May 
plants, and keep the surface of the earth open and 
friable. The main crops of Swede turnips should 
now also be sown without delay. 
Mangold-Wurtzel and Red Beet, as soon as they 
can be seen above ground, should be surface-stirred; 
and all vacancies filled up by transplanting. 
Borecoles, such as Brussels sprouts , Buda and 
other hales, must be duly pricked out; and, where this 
operation has been already attended to, some of the 
strongest plants may be got out between the early 
peas and beans. Some of the brocoli, coleworts, and 
celery, for use in autumn, should also be pricked out 
and planted in succession. 
Cucumbers,* on the ridge and in slight hot-beds, 
should be nursed on by surface-stirrings, applications 
of tepid water, timely stopping, and by mulching the 
surface of the soil. 
Melons. —The full growing season for this de¬ 
licious fruit having arrived, to secure a good crop 
they should be supplied with sweet holding soil, with¬ 
out the addition of manure of any sort, and a kindly 
moderate bottom heat maintained: taking care that it 
does not rise so high as to scorch the roots. Excessive 
heat to the leaves, also, must be avoided, other-wise 
they will grow weak. The plants must be stopped, 
the first time, at the second joint, allowing three 
shoots then to grow to the length of six or seven 
joints; then stopping again the side shoots, which, if 
a fruitful variety, will show fruit at every joint: these 
shoots must again be stopped one joint above the show¬ 
ing fruit. The more that can be managed to get alto¬ 
gether into bloom, on some sunny day, the better, as 
by this means a choice of the best and handsomest 
fruit may be obtained for swelling, and all the in¬ 
ferior and ugly-shaped fruit can be taken off. As 
prevention is better than cure, a little sulphur viviun, 
mixed with hot lime or clay to the consistency of 
paint, should, as before recommended, be brushed 
occasionally on the inside of the pits or frames, to 
guard against the attacks of the red spider, which 
may be effectually prevented if taken in time. 
James Barnes. 
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. 
MY FLOWERS. 
(No. 29.) 
One of the loveliest of evergreen shrubs is the 
arbutus, or strawberry-tree, and in this month it may 
be transplanted. It is a very beautiful addition to the 
garden, and should be placed singly on the lawn; or, 
if among shrubs, should stand in a conspicuous place 
that its full beauty may be seen. The rich glossy 
foliage and delicate flowers make it a charming 
ornament to the autumnal garden; and it needs 
little care except in severe weather, when it should 
be guarded from the frost by litter laid over the roots, 
and, if convenient, a piece of matting fixed over the 
top would be a sufficient safeguard to the boughs; 
but where this is not easily to be done, they may be 
left to brave the winter; and they must not be con¬ 
sidered as dead even if the branches die, for the tree 
itself is rarely killed, and, if suffered to remain till 
summer, will almost certainly sprout again, and form 
a handsome plant that season. Many persons have 
been known to destroy their dead-looking plants after 
very severe winters, while others, who have suffered 
them to stand, have been rewarded by their return 
to health and beauty. We must not mind keeping 
an unsightly shrub among our rich clumps, or letting 
89 
it stand for a time withered and blighted on the neat 
grass-plot—it may reward our patience, and become 
as beautiful as ever. Are we not thus reminded of 
some plant in the domestic garden—of some one, too, 
in the garden of our heavenly Father—that has stood 
for years leafless and dead, till hope itself had almost 
withered; and yet that plant has sprung into life, at 
last, and become the pride of the garden 
The common arbutus is a native of Italy and 
Spain, and also of Ireland, whose mild and genial 
air, and fruitful soil, would, with active cultivation, 
rival many southern countries. The less hardy 
arbutus, distinguished by unlearned gardeners as the 
oriental or eastern arbutus, requires more care, but 
blooms earlier in the year, and has far more beauti¬ 
ful flowers and foliage. This variety is a native of 
Greece; grows to an enormous size in the island of 
Cyprus, and abounds in Palestine. In that once 
rich and glorious land our own common arbutus 
also grows, flowering much later than the other 
even in that warm climate, and attaining a consider¬ 
able size. In the deep rich vales of Palestine they 
grow into splendid trees, and are sometimes found 
with stems measuring six feet in circumference. 
Mingled with the fruitful and fragrant trees of the 
Holy Land, the arbutus is so general and conspicu¬ 
ous as to be particularly noticed by travellers; and 
its fruit is even more beautiful than its flower. 
When we think that the little shrub we cherish here, 
scarcely exceeding a few feet in height, grows to such 
a stately height and size, even now, in a land lying 
desolate and neglected; when we think of our gar¬ 
den flowers growing wildly and richly on those hills 
and plains; of the “lilies” that spangle the fields, 
and the mighty olive trees that stand like eternal 
monuments among the ruins and desolation around 
them;—what ideas arise of what Palestine was in 
the days of her past greatness, and what she will be 
in those of her coming glory. Dear as is our British 
home to British hearts, yet who can refuse to “ pray 
for the peace of Jerusalem?” 
The arbutus likes a good soil, and, if possible, 
peat. If a sheltered spot can be set apart for this 
shrul), so much the better. It is worthy of some 
little care. 
If any lady or cottage gardener possesses a camel¬ 
lia japonica as a pot plant, they must now carefully 
shade it from the sun, as, if exposed to its influence, 
the rich green of its polished leaves fades, and becomes 
a sickly yellow; therefore, from this time till Septem¬ 
ber, let them enjoy only the early morning sun. One 
is apt to fancy that a greenhouse plant must love the 
sun, but in this case it is not so. Let them have light, 
only not sunshine ; but these charming flowers will 
thrive in shade where most other plants would die, and 
are therefore singularly adapted to form one of that 
class so pathetically and expressively termed, inp. 282 
of vol. i., “ prison plants.” The glowing blossoms of 
the camellia, so richly coloured, so fine in form, so firm 
in texture, charm the eye; and they possess no scent to 
make them unwholesome in the closest room; while 
the ease with which the plants are managed will en¬ 
able many persons to cultivate them whose time or 
means might preclude their undertaking those of 
more peculiar habits. The little interesting trouble 
they give is only with regal'd to watering. Let the 
bottom of the flower-pot be well covered with pieces 
of broken earthenware; let the soil be lumpy also, to 
permit free drainage, which is essential to the plant; 
and during the growing season water should be freely 
given, but at other times it should be kept rather 
dry. After the flower buds are formed is the time of 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
