August 18. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
383 
rendered the Strawberry crop less productive, on the 
whole, than it promised to be, yet it was certainly equal 
to last year, and on soils more suited to its growth than 
that on which it is planted on here the result has been 
tolerably good. 
Of hardy orchard fruits there is much diversity; 
Pears are certainly not so plentiful as last year, neither 
on the open standard nor on the walls. Neither 
aro Phans so abundant, yet these fruits cannot be 
i called general failures. Cherries have been indif¬ 
ferent ; the dull, ungenial weather, no doubt, acting 
on them, so as to cause many to drop or become 
abortive, that in a fine season might have been good. 
Apples are also variable; some trees, or rather, certain 
kinds, seemingly tolerably good, while others are a 
complete failure; but few fruits are so closely noticed 
as the Apple is in a country where it forms one of the 
staple products of the district; it is in such localities 
that we are told, with something more than prophetic 
assurance, that such and such a kind bears each 
alternate year, barring very severe weather at blossoming 
time, &c.; while other kinds do not bear so often as 
that; and others are either capriciously disposed, or are 
more influenced by the season, so that tlieir bearing 
cannot be depended on at all, unless aided by the 
favourable circumstances above - mentioned. In the 
present instance, there certainly was less absolute frost 
in the month of May than is usually the case, and yet 
there was but a very small fraction of the blossom 
became fruit, owing partly, no doubt, to the absence 
of sunshine; all these things acting together have 
lessened the crop so much, that the produce will be. 
under that of the average of seasons. Filberts, an 
important crop here, are certainly as good as last year, 
and perhaps less diseased ; and Walnuts aro very 
plentiful. 
Tender Wall-fruits are not all abundant; on the con¬ 
trary, Peaches, Apricots, and Nectarines, are thin, while 
Figs are good and plentiful. From some cause or other, 
and, no doubt, wisely ordained, the Fig-crop has, for 
several years, been most abundant when the others 
were scarce. The failure this season has not, however, 
been accompanied by any disease in the trees, which, 
on other occasions, has appeared sufficient to account 
for it; but it would seem to have been something 
defective in the embryo buds, for the blooming season, 
though not without some severity, was certainly not 
remarkably so, and we have often enough had a good 
crop of fruit set in weather certainly more unpropitious; 
1 but the other agents of success were, doubtless, present 
| then. In making these observations on the Peach, &c., it 
! must not be inferred that no protection is used; on the 
| contrary, it is used, and, no doubt, serves an important 
purpose on cold nights; still, its presence will not secure 
! a crop, when, by some natural infirmity, the organs of 
fructification are unable to perform their part. A 
; failure, under such circumstances, is sure to follow. 
Turning from fruits to Flowers , and omitting all those 
i of a potted kind, we find a considerable difference in 
the habit and character of the various flowering plants 
which ornament the parterre and mixed border. Amongst 
the former a rank growth has been perceived in some, 
at variance with their flowering; while with others, this 
has been reversed, and not a few failures; and, with us, 
one which seems most surprising is Petunia, which has 
certainly not done so well as might have been expected 
of it; neither has Uallanlia, C'upheaplatycentra, Lobe¬ 
lias, nor some of the Salvias; while the Scarlet Gera¬ 
niums made such progress as to fill their beds before 
the usual time, and if dry weather should set in we 
i have no doubt but they would flower pretty well. The 
most successful of all the bedding plants, and the one 
which, above all others, we most admire for its many 
| useful properties, is Mangles' Variegated Geranium. 
This worthy plant seems fitted either to stand the 
withering influence of unclouded sunshine, or the chilly 
coldness of continued rain, or dull weather. That we 
have had the latter to deal with is so much more the 
pity, but it has not marred the beauty of this inte¬ 
resting object; and not one amongst the beds I have 
of it, or the edgings which it forms around others, but 
has fully answered the purpose intended for it. This, 
certainly, has not been the case with the ley-leaved 
kinds, while the mixed kinds of Geranium, better 
known as the greenhouse flowering ones, have been 
anything but good, but a mass of coarse leaves, in 
most instances without any flower; while in others, 
as the fancy kinds, the growth has been more limited 
still—on that account not the less successful because 
uneven, and the general appearance of the whole not 
pleasing. Calceolarias have been better; the frequent 
rains have favoured their growth, although, now and 
then, we have seen one die; but we have not noticed 
anything analagous to the disease which Mr. Fish says 
has preyed on his Kentish Hero. Certainly, this kind 
never has been so great a favourite with me as its 
former merits seem to have made it with Mr. Fish, and 
others, for it has always refused to make any progress 
during the middle summer months; so that it is only the 
first large trusses of bloom, and the growth which takes 
place after the middle of August, which it has to recom¬ 
mend it; and the present season, though presenting 
more the features of an autumn than a summer, has not 
induced this Calceolaria to depart from its usual course 
of taking a “ summer’s rest.” Its half-herbaceous habit 
would seem to account for this, yet it ought to have 
been more successful this season, when a moist soil and 
atmosphere must have supplied it with the food most 
in accordance with its wants. Anagallis has been good, 
though occasionally a plant would die off, and that 
often when most wanted, to the disfiguring of the bed. 
Ageratums have been more prosperous, and less ram¬ 
bling than might have been expected; but Verbenas 
have been very variable; some plants dying off near to 
others in the most robust health. However, as a whole, 
this class has been tolerably good, and they only need 
dry weather now to enable them to flower abundantly. 
I may, however, observe, that amongst the many plants 
which rabbits seem more especially fond of, this stands 
about first, and, consequently, 1 have suffered much 
that way in places where these vermin have access ; 
and the best preventive I have been able to adopt 
is to frequently scatter the plants over with soot, or 
soot and sulphur. The caustic properties of the former 
of these ingredients makes the plant distasteful to tho 
rabbit, while it accelerates its growth rather than other¬ 
wise. Most of the other bedding plants present a 
rankness of growth instead of abundant blooming; and 
such things as Dahlias, Chrysanthemums, and the like, 
are more than usually tall in consequence; and the j 
same may be said of many herbaceous plants ; but Roses 
have been, on the whole, good, except such tender kinds 
as had suffered from the extreme weather in winter, but 
this, as well as some observations on the vegetable 
garden, must be put off until another occasion. 
J. Robson. 
HARVESTING OF OATS. 
The harvesting of all kinds of grain is a most im¬ 
portant part of farm management; although the Oat 
may he considered a somewhat inferior kind, as com¬ 
pared with Wheat, yet, upon some poor and bleak soils, 
it is almost the only sort of corn crop taken, and, under 
any circumstances, it ought to receive a due share of 
attention as regards securing the produce, in order to 
