252 



THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



treatment. When they have finished their 

 bloom, throw them away. This is really 

 the best advice we can give our friend and 

 all others similarly situated. But if win- 

 dow gardeners will keep their bulbs, they 

 must treat them according to the direction.? 

 given in many places in past issues of the 

 Flokal World. There is one more point 

 of some importance, and that is selection of 

 hidhs. In the first place, if the bulbs are 

 not soiind and hard — size is of less conse- 

 quence—they will never flower well. Hya- 

 cinths are extra lai-ge this season, but we 

 doubt if they are any the better for that. 

 We advise our correspondent to buy of first- 

 class dealers only. The cheap bulbs sold 

 by cornchandlers and miniature seedsmen 

 are the sweepings of the^jnarkets. Then, 

 as to species and varieties. None of the 

 iris, agapanthus, and lilium are suitable for 

 windows where there is much dust, and 

 the atmosphere is loaded with the impuri- 

 ties caused by gas-lights; for this reason, 

 that before they flower they make a long- 

 continued leaf-growth, and during this 



period they suffer in health, and are pretty 

 well exhausted before the flowering season 

 arrives. But bulbs which throw up their 

 flower spikes at once are well adapted for 

 such a purpose, because the flowering is 

 over, or neai-ly so, before the health of the 

 plants is seriously affected. Therefore, we 

 advise our correspondent to indulge freely 

 in hyacinths, crocuses, snowdrops, and 

 tulips, and he may add winter aconites. 

 Narcissus poeticus, Naixissus bulbocodium, 

 and a few of the cheapest amaryllis, but 

 other kinds he must take at his own risk. 

 We are glad to learn that Lilium candidum 

 bloomed beautifully. Now, tliat is in itself 

 a flower-show for a London window. The 

 plant should now be refreshed either by a 

 shift to a larger pot, or by the careful re- 

 moval of some of the old soil, and replacing 

 it with fresh, and of the kind recommended 

 above. By the way, we have plants of 

 Lilium Japonicum now (October 27), in 

 full bloom in our own windows, being the 

 first blooms of offsets taken up in spring 

 from one of our peat-beds, j 



THE GAEDEN GUIDE EOE NOVEMBEE. 



Those who intend to enjoy the sight of 

 well-bloomed beds of bnlbous plants must 

 now set to work in earnest, and get every 

 bulb into the ground. The more they 

 shoot while kept dry the more are their 

 energies exhausted; and if the blooms are 

 not deteriorated — as they are pretty sure 

 to be — the bulbs themselves will be weak- 

 ened, and will be poor the next year. 

 Lord Mayor's Day is the day for planting 

 tulips with the majority of London growers; 

 in Lancashire they are a little earlier. The 

 remark about planting applies also to pur- 

 chasing. The best are sold first; as the 

 season wanes, the dealers have only the 

 leavings of others who were on the look 

 out in time, and who had the pick on the 

 first arrival of the bulbs. Add to this the 

 uncertainty of the weather at this time of 

 year, and there are three good reasons for 

 attending to the bulbs at once, even to the 

 neglect, for a week or two, of other matters. 

 Planting is now going on in all directions. 

 In this work delays are dangerous. Trees 

 got into their quarters at once, even if they 

 have not quite shed their leaves, will at 

 once make fresh root, for the ground is 

 warm, and get well established before se- 

 vere frosts set iu. Order at once whatever 

 fruit trees, roses, etc., you may require, 

 and have the ground prepared, so that 

 they may be planted immediately on 

 arrival. Laying in by the heels is a mis- 



chievous practice, and should never be 

 resorted to, except when unavoidable. It 

 is bettex', however, for trees to lay in than 

 lay out; the air acting on their exposed 

 roots does immense injury; but the danger 

 of laying in is that, regarding them as 

 " safe for the present," the planting is 

 often deferred till they have actually struck 

 out roots ; and lifting them to their places 

 destroys the new roots, and compels them 

 to a second effort when planted. 



Kitchen Garden. — Wherever digging 

 and trenching are required, let it be done 

 without delay ; every additional day's ex- 

 posure of the soil to the action of the 

 weather is a benefit to it; generally speak- 

 ing, it is not well to manure in autumn, 

 because the winter rains wash the best of 

 it away, but manures should have atten- 

 tion, and this is a good time to clear out 

 the muck pit, and pile the stuff in a heap, 

 and throw over it a few inches of soil or 

 burnt clay. In dry frosty weather it should 

 be chopped down and turned, and again 

 soiled over to preserve its virtues and at 

 the same time sweeten it for use. Turf 

 should be stacked, and clippings collected 

 for burning to make dressings of manure 

 for beds and boi'ders. The general work 

 of the kitchen garden is but a continuation 

 of last month, to which we refer to avoid 

 repetitions. Those who are inclined to 

 venture a few speculative crops should 



