August IS, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
145 
choice and botanical collections of plants, where it flourishes in a soil 
composed of loam and peat, and must have a high steady temperature. 
It is propagated by cuttings inserted in sand under a bellglass. But 
while we speak of it and know it as a plant in our artificial mode of 
growing it, yet iD its perfected state it is a tree of which the clove spice 
of commerce is the dried flower buds. Dr. Hogg in his “Vegetable 
Kingdom ” states that the Clove is a tree 20 to 40 feet high, a native of 
the Moluccas, but now cultivated all over the East Indies where situations 
favourable to its growth can be obtained, and also in some of the West 
India islands. The cloves of commerce are the unexpanded flower buds, 
the corolla forming a ball on the top between the teeth of the calyx. They 
are first gathered when the trees are about six years old, and are either 
collected by hand or beaten with reeds so as to fall upon cloths which are 
placed under the trees to receive them, and dried either by fire heat or in 
the sun. The fruit, which is a dry berry, also possesses a very aromatic 
Fig. 26. —Caiyophyllns aromaticus. 
taste and odour. The use of cloves in domestic economy is well known_ 
Water extracts the odour of cloves, with comparatively little of their taste. 
All their sensible properties are imparted to alcohol ; and the tincture 
when evaporated leaves an excessively fiery extract, which becomes 
insipid when deprived of the oil by distillation with water, while the oil 
which comes over is mild. Oil of cloves is obtained by distilling cloves 
with water, to which it is customary to add common salt in order to 
raise the temperature of ebullition ; and the water should be repeatedly 
distilled from the same clovos in order completely to exhaust them. 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
Strawberry Beds. —Important work has now to be done in Straw¬ 
berry cultivation. If new beds are to be made it must either be done at 
once or left till next spring—preferably at once if space can be had, but 
many gardens are so crowded with crops that the planting of Strawberries 
is put off till autumn, with the unsatisfactory result of the plants not 
becoming fully established before winter. If the soil is of a close heavy 
texture let plenty of fine coal ashes be well worked into it, with enough 
manure, old and rich, to insure perfect fertility and thorough mechanical 
division. Then select strong-rooted runners, lift them carefully with large 
balls of soil and as many roots as possible, plant 1 foot apart in rows 
2 feet asunder, give a plentiful watering, and continue to water three 
times weekly till the end of September. Run a hoe occasionally through 
the suiface of the soil among the plants to keep down weeds and to keep 
the surface loose and open. If sewage can be had use it in preference to 
wafer, our object being to induce a robust autumnal growth and strong 
plump crowns to afford a truss or two of fine fruit early next season. Of 
sorts to be regarded as indispensable take Black Prince and Keen’s Seed¬ 
ling for a warm corner or southern slope ; for the earliest fruit and for 
open beds Marguerite, Sir Joseph PaxtoD, James Veitch, Hammonia, Dr. 
Hogg, Lucas, Sir Charles Napier, President, Unser Fritz, Bicton Pine 
(white), and Loxford Hall Seedling. 
For new gardens, or wherever there is any feeling of doubt about 
which sorts will answer best for large beds, we recommend the planting 
of all we have enumerated, as well as small trial beds of all new sorts as 
they are introduced, so that clear knowledge of the comparative value 
of each sort may be had, and the best possible selection made. If 
new beds cannot be made now make nursery beds of runners planted 
about !) inches apart in rich soil, and there is nothing better for this 
purpose than an old hotbed with soil and manure chopped up and well 
mixed. Keep these beds well watered and free from weeds, and next 
February or early in March remove the plants to permanent quarters, 
where they will be found to answer much better thsn when planted late 
in autumn. Let the plants of old exhausted beds be at once hoed up and 
cleared off, and the fruiting beds with the plants in full vigour should 
have runners and weeds hoed and cleared from between the rows, a heavy 
dressing of old well decayed manure being applied and at once dug in. 
This will induce a strong growth of roots, foliage, and crowns, and go 
far to insure a sull crop of fruit next season. 
Watering Fruit Trees. —To insure a full healthy development of 
branch, foliage, and fruit the trees must at no time be allowed to suffer by 
want of water. One thorough watering, followed by a mulching of litter, 
is better than half a dozen waterings without it. Keep the soil about the 
roots moist and the foliage clean, and there will be very little risk of loss 
from blight or disease of any kind. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Vines. — Lifting the Earliest Vines. —No time should be lost in lifting 
and relaying the roots in fresh material, as success greatly depends on the 
formation of new roots before the leaves fall. Advantage should be taken 
of dull moist weather, and the Vines being carefully syringed and shaded, 
the roots will speedily take to the fresh compost, as is evidenced by the 
crisp appearance of the lateral growth soon afterwards, and when this 
takes place, and one or other of the borders having been left undisturbed, 
the ventilators may be thrown open with a view to harden and ripen the 
wood. Root-action should be assisted by an occasional syringing on fine 
evenings, and to allow the laterals to ramble until the middle of Sep¬ 
tember, when growth should be checked by shortening preparatory to the 
autumn pruning. 
Vines Cleared of Fruit. —Shorten all semi-extensions and lateral 
growths, carefully preserving the old leaves as the work is performed, 
and water thoroughly on fine evenings with water from the garden engine 
to cleanse from dust and insects. The house should be ventilated to the 
fullest extent day and night unless there is any doubt as to the ripeness of 
the wood, in which case it will be advisable to allow the temperature to 
rise by day to 80° or 85°, and rest the Vines at night by throwing the 
house open. Give sufficient water to inside borders to keep every part 
of the sod moist down to the drainage. The outside border should receive 
the annual top-dressing of loam and ciushed bones whilst the leaves are 
on the Vines. 
Young Vines for Early Forcing. —These will, from having made their 
growth early, have the wood firm and brown, and now or soon may be 
divested of all laterals as a means of inducing rest. Syringe occasionally 
to keep the old foliage clean and healthy, closing with dry sun heat every 
afternoon, and throw the ventdators open through the night, 
Muscats Ripening. —The Vines will require more light and air ; but in 
the event of red spider appearing, which is unusually troublesome this 
season, some of the main leaves being injured, a good spread of laterals 
should be left for protecting the shoulders of the bunches from the direct 
rays of the sun. The atmosphere should be kept warm, especially in the 
daytime, with free ventilation in the early part of the day, and enough at 
all times to insure a circulation constantly. 
Late Vines. —Those of the thick-skinned keeping varieties as a rule 
require a long time to ripen with plenty of heat, which should be pro¬ 
vided as far as possible by sun heat, commencing to increase the ventila¬ 
tion from the early part of the day, keeping the temperature through the 
day at 80° to 90° from sun heat, and allow the ventilators to remain open 
at night with, if necessary, a little warmth in the pipes to insure a circu¬ 
lation of air. If there is any fear of the borders becoming too dry a 
good watering should be given in the early pait of a fine day, so that 
by free ventilation any superfluous moisture will be dried up before 
night. 
Late Houses of Black IT a >n burghs. —The Grapes are swelling rapidly, 
and should have thorough supplies of liquid manure to both inside and 
outside borders, or good waterings through a mulching of manure. Do 
not allow the laterals to extend so as to crowd the principal foliage; at 
the same time allow a fair extension of the laterals as an incentive to 
root-action. Ventilate freely from the early part of the day, allow the 
