JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
454 
1 
[ June 1, 1882. 
minent feature in cottage gardens, and it is this which a “ Thirty- 
years Subscriber ” is particularly anxious to procure. 
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KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Tender plants, if properly hardened by gradual exposure, will he 
in a fit state for planting out. For Vegetable Marrows a piece of 
ground fully exposed to the sun and sheltered from winds should be 
chosen, and if it does not abound with manure trenches should be 
taken out 2 or 3 feet wide, a spit deep, and filled with partially de¬ 
cayed manure, returning the soil over the manure, so as to form a 
ridge or mound. A distance of 6 feet should be allowed from centre 
to centre of the ridges, and the plants allowed a similar distance. 
Ridge Cucumbers do not require so much space ; a couple of feet less 
distance between the ridges and plants will suffice. Handlights from 
early Cauliflowers will be available in private establishments for 
placing over the plants, and should be employed for a short period. 
Basil, Sweet Marjoram, and Summer Savory forwarded in heat may be 
planted on a warm sheltered border in rows about 15 inches apart. 
Capsicums, which do little good outdoors except in the southern 
parts of the kingdom, may be planted in a row at the base of a wall 
having a south aspect at a foot distance apart. Tomatoes delight in 
well-enriched soil. Two parts strong turfy loam and one part well- 
decomposed manure form a suitable compost. Mulching when in free 
growth with about 3 inches’ thickness of short manure is essential to 
good results. In warm situations and against walls in the southern 
and midland counties this esteemed esculent ripens fairly well, hut in 
more northerly and elevated situations the protection of glass is 
necessary. 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
An abundant crop of Gooseberries and Currants appears to have 
survived the frost and cold winds, and may now be considered safe. 
The bushes are also so far free from caterpillars and aphides, yet 
they should be frequently examined, and wherever the caterpillars 
appear the hushes should be dusted with fresh-ground hellebore 
powder on a calm evening or in the morning when the foliage is damp 
with dew. This (or using the powder in solution) is the best remedy 
for the caterpillar; and although the powder is of a poisonous 
nature, it is washed off by the first rains so as not to interfere with 
the use of the fruit for culinary purposes. It may, however, be 
advisable to wash the fruit taken from bushes that have been dusted 
with the powder before using them. Should aphides attack the 
plants promptly syringe with tobacco water, a gallon of juice being 
diluted with six times its bulk of rain water; or nicotine soap and 
Fir-tree oil insecticides are equally efficacious. Carefully examine 
the foliage of fruit trees, and destroy all caterpillars detected. Nut 
bushes are frequently damaged by caterpillars, and should now be 
examined. 
With the fruit fairly set on Peach, Plum, and Cherry trees, par¬ 
ticular attention should be paid to the trees, and upon the first 
appearance of aphides the trees should be well washed with the 
garden engine until the foliage is thoroughly cleansed, or should 
this not be effected by forcible syringings with the engine recourse 
must be had to diluted tobacco water or some insecticide. Dis¬ 
budding Peach and Nectarine trees should be proceeded w’ith at 
intervals so as to avoid any undue check to the trees. All strong 
foreright shoots should be removed from Plum trees, all side shoots 
not required for filling vacant space being stopped at the third or 
fourth leaf. Cherries may be treated similarly. Avoid overcrowd¬ 
ing; the principal shoots or branches should not be nearer than 
12 inches, and any long attenuated bare spurs may be shortened back 
to growths nearer the base. All shoots required for extension or 
filling vacant space should be nailed, tied, or laid in by means of 
twigs as may be deemed expedient, allowing sufficient space in the 
shreds or ties for the swelling of the shoots, as any undue pressure is 
a prolific cause of gum and canker. 
Disbud and regulate the shoots of Vines trained to walls, avoiding 
overcrowding the growths, and should any indications of mildew 
appear dust at once with flowers of sulphur. If the soil of the 
borders in which fruit trees are growing be dry they should receive 
a thorough watering with rain water, or if spring water be employed 
it must be exposed to the atmosphere for a few sunny days. After 
watering mulch with a few inches of short manure. Weakly trees 
may be assisted with weak liquid manure, and this aid in watering, 
mulching, and liquid manure will assist the trees to swell the fruit 
in the early stages of growth. Recently transplanted fruit trees 
should be well supplied W'ith watering, mulching over the roots 
with 2 or 3 inches depth of short manure, and if the appearance be 
objected to the manure may be covered lightly with the lawn 
mowings. 
j 1 Plantations of Strawberries should, if not already done, be well 
mulched with littery manure between the rows and plants, or where 
straw cut into lengths of about an inch is obtainable it is preferable, 
from its sharp edges being obnoxious to slugs. Should dry weather 
prevail copious waterings must be given, pouring it on the mulching 
material between the rows and plants. Strawberry plants which 
have been forced may be planted in the open borders 18 inches apart 
in row’s 2 feet asunder, firming the soil well, and supply w’ater freely 
until they are established. Kept free from weeds and runners 
through the summer these plants never fail to produce an abundant 
crop the following season, after which they may be destroyed. 
FRUIT HOUSES. 
Vines .—Fine w’eather w'hilst bringing Grapes forward is equally 
favourable to red spider—the most formidable insect enemy the 
horticulturist has to encounter under glass. There is no doubt that 
syringing is the best preventive as well as the safest remedy. 
Unless the w r ater be soft and perfectly clear its employment leaves 
a sediment or incrustation on the berries; therefore few, if indeed 
any, of our best cultivators syringe the foliage after the fruit is set or 
thinned, depending afterwards for atmospheric moisture upon damp¬ 
ing the borders and paths, with proper supplies of w’ater to the roots 
It is, however, worthy of note that most growers are agreed that a 
liberal use of the syringe is desirable after closing the house, and the 
dispensing whenever practicable with fire heat as much as possible. 
It has also been proved that an atmosphere charged with ammonia 
is inimical to red spider, and at the same time beneficial to the 
Vines ; hence some damp the house with guano w’ater or liquid 
manure at closing time, or sprinkle a little guano on the borders and 
wash it in. Others give a mulching of decayed manure, which evolves 
ammonia, whilst some give a thin dressing occasionally of short horse 
dung. The border, after the berries are thinned, should be examined 
at least once a week, and whenever necessary a thorough supply of 
w'ater not less in temperature than the mean of the house should 
be given. If liquid manure be needed, as it always is when the 
Vines have a full crop and not unduly vigorous, it should be given 
weak and tepid, and in such quantity as to percolate through the 
soil to the drainage. Although outside borders do not as a rule re¬ 
quire water when the rainfall is equal to 2 inches per month during 
the growth of the Vines, yet taking into account the very limited 
rainfall of the present season, and in light soils or well-constructed 
and properly drained borders, and the Vines having a number of 
healthy feeders, a good supply of tepid liquid manure will greatly 
assist Vines swelling off heavy crops of Grapes. 
Newly planted Vines will now be rooting freely in the soil, and 
should be encouraged to make free growth by closing early in the 
afternoon with plenty of atmospheric moisture. Attend to stopping 
and tying laterals, allowing as much, but no more, foliage than 
will have full exposure to light, and when this is effected keep the 
laterals closely pinched. Thin freely the berries of all kinds that 
have to keep through the winter months, and avoid overcropping 
as the greatest of evils. Late Vines generally will now be about 
coming into flower, and to insure a good set maintain a night tern* 
perature of 70°, and shake the rods several times a day, which will 
distribute the pollen, or in the case of shy-setting kinds its distribu¬ 
tion should be aided by the use of a camel’s-hair brush. Whilst in 
blossom pinching or stopping the laterals should be discontinued, 
