
48 
KIDD’S OWN JOURNAL. 

HINTS TO AMATEUR GARDENERS. 
THE CALENDAR FOR AUGUST. 
THE InstTRuCTIONS for the present month 
will necessarily be light. And first let us 
speak of 
FRUIT. 
New plantations of Strawberries may still be 
made, and all the runners cut off from the old 
lants. Protect your Plums or other ripe fruit on 
walls from flies and wasps. Some botiles hung 
up in the trees, partly filled with beer-dregs, 
sweetened with treacle, will decoy them. Examine | 
| re-root. 
vines regularly, and remove all useless growths, 
particularly any formed above the fruit, which 
should be exposed to the sun. The smaller berries 
may still be thinned out. Keep all the branches 
neatly nailed in. Raspberry canes which have 
ripened off their fruit, should be cut down ; by 
so doing, those intended to bear next season will 
be strengthened. 
FLOWERS. 
Annvats should be removed as soon as their 
flowers decay ; unless seed from them is required, 
when a portion may remain. But, in the majority 
of cases, the earliest flowers will have perfected 
their seeds before the plant becomes unsightly. 
AvricuLtas.—Many growers prefer the first 
week in this month to pot their plants, alleging 
as areason that when they are potted in May, 
they are more liable to throw up weak flower-stems 
in autumn ; but this will only occur in wet seasons, 
and then partially; however,-many successful 
growers have adopted both seasons. If they were 
potted as soon as their flowers were over, a top 
dressing of the same soil will benefit them now, 
removing any decayed leaves, and taking off-sets 
from them for increase. 
Buigs.—Continue to take up any whose leaves 
are decayed. 
Carnations may be layered in the beginning 
of the month; and as soon as the plants have 
rooted, which will be in five or six weeks, they 
must be taken off and potted, (two or three in a 
small pot,) and placed in a shaded situation to get 
established before winter. ‘They may then be 
placed in the pit, or be hooped over and protected 
during severe weather. Drain the pots well, as 
too great abundance of wet is more to be feared 
than frost. The commoner kinds may be planted 
out wit hout potting. 
Curysantuemums should now be shifted into 
their flowering-pots, using strong rich soil. It 
will be found a good plan to save watering, (of 
which they require a great deal,) to cover the 
surface-soil in the pots with moss, to prevent it 
from drying so quick. When they get established 
in these pots, they may receive waterings of liquid 
manure twice a week. 
Dautisas.—Gather seeds of any choice kinds. 
Keep them neatly tied, and examine the early 
ties that they do not pinch. Loosen them if they 
do, or the wind will easily break them at that 
point. Remove decaying flowers, and watch for 
caterpillars. To entrap ear-wigs, place a small 
flower-pot inverted upon the stake, with a little 
hay in the bottom; or put some short lengths of 


= 
bean-stalks amongst the branches and examine 
them every morning; blowing the insects into a 
basin of hot water. 
Hearrsease.—Cuttings of any choice kinds for 
the principal spring bloom should now be put in, in 
a shaded situation. They may for security receive 
a slight protection during winter. 
PELARGONIUMS.—Any that were cut down after 
flowering, and have begun to sprout again, may 
have the soil carefully shaken from their roots, 
and be repotted in as small pots as possible ; using 
poor soil. This is to allow of their being succes- 
sively potted in spring, which if left in their 
flowering-pots could not take place ; set them in 
the pit at once, or in a shaded situation, until they 
Pryxs.—The pipings should be pricked out 
immediately they are rooted, to strengthen before 
they are finally planted at the end of next month. 
Propagate, by cuttings, such plants as Petu- 
nias, Verbenas, Calceolarias, scarlet Pelargoniums, 
and Mesembryanthemums, for next year. Pre- 
pare pots filled with light soil and well-drained ; 
then plant thickly round their sides the cuttings, 
which will readily root if placed in a shaded ‘situ- 
ation, or in the turf-pit or house-window, where 
they may remain all the winter. 
Stocks.—Biennial kinds (as Giant or Bromp- 
ton) should now be planted out where it is intended 
they should flower. 
Seeds of Calceolarias and Pelargoniums should 
be sown now in pots. If deferred until spring, 
they do not flower the same season. Gather any 
that are ripe. 
Keep all plants in flower neatly tied up, and 
remove their flowering stems as soon as they cease 
to be interesting. Evergreen hedges or shrubs 
may be cut in, and keep every part of the garden 
in as perfect order as possible. 
DuRINnG this month, the hues of autumn 
will begin to make their appearance ; but its 
approaches in the flower borders may be 
deferred by regularly removing decayed 
flowers of such plants as throw up a suc- 
cession. Chrysanthemums should have their 
tops taken off now at different heights, so 
that the flowers may range above each other, 
and the plants become furnished with nume- 
rous flowering branches, instead of one. Some 
of the strongest of the top-shoots removed, 
may be immediately planted into small pots as 
cuttings. They will soon root and make 
dwarf flowering-plants. The bandages round 
buds or late grafts will by this time require 
loosening and re-tying, if they are not firmly 
united. Plants intended for late flowering 
in the window, as Calceolarias or Fuchsias, 
should be kept free from flowers now ; and, 
for the same purpose, a few of the best late © 
annuals may be potted and placed in a shady 
situation. Examine bulbs that they are not 
damp, or they will soon become mouldy and 
injured. Destroy weeds and insects whenever 
detected. Gather herbs in flower for drying, 
and articles for pickling. Keep the soil about 
winter crops regularly loosened. 
ee 

