July 11, 1896. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
719 
the thick deposit may be placed in a bag in a thirty- 
gallon tub of water, and after standing a day or two 
may be again diluted by thirty gallons of water to 
one gallon of the liquid. Hen, deer, and sheep 
manure may be made in the same form, but twelve 
to fifteen gallons of water will be sufficient to reduce 
the strength. Cow and horse manure may be used 
with even less water. Soot is also a capital tonic, 
and may be applied at the same strength as recom¬ 
mended for cow manure. The advantage of placing 
the manure in a sack or bag is so that the water may 
be clear, otherwise a slimy deposit gathers upon the 
surface of the soil, and which checks evaporation and 
admission of air, in addition to inducing a sourness 
of the soil, a matter that is of the utmost importance 
to vegetable growth. At the commencement of 
feeding, the strength should be somewhat under 
what has been stated, and can be increased as the 
pot becomes fuller of roots, when the plant makes 
increased claim for sustenance. For this same 
reason, at the commencement of feeding, once or 
twice per week will prove sufficient, and this can also 
gradually be repeated more often, where, shortly, 
manure or soot may be given at every watering. In 
many cases the grower may have to seek bis aid by 
artificial manures such as guano, blood, Clay’s, 
Colbrooke's, Thompson's, etc. These should be 
utilised in the same manner as recommended above, 
weakly at first, gradually increasing the strength and 
frequency. Those that are soluble should mixed 
with water according to the prescribed quantities, 
and allowed to stand at least for twenty-four hours, 
and thoroughly stirring them before using. Another 
advantage that may be derived from these kinds is 
that they may be used during showery weather, by 
sprinkling a little on the top of the pots so that the 
rains can wash them in 
To those who are able to give their plants a change 
of diet, it is certainly desirable, the constituent parts 
of no two manures being alike, and therefore they 
will have the power of affording a greater help to the 
plant in all its bearings.— W. 
-- 
The hot scorching sun of the last few days has left 
things on every hand as dry as a bone, to use a 
homely simile, and hose and watering can must be 
kept busily employed in all directions. The principal 
gravel walks near to the house should be watered 
and rolled occasionally. A light sprinkling of shell 
every week or ten days through the hot weather will 
also be of great service, as it affords a pleasant foot¬ 
hold. 
Hoeing —With so much dry weather there can 
be no excuse for the presence of weeds. The old 
saw about one year’s seeding and seven year’s weed¬ 
ing should be borne in mind, and even in out of the 
way corners where theyare comparativelybiddenfrom 
sight, Docks, Dandelions, and various other interest¬ 
ing wild plants, the presence of which can very well 
be dispensed with, should not be allowed to seed. 
In all beds and borders where it is possible to ply the 
Dutch hoe, the surface of the soil should be con¬ 
stantly stirred. 
Grass edges. —The grass at the edges of beds and 
walks should be clipped closely, for where the beds 
are watered the grass, if suffered to grow, will soon 
root into the damp soil, and it will be impossible to 
use the edging shears properly. However much tae 
heat of the sun may retard the growth of the grass 
in other places there is sure to be a fairly strong 
growth round the edges of beds or borders. 
Herbaceous Border. —Tnerewill be plenty to do 
here in cutt/Dg off old flower stems, pulling out 
stakes that are no longer required, and putting 
others in where they are needed. The stakes for 
Hollyhocks will have been driven in soon after the 
plants were put out, and as they should now have 
reached a fair height an occasional tie must be 
given as growth calls for it. Dahlias, too, where 
they have been properly looked after have made good 
growth, which although rather dwarfer, and more 
short jointed than usual will yet need some support. 
Delphiniums have been a hcst in themselves, but 
their glory is well nigh a thing ol the past now. 
The old flower stems should not be left on the plants 
any longer than is necessary unless it is decided to 
save some seed. 
Narcissi. —Where any lifting cf the bulbs is 
thought to be necessary, preparatory to re-planting, 
no time must be lost in seeing about it. Hardly 
have the old roots ceased to perform their office and 
become withered and dry than new ones are made, 
and thus if the bulbs are lifted later on they suffer a 
considerable check. The process of lifting will 
require some care, and ODly workmen who can 
handle the fork deftly, and are to be trusted should 
be deputed to perform it. Any spearing of the large 
bulbs is, of course, fatal, whilst the offsets arising 
from them may easily be buried by a careless or in¬ 
competent workman. The offsets should be planted 
by themselves in a prepared piece of ground, where 
they will have every opportunity of making strong 
bulbs, which will flower in due course. 
Removing dead foliage. —In spots where 
Narcissi are semi-naturalised, or in other places 
where they are not to be disturbed this season the 
foliage may be cut away and removed as soon as it 
has died completely off. A top-dressing of loam and 
well decayed manure may then be given. 
Carnations. —As socn as the first flush of bloom 
is over preparations should be made for layering. 
Any soil from the potting bench may be turned to 
account, providing it is fairly fine and contains 
plenty of sand. The weaker shoots that are not 
wanted or are not suitable for layering, as well as 
the old flower stems, should be cut out. A good 
watering must be given all layers as soon as the sun is 
off them. Should the weather continue to be as dry 
as it is at present occasional waterings must be given 
subsequently. 
Roses. —Once more the turn of the wheel of time 
has brought us to the budding season, and rosarians 
all over the country will be busily employed in 
making preparations for getting their buds in. In 
all cases the bark must lift freely before operations 
are commenced. O vving to the dry weather the bark 
this season is none too easily lifted, at least, at 
present. Another week, however, will doubtless 
tell a different tale. It is an excellent plan to give 
briers that are to be budded a good soaking the day 
previous to their being operated on. The soil will 
then have dried up sufficiently by the next day to 
allow of being trampled upon without fear of be¬ 
coming caked. 
A word as to the buds may be of service, as half 
the failures that come to our ears are undoubtedly 
caused by an injudicious selection. The best buds 
are taken from fairly ripe shoots of the current year's 
growth, those near the top of the shoot being of 
inferior quality to those lower down. The shoots 
containing the buds should be thrown into a can of 
water witain easy reach of the operator, and not 
exposed to the fierce rays of an almost tropical sun. 
Tying up also needs a certain amount of judgment 
to perform properly. The ties should be made just 
tight enough to bring the bark of the stock and the 
bud into close contact, and to exclude the air and 
wet from the wound until a union has taken place. 
-~§-- 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
Strawberries. —As these are now over, with the 
exception of the latest varieties, the nets will be set 
at liberty, and not a moment too soon, for Peaches, 
Morello Cherries, and small fruits of all kinds will 
need protection from our feathered friends, if the 
gardener is to reap the full reward of his labours. 
Layering. —No time must be lost in getting the 
layers in if they are to have sufficient time to make 
good material for forcing. Sixty-sized pots are the 
handiest to use. They may be filled with any old 
soil from the potting bench. The pots containing 
the la>ers should be stood together in batches if it 
can possibly be managed, otherwise the task of 
watering them will be rather a tedious one. 
Early Layers. —Some good growers who have 
the space to spare prefer to procure their runners from 
beds specially set apart for the purpose, the plants 
therein beiDg denuded of their flower trusses. These 
early plants come in splendidly for making planta¬ 
tions towards the end of the present month. As they 
are now rooted, their connection with the parent 
plants may be severed, and, after they have been 
removed, the old plantation may be destroyed. 
Raspberries. —If these are to continue in bearing, 
and if the fruits are to be of any size the plants must 
receive good soakings of water at short intervals 
during the dry weather, for Raspberries are exceed¬ 
ingly thirsty subjects A liberal mulching of short 
stable manure will also render good service. Where 
a lot of suckers are observed to be springing from the 
stools it will be well to thin these out somewhat, for 
we must have some consideration for next year’s 
crops. From three to five good canes are sufficient 
for all purposes, and if this number is left the rest of 
the young growths may with advantage be cut away 
Cordon Pears.— Where these are carrying heavy 
crops there will naturally be a great strain upon the 
trees, which will take more than the ordinary amount 
of water. If a good supply of water is available the 
hose should be allowed to flow slowly upon the ground 
in which their roots are running. The man who is 
giving the trees the requisite summer pinching may 
then occasionally give the hose a shift along In this 
way two birds will be killed with one stone 
General Work.— Attend to the netting in of all 
kinds of fruit as soon as it commences to colour. 
The picking of small fruits for preserving purposes 
will also monopolise a good deal of attention. Care 
must be taken that all fruit that is to be preserved is 
quite dry when gathered, otherwise the cook and the 
gardener will have lively times presently. The 
summer pinching of standard, and the pruning and 
nailing in of wall fruit trees must be vigorously 
prosecuted .—A .S.G. 
--j-=- 
Work in the houses.—T he chief thing to be 
aimed at, is to get the plants to make good strong 
growths. To do this they must not be stinted as 
regards moisture at the roots, or in the atmosphere ; 
neither must the blinds be allowed to remain down a 
moment longer than is absolutely necessary, or the 
growths will be too sappy to produce good quality 
flowers. So much, however, depends on the structure 
and its position, that no hard and fast lines can be 
laid down for the guidance of amateurs ; but 
generally speaking each division should be thoroughly 
damped down at least twice a day during bright 
weather, such as we are getting at the present time- 
We have experienced some difficulty ourselves in 
keeping the houses sufficiently moist without damp¬ 
ing down three, and sometimes four times a day, so 
quickly did they dry up. We have, however, hit on 
a plan that will remedy this, and that is by covering 
all the open stages with ordinary plain roofing tiles. 
These, as is well-known, will, when dry, absorb 
nearly balf-a-pint of water. This moisture, evapo¬ 
rated as the temperature rises in the morning, is 
most congenial, and highly beneficial to the growth 
of plants. We have for some years adopted this plan 
most successfully for Odontoglossums, but it is only 
recently that they have been introduced into the 
warmer divisions, The improvement in the plants 
generally, is so marked, that we can confidently 
recommend it to those who, like ourselves, have 
structures that are difficult to keep sufficiently 
charged with moisture. 
White Laelia anceps.— These plants are making 
unusually large growths, and promise well for flower ; 
indeed, the earliest ones are already showing their 
flower spikes. So much light do they require to 
flower them well, that they always do best when 
grown with themselves ; but to do this, unless you 
have them in large numbers, is next to impossible. 
Ours are grown close to the glass on the side stages, 
where they get all the light and air possible. The 
blind can be rolled up a little way directly after two 
o'clock, exposing the L. anceps to the full sun, 
whilst other plants on the noddle stages still remain 
shaded. 
Trichopilia.— This most’ interesting genus grows 
best suspended close to the roof glass in the Cattleya 
house, and, as far as our experience goes, they are 
not very particular whether grown in pots, pans, or 
baskets, providing they receive plenty of drainage. 
This they must have, and not too much compost 
about their roots, for they are impatient of too much 
moisture. 
T. crispa marginata, T. suavis, and T. s. alba, 
which have just gone out of flower will be potted at 
once, using peat and sphagnum moss in about equal 
parts. We always have best results when they are 
potted at this time of the year. Very little water 
will be required, only just sufficient to keep the moss 
alive for some time.— C. 
