THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Mat 24, 1859. 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
Day 
Day 
Weather near London in 1858. 
oi of 
M’nth Week. 
i 
MAY 24—30, 1859. 
Barometer. 
Thermom. 
Wind. 
Rain in 
Inches. 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon 
R.andS. 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
afterSun 
Day of 
Year. 
24 
Tu 
Queen Victoria born, 1819. 
29.872—29.424 
64-44 
S.W. 
.48 
59 af 3 
54 af 7 
51 m 0 
€ 
23 
'3 
30 
144 
25 
26 
\V 
Princess Helena born, 1846. 
30.343—29.781 
62-32 
N. 
.10 
58 3 
56 7 
4 1 
3 
25 
145 
Th 
Passerina ciliata. 
30.481—30.302 
62—40 
E. 
.00 
56 3 
57 7 
15 1 
24 
3 
19 
146 
27 
F 
King of Hanover born, 1819. 
30.205—30.060 
69—45 
S.W. 
.01 
55 3 
58 7 
27 1 
25 
3 
12 
147 
28 
S 
Arum crinitum. 
30.094—30.077 
77—41 
N.W. 
54 3 
59 7 
38 1 
26 
3 
5 
148 
29 
s ™ 1 
Roga. Sunday. King Charles II. 
30.103—30.040 
75—47 
S.W. 
_ 
53 3 
vin. 
53 1 
27 
2 
58 
149 
30 
M 
Diosma rubra. [Rest. 1660. 
30.065—30.028 
80—46 
S.W. 
— 
52 3 
2 8 
12 2 
28 
2 
50 
150 
Meteorology op the Week.— At Chiswick, from observations during the 
last thirty-two years, the average highest and lowest 
temperatures oi these days are G/.0° and 44.8°, respectively. The greatest heat, 89°, occurred on the 24th, in 
on the 25th, in 1839. During the period 122 days were fine, and on 92 rain fell. • 
1847 ; and the lowest cold, 
29°, 
IN-DOOR GARDENING OPERATIONS FOR 
THE AVEEK. 
GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 
As most plants here are now in active growth, they 
will require a liberal supply of water. If the sun shines 
very brightly, a slight shading would be of benefit for a 
few hours on very hot days. 
Azaleas, Chinese.— AVhen done blooming, they suc¬ 
ceed best in a close pit, kept moderately moist and slightly 
shaded in the middle of the day. If they are too large 
for a pit, they will do well in a vinery, or in any other 
large house where they can stand at a distance from the 
glass without shading. 
Balsams and Cockscombs. —Promote their growth by 
shifting them into lai’ger pots, in rich soil, with an abun¬ 
dance of light near the glass, and heat. 
Camellias to be treated as advised for Azaleas. 
Geraniums.— If any remain after the flower-garden 
masses are furnished, they should be potted and treated 
with every attention as to watering, &c. AYhen they 
have made fresh roots, and begin to grow freely, to be 
stopped, to make bushy plants. Calceolarias, Fuchsias, 
Petunias, Verbenas, &c., treated in a similar manner, will 
be useful as a reserve to succeed the greenhouse plants 
that are now in bloom, and to fill up vacancies as they 
occur in the beds and borders. 
Heaths and New Holland Plants.— Many being 
now in full growth will require an abundance of water, 
more especially in bright weather. Many fine specimens 
are frequently lost through imperfect watering; for if 
the ball is once allowed to get thoroughly dry, all en¬ 
deavours to restore the plant to health and vigour are 
generally unsuccessful. 
STOVE AND ORCHID-HOUSE. 
Ornamental stove plants —such as Brugmansias, Centra- 
denias, Clerodendrons, Eranthemums, Euphorbias, Geis- 
somerias, Gesneras, Justicias, Poinsettias, &c., to be 
supplied with clear liquid manure, .and to have their 
rambling shoots stopped. Many of the free-growing 
plants will require shifting occasionally. The great 
object should be to get rapid growth when light abounds, 
and thus to secure luxuriant foliage at the right season, 
when there will be more time for the wood to be pro¬ 
perly matured for winter. The syringings to be given 
early in the afternoon, that the plants may get dry before 
night. 
Achimenes. —AVhen grown in large seed-pans they 
produce a fine effect. 
FORCING-HOUSE. 
Cherries. —Give more air, and keep a drier atmosphere 
when the fruit is ripening. Give plenty of water to the 
trees now swelling their fruit. Syringe frequently, and 
keep the foliage and fruit free from insects. 
Chrysanthemums. —Pot off as soon as rooted. If not 
already struck, the cuttings should be put in at once. 
Cucumbers. —Stop them, and water freely. Alt that 
are intended for ridges, if hardened off, should now be 
No. 556.— Vol. XXII. No. 8. 
planted out. See that the ball of earth is well soaked 
with water before planting. 
Figs. —Give them plenty of air during the day in fine 
weather, with abundance of water. Use the syringe 
freely, except when fruit is ripening. 
Peaches. —Although a dry atmosphere is necessary to 
give flavour to the ripening fruit, it is not advisable to 
withhold water altogether from the roots while.the trees 
are making their growth. AVater the inside borders in 
the morning in clear weather, so that any vapour that 
arises may pass off during the day. The outside borders, 
if dry, should also be watered as far as the roots extend, 
and then mulched, to prevent evaporation during hot, 
dry weather. If the early-forced trees have naked 
branches, some of the earliest-made wood may bo taken 
from the trees, and buds inserted from it in the barren 
parts. Buds inserted now may start into growth in July, 
and be stopped when about six inches long, to get the 
wood well ripened. 
Pines. —A bottom heat from 80° to 85° must be kept 
up to the plants intended for fruiting in the autumn. It 
is advisable, where practicable, to allow the stools from 
which fruit has been cut to remain in the house for some 
time ; to supply them liberally with water, and occa¬ 
sionally with liquid manure ; to encourage the growth 
of the suckers. 
Vines.— In the houses where Grapes are ripening, the 
temperature may be allowed to rise to 90°, with sun heat, 
and to decline to 60° at night. In the succession-houses 
thin the bunches, and do not be covetous to over-crop 
the Vines, as it is the cause of many bad effects. Stop 
laterals, and use the syringe freely in the afternoons. 
AYilliam Keane. 
CRYSTAL PALACE GRAND FLOAVER SHOAV. 
Instead of being a grand Show, it turned out a mag¬ 
nificently grand exhibition of flowers and fine-leaved 
plants, and a triumphant exposition of the energy, skill, 
and industry of British gardeners when encouraged 
under a wise, liberal, and free patronage. Depend upon 
it, the mere free liberty of the subject, which the gar¬ 
dener enjoys here, will go ten thousand times farther in 
elevating him in the social scale than all the “laws and 
regulations ” ever invented, or put in force, at Chiswick 
by Dr. Bindley. 
Two years after I left Shrubland Park I met Mr. 
Davidson, my successor there, at a Chiswick Show, and 
merely turning round to ask him how Lady Middleton 
and Sir AVilliam were, I was tapped on the shoulder from 
behind: there was the everlasting Doctor, who told us 
plainly enough he could not allow such evident signs 
of revolution under the sanction of the Horticultural 
Society. 
Here, at the Crystal Palace, gardeners are not only 
allowed to speak with each other, but actually to shake 
hands, to ask questions, to give civil answers, to walk 
about in groups, to look at and watch and hear what the 
nobility said about the Show, and the different collections, 
