i88i.] 



CALENDAR. 



529 



are some of the means applied to force 

 this useful esculent. Chicory is forced 

 similar to Seakale, but requiring little 

 heat : it must be well blanched. 

 Mushrooms should be plentiful now 

 where there are means to grow them. 

 Horse - manure partially dried and 

 beaten firmly into a bed about a foot 

 deep, spawned, and covered with loam 

 about 2 inches thick over the sur- 

 face, will give good mushrooms in 

 the course of a mouth or six weeks. 

 When the bed shows signs of dryness, 

 water moderately with tepid water. 

 Mushrooms do best in an even tem- 

 perature from 50° to 60^, but we have 

 known them do well in a temperature 

 down often from 35" to 40^ at night. 

 Young Carrots sown in September will 

 soon be fit to draw. Thin them out 

 as they are required for use. Those 

 in the borders may have ashes or old 

 tan placed among them, leaving the 

 tops standing clear. A frame with a 

 gentle bottom-heat, on which has been 

 placed 6 or 8 inches of soil, may be 

 sown with Short Horn or Early Xantes. 

 The seed may be sprinkled in drills 

 in the usual way, and covered with 

 fine soil. Potatoes, early ripened, 

 may be placed in heat on moss turves, 

 in boxes on soil, or otherwise, to 

 sprout for early planting. A gentle 

 bottom-heat (^ay 55° or less), over 

 which is placed some good soil (turfy 

 loam and leaf-mould answers well), 

 and the tubers which have been well 

 matured, planted, and covered lightly 

 at first, may turn in well early in the 

 season. They require all the light 

 and air possible, frost and rain only 

 being excluded ; tubers, placed singly 

 in 7 or 8 inch pots, half filled with 

 soil, may be put on the way to grow. 

 They (the pots) may be earthed uj) 

 with soil as the Potato - tops make 

 progress. Potatoes planted in July 

 to give "new" tubers may be pro- 

 tected with a frame to keep the tops 

 growing as long as they are of use to 

 the tubers. When they are killed 

 down suddenly by frost, the Potatoes 

 are watery and tasteless. There is a 

 false value put on many items of this 

 character, which is unwarrantable. 

 Peas in frames and pits, whether 

 planted out or in pots, require all the 

 air possible ; to attempt to drive them 

 forward with much heat is simply 

 labour in vain. Radishes grow easily 

 in light soil, placed over gentle warmth, 



under the protection of a frame ; they 

 do not stand much forcing. Lettuce 

 and Eodive may be carefully lifted 

 with good roots, and placed thickly 

 into pits ready for use. Endive may 

 be kept close and shaded with mats to 

 blanch it ; slates or boards placed over 

 it answer the purpose fairly. Frames 

 in which are young Cauliflower for 

 early use may have abundance of air 

 and light ; drenching rain should be 

 kept out. Plants under hand-lights 

 on ridges must not be coddled, other- 

 wise failure may be expected. Toma- 

 toes in pots, or planted out, must be 

 kept near the glass, allowed to bear 

 moderately, and when in full fruit, 

 with plenty of roots in the pots, liquid 

 manure may be given clear and pure. 

 Mustard and Cress may be sown in 

 boxes as often as required ; two or 

 three successions ought to be on the 

 way ; give plenty of air when the pro- 

 duce is getting ready for use. Thread 

 Onions are grown in a similar man- 

 ner, but they will not stand heat when 

 they are well through the soil. We 

 need hardly add that forcing of all 

 kinds of vegetables should be treated 

 according to nature as much as possible, 

 except those which are blanched, and 

 they will not be good if grown in an 

 impure atmosphere. 



Digging and trenching up vacant 

 ground to the action of frost may be 

 done as circumstances will allow, but 

 in well - appointed gardens there is 

 little vacant ground at this season. 

 In old gardens a little subsoil brought 

 to the surface and mixed with the old 

 well - manured soil, may be of great 

 benefit in giving fresh life to the 

 ground ; light sandy soil brought up 

 among strong clay land is very useful 

 in freshening it, and the same with 

 heavy soil brought to a light surface. 

 Manure may be wheeled where re- 

 quired, laid in ridges, and covered 

 with soil till it is used, which saves 

 its virtues, and prevents unsightliness 

 in the garden. Asparagus not already 

 cleaned and dressed for the winter 

 may have attention as early as pos- 

 sible. Peas and Beans may be sown 

 on warm borders. The seed sown on 

 the surface, in rows, and covered with 

 fine soil, is a good plan ; but on damji 

 cold soil this practice seldom suc- 

 ceeds. The use of frames for protec- 

 tion of February and March sowings 

 suits most places. Protect Artichokes 



