! 



October 11. 1664. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



297 



and though they hardly show, or remain small during the 

 winter, they will do good service next season. This thinning 

 of redundant fruit that will not ripen, and the removal of 

 wood not wanted, cannot be too quickly done in the case of 

 trees intended to be forced early next season. One cause 

 why the first crop of Figs of some sorts is apt to fall, is the 

 heavy crop of young useless fruit that often hangs on the 

 trees in the autumn. 



Melons, where still deemed a matter of importance, must 

 now be kept warm, and any moisture they require be given 

 chiefly at the roots, without wetting the surface soil, unless 

 the atmosphere is heated by hot-water pipes, so that plenty 

 of air might accompany the heat. Where, as here, the 

 fruit is now at a discount, the space will be better applied 

 for storing plants of many kinds, as bedding plants, &c. 



ORNAMENTAL DEPARTMENT. 



Stove Plants. — Many Orchids, as Stanhopeas, now require 

 less water ; but in these cold nights fires will require to be 

 used. Such winter-flowering plants as Thyrsacanthus ruti- 

 lans, Poinsettia pulcherrima, Euphorbia jacquiniamora, and 

 late lots of Gesnera zebrina, will be greatly benefited by 

 having a little bottom heat, and being kept for a few weeks 

 in a rather warm moist atmosphere. A slight change to 

 dryness will cause the flowers to come freely. Justioias, 

 Ruellias, &c, will require less attention and less heat 

 to bring the flowers out in perfection. As little fire as 

 possible should as yet be used, and advantage taken of the 

 fine sunny weather to harden wood and ripen buds. Where 

 houses have been shaded for the season with whitening, or 

 anything of that kind, it would be well to lessen the shade 

 as soon as, or even before, this bright weather changes. 



Hardwooded Greenhouse Plants, especially the more tender 

 of them, should now be placed under glass, but with plenty 

 of air given to them, until the nights are colder. The same 

 care must soon be bestowed on Azaleas and Camellias in 

 pots. Many plants are much injured by having their roots 

 greatly cooled at this season. For plants growing in the 

 natural soil the temperature at the roots will be more 

 equable than in the case of plants grown in pots, as the 

 soil will not be so hot as the atmosphere in a hot day; but 

 in such weather as we have lately had the roots will be much 

 warmer than the head and branches during these clear cold 

 nights. We just reverse the case with the generality of 

 plants in pots now — the tops become sun-baked during the 

 day, and the roots are ice-baked at night. If pots were set 

 hollow to secure drainage, and were then partly or wholly 

 plunged, the plants would enjoy many of the advantages 

 of planting out, and escape some of the evils, such as over- 

 luxuriance, involved often by growing a tree or plant turned 

 out in rich suitable soil. Meanwhile, when we know how 

 hot an exposed pot becomes during the day, and how cold it 

 becomes by radiation and evaporation during the night, we 

 must take some precautions against such evils ; and one of 

 the simplest will be to water when wanted, chiefly in the 

 morning, so that the soil in the pots may become dryish 

 before night. 



Pelargoniums. — Had these mostly potted, or at least placed 

 under cover. Potted, also, a second batch of Cinerarias and 

 Primulas, Miinulus, &c. Now is a good time to prune and 

 dress Roses intended for early flowers, and a little bottom 

 heat and a rather moist but airy atmosphere will suit them 

 better than any fire heat as yet to the atmosphere of the 

 place. Cinerarias and Calceolarias can scarcely be kept too 

 airy, moist, and cool, if frost be excluded. Give them heat 

 of any kind, and whole hosts of insects will attack the plants 

 as a reward for the extra nursing. 



Bulbs. — All intended for Christmas and onwards should 

 now be potted. Equal parts of sound sweet loam, old cow- 

 dung well sweetened, and half a part of leaf mould and sharp 

 sand will grow Hyacinths, Tulips, Jonquils, Narcissus, &c, 

 in first-rate condition. The pots when filled should be set 

 in a shady place, or if placed out of doors should be covered 

 for 6 inches with old tan, ashes, leaf mould, sand, cinder 

 ashes, &c, and no forcing should be attempted until the pots 

 are filled with roots and the flower-stalks pushing. Bulbs in- 

 tended for the flower garden (now still beautiful from its 

 summer ornaments), should be placed on a dry hard bottom 

 in any shady sheltered place— Hyacinths 5 inches apart, 

 Tulips 2 or 3 inches apart, Crocus 2 inches apart — and then 



be covered over with 3 inches of fine rich leaf mould and 

 rough loam. These bulb-beds may so remain until the 

 flower-beds are cleared, well dug, and prepared, and then 

 the bulbs may be lifted with little balls, and scarcely suffer 

 from planting. 



Rolled, swept, and cleaned lawn round flower-beds, still 

 very fair. Proceeded with putting in more cuttings of 

 bedding plants, and removed many struck to more open 

 positions. 



Old plants of Searlet Geraniums take up much room 

 in winter, so that unless for particular purposes, young 

 plants from cuttings now and a short time previously, will 

 generally be as satisfactory as older plants, which must 

 have more room in winter. No weather could be better for 

 hardening-off all things struck under glass or protection of 

 some kind ; but though these should have all the sun possible, 

 or that they are able to bear, they must be kept cool and 

 airy at night, but free from all danger from frost. Plenty of 

 air after sunset, and as much light and comparative close- 

 ness during the day as the cuttings will stand without 

 flinching, are the secrets for the successful striking of all 

 plants, and especially those of the bedding kinds. 



Preparations should now be made for taking up the 

 more tender or rarer bedding plants — as Golden Chain, 

 Mrs. Pollock, and Cloth of Gold; and for inserting the Cal- 

 ceolaria cuttings in a week or two. For most things young 

 plants will be found the best for uniform beds, older plants 

 are useful for high rows, pyramids, &c. 



Florists' plants, as Carnations, Picotees, Auriculas, and 

 Polyanthus, should be cleaned and placed under glass, well 

 tilted back and front, night and day, chiefly that heavy 

 rains may be thrown off, but of this there is little appear- 

 ance, though they may come suddenly. — E. F. 



CO VENT GAEDEIST MAEKET.— October 8. 



Foreign Hamburgh and Portugal Grapes continue to arrive, and of home- 

 grown fruit the supply is plentiful and good. Of PineB there is a moderate 

 Bupply ; Peaches and Nectarines are nearly over. In out-door fruit and 

 vegetables we have nothing fresh to report. 



FRUIT. 





lb. 

 ..^ sievo 



s 

 1 

 

 

 

 



1 



60 

 60 

 1 

 3 

 8 

 1 



s. 















8 



1 



1 



2 



1 



1 







4 



1 







1 



2 















a. s. a 



to 2 

 

 

 

 

 6 2 6 

 80 

 SO 

 6 4 

 7 

 14 

 6 4 



VEGET 



a. b. a 



4 toO 6 

 

 

 6 4 

 3 

 1 6 

 2 6 

 2 

 2 



5 8 

 6 

 2 



6 1 

 3 

 6 4 

 3 

 8 

 3 



Mulberries .. 



. punnet 



a 

 

 

 10 

 3 

 5 

 1 

 4 

 2 

 

 2 

 

 14 



s 

 2 

 

 2 

 1 

 

 

 

 4 

 

 

 2 

 1 

 1 

 

 2 

 2 

 

 2 



. d 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 4 

 

 

 



a. 



6t 



2 







6 



2 



4 



6 







9 







6 























3 







s. d 



Currants, Red 

 Black .... 











14 







12 



Pears {kitchen). ..bush. 



10 





3 



Filberts & Nuts 100 lbs. 

 Grapes, Haruburghs lb. 



Pomegranates 



lb. 



do. 

 lb. 



8 

 7 

 6 

 4 













20 



Asparagus . 



bundle 



A sieve 



bundle 

 -^ sieve 



100 



ABLES. 

 Horseradish . 



. bundle 



v. a 



05 

 3 







3 



Beet, Red 



BrusselsSprout 



Mustd. & Cress 



Onions * 



pickling 

 Parsley ...doz, 



, punnet 



... bunch 



quart 



bunches 



2 6 

 

 6 



8 

 6 



1 





, bunch 

 bunaie 



bunch 



ots, lb. 



bunch 











bunches 



4 





Radishes doz. 





 2 





VegetableMan 



basket 



£ sieve 



ows doz. 





 4 



Sarlic ana Shal 



3 

 6 

 3 



TEADE CATALOGUES EECEIVED. 



Robert Parker, Exotic Nursery, Tooting, Surrey. — Cata- 

 logue of Stove, Greenhouse, and Hardy Plants, Hyacinths, and 

 other Bulbous Boots. 1864-5. 



William Paul, Paul's Nurseries and Seed Warehouse, 

 Waltham Cross. — Rose Catalogue, 1864-5 ; Descriptive Cata- 

 logue of Hardy Ornamental Trees and Shrubs; List of Beaton's 

 Hybrid Bedding Geraniums. 



