724 



TEE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



Tomato plants com'ng into bearing 

 should be supported by stakes. Tf allowed 

 to trail on the ground most of the fruit 

 will be spoiled by sun blistering in hot 

 weather, or rot ing by coming in contact 

 with the damp suil in wet wea her. 

 Liquid ui mure may be given occasionally 

 after the fruit has set. Mulch each plant 

 with manure and keep well watered in 

 dry weather. Pinch back all laterals to 

 the second joint until the plants have 

 reached the top of the stakes or trellis. 

 Then top the main stem and continue io 

 pinch back the laterals, and so remove all 

 useless growth until the plants are 

 covered with fruit fro.n top to bottom. 



Flower Garden. — Any flower seeds 

 sown this month and next will require 

 very careful attention in the matter of 

 shading and watering, and when sown in 

 the open ground the soil must be specially 

 prepared. 



When beds are used the surface should 

 be covered with a layer of decayed vege- 

 table mould, with a little rotted manure, 

 which should be raked ia so as to form a 

 surface which will not bake and crack iu 

 hot weather when watering has to be re- 

 sorted to. Where seels are sown in 

 clumps on a flower b u-dei', remove a 

 spadeful of the common soil and replace 

 by a spadeful of the same compost as re- 

 commended for the bed-^. After levelling 

 sow the seeds on the surface and cover 

 lightly with the same stuff passed through 

 a garden sieve and only just sufficient to 

 cover the seed, then sha e with a layer 

 of cut grass, hay or straw. This will re- 

 quire to be partially removed as soon as 

 the seedlings begin to show through, and 

 in a lew days, choose the first dull or wet 

 day, to remove it altogether. Watering 

 should be done very early in the morn- 

 ing or in the evening. 



The following seeds may be sown now 

 for autumn flowering : — Aster, Balsam, 

 Cdlandrinia, Candytuft, Centaurea 

 Americana, Mai'guerite Chrysinitht-mum, 

 Coreopsis, Cosmos, Dianthus, Gaillardia, 

 Sunflower, Marigold, Nasturtium, Petunia, 

 Phlox Drummondi and Zinnia. Sow Car- 

 nations for flowering next spring and 

 summer. This is a good time for plant- 

 ing all kinHsof Evergreen Shrubs, Urna- 

 montal Trees and bi-eakwinds. Where 

 ornamental evergreen breakwinds are 

 required the following will be a good 



selection : — Eugenia eucaiyptoides, Eu- 

 genia Braziliensis, Benthamia-fragift-ra, 

 Orevil'ea, Laurus Cam])hora, Duranta, 

 Holtnskoldin, Lagunaria Patersoni, 

 Schinus Molle (Peppei tree Persea Caro- 

 iiniensis, Abelia, ' ignsirum Japonicum, 

 Thuja, Oleanders, Photinia, and, where 

 frost is not severe, Tecoma Stans, Eugenia 

 Jambos or Hose Apple, and Jacarand 

 Mimosafolia. Where evergreen fences 

 are required these should be planted with- 

 out df-lay, also Citrus and other ever- 

 green fruit trees. 



Hoi^sis Lmnaius Grass. 



Mr. T. W. Woodhouse, Normandy, 

 Dargle, on the 4th inst., wrote as follows 

 to the Minister of Agriculture : — 



"I enclose samples of a Grass which 

 has survived and thrives on laud where 

 cocksfoot, after growing for 5 or 6 years, 

 has died off. The seed of the samples 

 must have been mixed with the cocks- 

 foot. I consider this grass as very valu- 

 able for the Colony. I shall be glad if 

 you can give me its name, and inform me 

 where the seed can be procured." 



Mr. .J. Medlev Wood, A.L.S., Botanic 

 Gardens, Durban, has been g.iod enough 

 to supply the following information : — 



" The grass of which you send a speci- 

 men is Holcus lanatus Linn), a native of 

 Europe, North Africa, and Asia, and has 

 also been collected in the Cape Colony. 

 I do not think that it will be found to be 

 of much value in Natal, since we h^^ve 

 others which are much superior to it. 

 Baron F. v. Mueller says of it : ' For rich 

 soil better gra-ses can be chosen, but for 

 moist, moory or sandy lands, and also for 

 forests, it is one of the most eligible pas- 

 ture grasses, yielding an abundant and 

 early crop. It is, however, rather dis- 

 liked by cattle as well as by horses. One 

 of the best rural grasses in recently 

 cleared forest land, not like Cocksfoot, 

 and particularly Rye grass, apt to be 

 attacked oy caterpillars; also suited for 

 suppressing bracken ferns after they 

 have been burnt down. Recoujmendable 

 also for newly drain< d land. Bears con- 

 tinued grazing off extremely well. 

 Thrives in the hotest and driest regions 

 of Central Austi nlia.' I do not think the 

 seed is procurable in Natal, but may, no 

 doubt, be obtained from seedsmen in 

 England." 



