August 8, 18:9. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
103 
■A T all times of the year work presses to be done in gardens, and 
in many cases at no time more severely than during the 
present month. In not a few instances haymaking seriously inter¬ 
feres with the gardening routine, and much work that ought to have 
been done amongst flowers, fruit, and vegetables falls in arrear. 
It is only by extra efforts, where extra help is not afforded, that 
’-the arrears can be brought up without prejudice to future crops, 
before harvest. The ingathering of agricultural grain crops does 
mot affect all gardens and gardeners—perhaps not half of them, as 
the greater number are situated in the proximity of towns ; but 
there is a large and important margin in country districts where 
gardens are for a time considerably drained of the labour that is 
requisite for their maintenance, and for providing not only current 
but future necessaries. No persons except those who have had ex¬ 
perience on the subject can appreciate the inconvenience, and 
•something more, arising from the withdrawal of men from gardens 
•during the periods named—haytime and harvest. As a rule 
gardeners are most willing to afford help in any emergency 
outside the garden, and they often have to leave work which they 
know is important undone at the proper time, and the effects of 
which qre not apparent to others till months afterwards, when a 
blank occurs in the supply, and the original cause is forgotten by 
all except the victim of circumstances at a critical time. It would 
be highly encouraging to many industrious, striving, willing men 
who, or their helpers, are drawn periodically from their regular 
-duties, if a little extra assistance could be given them, when it is 
apparent they are overpressed, as compensation for the services 
applied elsewhere, and gardens would bo rendered the more 
immediately enjoyable and ultimately productive by the timely 
assistance provided under the circumstances. A little extra labour 
accorded between haytime and harvest has been a boon to many, 
and there are many more who would rejoice by the consideration 
of a similar nature and look forward with pleasure to assisting in 
the ingathering of grain, which they otherwise anticipate with 
gloomy forebodings. 
Gardens are particularly full of “ work ” this year. Yegetation 
Loth of a useful and useless nature has made, and is still making, 
rapid progress. Where lawns exist they can only be kept smooth 
by the more than ordinarily frequent action of machines or 
scythes. Where verges are extensive the shears must be in almost 
constant requisition to keep them neat and trim ; and if not so 
kept they fail to give satisfaction. Walks and drives that cannot 
have timely attention become unsightly by weeds, and every day’s 
work given to prevent this may save a week or more of after 
labour. It is the same with weeds in what is known as cultivated 
ground, though much that is embraced in that category has not the 
best claim to the designation. Weeds have gained the ascendancy 
through, in many instances, circumstances quite beyond the 
gardener’s control, and it will be found true economy to clear them 
•out promptly by a little extra outlay in labour. It may be, and 
probably is, true that in some cases a gardener may be to blame for 
the luxuriance of weeds. All men are not alike apt in seizing 
opportunities, when as much real work may be done in an hour as 
eventually may take days to accomplish. But by whatever cause 
gardens become a waste of weeds, it cannot be to the advantage of 
the owners of the land to permit them to continue. 
No. 476 .—Vol. XIX., Thied Seeies, 
The remains of exhausted vegetable crop3 of various kinds are 
occupying much ground uselessly, and worse, at the present timr, 
for they are depriving the soil of its virtues for no purpose, and the 
effluvium arising from decaying vegetable is the reverse of conducive 
to pleasure, not to say health. Much of what is unsightly, and even 
offensive now, no doubt might have been prevented by pulling 
Cauliflowers and Lettuces instead of cutting them, and Cabbages 
also where not wanted for producing a second crop ; and even in this 
case a different method of procedure some weeks ago in cutting 
and clearing away useless parts at the same time would have saved 
after labour, and prevented needless soil exhaustion and present 
unsightliness. But no matter what the cause of the present con¬ 
fusion and waste, the remedy consists in prompt action by a little 
extra labour, if that at disposal is not equal to the task. The 
ground thus liberated can now be turned to useful account, but 
much of it cannot, this season at least, if delay is permitted to 
occur. There is still time for planting such vegetables as Kale, 
Broccoli, and even Celery, for winter and spring use, but the time 
for doing so profitably will soon pass away. 
August is the month in which Coleworts can be planted in the 
certainty that they will be of great service in due season, and a 
supply of plants should always be in readiness at this season fcr 
insertion in vacant iground. Some of the most important crops of 
the year must also be raised, such as Cabbages, also winter Onions, 
Spinach, Lettuce, and Cauliflowers ; and the position of the man 
is not to be envied who fails in the supply of these home neces¬ 
saries. 
Fruit trees on walls and open quarters need attention, and at 
no other period of the year can so much good be done by the 
judicious use of the knife in thinning out useless parts in order 
that those remaining may become fruitful. The remarks that 
have appeared in recent issues on the importance of relieving 
Peach trees of superfluous growths in summer apply, if not quite 
with equal force, yet to a very important extent to other kinds of 
trees. The unfruitful nature of many is due to inaction in summer, 
and the fact is, perhaps, not sufficiently recognised that no kind cr 
amount of work in winter can in any appreciable degree compen¬ 
sate for summer negligence. 
Amongst flowers, too, work presses to be done. Those fading 
require dressing or removal, those advancing require support and 
attention. A stormy day may destroy the work of a season if 
that which is necessary for preventing the injury is not provided. 
Persons who desire the earliest and best displays of hardy annuals, 
especially such as Limnanthes, Silenes, Saponaria, and others of a 
hardy nature, cannot produce them so well in any other way as by 
sowing thinly in firm soil and an open situation during the present 
month. The propagating season is also with us, and delay in this 
department may be followed by disaster. Days or weeks cannot be 
lost at this period of the year without grave inconveniences result¬ 
ing, and every effort should be made by masters and men to have 
garden work in August completed well up to time, or it is not 
possible that the greatest satisfaction can be realised, not only 
during the present season, but throughout another year.— 
Expekientia docet. 
LILIUM HARRISI. 
A late assistant located in the United States of America 
brought to my notice the superiority of this variety over the old 
L. longiflorum for pot culture and forcing. When it was first 
introduced to the public in this country I secured bulbs to give 
it a trial, but my experience was not very agreeable, in fact I was 
disappointed, and I was not alone in viewing this variety with 
suspicion. Now, however, it has exceeded my expectation, and the 
old L. longiflorum cannot be compared to it for pot culture, either 
for profusion of flowering or for early forcing. Good bulbs, 7 to 
9 inches in circumference, can now be obtained at less than double 
No. 2132.— Yol. LXXXI., Old Series. 
