November 23, 1895. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
191 
Chrysanthemum Oceana. —See p. 190 for des¬ 
cription. Award of Merit. Messrs. H. Cannell & 
Sons, Swanley. 
Chrysanthemum Clinton Chalfant.— For des¬ 
cription of this fine decorative variety see p. 190. 
Award of Merit. Mr.W.J. Godfrey, Exmouth, Devon 
--4-- 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
We are now well into the dull season, and the 
flower garden will no longer be able to boast of its 
bright patches of floral beauty. Summer cannot 
always last, and perhaps it is as well that it cannot, 
or a little space must be allowed the plants wherein 
to rest and recruit their energies in readiness for 
another season. But if the plants are to rest the 
gardener must not, for every season brings its tale of 
work to be performed, and autumn is certainly not 
an exception to the rule. Whereas in the summer 
the light of the sun was with us early in the day and 
stayed until late in the evening, now it is imperative 
that every advantage should be taken of every fine 
day, for not only are these likely to be scarce, but 
they are very much curtailed in length. The ring 
of the scythe and the whirr of the mowing machine 
will now no longer be heard, for the grass has well- 
nigh ceased to grow. Gravel paths, however, must 
still be carefully attended to, and the roller must 
still be passed over them occasionally to preserve 
a firm and even surface. The leaves have at last 
fallen as low as they can, much to the gardener’s 
relief, and after the lawns and pleasure grounds close 
to the mansion have been cleared of any that may 
remain, the rake and the broom must be busily plied 
in the outlying grounds, or else we shall have the 
dried leaves merrily skipping from shrubbery and 
copse across the intervening spaces, and things will 
never be tidy. As socn as the leaves have been 
gathered into. heaps they should be carted away 
without delay to the place where they are to abide 
—and rot. Whatever trouble may be expended in 
thus gathering them in from far and near it will be 
more than compensated for by their value as 
manure, especially if the soil of the garden is 
naturally heavy. 
Planting of Trees and Shrubs. —This must 
proceed apace, taking every advantage of the open 
weather, for there is no time like the present for this 
kind of work, and it may be that the vacancies 
caused in the shrubberies by last year's inclemencies 
have not yet been all made good. See to it that the 
soil is well settled all round the roots of such trees 
and shrubs as are shifted, by means of a good water¬ 
ing. Support, too, will in many cases be necessary, 
and this will need very careful attention. 
Pruning Deciduous Trees.— Some gardeners 
prefer to defer the pruning of deciduous subjects 
until spring, being of opinion that frost is not so 
likely to prove harmful to an unpruned bush as to a 
pruned one. We believe in cutting now, however, 
for as everyone knows who has had anything to do 
with flower gardens there is always far more pres¬ 
sure of work in the spring time, and putting the 
pruning off till then often means that it is scamped 
or not done at all. A more important reason even 
than this is that when deciduous shrubs are pruned 
soon after the leaves have fdllen, any movement of 
the sap that may take place afterwards, and there is 
usually a little, is distributed only amongst the com¬ 
paratively few buds that are left, instead of amongst 
the larger quantity. The survivors can scarcely fail 
to profit by this increased store of nourishment, and 
break away much more strongly in the spriDg. 
Roses. —These are so popular and are grown in 
such quantities that in gardens of any size there is 
usually more or less shifting to be done, old or 
worthless plants to be rooted out and new ones sub¬ 
stituted, or vacancies occurring from deaths to be 
made good. The hybrid perpetuals may be planted 
now inordinary soils without fear of their sustaining 
injury. Those belonging to the Tea section had 
better wait until spring, as they are so much more 
tender than the H. Ps. In all cases avoid planting 
when the ground is wet and heavy from recent rains, 
as to plant under such conditions is in many instances 
only signing the death-warrant of the plants. It 
will readily be seen, therefore, that in localities 
where the soil is of a very retentive nature it will be 
better to put off planting altogether until the spring. 
Where the soil is light and well drained enough to 
admit of the plants being transferred to their per¬ 
manent quarters now a good mulching of short 
manure should be given as soon afterwards as con¬ 
venient—in any case before severe frost sets in. 
Autumn Pruning. —As a rule bushes that are 
pruned in the autumn break away sooner and come 
into bloom earlier than these pruned in the spring. 
In the southern counties, therefore, a portion may 
be attended to now, the others waiting till the later 
season. A longer blooming season is thus obtained. 
In northern localities, however, where the winters 
are usually rather more severe it is safer to get the 
brunt of the winter over before the knife or the 
secateurs are called into play. 
4- 
The Planting of' Fruit Trees will now be the 
most engrossing task in this department. Last year, 
owing to the length and severity of the winter, the 
planting season was considerably curtailed. As we 
know not what the future may have in store for us it 
is as well to make a start betimes when mueh shift¬ 
ing is to be done, or else a month or so of wintry 
weather will sadly retard matters. In most cases 
the orders for fruit trees will have been dispatched 
long ere this, and most of these orders will have been 
executed. As fast as the crates containing the trees 
come to hand, they should be unpacked and the trees 
laid in by the heels in a vacant spot of ground till 
required. It is scarcely fair to the nurseryman to 
to keep the roots o&t of ground until they are 
shrivelled, and then to lay all the blame on those 
who supplied them for sending them bad stuff, in the 
event of their failing to give satisfaction, Before 
planting, all bruised or broken roots must be cut 
clean out with a sharp knife, for if left they only 
serve to spread canker and decay. All trees should 
receive a good heavy mulching of short, partially 
decomposed stable manure, say to the depth of from 
tw'o to three inches. This should extend as far 
round the stem as the roots of theyoung tree. 
Wet weather will necessarily hinder operations 
very materially, especially where the soil is a very 
heavy loam. Under such conditions it is a very bad 
practice to attempt to work upon it unless it is fairly 
dry, otherwise it becomes as hard as a brickfield, and 
the tender roots of the young trees meet with a very 
unkindly reception when trying to penetrate it. In 
such cases it is better to defer planting until the 
spring unless the autumn proves very dry and 
favourable. 
-*4-- 
FRUIT UNDER GLASS. 
Pot Vines. —The buds of those that were started 
early, as advised, will now be swelling nicely and 
commencing to break. Keep up the regular syring¬ 
ings each day, and maintain a kindly humid atmo¬ 
sphere throughout. The temperature may now be 
slightly raised and should not be suffered to fall 
below 48° Fahr by night, although if it stands at 50° 
it will be all the better. 
Early Permanent Vines. —Preparations must 
now be made for getting this house ready for starting 
with the beginning of December. After the house 
has been given the usual washing the canes must 
receive a thorough overhauling subsequent to their 
being pruned. Barking the canes is practised in the 
majority of places throughout the country, although 
there are some that aver that it is an unnatural and 
uncalled-for process. It is true that mischief is 
often done if the work is entrusted solely to 
inexperienced workmen, who scrape away most 
industriously until the wood is laid bare in sundry 
places. Such a method of procedure cannot fail to 
be harmful in the first degree to the vines. If 
disbarking is to be done at all only the loosely 
adhering particles must be removed—that is to say 
the rough outer bark, the inner being left intact. A 
fairly strong solution of Gishurst Compound is 
perhaps the best thing to wash the canes with after 
the loose bark has been removed. A soft brush 
should be used for applying it. After several light 
washings with the Gishurst, the canes may be 
anointed with a mixture of Gishurst Compound and 
clay, well stirred up with luke-warm water until it 
is of the consistency of thick paint. 
The borders must next receive a little attention. 
All the loose soil may be taken off, carefully avoiding 
injuring any fibrous roots that may be near the 
surface. A dressing of good loam to the depth of 
about a couple of inches may then be given. When 
starting, a night temperature of not more than 
45 0 may be maintained for the first week. A gentle 
shower bath with tepid water with the syringe during 
the day will greatly assist the swelling of the buds. 
Late Vineries. —Every attention must be paid 
to the proper ripening of the wood here If 
necessary fire-heat must be employed in order that 
the growths shall properly mature themselves 
previous to pruning. Air must be given plentifully 
on all possible occasions. If any of the fruit remains 
hanging it should be cut at once and bottled. 
Early Peaches. —Where it is desired to have 
Peaches ripe some time during May it is necessary 
to get a house ready for starting soon after the com¬ 
mencement of December. The trees in the earliest 
house may therefore be pruned without delay. If 
disbudding and the laying in of suitable wood has 
been properly attended to during the summer months 
pruning now will be reduced to a minimum. The 
stem and the larger branches may then be washed 
with a solution of Gishurst Compound, the necessary 
tying being done afterwards. To force Peaches at 
all hard, especially in the earlier stages of their 
growth, is an egregious mistake. They must be 
allowed to come on slowly. At the commencement, 
therefore, a night temperature of 40° Fahr. will be 
ample, and if it sinks a couple of degrees lower than 
this on cold nights it will not matter. In the 
day time,air must be given as soon as the thermometer 
of the house indicates 48° Fahr.— A. S. G. 
THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. 
Seakale. —The late frosts have done much to 
hasten the ripening of Seakale crowns, and now that 
their leaves have completely withered off, a quantity 
sufficient for the requirements of a first batch 
should be lifted from the open ready for forcing. 
The forcing of Seakale may be considered a matter 
of little importance, it is so easily managed, but 
there is usually a marked difference that which is 
well-grown, and, on the other hand, that which has 
been neglected and treated in a haphazard mauner. 
The great object is to have it solid, and yet tender 
when wanted, and to obtain this it must not be 
placed in too strong heat, otherwise the growth 
becomes drawn and stringy; the cooler it can be 
grown consistent, of course, with keeping up the 
supply the better quality will result. 
As lifting proceeds, all roots that are large enough 
for forming, future plants should be selected, and at 
once cut ready for planting. The importance of 
preparing them so soon cannot be over-estimated, 
for the cut at the top becomes calused over, and the 
bud formed while they are dormant throughout the 
winter. The cuttings should be tied up in bundles 
and each cut square across at the top, and slanted 
at the other end for distinction. 
There are many places suitable for growing Seakale, 
but none seem to give greater satisfaction than 
forcing on the beds of leaves which have recently 
collected, and have a slight heat. An old frame or 
anything of a similar description is the most con¬ 
venient, covering the same with boards, then finish¬ 
ing off with a layer of leaves on the top. 
The crowns may be planted three inches apart, 
and any ordinary garden soil which is fairly rich 
will grow them well. On the appearance of frost a 
quantity should be lifted and held in readiness fer 
forcing, otherwise the supply may become short, 
which means disappointment at headquarters. 
Rhubarb should be similarly treated, but great care 
must be exercised in lifting the crowns not to break 
the roots more than is necessary. 
Broccoli.— -Now is a convenient time to laydown 
the heads of Broccoli towards the north, and it will 
be noticed that the crop has made unusual growth 
this autumn, and is somewhat soft; therefore, the 
the necessity of doing whatever is possible to save 
them from disaster. Asparagus beds should have 
all the tops cut off and slightly top-dressed with 
well-rotted manure.— James Gibson, Devonhurst, 
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