680 
June 27th, 1885. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
II J»MA1I®»$’ IrAtBIM. 
THE GREENHOUSE. 
Zonal Pelargoniums. —For making a show in 
the greenhouse at this season, few plants are more 
useful than the Zonal Pelargoniums, but to have 
these really good they must either be grown in. a 
house or pit where they can have full light and air, 
or be plunged in some sunny spot out in the open. 
For winter blooming, the last-named treatment is the 
best, as under full exposure the plants make short- 
jointed sturdy growth, which gets hard and con¬ 
solidated, and when in this condition the shoots 
cannot fail to yield plenty of bloom. To enable them 
to do this, however, it is necessary to keep them 
somewhat pinched at the roots, as also those coming 
on now, which should be assisted by having occasional 
waterings with weak liquid manure. 
Begonias of the tuberous-rooted class are quite 
indispensable during the present season, and cannot 
be too largely cultivated, as they are very easy to 
manage, and make a grand show. For growing them, 
a pit, where they can be stood on a cool, damp 
bottom, suits them best, but they require shade, 
although they should have plenty of light to keep 
them dwarf and stocky. Deutzias having finished 
their growth will now do best out-of-doors, but the 
exposure must not be sudden, or the sun and air will 
injure the foliage. To prevent this, the plants should 
be shaded for the first few days, till their leaves get 
a little hardened, after which the solar rays will do 
good by ripening the wood. 
Camellias.— These ought by this time to have 
completed their growth, and all that have done so 
may at once be placed in the open, but a shady 
position is necessary, the most suitable being that 
on the north side of shrubs or trees, which not only 
protect the plants from the sun, but afford them 
shelter from strong winds, and this is an important 
point, as with their heavy heads they are apt to get 
blown over and broken. To keep worms out of the 
balls, the pots should either be stood on a board or 
have pieces of slate under them, which will stop their 
ingress, and ensure having the drainage open, so 
that the water may pass freely through. If the 
plants require repotting, this is the best time of year 
to carry it out, but the doing of the work needs 
care, as the roots are exceedingly brittle, and 
generally threaded about in amongst the crocks, 
which should be picked out from them and soil put 
in their place; that which Camellias do best in is 
good fibry loam and peat, in about equal parts, mixed 
with a little sharp silver sand to keep the whole 
open and porous. 
Azaleas require all peat and sand, and in this they 
should be potted very firm by ramming it well down 
around the balls, as otherwise the water will run 
through the fresh stuff, without wetting the old. If 
the plants have thrip on them, an insect to which 
Azaleas are very subject, they should have their 
heads dipped in tobacco-water, which, if fairly strong, 
will not only kill all the thrips, but destroy their eggs, 
and thus prevent others from hatching. To assist the 
plants in making and completing their growth, free 
syringing is necessary, and with it strong heat, which 
may be afforded by having the plants in a house or 
pit that can be closed early in the afternoon, that 
the sun may run up the temperature. 
Pot Roses. —For spring embellishment, there is 
nothing equal to a few Roses, which if potted on now 
and have the strong shoots pinched back will break 
freely and form plenty of shoots. If these get the 
green-fly, the remedy is the same as for the Azaleas, 
or both may be made clean by the use of Nicotine 
Soap. Although Perpetual Roses make good pot 
plants, the Teas are the best, as being under glass 
suits them, and they are nearly always in bloom. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
Bedding Plants will need close attention for some 
time, as their roots are yet but little beyond the old 
ball, which soon gets dry, and till they can lay hold of 
the soil in the beds water must be given, or the pro¬ 
gress of the plants will be slow. To assist them in 
covering the ground as soon as possible the branches 
should be drawn out and pegged or staked so as to fill 
up vacant spots, but before this is done, it is a good 
plan to mulch, as a mulching is of the greatest assist¬ 
ance in keeping the soil moist and encouraging free¬ 
dom of bloom, and especially is this so with such 
things as Verbenas, Calceolarias, and others of that 
class that like the soil cool. 
In the Borders, Crocuses, Hyacinths, Tulips, and 
other bulbous-rooted plants will now be sufficiently 
forward to have their tops removed, but to do this 
before they are dead is the greatest mistake possible, 
as so long as any portion remains green, the foliage is 
necessary in storing up strength and assisting in the 
formation of flowers, which are being packed away 
now ready for emerging when the spring calls them 
forth. As Phloxes and most other herbaceous plants 
are now sending up their blooms they will need staking 
and tying, which should be done so as to give each 
stem proper support without an appearance of stiffness, 
as when bundled up together it quite spoils their 
beauty. Dahlias do very well with one stake, the 
laterals or side branches being quite strong enough to 
support themselves, and in many positions, such as 
large beds, the single kinds produce a good effect 
pegged, grown in which way they may be kept dwarf 
and made to cover the whole of the ground. 
Shrubs.— The present is a very trying time for 
evergreens that have been freshly transplanted, as the 
winds are drying and the sun searching, and to pre¬ 
vent the combined injurious effects of these agencies 
on the plants, the ground immediately around them 
should be mulched and a heavy soaking of water given, 
which will set the roots in active motion and prevent 
the leaves from flagging in the way they otherwise 
would. In small places, it generally occurs that shrubs 
are planted thick and soon encroach on each other, the 
stronger growers, which are invariably the commoner 
kinds, smothering the weaker and more choice, and to 
stop this they should be cut away to give light and 
room to the others. If this is done at once they will 
soon break again and hide the shabby part, as they 
have yet to make the midsummer shoots, and the same 
with hedges, which may be clipped now, or the leading 
branches of Conifers pruned in if the plants are getting 
too large. 
THE FRUIT GARDEN. 
Fruit Prospects.— After all the show 7 and great 
promise, it seems that there will be some disappoint¬ 
ment in this department of the garden, as there is 
‘I worm i’ the bud,” and the frost has left its effects 
behind, for Cherries have been nipped, and are 
refusing to swell, while Apples and Pears are tumb¬ 
ling wholesale ; but these stood in great need of a 
thinning, and instead of doing this artificially, it will 
be better to wait a bit to see what will remain on and 
are likely to swell. This much, however, is certain, 
they must soon go one way or the other ; and mean¬ 
time the trees should have all useless shoots removed 
by either pinching or cutting them back, leaving only 
about three joints at the base, and at them flower- 
buds will form between this and the autumn. 
Plums, Apricots, and Dessert Cherries, require 
just the same treatment, but the Plums and Cherries 
will also need close watching to keep them free from 
aphis, which seems more than usually prevalent this 
season, as they are showing themselves everywhere, 
and coating the leaves with “ honey-dew,” w 7 hich the 
bees are taking advantage of, and converting to sweet 
nectar in their combs, which they will soon be able to 
fill. To get rid of the fly on the shoots to be laid in, 
they must be dipped either in tobacco-v 7 ater, or a 
solution of some of the insecticides, and afterwards 
it is a good plan to give the trees a heavy syringing 
or thorough washing with the garden engine, which 
will cleanse the foliage and give the trees a fair 
chance. 
Currants. —The way to keep the fruit clean on 
these is to nip off the tops of the branches, as it is 
there, on the young tender leaves, that the flies 
lurk. 
Protecting Fruit. —Cherries are always a great 
temptation to birds, and as the fruit is now ripening, 
it will be necessary to securely net the trees over to 
keep off the depredators, the best way being to run a 
piece of fine meshed wire-netting along the ground 
some feet from the wall, and there support it with 
stakes, when the other can be brought from the 
coping down to it, and there tied, thus keeping it 
well away from the trees. Strawberries may be 
managed in a similar manner, and netted over the 
tops of the beds, if a rod is placed on stakes, or wire 
or string strained at a height to admit of anyone 
going under to gather the fruit, which is a far better 
plan than having the net close over the plants, where 
the birds can press it down by their weight and then 
help themselves. Before the beds are covered, how¬ 
ever, it is advisable to give a good soaking of water, 
or liquid manure, which will be a great help in 
bringing the Strawberries to a large size, and im¬ 
proving their flavour. 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Peas and Beans. —Up to the present, and a little 
later on, Peas are always plentiful enough, but the 
difficulty is to keep up a supply in the autumn, which 
can only be done by paying every attention to those 
just up, or sowing at once in deeply-dug ground 
or shallow 7 trenches prepared the same as for Celery. 
To assist those in flower and bearing, the thing 
is to mulch along the sides of the rows, and then 
water, or give a good soaking of liquid manure, which 
should be repeated weekly if the weather sets in dry, 
and the same with Scarlet Runners, as without such 
help down comes the bloom. The last named may 
still be planted or sown, and any got in now will bear 
till the plants are destroyed by the frosts, as also will 
the dwarf French, which should be sown on a south 
border, or some sheltered spot where they get plenty 
of sun. 
Cauliflowers. —It is quite time now to make a last 
sowing of these to turn in in the autumn, the sort 
most suitable for the purpose being the Walcheren, 
which when up and large enough to handle should 
be planted in rich ground, in drills drawn 2 ft. apart, 
and the plants placed about 18 ins. asunder, and 
as soon as this is done a watering should be given 
to help them to start. 
Broccoli. —Although Broccoli should be out before 
this, it often happens that ground is not at liberty 
till other crops are cleared off, and if plants are 
pricked off so as to be in readiness, and well rooted, 
they may be planted till quite the end of the month, 
but in doing this it is advisable to pick a dull time 
for the work, or they suffer and receive a great 
check. 
Tomatos will now be growing fast, and should have 
their shoots kept thinned by cutting away part of the 
laterals, which will give the main leaders full light 
and air. The way to manage with these is to let 
them run, and support them by nailing them to the 
wall, or tying them to stakes, as the case may be, and 
to get a good set of fruit the plants must be kept well 
watered, or the blooms will fall and make the crop 
late. 
Ridge Cucumbers. —These ought now to be suffi¬ 
ciently advanced to do without the handlights, which 
should have the tops taken off for a few hours in the 
morning, to harden the leaves first, and when they 
will bear the sun the lights may be removed alto¬ 
gether, and the plants regulated and pegged out over 
the ground, where, to keep the fruit clean, short straw 
or other litter should be placed to train the stems 
on. Vegetable Marrows need similar attention, and 
both they and the Cucumbers will be benefited by 
frequent applications of liquid manure. 
— q—. ■ — 
IPOM^A THOMSON I ANA. 
The genus Ipomaea includes several species which 
are used in medicine, such as jalap, scammony, and 
other drugs of a purgative character, and I. batatoides 
furnishes the Sweet Potato of South America. Several 
species, too, are of an extremely ornamental charac¬ 
ter, and were at one time more largely grown in 
gardens than at present. Perhaps the best known of 
all is the rich rose-coloured I. Horsfallire, a native of 
the East Indies, and a climbing stove-plant of the 
greatest excellence. What was for some time con¬ 
sidered to be a white-flowered variety of this fine 
plant, but which proves to be quite distinct, has 
within the last year or two been sent out by Mr. B. S. 
Williams and Messrs. Ireland and Thomson, under the 
name of I. Thomsonianum, and a valuable addition 
it is proving to our list of stove-climbers. It resembles 
I. Horsfallire in habit, having thick, fleshy leaves, 
w 7 ith stalked, entire leaflets, but differs widely in the 
