October 3, 1885. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
71 
The Amateurs’ Garden. 
THE GREENHOUSE. 
Climbers. —All rampant growing plants such as 
Tacsonias, Passion-flowers, Cobfea scandens, and others 
of that class that have been allowed to run for the 
purpose of affording shade, as well as embellishing the 
roofs of greenhouses, should now be thinned out con¬ 
siderably, so as to let in plenty of light on the plants 
beneath, as, otherwise, not only those of a soft-wooded 
nature become drawn, but those in bloom will fade. 
Watering. —As most climbers will soon be going to 
rest very little water will be required after this, the 
only exception being the Lapagerias, which, while in 
flower, need liberal supplies, but after the blossoms fall 
they, like the others, are benefited by being kept 
moderately dry at the roots, as the soil then becomes 
and remains in a healthy condition. 
Camellias. —Opinions vary as to the proper time 
for potting these, some contending that spring is the 
right season, while others aver that the operation 
should be carried out in the autumn ; and there can be 
no doubt that in cases where plants are pinched for 
want of room that they had better be shifted now, for 
instead of remaining in a semi-starved state they will be 
able to push and develope their blooms with strength, 
and make a fine growth when they start. Drainage : 
In the treatment of Camellias drainage is a very im¬ 
portant matter, and it is, therefore, necessary to have 
a good layer of crocks in the pots, and over them a thin 
layer of moss to keep the interstices open, so that water 
when given may pass freely through. 
Potting Soil. —The orthodox mixture for most 
greenhouse subjects is equal parts of peat and loam, 
and where good fibry peat can be obtained at moderate 
cost it is well to use it, but, where it is scarce and dear, 
leaf-mould may be substituted or the loam used alone. 
This is best fresh cut, and should be fibry and rough, 
and rather inclined to a light sandy texture, and if it 
is chopped up and used somewhat rough the plants will 
flourish in it for years. 
Potting. —As Camellias usually stand a long time 
in the same pots it is useless giving small shifts, and 
that there may be as much new soil as possible, the old 
should be carefully picked away from the balls so far 
as can be done without injuring the roots. Water¬ 
ing : After potting the next thing is to give a good 
watering through a rose, and then let the plants stand 
without any more till they become dry and require a 
soaking again. 
Primulas. —Although cold frames have been the 
best places for these up to the present, it is high time 
now that the plants were removed into houses, the best 
situations for them being light airy shelves near the 
glass, where they will send up stout sturdy flower stems, 
and remain without drawing. 
Liquid Manure.— This, if used clear, is of great 
benefit to Primulas, but weak and often is the thing, 
and when applying it, or water, care must be taken 
not to pour either into the hearts, or the plants will 
rot off at the collar. 
Calceolarias. —The shrubby varieties of these are 
excellent for pots, and those who do not happen to 
have grown any will find it a good plan to take up some 
from the beds or borders, which if lifted with fair-sized 
balls will not flag if watered immediately they are pot¬ 
ted and then stood in a shady position till they get a 
new hold, after which they will winter well in a frame. 
Lilies. —Such as L. auratum and L. speciosum 
will now be going out of bloom, and to get their bulbs 
to complete their growths and ripen properly they 
should be stood in some sheltered sunny spot in the 
open, but not dried off quickly, as is frequently done, 
as it is necessary to keep the soil moist Jill the tops of 
the plants die away of themselves. 
Hyacinths. —If these are wanted to flower early 
they must be potted at once, as it is impossible to get 
them to send out good spikes unless they are well- 
rooted, and to have them in that condition they require 
time before putting them into heat or bringing them 
on in the greenhouse. 
Tulips. —The same remarks apply to these, and both 
when potted should be covered by placing other pots in 
an inverted position over them, and then buried under 
coal-ashes or soil in some sheltered spot under a wall 
to remain there till they start. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
Autumn, with its long damp nights, is telling seri¬ 
ously against flowers, but by picking over the beds 
frequently and removing any dead or decaying leaves 
and blooms, beds may still be kept fairly gay and tidy 
for a week or two yet, if we get sunny days, which cheer 
the plants up and make those with variegated foliage 
look brighter than ever. 
Dahlias. —While other things have suffered more or 
less by the heavy rains, Dahlias seem to have benefited 
greatly, for seldom have they been seen better than 
during the past week or two, where they have not 
been cut down by frost, and especially is this so 
with the single varieties that do not hold the wet in 
their petals. As they cannot be expected to hold on 
flowering much longer, those who have seedlings 
should go over them and mark the best, with a view to 
saving them for planting again and propagating from, 
by pursuing which course annually, a select lot may be 
got together. Only those of distinct colours and good 
form should be grown. 
Herbaceous Plants. —It is a good time now to 
take stock of these and note any that are valuable for 
late or autumn blooming, and among these, few, if any, 
stand out more boldly and conspicuously than the 
Anemone japonica, which everyone ought to grow. 
There are three varieties of it, one lilac, another pink, 
and one a pure white, the latter being quite a gem with 
its large salver-shaped blossoms,and beautifully arranged 
golden anthers surrounding the prominent disc. 
Propagating and Planting. —To have them fine, 
the ground for them must be broken up deep and 
manured, the better plan being to put the dung down 
below, where the plants will find it and feed on it, and 
then be able to hold their own during dry weather. 
Although spring is generally preferred for planting, 
division may be effected now with safety, and the plants 
planted, and if good pieces are secured with a fair 
amount of roots, they will soon become established, and 
make fine clumps in a year. 
Rudbeckia Newmannl —This is likewise a grand 
autumnal plant, sending up, as it does, large Sunflower¬ 
like blooms, with bright yellow petals, and a most 
conspicuous black disc, that renders them very striking 
by the contrast afforded. As the habit of the plant is 
shallow rooting and spreading, it does not require much 
depth of soil, and increases readily by divisions, which 
may be carried out now or almost at any season, if 
watered for a time after removal. 
Herbaceous Phloxes. —These are magnificent bor¬ 
der flowers, but they are only seen at their best in 
moist deep land, or where they can be well attended to 
with water and liquid manure, under which conditions 
they send up splendid trusses of bloom. There are two 
ways of increasing these Phloxes, the one by cuttings 
taken off in the spring, and the other by dividing the 
plants which break freely from the crowns, and are 
improved by being dug up and reduced. 
THE FRUIT GARDEN. 
Root-pruning and Lifting. —There is no operation 
to which fruit trees can be subjected that does so much 
good, or has a quicker tendency to bring them into a 
fertile state, than root-pruning, which is absolutely 
necessary on some soils, as in cases where the land is 
rich and heavy they run too much to wood, which fails 
to ripen or set flower-buds, and without these, it need 
hardly be said, the trees cannot bear. The way to 
correct the gross tendency referred to is to cut the main 
roots, which may be done by opening out a trench 
around the stems of each plant till they can be seen and 
traced, when they should be severed, leaving them at 
least a yard or so in length, according to the size of the 
trees. 
Lifting the Roots. —If the roots are low in the 
ground, they should be raised'by bringing their points 
to a higher level and laying them out straight instead 
of allowing them to point down and get into the clay or 
stiff earth again. Where it can be got without much 
difficulty, it is a good plan, when root-pruning, to give 
a little fresh soil, the most suitable being that fresh cut 
from the turfy parts of a roadside or sods from a pasture, 
which most trees delight in. For stone fruits, such as 
Peaches, Plums, and Cherries, a sharp gritty loam is 
the best, but for Apples and Pears that of a holding 
nature is more suitable, and all like the top spit. 
Carrying Out the Work Early. —Whenever 
root-pruning is done it should never be deferred later 
than October, and the earlier it is carried out in that 
month the better, as the trees then have the leaves on, 
and the ground is warm, and the two favour the 
formation of fresh roots, which the trees soon emit and 
get renewed hold before winter sets in. 
THE VINERY. 
Artificial Heat.— Although the sun will do much 
towards the ripening of Grapes, if made the most of, 
it is suprising what assistance they derive from a little 
fire-heat, which, in cases where the fruit is not yet 
finished off, is absolutely necessary to get it to keep, as 
it helps to dispel the watery juices in the berries, or 
convert them to sugar. This being so, the pipes should 
be kept just warm during the night, and always on dull 
or wet days, but at the same time there must be air on 
the house, or the moisture rising from the floor or 
borders will condense on the bunches and damage the 
bloom. 
Ripe Grapes. —These require similar treatment, but 
less warmth is needed, the thing being to keep the at¬ 
mosphere dry and buoyant, as then the fruit will not 
rot. Should it show any symptoms of decay, the 
bunches ought to be looked over frequently, and the 
berries that are going clipped out, or they will taint 
and spoil the others they may touch. 
Young Vines. —The point with these is to secure a 
thorough maturing of the rods, which can only be done 
by plenty of air and- dry heat, managed in the manner 
touched on above. 
THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. 
Cauliflowers. —These are turning in grandly since 
the rain, but to keep the heads white and close the 
leaves should be broken down, or tied over the hearts 
to shut out the air and light, which soon discolours the 
flowers. Young plants will only stand the winter in 
very sheltered positions, the best situation for them, if 
they remain out, being close under the foot of a south 
wall or fence where they should now be planted in 
light soil about 4 ins. apart, there to remain till the 
time comes for planting them out in the spring. 
Potting the Plants.— Although a little more 
trouble, perhaps, Cauliflowers pay well for potting, as 
when that is done they may be planted in the rows 
without feeling a check, and are not so likely to bolt as 
others that get their roots disturbed in the moving. 
The pots most suitable are 3 in. or 60's, and in these 
the plants should be potted in light rich soil, and 
plunged in some cold frame with their heads well up 
to the glass, but the sashes ought not to be on except 
when the weather is bad, as plenty of air is necessary 
to keep the plants sturdy and strong. 
Cabbages.—T he grub is busy with plantations of 
these, but before putting in fresh plants, to fill up the 
vacancies caused by the ravages of the pests, the ground 
at the spot where the plants are bitten off should be 
examined and the depredators killed, or the fresh ones 
will be nipped through or eaten up like the others. 
Scarlet Runners.— These are showing their great 
superiority over French Beans in the enormous yield, 
aud the continuous supply they afford, and as their 
flavour aud quality are so good the wonder is that the 
Dwarfs should be grown at all, for the Runners beat 
them all through, and are well in bearing long after the 
others are over. To keep them going on as long as the 
frost will permit, they should be gathered up close as 
soon as fit, and unless wanted for seed every pod that 
has been overlooked picked off, as to leave them on 
only distresses the plants. 
Tomatos. —These are late this season, but if we get 
a fine autumn and frost keeps off they will ripen yet. 
The fruit should have the fullest exposure to the sun, 
by removing or cutting away any of the leaves or laterals 
that overshadow it, as the foliage higher up or below 
will be quite sufficient for the plants now. Some take 
the fruit off when fully grown and lay it on shelves to 
ripen, but so long as there is no risk from frost in 
leaving it out, it is far better on the plants as its 
flavour and quality are never so good unless it is allowed 
to remain on and colour. 
Spinach and Onions. —Beds of both Spinach and 
Onions will require the hoe through them to loosen the 
surface of the ground which has become much beaten 
down, and the surface sealed or closed against air by 
the heavy rain, but if stirred now the plants will be 
greatly benefitted, and seed weeds coming through cut 
up and destroyed. 
