The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-06-11 00:00:00

tITE STOUR,I3RIDGE OBSERVER,

which have been occupied with Andromeda., Kalmias, and
Rhododendrons for several years should have three or four
Inches of rotten cow-dung spread over the surface. All these
plants are best propagated by layers, and this is a good time
for doing it. ifirbaceous plants intended for thwering
early unit year must be sown shortly. Select a shady position
for the seethed, and prick out into nursery or permanent
quarters directly the plants arc strong enoigh to handle.
A better and stronger bloom may be expected from these
than from others sown towards tlie end of August, as is gene-
rally the time Rued upon for sowing most of these subject&

Pines.—As this is the proper season for these to make their
growth, nothing must be dove or left nntione to causes check
or atop them in any way. We again feel the necessity of call-
ing attention to the bottom-heat, now that the greater portion
of the top-heat is kept up by means of solar warmth, thus
rendering little fire-heat necessary. Bottom-heat must be
looked to promptly where it is wholly or partly maintained
by fire-heat, for if allowed to decline now, serious results will
follow. Shut sdf the top-heat and keep a gentle fire to warm
the bottom pipes. A banked-up fire, with Just sufficient
draught to keep it in, will be sufficient for this purpose.
ties —Late grapes In the way of Mrs. Prince's Muscat,
West's St. Peter's, and Black !lambus-Os, which are Intended
to hang over Christmas should have their final thinning soon.
The berries of these most be left sufficiently far apart to
allow the air to circulate freely amongst them when they are
ripe. Ventilate freely houses In which the crop is now ripen-
ing, and remove laterals to enable the side shoots to get
thoroughly matured ais well as the crop.
Cirevonbers.—Thin these out, and give plenty of air, lost abut
up early in the afternoon; syringe early in the morning, and
at shuttingsup time use soft water which has lx en placed in
the pit or in some of the houses to get warmed. So to suc-
ceed those in 101 l bearing, earth up those newly planted as
the roots show through the mounds. and plant out those in-
tended to go into frames lately cleared of bedding stuff.

PLANT-HOCSES.

Greenhouse. —Now that most of the hunt-wooded duff is
turned out of cloore, this structure should he turned Into
what we may term an Intermediate house, to harden plants
from the stove before they go to the conservatory ; not that
much fire-heat will be required, for keeping the ventilators
close will effect the des:red Mince When such things as
Achimenes, Caladium., anti Gicxliiiue, are taken direct from
the stove, they suffer a severe check, and the flowers do not
remain in perfection one-half the time they otherwise would
do. This house will now answer well for growing on
Fuchsias, Celo.bis, and G,ckseolubts for autumn-II anteing,
and also for getting up seed of Primulas, to , which must be
now sown in quantity. Balsams loud go to the frames,
where they can be kept close to the glass and receive free
ventilation, or they will salon get so much drawn as to be
ivelese. If the plants are wanted to be grown to a large
sire, the flowers up the main stem must be nipped off. It is,
however, only right to say that such tine flowers must not he
expected out the side branches as the main stem, and seeds
should he saved from the latter only. Shift on such as
require it before they get pot-boutil. The Zonal Pelargoniums
which were potted early, and have now Mind their pots with
roots, will receive much benefit from weak manure water every
alternate watering. Good guano, at the rate of half on
ounce to half a gallon of water, will answer admirably;
"Standen'a Gardener's Ft lend" sprinkled over the surface of
the soil is also first-rate, The Gold and iblver Zonate are
better without the liquid manure ; good turfy loam, leaf-
m,uld, and a sprinkle of sand, with pure soft water, is the
best to get their colours clear and perfect.
Orchid-ho.e. —Nearly the whole of the occupants of this
house are now In full growth, and require abundance of
moisture about them: give a sufficiency at the mote without
saturation, and keep the stages, p iths, anti walls saturated
with moisture. There is no fear of the plants having too
much atmospheric humidity just 1101 v ; dip those on blocks
every day, not bear In mind that plants in baskets require
Moo water than others in pots, as the air can got to the
potting material more readily to dry it up.
Fka3ll:!t.

Amgen!. require very evreful attention: remove the old
11.3wcr.stalks before they get decaved to the base, as 111, not
only possible but probable that the decay will spread to the
limn stem and kill the plant. eincrarias planted out for
offsets will require sprinkling overhead once a day in dry
weather, lint not too much moisture at the roots until they
get into full growth.

sacred books of the Buddhuit reigion. lie asid it was
strange, indeed, If the founder of Ruldhism, a religion that
had endured for 2,400 years, that even now numbered
455,000,000 adherents, and that taight a morality second
only to that of Christianity, had received the highest honour
that the Church of Rome could testow ; and added that
no member of that Church who lead the life of Buddha
need feel ashamed that this heathei saint hail been added
to the calendar.

The lecture was attended by s numerong audience,
among whom we observed the Dean of Westminster,
and the Professor was very wdrmly applauded, both
during the delivery of his &scums° and at it close.

cookery is sparing in meat and extravagant in butter—
which has long ceased to be true economy, for a pound
of butter now costs as much as two pounds of meat.
The consequence is that the cooking-butter is often of
inferior quality, and generally more or less rancid. This
is in itself sufficient to spoil sauces, to make dishes
hard of digestion, and to create acids in the stomach.
`• BA.I cooking-butter and shameful soup have sent
many people to Carlsbad before now."
As regards the adulteration of foca, it appears that
we in England by no means enjoy a monopoly in that
respect. Count Munster says that "nowhere is the
adulteration of articles of food more injurious and ex-
tensive, nowhere have the law and the police shown
themselves so powerless to cope with this evil, as in our
dear, police-ridden Germany."