1S78.] 
FIG COL DI SIGNORA BIANCA.-VILLA GARDENING FOR AUGUST. 
121 
better established than when this process is 
left till the spring. In training and tying 
the canes to stakes, the mode of doing so 
here is to drive the stakes in a position 
leaning to the north. The young canes of 
the summer’s growth then keep clear of the 
fruiting canes, and as the fruit gets all the 
sun, it ripens better. At pruning-time, if 
the plants are strong and established, three 
canes are enough to be left on each stool, if 
fine fruit is desired. 
Of the varieties, I find Fastolf ,, Cutbush's 
Prince of Wales , and Carters Prolife to be 
the best bearers amongst the red kinds; and 
Yellow Antwerp amongst the yellows. The 
autumnal fruiting sorts grown here are the 
Merveille lies Quatre Saisons and the October 
Yellow , both good bearers, in fine warm 
autumns. 
The Raspberry is not subject to many insect 
enemies. One is a grub named Tinea corti- 
cella , which sometimes attacks the flowers 
and young fruit, but is so seldom seen as not 
to prove of any great injury to the crops.— 
William Tillery, Welbeclc. 
FIG COL DI SIGNORA BIANCA. 
[Plate 473.] 
UR plate of this, one of the most 
delicious Fig3 in cultivation, is derived 
from a sketch made some time since by 
Mr. Fitch. It is, as will be seen, a very hand¬ 
some fruit, and being of such excellent quality, 
it is one which can be strongly recommended 
for general cultivation. We quote the follow¬ 
ing descriptive particulars from Hogg’s Fruit 
Manual: —Fruit, medium-sized, pyriform, with 
a rather long neck; skin thick, green, but 
changing to yellowish-white, and covered 
with fine grey bloom ; stalk short, stout; eye, 
closed. Flesh of the darkest blood-red, very 
thick and syrupy, and most delicious. It 
shrivels and dries well. One of the finest figs 
in cultivtaion. 
VILLA gardening for 
AUGUST. 
fFff )0 “ August, hail! fruitful, serene, and 
calm,” writes one of our poets. The 
(warm, dry weather of the second and 
third weeks in July has done much to make it 
a fruitful month. Wet and dullness have 
changed to sunshine and brilliancy, and 
serenity and calm have taken the place of 
storms and winds. St. Swithin’s lias come and 
gone, without fulfilling its ancient traditions. 
Greenhouse. — Fuchsias are now the glory 
of the greenhouse, supported by Zonal Pelar¬ 
gonium s, Balsams , Mimulus , Harrison's Music , 
Plumbago capensis , Petunias , and others. The 
bright sunshine brings out an abundance of 
bloom, and plants that are at all pot-bound dry 
rapidly. They want watering two or three 
times a day, while drying influences abound. 
A little stimulus may be given with advantage, 
such as Standen’s manure, Amies’ manure, or 
guano, but they must be carefully applied. It 
is a good plan to stir the soil, sprinkle a little 
of the manure over the surface, and gently 
water it in. This may be done twice a week, 
but only in the case of pot-bound plants. The 
subjects named above are kept nice and fresh 
by sprinkling them with the syringe two or 
three times a day, wetting the flowers as little 
as possible. As the blossoms decay, they should 
be removed, and Fuchsias and others should not 
be allowed to form their seed-pods. Lilium 
auratum , L. speciosum , and L. eximum are all 
of them fine subjects for a greenhouse, but 
tliey T should be placed a little in the shade, 
to retain the beauty of the flowers as long 
as possible. The first and last are already 
in bloom, while L. speciosum and its varie¬ 
ties are rapidly coming on into flower. In 
syringing, the -water must be kept from the 
flowers. A little shading will now be of great 
use in the Greenhouse ; if there is no blind, a 
little whitewash should be laid on that portion 
of the outside roof most exposed to the sun. 
So far we have touched on what are termed 
“ soft-wooded ” plants. Hard-wooded plants, 
such as Epacris, Azaleas, early-flowering Heaths , 
&c., are grown by many, and it is of great im¬ 
portance to well mature the wood of these, to 
ensure a fine bloom next spring. They should 
not have their shoots stopped after the com¬ 
mencement of the present month ; the danger 
is that when stopped too late, it may be done 
at the sacrifice of flowers. Everything that can 
be done to ensure the proper ripening of the 
wood deserves attention. One good plan is to 
place the plants thinly in the greenhouse, and 
to keep the place well ventilated, both day and 
night. The plants should be well supplied with 
water, and exposed to the influence of the sun, 
without the slightest shade whatever. 
Flower Garden. —A Flower Garden should 
be at its greatest perfection in August, and thus 
it is requisite pains should be taken to keep 
everything as fresh, neat, and tidy as possible. 
The flower-beds must be gone over frequently, 
as recommended last month, as not only do 
flowers fade and leaves decay, but weeds will 
be certain to grow up among the plants. In 
dry weather the soil, hardened by the late rains, 
will be certain to crack, and this is best reme- 
