14 



THE GAEDEN GUIDE EOE JANUAEY. 



Kitchen Garden. — There ought not 

 to be now a single square yard of unoc- 

 cupied ground that has not been deeply 

 dug since the last crop was taken off. 

 Deep stirring and successive frostings of 

 the soil are immensely beneficial, and there 

 will never be much success in the culture 

 of edibles where there is any fear of hard 

 work in winter. The out-door work of this 

 month must be regulated by the weather. 

 When the ground is not fit to be trodden 

 on, get together all the clippings of hedges, 

 prunings of trees, etc., etc., for charring, 

 and keep the produce under cover to use 

 as needful ; it is a most valuable top- 

 dressing for peas and other early crops, 

 both to stimulate growth and prevent at- 

 tacks of slugs. During frost wheelout dung, 

 ready to dig in at the first opportunity. 

 Sow, during fine dry weather,'. Dillistone's 

 Early and Sangster's No. 1 peas, Jfiiza- 

 gan, Long-pod, and Beck's Gem beans, 

 Horn carrot, and Hollow-crowned parsnips. 

 We have found of late years that parsnips 

 sown at the end of January make very 

 heavy crops, and are rarely hurt by frosts, 

 and, if they do liappen to be cut off by 

 frost, there is still time to sow again, and 

 the loss of the seed is a very trifling 

 matter compared with the chance of a 

 heavier crop. 



Flower Garden. — We cannot advise 

 the planting of evergreen shrubs at this 

 season, though we confess to doing it our- 

 selves and seeing it done by everybody 

 else. It would be much better for the 

 trees to be content now_ with marking the 

 places where they are to go by stakes, and 

 leaving them untouched till April, when 

 the shift will distress them less and they 

 will commence to make new roots imme- 

 diately. This plan allows of the planting 

 of deciduoub trees and the finisliing of all 

 the rough work in laying out a shrubbery, 

 and it may even be carried so far as to the 

 making of the holes for tlie evergreens, 

 laying the stuff taken out in heaps beside 

 them to get completely pulverized for fill- 

 ing in. Every cultivator of flowers should 

 secure now a good si;pply of turf from a 

 loamy pasture, and of bog peat, or silky 

 yellow loam in which the common brake 

 grows plentifully. These should be stacked 

 upon high ridges like walls, so that the 

 frost will penetrate the whole mass, and 

 the grass will rot quickly. Manure, 

 roughly spread among choice shrubs, will 

 assist in protecting their roots from frost. 

 In spring the manure can be levelled and 



all rough stuff raked off. This is a good 

 time to make banks and rockeries, as, dur- 

 ing frost, the wheeling can be done without 

 harm to the walks. 



Greenhouse. — Hard-wooded plants 

 must have fire-heat during frosty weather, 

 but it must be given with caution, and 

 must not rise above 40' at niglit and 50"" 

 by day. Hang strips of worsted netting 

 over the ventilators, to break the force of 

 cold winds : this will allow more air to be 

 given. Soft-wooded plants may be set 

 going pretty freely, but be very careful not 

 to have too high a temperature, which is 

 most exhaustive to the plants. Examine 

 all the old stakes used as supports to plants 

 in pots, and, if decaying, remove them. 

 The appearance of fungus on the part 

 buried in the soil soon leads to the de- 

 struction of the plant, by contact of the 

 white threads with the roots. Train and 

 tie out whatever requires it ; revise tallies 

 and labels; keep down green-fly, by fumi- 

 gating; and complete all odd jobs, so as 

 to have no hindrances to spring work, 

 when this month is over. Thermometer, 

 45' on an average, varying from 35' by 

 night to 50' by day. 



Stove.— Be careful to keep down the 

 temperature in general collections, and 

 give air whenever the sun causes the ther- 

 mometer to rise above the average. Plants 

 that need pruning and repotting should 

 be cut over, and left to start, before their 

 roots are disturbed. Thermometer, 55^ 

 at night, 65' by day. 



Cold Frames and Pits. — Do not be in 

 haste to remove protecting materials after 

 a long frost. Let the plants recover them- 

 selves in the dark, and should bright sun 

 follow suddenly upon severe weather, add 

 some loose straw, to prevent the warmth 

 reaching the stock too suddenly. Remove 

 all dead leaves, and give plenty of air in. 

 mild weather. 



Fruit Garden. — Pruning oucht to 

 have been done and the ground cleared 

 long ago. If not, set about it at once, for, 

 in the hurry of the general spring work, 

 the buds may swell before the knife has 

 finished its work, which is injurious. Trees 

 on east walls had better be unnailed till 

 the end of February, to keep them back. 

 Manure between tlie rows of currants, 

 gooseberries, and raspberries. 



Vinery. — Cover outside borders with a 

 dry material. Set the first house at work 

 at 45' to 50\ and increase the heat a little 

 when the buds have fairly opened. In 



