THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



251 



should not be planted till tbe spring. la 

 any case, the ground must be deeply 

 trenched and liberally manured, and the 

 manure thoroughly incorporated with the 

 soil. Begin forcing now by first covering 

 the stools with conical mounds of sand or 

 coal ashes (not leaves, which spoil the 

 flavour). Place the seakale pots over as 

 many stools as are to be started now, and 

 fill the spaces between and over the pots 

 with a mixture of stable dung that has been 

 once turned, with leaves, straw, and other 

 litter, bsating it firm as you proceed, and 

 leaving the whole smooth and tidy nine 

 inches above the top of the pots. 



Seakale in Pots. — Wheie only small 

 quantities of seakale are required, it may 

 be forced very conveniently and cleanly in 

 pots. Pot the roots singly in 21-sized pots, 

 in a mixture of leaf-mould, rotten dung, 

 and sandy loam, equal parts. Place the 

 pots on the top of a brick flue or on a gentle 

 hotbed, the bottom-heat not to exceed 60\ 

 Invert over each pot another empty pot, 

 stopping the hole of each with a piece 

 of flat tile, over which press a lump of 

 clay. 



Drainage. — About three-fourths of the 

 complaints that reach us of the misbehaviour 

 of fruit trees, and the failure of vegetable 

 crops, and tbe unsatisfactory blooming of 

 roses and many other things, have one 

 common origin — the want of drainage. 

 We see people labouring away at tbe sur- 

 face, raising the level by additions of soil, 

 manuring liberally, removing plants that 

 have not prospered, and planting others in 

 hope of better luck ; and we can tell them 

 when all is done, that until they secure the 

 first essential of success — a rapid removal 

 of surplus water — there can be no success 

 to their efforts, manu r e and plant as they 

 may. At this time of year you have but to 

 open a hole one spade deep, and in less than 

 ten minutes that hole will be filled with 

 ■water, which proves that the whole surface 

 soil is saturated, and that any cavity, tun- 

 nel, or opening would immediately draw off 

 the surplus water according to the capacity 

 of the opening, and that therefore very 

 simple and inexpensive means would suffice 

 to enable the soil to ge} rid of the water 

 which is in excess of its power of absorption. 

 A two or three-inch pipe laid at a regular 

 fall of about two feet beneath the surface 

 will effectually drain a breadth of from 20 

 to 100 feet in width, according to the nature 

 of the soil and its relative level. Generally 

 speaking, the drains should be three feet 

 deep and twenty-four feet apart ; but in a 

 wet clay they will not be too close at twelve 

 feet apart. In districts where there is any 

 apprehension of the disturbance of the drains 



by moles, one-inch pipe should be used. On 

 very flat land a fall of 1 in 50 will suffice to 

 keep the water moving ; but a rapid fall is 

 preferable if the outlet is low enough to 

 admit of it, as in times of sudden heavy rain- 

 fall a quick removal is desirable. Of course 

 we cannot here enter into the details of the 

 subject ; but as this is as good a time as any 

 to drain land that requires it, we again 

 remind our readers that good drainage pro- 

 motes the warmth and fertility of the soil ; 

 and, on the other hand, a water-logged soil 

 is almost poisonous to every kind of plants 

 that come under the care of gardeners. 



Fkuit Garden. — Currants and Goose- 

 berries should now be lifted if required, as 

 the next year's crop will be less jeopardized 

 by getting them earlv to the places in which 

 they are to fruit. Fork in a good dressing 

 of manure between the trees in old planta- 

 tions. Put in cuttings of choice sorts ; the 

 cuttings to be straight ripe shoots of this 

 year, and all the lower buds removed, 

 so as to prevent the throwing up of 

 suckers. 



Fruit Trees to be planted as soon as pos- 

 sible ; manure not to be used unless tho 

 ground is in a poor condition, and then a 

 little fresh soil should be used with it if 

 possible. Turf from the roadside, clay, 

 clearings of ponds and ditches, are excel- 

 lent materials to invigorate an old worn-out 

 soil required for fruit culture, as also to give 

 body to poor sandy and chalk.}' soils. In 

 planting, keep alL roots near the surface ; 

 never plant any tree deeper than it was 

 planted before, and if it was evidently too 

 deeply planted before, give it a better 

 chance than it had previously by more shal- 

 low planting. Stake as soon as planted, to 

 prevent rocking by the wind, and at the 

 same time prune. 



Raspberries to have the old canes cut 

 away, the new canes thinned to three or 

 four of the strongest to each stool, and a 

 good mulch of half-rotten dung laid down 

 over their roots, and the ground between 

 them not to be dug at all. 



Fkuit House. — Peaches in the forcing- 

 house to be pruned at once ; the roots top- 

 dressed ; the branches washed with a paste 

 of clay and Gishurst, or clay, lime, and sul- 

 phur, and the lights put on. But give plenty 

 of air. Vacancies may now be filled up in 

 the peach-house, and nothing better for the 

 purpose than bearing trees. In many gar- 

 dens a reformation is taking place in the 

 cultivation of peaches. Healthy trees pro- 

 ducing but small crops on open walls are 

 being removed and planted in Paxtonian 

 houses, which by their steep pitch and 

 abundant ventilation are admirably adapted 

 for fruit culture. Generally where peaches 

 M 2 



