120 



THE FLORIST AND POMOLOG1ST. 



CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS. 



Cl-KSERVATORY. 



Shade for a few hoars in the middle of the day 

 whilst the hot weather we have at present continues, 

 and pay the greatest attention to the watering of all 

 plants. Always give sufficient water to go through 

 the whole of the soil. If the soil in any of the pots 

 has by any chance got too dry, take and immerse the 

 pots in a cistern of water until the soil has got well 

 moistened. Syringe daily all plants not in flower. 

 Too much air cannot he given both by day and night. 

 Keep no more plants here at present than are requi- 

 site io make the house look gay. Attend to climbers. 

 Keep eveiylhing clean, 



Greenhouses. 



Hardwooded Plants.— Attend to the shading of 

 plants in flower: also to the watering. Give plenty 

 of air both by day and night, especially the latter. 

 Shift all plants that are growing vigorously, and that 

 have filled their pots with roots. In very dry hot 

 weather it will be necessary to shade, and they should 

 be kept rather close with a moist atmosphere until 

 they make fresh roots. Attend regularly to the stop- 

 ping, thinning, and fying-out of the plants. Attend 

 to the specimen plants of Azaleas. Shift any that 

 may require it. Look well after thrips, and fumigate 

 on their first appearance. All plants done growing 

 should have all the sun and air possible to ripen their 

 wood. Softwooded Plants. — Pelargoniums.— The 

 plants cut down last month will now be pushing again. 

 The soil should be shaken from them, and they should 

 be potted in smaller pots, using a light compost; 

 they should then be put into a pit or frame, and kept 

 close and moist to encourage fresh growth, As soon 

 as the later-flowering plants are out of flower, they 

 should be set out of doors for a few days, and then cut 

 down, and afterwards treated like the early-flowering 

 plants. Pot off the cuttings when fit. Cinerarias.— 

 Continue to shift into larger pots seedling plants as 

 they lequirc it. Those that were planted out should 

 now be taken up and potted. Calceolarias.— When 

 done flowering remove to a shady border, where they 

 will throw up suckers, which, when large enough, 

 should be taken off for cuttings. Sow seed in light 

 soil, cover slightly, and keep them moist until they 

 vegetate. Fuvhs ias.— Continue to shade plants in 

 flower, and attend well to the watering. 



Stove. 



Use manure water freely to aH strong-growing 

 plants. Give plenty of air to ripen the wood ; bnt 

 always close up early. Attend well to the young 

 stock, and shift any that may require it. Stop, 

 stake, and tie-out. Syringe freely. Look well after 

 insects; on no account allow them to increase. Keep 

 everything as clean as possible. 



Flower Garden. 



The hot dry weather we have had has necessitated 

 much watering here. Attend well to the watering of 

 all plants in vases, baskets, &c. Continue to tie up 

 flower-stems as they require support. Cut-out the 

 decaying stalks of herbaceous plants, and keep the 

 borders as neat as possible. If not already done, plant- 

 out seedling Wallflowers, Sweet Williams, Rockets, 

 Antirrhinums, and all other hardy biennials and 

 perennials into the borders where they are intended 

 to flower next year. Get in a stock of cuttings as 

 soon as possible. Put in cuttings of the diS'en nt sorts 

 of Geraniums at once. These strike best in a south 

 border fully exposed to the sun. Some silver sand 

 should be put into the openings made to receive the 

 cuttings. This is also a good time to increase the 

 stock of Roses, as cuttings of the young shoots now 

 root freely in a little heat. Sweep and roll the walks, 

 anr3 keep everything in the highest order. Pleasure 

 Ground— Look over choice trees and shrubs, and cut 

 off any strong shoots likely to disfigure the plant. 

 Attend regularly to the mowing of the lawns, and 

 roll frequently gravel walks. 



Forcing. 



Fruit.— Pine Apples.— He, careful not to overwater 

 all fruit approaching maturity. Give plenty of air in fine 

 weather. The plants bearing fruit for the autumn and 



winter supply, should, if possible, be all got together 

 in one house before the end of the month ; they can 

 then be better attended to. They should have a nice 

 steady bottom heat of about 85° ; they must be well 

 attended to in watering, and a moist atmosphere must 

 be maintained. In cold wet weather fire heat will be 

 necessary, as the night temperature should not get 

 much below 70°. All shTting should be completed at 

 once. A steady bottom heat of from 85° to 90° is the 

 most important thing to be attended to. After shift- 

 ing, the plants should be kept close, and the atmo- 

 sphere moist, until they begin to root freely into the 

 fresh soil ; they should then have liberal supplies of 

 water, and an abundance of air in fine weather, always 

 giving it early in the forenoon, and closing up early 

 in the afternoon. Vines. — Remove the sashes off the 

 early house, and whilst off have them well cleaned 

 and painted if they require it ; they will then be in 

 readiness when wanted in the autumn. In dry hot 

 weather too much air cannot be given to ripe or 

 ripening Grapes. In late houses a moist growing 

 temperature must be maintained. Little or no fire 

 heat will be required unless any cold wet unseasonable 

 weather should set in. Peaches and Nectarines. — 

 The sashes from the early house should be taken off. 

 When the fruit is gathered in the late houses the trees 

 should be regularly syringed, and air freely admitted 

 in order to ripen the wood. The borders should also 

 be examined, and if dry should have a good soaking of 

 water. Figs. — Whilst the second crop of fruit is 

 swelling the trees will require a deal of water, 

 but when it begins to ripen the supply of water 

 should be gradually reduced. The atmosphere must 

 be kept as moist as it can be without injury to 

 the fruit ; otherwise it is almost impossible to keep 

 dow-D red spider, especially if the weather be hot, as 

 it often is at this season. Cherries. — Towards the 

 end of the month shift any plants that require into 

 larger pots or tubs. Strawberries.— Shift at once into 

 their fruiting-pots all those layered last month. Set 

 them in beds in an open situation. They will not 

 require much watering until they begin to root freely 

 into the fresh soil ; but they should be kept well 

 syringed in dry weather. Melons. — Maintain a steady 

 heat of about 80° at top and bottom, and give plenty 

 of air. Water when necessary until the fruit begins 

 to ripen. Cucumbers.— Attend to previous directions. 

 Sow for winter bearing. 



Hardy Fruit, 



Attend regularly to the gathering of the fruit as it 

 becomes ripe. Continue to nail-in the shoots of wall 

 trees as they advance, removing all not wanted, and 

 stopping all gross ones. Net Morello Cherries. Mat 

 Gooseberry and Currant bushes. Make new planta- 

 tions of Strawberries, and dress old ones intended to 

 remain another year. The old Raspberry canes done 

 bearing should be cut away ; also all the weak ones of 

 the present season not wanted for next year. 



Kitchen Garden. 



The long continuance of dry weather Ave have 

 had has b^en favourable to the destruction of weeds, 

 but very much against the growth of vegetables. 

 Much watering has been necessary for the different 

 crops; and if we have much hot dry weather this 

 month, as we generally do, a great deal of watering 

 will still be required. Continue to hoe and stir the 

 soil amongst the growing crops. Earth-up Celery as 

 it requires it. Endive and Lettuce.— Plant-out large 

 breadths, especially of the former. Sow Hardy Ham- 

 mersmith and Black-seeded Bath Cos Lettuce to stand 

 over the winter. Prickly Spinach. — Sow the first 

 week for the main winter crop. Cabbages of sorts. — 

 Sow at once for spring use. Cauliflowers.— Sow 

 about the 12th, and again the 22nd, to be transplanted 

 into a frame or under hand-lights, and to be protected 

 from frosts during the winter. Tripoli Onions.— Soir 

 the first week to stand over the winter. Parsley.— 

 Thin-out well so as to get good curled leaves. 

 Tomatoes and Gourds.— -Look over and thin-out the 

 shoots. Spare Ground.— Sow with Turnips. Serbs.— 

 Collect as they come into flower, dry, and store away. 

 — M. S. 



