90 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 28, 1881. 
sphere, and frequent surface supplies of water to the border to 
encourage surface-rooting. 
Melons. —During dull weather fire heat will be necessary for plants 
setting their fruits as well as for those ripening. Earth up those 
plants that have just set their fruit, keeping the laterals closely 
pinched to one joint, thinning if necessary to secure plenty of light 
and air for the principal foliage, syringing freely on fine afternoons, 
and supply tepid liquid manure about twice a week. Continue to 
support heavy fruits by means of tables, and be sparing in the supply 
of moisture directly the fruits begin to ripen, but do not allow the 
foliage to flag. Plant out the latest plants without delay, and encou¬ 
rage them by every means to make strong growth, securing to them a 
minimum temperature of JQ° to 75°, rising to 90° or 95° in the after¬ 
noon after closing, with a moist atmosphere and as little shade as 
possible. In pits and frames the last batch should be growing freely, 
and should have every alternate lateral removed, stopping the leaders 
when they have travelled two-thirds of the distance. When coming 
into flower apply a good lining and leave the ventilators open con¬ 
stantly, fertilising the blossoms from day to day as they open until a 
sufficient quantity is set and swelling. 
Cucumbers. —Pot off the plants for autumn fruiting as they become 
ready, removing the points of those for planting in frames above the 
second rough leaf, those for houses trained to a small stick, and the 
laterals rubbed off to the height from the surface of the bed to the 
trellis. Complete the preparation of the fermenting materials and 
soil, also cleansing the house. Should the weather be dull a little 
fire heat will be essential to the health of the plants, securing a mini¬ 
mum temperature of G5° to 70°, and 5° more by day. Add a little 
fresh soil to the surface of beds with plants some time in bearing, and 
supply tepid liquid manure, shading only to prevent flagging. Fumi¬ 
gate upon the first appearance of aphides, and apply flowers of sul¬ 
phur for mildew, and quicklime as an antidote to canker. Keep the 
growths fairly thin, cutting out old growths and laying in young 
fruitful growth. 
Figs. —The second crop of the early-forced Trees in pots will be 
ripening fast, and the supply of water must be carefully regulated, 
or the fruit will be deteriorated in flavour ; and the syringing must 
cease, other means being taken to eradicate red spider if it has 
obtained a footing. An insecticide applied with a brush to the under 
side of the leaves, though a tedious is a certain means of destroying 
the pest. The second crop of fruit on early-forced trees in borders 
will soon be ripening, and will need a circulation of dry warm air 
constantly. As soon as the fruit has been gathered the ventilation 
must be continued to ripen the wood, and when this is effected trees 
in pots may be plunged in ashes out of doors in a warm situation. 
It is of primary importance that the wood be thoroughly ripened, 
especially in the case of trees subjected to early forcing. The latest 
forced trees that ripened the first crop in June have the second crop 
swelling, and must be liberally supplied with water, or if necessary 
with liquid manure, and be freely syringed. 
Pines. —Take advantage of the space, rendered available by the 
plants started early in the year having ripened their fruits, to give 
successional plants the benefit of more room, a sturdy growth being 
essential to the production of fine fruit. Suckers from the plants 
above alluded to will now be in a fit state for potting. In the prepa¬ 
ration of beds at this season care must be exercised, particularly in 
the case of those composed solely of fermenting materials. Beds 
having had a liberal supply of new material in spring will scarcely 
need any now. Dig to a depth of about 18 inches, and if necessary 
add a foot of new tan, incorporating it with the old to the depth named. 
If absolutely necessary to make new beds 2 feet of new tan will be 
sufficient. A cool moist pit or frame is the best for rootless suckers 
at this season, with a fermenting bed at about 90°. In potting ram 
the fibrous loam firmly in the pots and about the base of the suckers, 
water well, and in plunging cover the surface of the soil in the plung¬ 
ing material, so as to prevent its becoming dry. Shade and ventilate 
a little when the temperature reaches 85°. 
Cherry House. —The trees should now be exposed to the air as much 
as possible, removing the roof lights. This will have the effect of 
arresting premature growth, to which the Cherry, in common with 
other stone fruits subjected to forcing year after year successively, 
is peculiarly liable. Syringe occasionally to remove red spider from 
the foliage, and black aphides must be destroyed by means of tobacco 
water or some approved insecticide. The border must not be allowed 
to become parchingly dry, but a good watering may be afforded, or 
for weakly trees liquid manure is beneficial. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Greenhouse. —The early Pelargoniums should now be cut down, al¬ 
lowing the soil to become dry before doing this. The Show varieties 
or other large-flowered forms will bear heading more closely in than 
the Fancy sections. Cut those that are as large as required to about a 
couple of eyes from the base of last season’s growth. Place the plants 
in a pit or frame, and keep rather close until growth has commenced, 
sprinkling in the afternoon of fine days, being careful not to make 
the soil very wet. Later plants may, as soon as the flowering is over, 
be placed outdoors in a sunny position to ripen their wood. Lilium 
auratum coming on for later flowering will need copious supplies of 
water, surfacing the soil with old cow dung, and keep the plants well 
supported with sticks. Those that have flowered should be placed 
outdoors and well attended to with water so as to preserve the foliage 
healthy, thereby accumulating as much strength in the bulbs as 
possible for next season’s flowering. Lilium speciosum vars. with a 
number of bulbs in a pot should be well tied out, so as to admit 
plenty of light and air. Keep a sharp look-out for aphides, afford 
liquid manure liberally, and they will retain the lower leaves until 
the flowering is over. 
Kalosanthes cuttings may now be inserted. They strike freely in 
sandy loam, taking shoots of about G inches length, stripping off the 
lower leaves one-third of their length, and insert them singly in 
small pots, or half a dozen in a G-inch if it is desired to obtain good- 
sized plants in a little time. They only need a cool pit or cold frame, 
and must not be overwatered. 
Hai dwooded Plants. —Such plants as Acacia, Adenandra, Aphelexis, 
Boronia, Correa, Darwinia, Eriostemon, Leschenaultia, Pimelea, Ple- 
roma, Tremandra, Nerium, and Pulteneea are better for being placed 
outside : the hardening process which the growths undergo in the 
open air stops the further extension of the summer wood, and causes 
at once the formation of flower buds. In doing so they must not at 
first be placed where they will be exposed to the direct rays of the 
sun at midday. The pots should stand on a bed of ashes 6 inches 
thick. Syringe the plants in the afternoon, directing the water 
against the under side of the leaves. Acrophyllum, Dracophyllum, 
Hovea, Goinpholobium, Roella, Phcenocoma, Witsenia, and Statice 
are better not subjected to open-air treatment, as they set their 
blossoms freely when in_ a healthy condition without exposure. 
Young plants of Azaleas Jjeing grown as quickly as possible and 
started early are setting their buds, which should at once be pinched 
out, and the plants ^liberally supplied with heat and moisture to 
secure a second growth. Directly the buds form they must be re¬ 
moved, for if delayed they will merely make a short growth and 
form flower buds again. Keep thrips and red spider under by syring¬ 
ing. Older plants that flowered early, and which from being in heat 
and moisture have completed the growth and set their flower buds, 
may be placed outside, treating them similarly to the hardwooded 
plants as before advised. 
Ferns. —Small plants that were potted in spring, or such as did not 
require more root space in spring, will now probably require potting. 
Gleichenias should never be allowed to suffer from their creeping 
rhizomes extending over the rims of the pots, and they must never be 
allowed to suffer for want of water, as if the young fronds flag they 
never afterwards attain their proper size. Adiantum cuneatum with 
Pteris serrulata, grown for cutting or decoration in G-inch pots or 
smaller, have made good growth, and should be placed in a position 
where they will become properly hardened before winter. If grown 
in a moist atmosphere and much shade they must not be placed 
where they will be exposed to the sun, or they will lose colour. Tree 
Ferns must not suffer through insufficient supplies of water, or the 
fronds will be seriously crippled, especially such as Cyathea dealbata 
and Alsophila excelsa. 
