine accompaniments of the 

 above style of gardening. They should, however, be clipped- 

 in two or three times during the season, to preserve correctly 

 the required outline. Flowering shrubs as they go out of 

 bloom to have the dead flowers, &c, removed, and be 

 slightly cut back. For the same reason remove the seed- 

 pods from Rhododendrons, tree Pasonies, &o. These little 

 attentions will be followed by an increased growth of the 

 plant, and with the greater certainty of their blooming 

 every season. Late-sown annuals should be thinned out 

 as soon as they are well above ground, for if left to grow 

 too thickly they spoil one another, and never make half 

 the display plants do that are allowed plenty of space, 

 and which are grown strongly from the first. Plants grow- 

 ing in baskets and vases to have a final stirring of the 

 surface of the soil before it is entirely covered with foliage. 

 Likewise put on a layer of moss to cheek evaporation, and 

 thus save some labour in watering. On light dry soils Ame- 

 rican plants will be greatly benefited by a good soaking of 

 water after flowering, and the finer specimens should be 

 mulched to assist in keeping the roots moist during the 

 growing season. Water Dahlias in dry weather; it will also 

 be serviceable to mulch the surface of the soil with rotten 

 manure Trap earwigs. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



Peach trees will require repeated attention directed to 

 the judicious regulation of the wood, with the view of main- 

 taining the equilibrium of the tree. An undue growth of 

 laterals should be suppressed, and the shoots regularly 

 tacked to the wall, and the fruit exposed to the light. Trained 

 Pears demand similar attention. Remove Raspberry suckers, 

 four will be sufficient to remain. Strawberry runners will 

 be found sufficiently advanced for layering. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



Should the plant-structures require repairs or cleaning, 

 the stock may be removed with greater safety at this than 

 at any other period. It is injudicious to leave the com- 

 pletion of such work until late in the season. Enjoin care 

 in watering. Some importance belongs to the due adjust- 

 ment of the supply to meet the varying requirements of the 

 plants. Attend to the propagation of Pelargoniums and 

 herbaceous Calceolarias, and other half-hardy plants. For- 

 ward Chinese Primroses for winter blooming, and watch the 

 general stock for autumn decoration. See that the Lilacs, 

 Deutzias, and Provence Roses forced the preceding season 

 are plunged and top-dressed. Propagate the Chinese Chry- 

 santhemums for blooming in small pots. Go over the 

 twiners in the conservatory frequently, and regulate the 

 growth before the shoots get entangled ; but avoid keeping 

 them tied too closely, for they are never seen to advantage 

 unless they are allowed to hang in their own natural and 

 graceful manner. A number of hardwooded plants which 

 were cut back some weeks since, will now have recovered 

 themselves, and be commencing a fresh growth. This is 



the proper time to shift into larger pots any plants requiring 

 it. After potting keep the plants close for a few days, and 

 syringe them daily, but avoid giving any more water to the 

 roots than is sufficient to preserve the old ball moist. Mind 

 the roots of the plant are well moistened before being potted. 

 At this season when the plants in the conservatory are 

 making their growth preparatory to blooming, it is of the 

 greatest consequence that the border in which they are 

 planted should be properly examined as to its humidity 

 throughout, and receive, if necessary, a thorough soaking of 

 weak liquid manure. This application should not be delayed 

 too long; if applied late it might prolong the growth so 

 much in the autumn as to prevent its getting ripened in 

 due time, and hence the blooming of the plants would be 

 injured. These remarks apply, of course, to those plants 

 permanently planted out, such as Camellias, Oranges, 

 climbers, &c. 



STOVE. 



The stock here will now be growing very rapidly, and 

 must be afforded sufficient space to allow of the perfect de- 

 velopment of the foliage, and the formation of compact, 

 handsome specimens. The atmosphere of this house can 

 hardly be kept too moist, and the plants should be sprinkled 

 overhead morning and evening, and every available surface 

 kept constantly moist. A slight shade will be necessary for 

 tender plants in active growth, for a few hours on the fore- 

 noons of bright days ; but this should be used as sparingly 

 as is consistent with the perfect safety of the foliage. Plants 

 that are known to suffer from the direct action of the sun's 

 rays should be placed in a shady part of the house, or kept 

 together at one end, where they can be shaded without in- 

 terfering with the plants that require plenty of light. Mealy 

 bug and thrips will require to be looked after here for some 

 time to come, and the utmost diligence must be used to 

 keep these pests in check. W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Sowed two rows of Peas. Planted out more Celery. 

 Pricked out more winter stuff. We envy those who can plant 

 out quarters at once, for we have to do the next best thing 

 and must lift if possible with little balls as we get some 

 ground cleared. The rains and the sewage together have 

 made early Peas continue so long in full bearing, that we 

 shall not be able to remove them for some time. Plants of 

 Sangster's, turned out from being sown on turves, and 

 which have been daily gathered from since the first days of 

 June, are now nearly 6 feet high, and so loaded that people 

 will not believe they have been gathered from at all. With 

 plenty of nourishment and close picking much may be done 

 in little room. Went over a piece of Dwarf Kidney Beans 

 under protection, and picked off all the larger beans for the 

 hall, as one pod with beans forming and swelling inside will 

 more exhaust the plant than a dozen nice crisp ones in 

 which no sign of the bean appears. 



Staked Peas and Scarlet Runners, using for the latter the 

 rough tops of some young larch trees, which we have kept 

 several years for this purpose. This and spruce after the 

 foliage has fallen are excellent for this purpose, and owing 

 to the resin and turpentine which they contain, will last 

 long after common pea-sticks from hazel, beech, hornbeam, 

 &c, have rotted into dust. Twigs from these resinous trees 

 answer well for the plants in the flower garden, and we 

 prefer the spruce for bushiness and then- lasting properties. 

 Fresh twigs of larch — that is, those taken last winter, make 

 also capital hair-pin pegs for the flower-garden. They are 

 nipped off in bundles 6 or 7 inches long, are just cracked in 

 the middle, and the two ends stuck in the ground over the 

 shoot to be pegged down. Thinned Turnips, sowed suc- 

 cession of them and Radishes. Planted Cauliflower, watered 

 that producing with manure water. Gave larger pots to Cap- 

 sicums from which we expect ripe fruit for Cayenne pepper. 

 Prepared Mushroom-bed in shed. Thinned out Tomatoes. 

 Thinned and top-dressed Cucumbers in frames, which up to 

 this time have done splendidly and as yet gave no signs of 

 the Cucumber disease, which troubled us last season and for 

 which we could find no remedy except fresh soil and frequent 

 planting. 



