September 26, 1885. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
55 
coming in weeks before any other sort which we have 
tried. Good successions, sown in small lots weekly, 
have come in at the right time all through the season. 
The latest lot are growing in a garden by a vacant 
farm-house under our charge. The ground was only 
hoed and raked clean, being very firm and rich, and w e 
hope to have a fine lot of small Turnips to stand the 
winter. Drills were drawn and well watered, the seed 
sown and dusted on one half of the space with Thomson s 
vine manure, the other half being left without the 
manure for the sake of experiment. The dusted portion 
came up much quicker and very strong, while the other 
came up patchy and rather stunted. We have often 
seen cultivators dust guano over Turnips and treat them 
otherwiseasabove with excellent results. White Dutch, 
Snowball, Strapleaf, and American Stone have had pre¬ 
ference this season. Chirk Castle Black Stone, though 
of unpleasant looking exterior, is most useful for its 
hardiness and is by no means inferior in quality ; it 
deserves a place, and will be found valuable in cold 
localities. No one can decide for another the best 
vegetables for their locality; soils and other circum¬ 
stances differ so much that experience alone can be 
taken as the best guide. There are kinds of vegetables, 
however, which do well in most places, but to get them 
always true is no easy matter.— M. T. 
- ->%&- - 
The Amateurs’ Garden. 
THE GREENHOUSE. 
Insects. —Now is the time to wage war with these 
and give them their quietus for the winter; the most 
troublesome being scale and thrips, the first-named 
generally attacking Camellias, Acacias, and Tacsonias, 
and the latter Azaleas, but both may easily be got rid 
of by the use of Nicotine Soap. The readiest way of 
applying this, or any other insecticide, is to lay the 
plants down on their sides and syringe it on, but as 
there is much waste when it is so used the plants should 
be placed over a tub, or other vessel, that the liquid as 
it runs or falls from them may be caught and saved, 
when it can be used again and again. In syringing 
it is necessary to be careful and wet every part as the 
mixture will only kill where it touches, but by forcing 
it on in a fine spray, both before and behind the foliage, 
none of the scale or thrip will escape. After the in¬ 
secticide has been on an hour or so, and has done its 
work, it is better and safer for the welfare of the plants 
to wash it off, that their leaves may be entirely free 
from any deposit. Camellias and other subjects that 
have large foliage, and may be handled readily, pay 
well for sponging, as not only does it add to their 
health very considerably by giving them more freedom 
in breathing, but it renders.them bright and cheerful- 
looking all through the winter. 
Bulbs. — Hyacinths and Tulips are now arriving in 
great numbers, and those who w r ant them in bloom 
early should lose no time in making their purchases and 
getting the bulbs potted, as it is impossible for them to 
flower well unless they first form plenty of roots. The 
way both Hyacinths and Tulips look best is three in a 
pot, the 7-in. size being the most suitable for the first 
named, and 5-in. for the Tulips, as then they make a 
fine show, and are valuable for windows or indoor 
decoration to place in vases or stands. 
Starting the Bulbs. —As soon as the bulbs are 
potted they should be watered and allowed to stand a 
few hours to drain and dry, the next thing being to 
cover each with an inverted pot, and then bury them 
under 6 ins. or so of coal-ashes or cocoa-nut fibre till 
they get a good start, after which they may be taken 
out and stood in any cold frame. 
Lachenalias and Ixias.— These are not half so 
much grown as their merits deserve, as not only are 
they very easy of cultivation, but they are among the 
most showy of small bulbous plants, and the Ixias 
afford a great variety of colour and form, some of them 
being remarkable for the richness of the shades. The 
way to treat them is to pot six or seven roots in a 5-iu. 
pot and place them in a cold pit or frame, keeping the 
soil just moist till they come into bloom. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
Heavy rains and damp nights are telling seriously 
against the flowers, which will now require frequent 
picking over to keep the beds neat and in good trim, 
and if there are any dead or decaying leaves on the 
plants they should be removed, that the air may have 
full play among the rest of the foliage. Propagating : 
Although it is getting full late for striking most 
cuttings, there are some that do best now, and these 
are such things as Heliotrope, Ageraturns, Verbenas, 
and Calceolarias, all except the last named requiring a 
little warmth, such as is afforded by a gentle hot-bed, 
while the Calceolarias only need the shelter of any cold 
frame, where, if protected, they will stand for the 
winter, as damp suits them and they seldom fog off. 
The way to prepare for them is to mix up some sharp 
sandy soil and put it in a frame, and after it is levelled 
and patted down, the cuttings should be made and 
dibbled in in rows, about 3 ins. apart, and as soon as 
this is done all that is necessary is to give a good 
watering and keep them shaded from the sun, and shut 
up close till they strike. 
Pentstemons and Antirrhinums may be treated 
precisely in the same manner, and it is always advisable 
to put in cuttings of these, as though the plants will 
live out in mild seasons, they frequently get killed or 
crippled from frost. 
Hardy Annuals. —If these are not already pricked 
out to grow on ready for lifting to put in their places in 
beds or borders as soon as there is room for them, no 
time should be lost in getting it done, or they will be 
small and weak from being drawn up together, and 
transplant badly when they are moved. 
Canterbury Bells, Sweet Williams, Wall¬ 
flowers, and Stocks. —The same remarks apply to 
these, which all require growing on in good soil, so as 
to get them strong and in a condition that they may be 
taken up with large balls and transferred, without 
check, to the positions where they are to flower. 
Boses. —It is full soon to plant these yet, but the 
ties may safely be removed from the buds, and the 
briars or stocks trimmed that the strength may be 
thrown into them, and make them plump up instead of 
going blind, as they sometimes do when the stocks are 
allowed to run wild till late in the autumn. 
Putting in Cuttings. —Those who grow dwarf 
Roses will find that most of the sorts do best on their 
own roots, and it is a good time now for putting in 
cuttings, v T hich, if made from the medium-sized firm 
ripe wood, strike freely under glass or placed in some 
sheltered position out in the open. The situation, 
however, where they do best is on a half-spent hot-bed, 
where they can be dibbled-in firmly in sharp sandy 
soil, and be covered with a close-fitting frame or hand- 
light, as they callus and form roots before winter sets 
in. 
Making the Cuttings. —The way to make the 
cuttings is so take them off with a heel, or cut them 
close under a joint, leaving them about 6 ins. long, with 
a bud at the top, after which they should be inserted 
nearly down to the point. 
THE FRUIT GARDEN. 
Pears and Apples. —Both of these have been 
wonderfully benefited by the late heavy rains, of which 
they stood much in need, as the fruit was getting 
starved and remained small, but the soaking at the 
roots has made it swell rapidly since, and it now 
promises to be a fair size if we get a favourable autumn. 
Gathering the Crop. —Where many are puzzled 
who grow Apples and Pears is in knowing when to 
gather, and to decide on that matter rightly it is neces¬ 
sary to be acquainted with the sorts, as some require to 
hang much longer than others, the late-keepers being 
the very last to finish, and these should be left as long 
as they will hang on the tree, for if they are plucked 
before they are ready they are sure to shrivel and spoil. 
As soon as fruit is ripe it leaves its hold, and therefore 
as soon as any particular kind is seen to be falling, or 
shows that it is forward enough by coming off freely 
when just moved in an upward direction, it is safe to 
pick ; but this should be done with the greatest care, 
as when handled roughly the Pears or Apples bruise, 
and to save this happening it is necessary to line the 
basket in which they are put with soft hay, and to 
move them about as if they were eggs. 
Renovating and Improving Exhausted or Sickly 
Trees. —It generally happens, even in gardens of only 
small extent, that there are some sickly or unsatisfactory 
trees, and where this is the case they should be taken 
in hand at once with a view to renovate them and get 
them healthy, which may generally be done by digging 
round them, and opening out a trench so as to work 
away the earth, and lay the roots bare. 
Renewing the Soil. —The next thing is to give 
these some fresh soil, the best and most suitable for 
them being turfy loam cut from an old pasture or waste 
place by the side of a road, and if this is chopped up 
roughly and given to the trees without any manure or 
other admixture whatever, it will work wonders for 
them as soon as they get hold of it and make a fresh 
growth. 
Preparing for Planting. —As yet it is too early 
to begin planting if trees have to be got from a distance, 
but directly the leaves are off the sooner the work is 
done the better, and that there may be no delay when 
the time comes, everything should be in readiness for 
popping them in. The chief thing to be prepared with 
is loam, for though trees may in some parts succeed 
and do well in the natural ground, in the generality of 
places they need a little new soil to start them. 
Raspberries, Gooseberries and Currants.— 
These are often left to stand till they get old, but there 
is nothing like having young vigorous bushes or canes 
for bearing a crop, as not only are they more prolific, 
but the fruit is finer and better. To grow Raspberries 
well, the land for them must be heavily manured and 
trenched or deeply dug, and the canes planted 4 ft. 
apart, but Currants and Gooseberries will do with less 
preparation, and may with advantage be arranged in 
rows along the sides of the walks, as there they occupy 
less room and are handy to get at to gather the fruit. 
THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. 
Mushrooms. —These are considered by many difficult 
to grow, but in reality their management is very simple, 
the chief things necessary being a certain quantity of 
horse-manure, and a close-tiled shed or cellar in which 
to make up the bed. Before doing this, however, the 
maniu'e must be prepared by being sweated, so as to 
let out the more fiery gases and sweeten it a bit, which 
may be easily done by putting it together somewhere 
under cover, so as to bring it into a state of fermenta¬ 
tion, and as soon as it gets hot it should be turned, 
and the outsides brought into the middle, when after a 
day or two it will require moving in the same way, and 
as soon as it gets warm again it will be ready for use. 
Making the Bed. —The bed may be made of any 
shape or size, the best form perhaps being a low ridge, 
on acccount of affording more surface on a limited floor 
area, but the Mushrooms do just as well on the flat, 
and when beds are so made a foot deep of manure is 
ample. As soon as the manure is placed in position, 
the next thing is to make it perfectly firm by beating 
it down, and directly the heat rises and remains steady 
at about 80° the bed will be ready for spawning. 
Spawning the Bed. —The way to do this is to 
dibble or work holes in it at about 8 inches apart, into 
which a small piece of spawn should be inserted and 
covered over with the dung, when to induce the spawn 
to run freely it is a good plan to lay over the manure a 
little dry hay, which will absorb any loss of damp and 
keep the temperature regular. 
Soiling the Bed.— After leaving the bed with the hay 
over it for about a week, it will be time to take it off 
again and put on some soil, which ought to be mod¬ 
erately fine and free from stones, but it must not be laid 
on deep, an inch at the most will be quite enough, and 
when it is raked level and smooth it should be patted 
down hard 'with the back of a spade. To prevent the 
surface drying and to keep all snug and warm, it is 
advisable to litter down again with hay, which may be 
left on till the Mushrooms show, and this they ought 
to do after spawning in six or eight weeks. 
Cabbages. —Of all vegetables these are of the greatest 
service in spring, and to have a supply and succession 
then two or three plantings should be made now or 
several sorts grown, the better plan being to keep to 
some nice small sweet kind like Ellam’s, which is quite 
large enough, and may be planted nearer than most 
others together. To have these or any other variety 
really <mod, the land for them must be heavily manured 
and deeply dug, as Cabbages, like all the Brassicas, are 
very gross feeders. 
Celery.— This has now had a thorough soaking, 
and as we are getting on late In the season it is not 
likely to become dry again, which being so, the earliest 
or any that is nearly full grown, or large enough for 
blanching may be earthed up, but before this is done 
the plants should be tied round with a piece of mat to 
keep the soil from the hearts. 
