1878. ] 
VILLA GARDENING FOB OCTOBER. 
159 
be kept from it, they are just tlie plant for 
villa gardeners. Here are a few that all villa 
gardeners should grow, for blooming in pots in 
August and September :— Rosceflorum , rose ; 
Lemoinei , yellow ; Darwinii tessellation , with 
handsome golden variegated foliage, and bold 
orange flowers ; vexillarium , with very curi¬ 
ous eardrop-like flowers, red, orange, and black 
in colour; Le Grelot , pink, with dark eye ; the 
pure white Boule de Neige , and Duke de Mala- 
kofl] orange, very fine. All these do well, if 
potted on in early summer, and stood out in a 
sheltered place in the open air to come into 
flower, and then carried into the greenhouse. 
They are unusual in character, continuous in 
bloom, and have handsome foliage; they will 
go on flowering till the cold winter closes the 
duration of floral service. Plants that are to 
bloom during the winter should have the 
warmest place in the greenhouse, but not be 
allowed to suffer for want of water. Give 
plenty of air night and day while the weather 
is warm and sunny, and if the weather comes 
in rough and windy, with rains, shut the house 
up nearly close ; but at this time of the j^ear, 
plants can do with an abundance of air. Sun¬ 
shine is requisite also, and so shading should 
be discontinued, so that plenty of light might 
fall upon the plants. Plants that are still 
growing and blooming must still be well 
watered, but Fuchsias, Pelargoniums, Begonias, 
&c., that have commenced the process of ripen¬ 
ing or drying off, will n£ed but slight supplies. 
Over-watering at this stage does much harm. 
Green-fly is now troublesome, and must be 
kept under. The use of the syringe does much 
to cleanse the plants, but when that has to be 
discontinued, a good fumigation with tobacco- 
smoke will be found of great advantage. There 
is nothing like going into the winter with a 
clean bill of health. 
The later-shifted Fuchsias , and a few large- 
flowering and Zonal Pelargoniums similarly 
treated are still very gay, and Harrison’s Musk 
is a perennial source of interest. The pretty 
blue-lavender Plumbago is also a capital villa 
gardener’s plant. Then in reversion, to succeed 
these, are Cinerarias, C'gclamens, Primulas , and 
such-like, for a warm greenhouse; while for a 
cold one there are the Christmas Roses, Colchi- 
cums, Autumn Crocuses, Primroses , &c., if only 
they be brought on in pots early enough to 
flower in October and November. Chrysanthe¬ 
mums in pots must be included. We have 
some capital plants in 8-in. pots, that have been 
grown in good soil, and the addition of some 
buffalo-liorn manure. Let villa gardeners 
make a note of this manure for Chrysanthe¬ 
mums. Keep all dead leaves and decaying 
flowers picked off from the plants. Some 
gardeners appear to get careless in September, 
as if order and cleanliness were not necessary 
at all times ; but a wise gardener will continue 
to keep everything neat and tidy, and so pro¬ 
long to the fullest possible extent any flowers 
that may gild the on-coming autumn. 
Flower Garden. —How generous Nature is, 
for if she ordains decay in some plants at cer¬ 
tain seasons of the year, others succeed them, 
and so the round of floral beauty is maintained. 
We are cutting away decaying stalks of Gladio¬ 
lus, Delphinium, Pentstemon, &c., and straight¬ 
way up come the Autumn Crocuses and the 
fine old Colchicuins , to discharge their annual 
round of duty. There is no cessation of Nature’s 
benefactions to the children of men. Chry¬ 
santhemums growing in the open ground need 
to be securely staked, and if growing against 
walls, which is an excellent way of having 
them in bloom early and protecting from frost, 
nailed or tied in. In a week or two the bedding 
plants will be rapidly decaying, and then comes 
the question as to what shall succeed them. 
Pansies, Violas, Wallflowers, Silene pendula , 
Polyanthuses, &c., come in very useful for the 
purpose; and if a few cheap Hyacinths and 
Tulips be planted first, and the plants named 
above over them, a pretty and somewhat durable 
effect will be secured. Some persons use ever¬ 
greens, both green-leaved and variegated, for 
filling their beds in spring; it is a little expen¬ 
sive to get a supply at first, but once obtained, 
they last for years, and only require a piece of 
ground to plant them in during summer. Let 
all beds and borders be kept tidy, removing 
decaying foliage and leaves, and the garden 
be made neat to as late a period of the year as 
possible. Cuttings of bedding plants can still 
be put in if required. 
Kitchen Garden. —All ground from which 
crops have been removed, if not required for the 
immediate planting of some other subject, will 
be greatly benefited by being deeply dug and 
thrown up rough. If wanted for Early Potatoes, 
manure it in November, and throw up in ridges 
for the winter. Beet, Carrots, Parsnips, and 
Jerusalem Artichokes can be taken up and 
housed, though the two last are perhaps best 
left in the ground till wanted. A few August- 
sown Cabbages may be planted out, also Hardy 
White Cos and Hammersmith Cabbage Lettuces, 
on a warm south border. Weeds continuo 
to be very troublesome, and among fruit-trees 
it will be best to dig them into the ground, 
rather than to attempt clearing them by hoeing. 
Celery needs to be looked after; snails and slugs 
are very troublesome, getting down into the 
hearts and disfiguring them. The later rows 
of Celery will require earthing-up. Strawberry- 
beds may also be planted, but the sooner it is 
done the better. 
Fruit-Garden. —We are still syringing our 
wall-trees with soap-suds, and it is all the more 
necessary in the case of trees planted against 
old walls, as they harbour insects very much. 
To assist in ripening the young wood, all the 
