274 



THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



work in winter. The out-door work of 

 this month must he regulated hy the 

 weather. When the ground is not fit to 

 be trodden on, get together all the clip- 

 pings 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 attacks of slugs. During frost 

 wheel out dung, ready to dig in at the 

 first opportunity. Sow, during fine dry 

 weather, Dillistone's Early and Sangster's 

 No. 1 peas, Mazagan, 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 happen 

 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. 



Artichokes to be dressed for the winter 

 by removing any late heads, the stalks of 

 which can he inserted in a bed of earth 

 under cover till wanted ; next remove the 

 large leaves, and mould up the plants 

 without throwing any soil into the centre. 

 As clippings of hedges and prunings of 

 trees are generally burnt at this time of 

 the year, keep the ashes dry, and at the 

 first opportunity, after having earthed up 

 the plants, spread the ashes two or three 

 inches thick over the ground between 

 them. 



Asparagus, Seal-ale, and Rhubarb will 

 now he coming in plentifully from the 

 forcing-beds. If these beds are allowed 

 to get too dry, the produce will he neither 

 good nor plentiful. But they may he moist 

 on the surface and yet dry at the roots of 

 the plants ; therefore ascertain by stirring 

 the soil with a trowel in the middle of the 

 hed, and if dry, give a good soaking with 

 tepid water. Make up fresh beds for suc- 

 cessive supplies. 



Beans and Peas not yet sown for spe- 

 culative crops may he got in now. Choose 

 a dry sheltered position. If thei-e is plenty 

 of spare room in frames or pits, prepara- 

 tions may he made for early crops without 

 incurring the risk of sowing out of doors. 

 Fill a frame with turves cut of the usual 

 width, and laid grass side downwards. 

 Sow the seeds pretty close together along 

 the centre of each breadth of turf, and 

 then sift over some fine soil, just to cover 

 them, and shut up. As soon as the seeds 

 have started, give air cautiously, and 

 keep them as hardy as possible. As 

 they rise, occasionally add more soil, so 

 as to keep earthing them up ; this will 



make them more strong and stubby than 

 by covering them their proper depth in 

 the first instance. In February the turves 

 may be lifted out and the plants divided, 

 without any injury to the roots, and so 

 planted out in drills of well-prepared soil, 

 and protected with long dry litter and 

 reed wattles, until the weather allows of 

 complete exposure. 



Brushwood is of many kinds. Clip- 

 pings of hedges and small prunings of 

 bush fruits and trees are generally of no 

 use for firewood, except in the furnace of 

 a saddle or cannon boiler, for which, in 

 some gardens, all such stuff may be used. 

 But there ought to be no waste of any- 

 thing that will burn, and at this time of 

 year labour can generally be afforded to 

 deal with these things in a way to econo- 

 mize every scrap. Lots of real good fire- 

 wood may be looked out by first chopping 

 and sawing up all loppings of fair size; at 

 the same time large guarled and twisted 

 branches should be stored for rustic work. 

 Many a gardener has to buy in spring 

 stuff that he might have supplied himself 

 with by a sorting of the timber obtained 

 in cutting down old trees and in the 

 clearance of old plantations. When the 

 best of the stuff has been stored, char all 

 that remains, r.nd keep the ashes under 

 cover for use. In charring, a flame should 

 never be allowed ; a smouldering fire re- 

 duces without waste ; a flame wastes the 

 best part of the material — that is, the 

 charcoal. To prevent too rapid a con- 

 sumption, keep the heap well covered with 

 turf, clay, or other soil, so as to confine 

 the heat, and prevent too free an access 

 of air. 



Cabbage, ScotcJi Kale, and other stand- 

 ing vegetable crops, should be lightly hoed 

 between when the ground is dry, and the 

 plants earthed up; this protects their roots 

 from frost, supports them against wind; 

 and the hoeing removes weeds, and by 

 loosening the top crust, prevents frost en- 

 tering so deep as it does in hard ground. 



Cauliflowers, Lettuces, etc., in frames 

 and hand-lights must have plenty of air 

 while mild weather lasts, by removing the 

 glasses entirely on fine days, and keep- 

 ing them tilted during rains. If any signs 

 of mildew, sprinkle with sulphur ; the 

 Boite a llovppe, sold for half-a-crown by 

 Burgess and Key, Newgate Street, is the 

 best sulphur-duster, and should be always 

 at hand in a dry place ready for use. It 

 delivers lime, sulphur, or any dry powder, 

 in a regular cloud, and is very expeditious. 

 The fine dust from the bottom of the peat 

 stack or the binns of the potting-shed will 

 be found useful to strew on the surface 



