February 4, 1886.] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
97 
under side oE tbe trellises. Do not omit to fumigate on a calm afternoon 
when the trees are dry to destroy any aphides that may exist, and so keep 
the trees free from these pests until the flowering is over. IE there be any 
doubt about the moisture of the inside borders give a thorough supply of 
tepid water, or weak liquid manure if the least indication is seen of 
impaired vigour in the trees from repeated forcing. 
Late Houses .—The severe weather has kept the blossoms of the trees 
in these back, but as the wood was well ripened, and due attention has 
been given to watering the inside and protecting the outside borders, 
judicious ventilation will keep the trees in condition for giving full crops 
of fruit. Where the lifting and re-arrangement of trees in late houses 
has not been completed it should be brought to a close as soon as the 
weather permits, but on no account should the borders or trees be inter¬ 
fered with in bad weather, as working the compost when wet only con¬ 
verts it into mud and a soddened sour mass. 
Melons. —To achieve a quick but at the same time a sturdy growth 
the cultivator must have at command sufficient top and bottom beat, and 
by ventilating on all favourable occasions, closing early with genial 
atmospheric moisture on bright days, a quick, sturdy, and consolidated 
growth will be obtained, on which success in all fruit culture, especially 
with Melons, depends. Great care must be exercised in ventilating, 
a current of cold air being very injurious ; hence a piece of hexagon 
netting should be placed over the ventilators when the days are bright, 
but the air cold. 
Cover dung frames with double mats at night, and in case of very 
severe frost some dry straw or fern. See that the linings are regularly 
attended to, removing the old as necessary, and supplying with fresh 
material. Sow as occasion requires for successional crops, always taking 
care to have more plants than are likely to be required. 
Cucumbers. —Keep the night temperature at 05° to 70° and 75° by 
day, with 80° to 90° with sun heat, closing early in the afternoon with 
plenty of atmospheric moisture on bright sunny afternoons. This, with 
judicious applications of liquid manure in a tepid state to the roots, will 
cause the plants to make free growth. Cropping lightly and keeping the 
plants clean are essential to free successional fruiting. Avoid over¬ 
crowding, keeping the foliage thin, removing bad leaves and exhausted 
growths, and stopping others one or two joints beyond the fruit as space 
allows. 
Young plants are now ready for transferring to the hillocks in the 
Cucumber house, it having been thoroughly cleansed, and the soil placed 
in a few days previously to become warm. Press the soil firmly about 
each plant, place a stick to each, and fasten it to the first wire of the 
trellis. Should there be bright sunshine at the time of planting, give a 
light shading in the middle of the day, from about 10.30 A.M to 1 or 
1.30 P.M., to prevent flagging, after which it cau be discontinued, and the 
plants subjected to the full influence of the sun’s rays. 
The linings of dung frames in which Cucumbers are growing will need 
to be attended to weekly or fortnightly according to the state of the 
weather, keeping a supply of well-mixed dung and leaves in readiness for 
that purpose. 
Strawberries in Pots. —The weather has been such as to barely 
admit of more than keeping the plants gently moving. Yentilate 
cautiously, and under or above the plants, so that it is warmed before it 
comes in oontact with the flowers, and when the air is cold and sharp 
have some hexagon netting placed over the ventilators. Water plants in 
flower on the mornings of fine days, lifting the leaves and flowers with one 
hand, so as to avoid wetting them, and keep the water from the crown, as 
that sometimes suffers through the frequent applications of water and a 
close atmosphere. Have the atmosphere rather dry for a couple of hours 
each day, so as to insure conditions favourable for fertilising by a little 
extra heat if necessary with freer ventilation. Fertilisation is quickly 
effected with a feather duster, examining the flowers each day, until there 
is a good crop set, after which remove all superfluous flowers and 
deformed fruits. Introduce more plants for successional fruiting, accord¬ 
ing to the space at command and the requirements. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Adiantums .—Some plants should be pushed into growth without 
delay where a continuous supply of fronds in suitable condition for 
cutting is required daily. PI iats from which fronds have been used 
during the winter have commenced pushing up new ones freely if they 
have not been in a lower temperature than 50°. Those most advanced 
should be placed in a slightly warmer bouse, and in a very short time a 
mass of developed fronds will be produced. After growth has fairly com¬ 
menced the plants may be divided and repotted if they need more root 
room. For this purpose the maj )rity of our plants are in 5 to 7-inch 
pots, and after the pots are full of roots each plant is cut into two and 
then replaced into the same size pots. By this method more roots are 
undisturbed, and tbe plants starting quickly freely again into growth. 
As soon as they are growing and rooting freely in the new compost they 
are placejl in a light airy structure where the night temperature ranges 
about 55 . A. cuneatum is the most serviceable for this purpose, and if 
the fronds are to last well after they are cut they must be developed 
under the influence of light and abundance of air. Other varieties where 
large fronds are required for other purposes may be treated in the same 
manner. A very suitable compost for these plants is fibry loam, one-third 
leaf mould, and a liberal dash of coarse sand. Leaf mould for these 
plants is preferable to peat. 
Plants in Baskets .—It is surprising what a number of fronds can be 
obtained from plants grown in wire baskets 8 or 10 inches in diameter 
suspended from the roof of plant houses or even vineries. Adiantums do 
remarkably well in baskets, and will yield the requisite material for 
cutting without taking up the stage room of plant houses. When dividing 
the plants, if good portions are placed in baskets and grown on through 
the season they will be fully 2 feet through by autumn. For two or three 
years the plants will do well in baskets, and by that time they will be a 
mass of roots and should be turned out, divided, and given as much fresh 
soil as the space in the baskets will allow. During the summer these 
plants may be suspended in any cool house, but after the fronds have 
been gathered in autumn they must not be kept in too low a temperature 
during the winter, or else they will not start freely again in spring. The 
same soil should be used for these as when the plants are grown in pots, 
only it will be necessary to U3e fibry peat towards the outside of the 
baskets. 
Davallias .—Such species as D. bullata, D. canariense, D. dissecta, 
D. Mariesi, D. Tyermanni, and others may be more successfully 
grown in baskets for supplying fronds for cu'ting than is the 
case in either pots or pans. Those named can all be grown suc¬ 
cessfully in the greenhouse ; in fact, will bear during the winter the 
low temperature of a vinery without the slightest injury. For these 
plants baskets slightly larger should be employed, for under good cultiva¬ 
tion their creeping rhizomes will soon take possession of the whole of 
the outer surface of the baskets, and when in this stage they are very 
beautiful suspended in any plant house. Although these do well under 
the conditions indicated, they enjoy a little heat to start them into growth, 
and by this means fronds are ready for use much earlier in the season 
than would otherwise be the case. The fronds of these plants are 
invaluable for cutting when grown under cool moderately light condi¬ 
tions, for they remain perfectly fresh for a longtime after they are severed 
from the plants. When grown in heat they are much subject to the 
attacks of thrips, which is not the case when grown under comparatively 
cool conditions and liberally syringed. For these plants we prefer a 
compost of equal parts of peat and fibry loam in a rough state with 
charcoal freely intermixed. Stove varieties are also very handsome and 
useful in baskets, especially D. Mooreana ; these may be placed in them 
at once, or divided as required. 
Selaginella coesia .—This is a charming plant for furnishing purposes, 
and may be most effectively used for a front edging in the stove, intermediate 
house, or even the conservatory, during the summer months. When used 
alternately with Panicum variegatum the effect is all that can be desired. 
For these purposes plants are the most suitable in 4-inch pots, and cuttings 
of Panicum can be rooted in the same size for association with them. 
During the winter this Selaginella can be accommodated in any cool 
position ; in fact, our plants are generally kept in a cold vinery. If 
placed in a temperature of 50° they will commence growing at once, and 
in about a fortnight from the time they are started may be divided and 
potted in the size required. Each plant grown for a season in this size 
will make three or four quickly when divided, therefore it is unnecessary 
to keep a very large stock through the winter. These plants grow well 
in loam, leaf mould, and sand. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN AND PLEASURE GROUND. 
Propagating Summer Bedding Plants .—It is a mistake to sow the 
seeds of various bedding plants, with a few exceptions, very early in the 
year, as in this case they are liable to be too far advanced by the time 
bidding out commences, and a serious check to their growth may be 
given. Too often such free-growing kinds as Ageratums, Petunias, 
Antirrhinums, Pentstemons, Dahlias, Pyrethrum, are sown very early in 
the year only to remain in a crowded state in the seed pans, till they have 
become drawn and almost worthless. Annuals, especially such as Stocks, 
Asters, Marigolds, Zinnias, Dianthuses, and Godetias, ought not to be 
raised long before they are planted out, as anything in the shape of a 
check to their quick sturdy growth is certain to materially detract from 
their usefulness and beauty. In due course all the popular kinds will be 
again alluded to, and the methods of raising and growing them we have 
found perfectly successful will be given. 
Tuberous Begonias .—These are now found of great service in the 
flower garden, no class of plants succeeding better in dull wet weather, 
and during more favourable weather they almost equal the Z mal Pelar¬ 
goniums for brilliancy. Seedlings may be raised and planted out the 
same season with good effect, but one-year or two-year-old tubers are 
most suitable for bedding out, especially in prominent places. It is very 
unwise to sow seed saved from common or inferior varieties, the. more 
compact strains, and which produce finer better shaped blooms, being by 
far the most effective in the flower garden. Sow tbe seed at once on the 
surface of a pan of fine peaty soil, or, what will do quiie as well, a mixture 
of fine leaf soil and sifted loam. Make this rather firm and quite level, 
moisten it through a fine-rose watering pot, sow the seed thinly and 
evenly, and sprinkle over, but not so as to bury it deeply, a little fine 
silver sand. Stand the pan on a mild hotbed, cover with a square of 
glass, and shade heavily till the seedlings are up, afterwards from bright 
sunshine only. They must be kept uniformly moist, care being taken 
not to wash them out of the soil, and they should be pricked out in boxes 
of fine light soil before they spoil each other in the seed pans.. Keep 
them growing in a warm house or frame till the middle of April, when 
they ought to be large enough to prick out in a frame of good soil dis¬ 
posed on a slight hotbed. From this they will transplant readily, Old 
bulbs ought to be allowed to start naturally either in boxes of good soil 
