59 



When potted, place them again in heat, giving 

 Httle water for a time ; but syringe overhead occa- 

 sionally, in order to keep the atmosphere moist. 

 After that, water with water of the same tempera- 

 ture as that of the house in which they are growing. 

 They will now succeed perfectly well under the kind 

 of treatment usually given to plants in a growing 

 state, paying attention to stopping all straggling 

 shoots, so as to induce a compact pyramidal habit. 

 For ordinary pui poses six-inch pots are large enough. 

 About the end of Jane they should be placed out 

 of doors, in as hot and sunny a situation as possible, 

 when they will keep flowering and set fruit better 

 than they would indoors. In September let them 

 be moved under glass, where, when covered with 

 brilliant orange-scarlet berries, they are extremely 

 ornamental. Indeed few plants can be compared 

 with this for winter decoration, and what is im- 

 portant, the berries are so permanent that the bushes 

 bearing them retain their vivid coloring for several 

 months at a time. The soil most suitable for this 

 Solanum is a light fibry loam intermixed with a little 

 peat and sand. 



The Pleasure of Small Gardens.— To see 

 clearly, we have all first to get rid of our prejudices ; 

 in fact, try for a season to forget what we know ; 

 and I am quite sure for a gardener of the present 

 day, who is expected to make either a south wall or 

 I a flued wall successful, this is especially needful. 

 He must be able to forget and cease to sigh after 

 the grand houses in the nobleman's garden where 

 he went as an improver, before his mind will be 

 open to believe that without all the costly appli- 

 ances now considered necessary, good fruit can be 

 grown at its usual season, and bring himself to take 

 the pains required. Is it not written, " Man shall 

 earn his bread by the sweat of his brow?" which 

 means, I believe, by labor assisted by steady thought- 

 ful care, nay, even anxious care ; for who has not felt 

 the cold moisture start on his forehead as he hur- 

 ried, fearing his forgetfulness had ruined all his 

 hopes? Then why should it be considered, as it 

 undoubtedly is, beneath a gardener to waste his time 

 in growing fruit if his master does not supply him 

 with a house so replete with appliances, that the 

 fruit produced will cost a fabulous sum per pound? 

 This cost of production is quite lost sight of, and 

 the simple means that enabled the last generation to 

 produce good crops are neglected, in order that the 

 time and attention may be devoted to what is pro- 

 perly out of season. I mean, that if gardeners un- 

 derstood the capabilities of the houses under their 

 care, they would, by forcing, have had these crops 



out of hand, and thus been able to devote their 

 time and attention to the walls. Gardening should 

 be looked upon as a business, and gardens worked 

 for a profit, and then they will be carried on with 

 economy and spirit, which bring with them a cer- 

 tain amount of anxiety, without which no business 

 is healthy. 



From whence come the fine Pears? The answer 

 is ready — from France ; but this does not explain my 

 meaning. To what system do we owe their pro- 

 duction ? Those who have not travelled much, or 

 resided for a time in France, have very little idea of 

 the number of gentlemen with small incomes, who 

 think they would lose their claim to be considered 

 gentlemen if they went into trade ; but, fortunately 

 for them, selling the produce of the farm and the 

 garden is not considered as being in trade ; and what 

 better way of lengthening out a small income than 

 by means of a good kitchen garden ? So these edu- 

 cated men give their minds to the subject, and not 

 only make it pay, but find in it a healthy, pleasur- 

 able occupation. Was it not Sir John Paxton who 

 said " That gardening was the only hobby he knew 

 which, if carried to excess, did no harm ?" 



In this country, gentlemen consider their own 

 time of too much value to devote it to the study of 

 gardening, and look upon it as something beneath 

 a gentleman ; it is therefore left to the gardener, 

 and he is often only intent on beating his neighbors 

 at the autumn show, and never thinks that the sum- 

 mer is precious time, which should be economized 

 by having previously done all that he could. He, 

 poor fellow, has no hope that extra produce from 

 the garden will improve his position, and as all 

 things act and re-act, it ends in his being looked 

 upon as one of the expenses of housekeeping that 

 must be, and he finds, accordingly, that his trade is 

 one of the worst paid. — Cottage Gardener. 



Hybrid Blackberries.— The Kev. M. J. 

 Berkeley offered a few remarks on the different 

 subjects exhibited. Attention was first directed to 

 a variety of Bramble which was shown at the last 

 meeting by Mr. Bateman. It is nearly allied to 

 our common Raspberry (Rubus Idaeus,) and is 

 clearly a form of Rubus strigosus. R. occidentalis, 

 and cuneifolius are the other nearly allied species, 

 which have leaves white on the under side. Fruit 

 of the Lawton Blackberry was shown by the Rev. 

 A. Rawson, of Bromley. It is large and fine look- 

 ing, and would probably be valuable for culinary 

 purposes. In Canada and the United States, the 

 summer of which is hotter than that of England, 

 jt is held in high repute, as are also other kinds of 



