486 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 24, 1888. 
Jonesias? —Mr. Gumbleton exhibited two beautiful sprays of a 
Leguminous plant, one orange, the other red, of some hybrids between 
plants supposed to be allied to Jonesia. The parent plants were 
not sent, hence further information as to their origin was desirable. 
WORKjoivnffiWEEK,. 
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fix!' 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Late Peas should be sown during the last days of May or 
early in June. As a rule the latest crops are not sown early 
enough to pod well before the cold nights of October set in, and 
this is the reason why there are so many failures with late Peas. 
In July, August, and throughout the hottest of the summer the 
pods form and fill quickly, and are soon over or too old for use ; but 
this is not the case further on when the weather becomes colder, 
and late in September and during October we have had the pods 
hang in good condition for a fortnight or more. The ground for 
late Peas should be deeply dug, well manured, and be open and 
exposed to the sun. The rows of Ne Plus Ultra, which is one of 
the best, should not be closer than 12 feet apart. It is bad 
practice to crowd rows of Peas together at any season, but it is 
especially ruinous to the late crops. 
Sow more Turnips, Spinach, Radish, Lettuce, and a small patch 
of Endive where this is valued in autumn. Chicory or Witloef 
should also be sown to supply roots for forcing in winter. Either 
of them may be grown well in any soil which will suit Carrots or 
Beetroot. There are no more useful salad plants in winter, and 
a small patch of the roots should be grown by all. 
Many crops require earthing up now ; we always prefer the fork 
to the hoe for this work. Early Potatoes should be earthed when 
the stems are about 6 inches high. Green tubers can only be 
avoided through this process. Peas are growing rapidly, and soon 
after they are through the ground they require earthing and then 
staking. Where stakes are scarce use the twigs of old brooms or 
anything to support them until the early Peas have been cleared 
from the ground, when the stakes now being used for them will 
come in for the later rows. 
Spring-sown Spinach is one of the first crops to come off the 
soil, and as soon as this is over clear the ground, hoe and rake the 
surface, and plant it with Lettuce. Many spring-sown plants, 
such as Cabbages, Cauliflowers, and Brussels Sprouts, are now a 
large size in the seed beds, and the largest of them should be put 
out into their bearing quarters at once. We plant some between 
rows of early Potatoes, and find this both good and profitable 
practice. As spring Cabbages are cut do not take too many of the 
leaves with them, but allow as much of the stem to remain as 
possible for producing small heads in early autumn. 
Attention must be given to thinning Beet, Parsnips, and other 
crops which are crowded. The thinnings of many may be trans¬ 
planted elsewhere if needed in showery weather, but when this 
does not occur plant and water once afterwards. Do not thin 
Early Horn Carrots to any great extent until they are large 
enough for use, then they should be thinned out as they are 
wanted. 
Potato frames are fast being cleared, and they are as quickly 
occupied with Vegetable Marrows and ridge Cucumbers, both of 
which are benefited by the shelter of a frame. Tomatoes under 
glass require going over almost every other day to stop and thin 
the shoots. Those which have been grown in pots for planting 
in the open air may be put out now. Against a south sunny 
wall is the only position where they will really succeed. Ordinary 
garden soil is not often good enough for them, and a small mound 
of loam and manure should be provided for each plant. They 
should be turned out of the pots without breaking the roots, and 
the shoots tacked to the wall from the first. There is no plant 
more easily propagated from cuttings than the Tomato, and where 
stock is deficient plants may be had much quicker from cuttings 
than seed. The same may be said of Cucumbers, as both root 
freely with the assistance of a little bottom heat. Three weeks 
ago we resolved to throw away our early spring plants of Cardiff 
Castle Cucumber, as they had been bearing a long time and were 
not so fruitful as younger plants, but, the variety being good and 
true, we shall keep it in hand from cuttings. These we took 
off and inserted at the time we name have now plenty of roots, 
and there are some small fruits formed on them too, although the 
plants are only in 3-inch pots, which proves this to be a much 
better way of securing early-fruiting plants than by raising from 
seed. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Figs .—In order to give the fruit every assistance growths that 
require any regulation should be attended to just before the fruit 
commences colouring, stopping all growths which require it, 
except the terminal shoots, which should run to the limit of the 
space allotted to them. The laterals, which will now need atten¬ 
tion in this way, will be confined to subsequent growths proceed¬ 
ing from laterals which have previously been pinched, and many 
of which have fruit now in an advanced state of growth. These 
should be nipped off at the second or third leaf from the last 
break, continuing this procedure as it becomes necessary through¬ 
out the season. No fruit grown under glass is so much improved 
in quality by a proper course of treatment during the ripening 
process as the Fig. The borders having been properly watered as 
indicated in former calendars will contain sufficient moisture to 
dispense with further applications of water until the first crop 
of fruit has ripened, yet the mulching material must not be 
suffered to become dry, but be kept moist by damping when 
necessary in the early part of the day. To insure a circulation of 
warm dry air in the house by keeping the top ventilators open 
a little constantly, the heating medium will require to be kept 
regularly warm. The minimum temperature should be main¬ 
tained at G5°, and 85° or 90° as a maximum from sun heat, with 
ventilation top and bottom. Sprinkling and syringing should 
be discontinued until the crop of fruit is gathered, then resume 
syringing for assisting the second crop. In later houses syringe 
the trees twice a day copiously to keep the atmosphere moist and 
red spider down. 
Peaches and Nectarines .—When the fruit is cleared of the very 
early varieties in the earliest forced house all the wood that has 
borne fruit this season, and not being needed for the extension of 
the trees, should be cut out or to the shoot trained in from its 
base to form the bearing wood for another season. Syringe twice 
a day, but sufficiently early in the afternoon to allow of the 
trees becoming dry before nightfall. If the trees are crowded 
with wood thin it well out. It is no use expecting fine fruit 
when the shoots are crowded in the season preceding fruiting, as 
they will not ripen or plump the buds so as to insure a good set 
and proper development of the fruit. The shoots should not be 
closer together than a foot, better 15 to 18 inches apart, and they 
should be disposed that distance upon the main branches. Ex¬ 
cepting the space be occupied, the shoots need not be stopped, as 
forced trees will ripen the wood and perfect the buds to the 
extremity of growth of several feet length. The inside borders 
must be well supplied with water, and weakly trees with liquid 
manure, so as to enable them to develope the buds for next year s 
crop. A temperature of 60° to 65° should be maintained by arti¬ 
ficial means, and full air admitted over 75°. The trees in the 
house started early in the year are taking their last swelling, and 
should have copious waterings at the roots and a moist genial 
atmosphere to insure the fruit swelling to a good size. Maintain 
a temperature of 70° to 75° artificially by day, and 80° to 85° from 
sun heat. Shorten or remove any ieaves overhanging the fruit, 
and any fruit not favourably disposed for receiving light should 
be raised to the light by laths across the wires of the trellis, so 
that the apex of the fruit may face the light. Discontinue 
syringing when the fruit commences ripening, but maintain a 
good moisture in the house by damping available surfaces two or 
three times a day, increasing the ventilation as the fruit approaches 
ripening. Tie and regulate the growths, and if there be any red 
spider promptly wash the trees with an insecticide, washing a few 
times afterwards with clear soft water to clean the fruit of any 
sediment. Regulate the growths in succession houses, and be 
careful not to allow more shoots to remain than is necessary for 
furnishing the trees. Overcrowding the growth and overcropping 
is the greatest evil in fruit culture. Thin the fruit, leaving on 
healthy trees a fruit to every square foot of surface covered by 
the trees. Mulch internal borders with short manure, watering 
copiously. Regulate and tie-in the shoots as they advance, stop¬ 
ping shoots retained to attract the sap to the fruit at a few joints 
of growth in the first instance, and afterwards to one as made. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Azaleas .—Repotting these plants, as well as Heaths and 
Epacrises, should now be brought to a close as rapidly as pos¬ 
sible, in fact all the late batches should be attended to as they 
cease flowering. The former, after they are potted, must have 
every encouragement as regards warmth, shade, and moisture 
until their growth is completed. No better place can be afforded 
them than fruit houses, but failing this the house in which they 
