Miiy 19, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
886 
Lots Homes .—Avoid overcrowding. Train and tie in the young 
shoots that are to carry next year’s crop, and allow them to extend as 
far as space admits. Stop or remove all gross shoots, and pinch side 
shoots that are not wanted for next year’s bearing or for furnishing the 
trees. Thin the fruits, leaving only a few more than are required for 
the crop, and apportion the fruits to the vigour of the trees. One fruit 
to each square foot of trellis is ample for Peaches of the large varieties. 
Nectarines may be left at 9 inches. Syringe twice a day in fine weather, 
always sufficiently early in the afternoon to allow the foliage to become 
dry before night. If vigorous trees are dripping with moisture in the 
morning omit the afternoon syringing. Supply water when necessary, 
so as to moisten the soil down to the drainage. Ventilate before the sun 
acts powerfully on the foliage, and increase the ventilation with the sun 
heat, closing early if it is desired to accelerate the ripening of the fruit, 
but if w^anted to ripen late admit air freely day and night. Young trees 
in course of formation will need disbudding, leaving the shoots for 
forming main branches 15 to 18 inches apart, and the bearing wood 
along them at a similar distance, training extensions their full length, 
and pinching the side shoots not required to extend to two or three 
leaves so as to form spurs. Pinch laterals at the first leaf, and subse¬ 
quent growths to one joint as produced. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
Herbaceous Borders. —Strong sunshine, cold winds, and frosty 
nights have not suited newly moved plants, and what they most require is 
a soaking rain and a few dull days after. Failing rain the watering pot 
ought to be freely used, this, or rainfall, being followed by a mulching 
of short manure, leaf soil, spent tan, or cocoa-nut fibre refuse. Unless 
these precautions are taken the chances are many of the newly divided 
plants will either be lost or grow and flower feebly. Light shade is 
often of great advantage after transplanting in bright weather. 
Thinning Seedlings. —Poppies and Mignonette have come up very 
thickly, and both kinds of plants must be very freely thinned out or 
they will not produce a good effect. Annuals generally pay for similar 
treatment, those thinly grown branching strongly and lasting much 
longer in flower than is the case when the plants are crowded. 
Bulbous-rooted Plants. —Most of these have flowered well, but 
from various causes have not lasted long. The most popular and service¬ 
able of all are the Daffodils, Narcissi also giving much pleasure. As a rule 
they keep best and start the most strongly if they are left in the open 
ground, dividing and replanting about every third autumn. Their 
positions ought to be marked and the tops allowed to die down naturally. 
If they must be lifted, then wait till the tops are dead, and store the 
bulbs in dry sand and a cool place, replanting early in the autumn. 
Tulips may be treated much as advised for Daffodils, with a good prospect 
of some of them flowering next season. Hyacinths seldom form spikes 
after the first year, but if they are transferred to the borders and left 
undisturbed a good display may be forthcoming, the proper destination 
of those flowered in pots also being the mixed borders or bulb garden. 
Grape Hyacinths, Crocuses, Snowdrops, and Scillas ought to be left 
undisturbed for several years. Nor ought the early flowering Irises to 
be often disturbed, and if planted rather deeply shallow rooted summer 
flowering plants may be grown over them. If any of the bulbous-rooted 
plants must be moved from flower beds, then do it while the tops are 
green, saving a little soil about the roots, and replant thinly in good 
garden ground. 
Preparing for Summer Bedding. —Many of the spring flowering 
plants will be past their best sooner than expected, and this in some 
respects is an advantage rather than otherwise. In all probability they 
will leave the ground in a dry impoverished state, and renovating 
measures will have to be taken or the start made by the next occupants 
will be a poor one. An over-rich root run is not desirable in the case of 
Zonal Pelargoniums, Petunias, Marguerites, Nasturtiums, Heliotrope, 
and Pyrethrum; but such hungry moisture-loving plants as Verbenas, 
Violas, Lobelias, Fuchsias, Calceolarias, and tuberous-rooted Begonias 
ought to be well prepared for. The last named cannot well have a too 
rich border or bed, and will repay for any extra trouble in the shape of 
manuring or mulching. 
Planting Beds. —Not till the first week in June ought much planting 
to be done; but it is unwise to defer the work of dividing and replanting 
the various hardy trailing plants used for either edging beds or filling 
in the groundwork of carpeting designs till the busy time arrives. Advan¬ 
tage should be taken of the first dull or showery period to fork up Sedums, 
Antennarias, Cerastiums, and such like, laying them on one side till the 
beds have been prepared for the principal occupants, and the edges set 
up or the designs marked out. Then pull the plants well to pieces, and 
dibble out the divisions rather thickly in preference to replanting in 
large patches. Give water and afford shade as may be needed. It 
is also advisable to plant out Violas as early as possible. If this showy 
class of plants are to be effective during the summer they ought not 
to be allowed to flower now. The ground being in a finely divided and 
by no means cold state, such annuals as Stocks, Asters, Phlox Drum- 
mondi, Godetias, and Gaillardias may well be put out rather earlier 
than usual, especially if they are becoming somewhat crowded where 
they now are. Moderately rich, freely worked ground suits them best, 
and slugs must be kept away from them. 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Celery. —The more forward plants ought to be soon fit for the 
trenches, or if extra fine produce is desired early they will be better in 
well prepared raised beds. Kept thickly together in boxes or frames 
they experience a check from which they are slow to recover. It pays 
well to shift the early raised plants that are to be grown for exhibition 
purposes into 6-inch pots, keeping them not far from the glass in a 
moderately warm house or pit. They ought to have a rich porous com¬ 
post, and when well established in the fresh soil abundance of water. 
Moderately early and main crop plants should not be kept crowded in 
the seed boxes or beds, or they will move badly. Sturdy little plants 
are the best for pricking out, and if it can possibly be spared a portion 
at least of the requisite number should have the benefit of a frame to 
start afresh in. Stand shallow frames or form rough frames on a hard 
level bottom, and on this place a solid layer of short manure or decaying 
leaves and manure 4 inches thick. Face this over with 2 inches of sifted 
soil, and prick out the plants 4 inches apart and in straight lines each 
way, the better to admit of each being eventually moved with a solid 
square of soil and roots attached, these moving cleanly off the solid 
bottom. Give a gentle watering, keep close and shaded, frequently 
giving a sprinkling till the plants are growing strongly, when they 
should have plenty of air, and be finally planted out before they grow 
into each other. 
Preparing Celery Trenches. —It is better for the Celery that 
the trenches be prepared some time before they are wanted, and getting 
them out early admits of the ridges or spaces between being profitably 
cropped with Kidney Beans, dwarf Peas, and Lettuces during the 
summer and early autumn months. Unless space is very limited the 
plan of preparing trenches from 12 inches to 16 inches wide to hold a 
single row of plants is the best. There is very little gained by planting 
double rows in trenches 18 inches wide with 4 feet spaces between, and 
the plants cannot be so simply and effectually moulded up as when 
grown rather more thickly, or say 10 inches apart in single lines. It is 
advisable to leave 4 feet spaces, 6 feet being none too much if a row of 
medium height Peas is grown (and they succeed remarkably well in 
such positions), this allowing fairly good room for cropping, and plenty 
of soil for moulding up the Celery later on. Make the ridges as flat as 
possible, and if need be a single central row of Kidney Beans and a row 
of Cabbage Lettuce on each side may be grown on some of them, and 
double rows of Cos Lettuce on others. The latter attaimto a surprising 
great size and solidity on these ridges. Of the trenches, it need only be 
said that not more than half a spit of the top soil should be thrown out 
and evenly distributed on each side, it being a mistake to plant Celery 
deeply, especially where the subsoil is of a heavy, cold nature. Use 
solid, and not at all green, manure freely, well forking this into the 
trench, a little of the good soil being left on the top of it. Thus well 
prepared, the Celery can be put out quickly directly the plants are 
fit, and they are less likely, therefore, to be kept too long in frames 
or beds. 
Brussels Sprouts. —If a plot of ground is prepared specially for 
these the plants may well be put out directly they are large enough to 
bear removal. The ground ought to have been freely manured and prior 
to being cropped should be made moderately firm and level. If moved 
direct from a seed bed or box plant with a dibber, but any that has 
been pricked out should be moved with soil about the roots and be re¬ 
planted with a trowel, otherwise they will be a long time in recovering 
from the check. The stronger growers may safely and with advantage 
be put out 2 feet apart in rows 3 feet asunder, but Ne Plus Ultra, 
Paragon, and the Bullet succeed in rather less space. Where the plants 
are still standing thickly in seed beds, pans, or boxes no time should 
be lost in pricking them out on an open border 4 inches apart each 
way, but others raised more thinly in the open ground may be left 
where they are till 6 inches in height. Brussels Sprouts succeed 
admirably among rows of short-topped early Potatoes, the rows of 
the latter being 3 feet apart and moulded up before being cropped 
between. 
Early Broccoli and Late Cauliflowers. —It is hardly possible 
to grow too many of Veitch’s Autumn Protecting Broccoli, it being a 
comparatively easy matter to keep up a good supply of this from 
September till February, and that in spite of its tenderness. Prick out 
a large number of the earliest raised plants on a warm border as advised 
in the case of Brussels Sprouts, and in due course move with trowels to 
good open ground, arranging the plants 30 inches apart each way. 
These will afford a good succession to the best of the Autumn Giant 
Cauliflower, the supply lasting, if some protection from frosts is 
afforded, till December. More plants being raised on an open border, 
and these duly transplanted to warm sites, in succession to Potatoes 
and Peas, a capital lot of produce will be had for storing in the 
autumn. Autumn Giant Cauliflowers being treated very similarly 
would also afford a continuous supply of good hearts from August 
nearly up to Christmas, but like the Broccoli, protection from frost is 
required. 
Tomatoes. —If much-starved plants are turned out against walls or 
fences early in June they are so late in recovering that the chances are 
that disease will spoil the crops. Keeping them root-bound in 3-inch 
or slightly larger pots is simply ruinous to them, later raised smaller 
plants quickly surpassing such starvelings. Therefore shift small 
plants into 6-inch pots and feed those already strongly rooted in that 
size. In a light, warm, and airy position the plants will keep in a 
healthy, sturdy state, and most probably be either in flower or already 
furnished with a few fruits when finally planted out. Any to be 
bought in ought to he ordered early, especially if they are to travel by 
post, and these should be re-established in pots under glass before being 
planted out. 
