i8 7 9-] 



CALENDAR. 



389 



and well trenched. Sow in drills 

 from 12 to 18 inches apart. 



Soot or wood-ashes pointed into the 

 surface of the soil is a preventive of 

 vermin, and excellent for the Onions. 

 They should not be sown too thickly, 

 as they are liable to become drawn up 

 and weakly for want of air, and do 

 not stand the winter so well, and more 

 likely to run prematurely to seed in 

 spring. 



Potatoes should be lifted when their 

 tops show signs of changing colour : 

 dry them and store in pits in the usual 

 way. Parsley should be well thinned, 

 and plant the finest curled plants in 

 a sheltered position, where protection 

 cau be given during winter when snow 

 and severe frost are prevalent. Last 

 winter caught many "napping" with 

 short supplies of Parsley, and the long 

 cold spring did not do much to hasten 

 young sowings. Lift Shallots and 

 Garlic as they indicate ripeness : hang 

 them up in dry, airy quarters to be- 

 come firm, preparatory for keeping. 

 Seeds of all kinds may be harvested 

 dry, and kept cool and airy. Choice 

 kinds of vegetables which cannot be 

 had true may be saved in gardens ; 

 but the practice in a general way is 

 profitless and troublesome, as fine pro- 

 duce, and the best of it, cannot be had 

 for use in the kitchen and seeds raised 

 as well. Nevertheless, we save a small 



portion of something choice yearly. 

 Top Peas which are growing too much 

 to straw ; hitherto these have had 

 abundance of rain, and little use for 

 mulching (July 14). 



Tomatoes must be kept well thinned 

 of shoots and fruit ; give abundance of 

 liquid manure to those swelling heavy 

 crops of fruit ; look after birds and 

 wasps on these. Spinach may be sown 

 twice or three times during the month ; 

 the first to be round Spinach, the rest 

 prickly. Dust soot and lime over the 

 surface after sowing has been done. 

 Wood-ashes is capital for prevention of 

 vermin ; soaking the drills with soap- 

 suds or guano-water helps to prevent 

 the ravages of grubs, &c. Turnips 

 may yet be sown for winter use. In 

 very southern and warm districts 

 some sow Turnips as late as Septem- 

 ber ; white and red stone are good 

 kinds. Hoeing and cleaning the 

 ground must now have special atten- 

 tion. Though some can boast of se- 

 curing "excellent" crops with weeds 

 equally luxuriant, we cannot sympa- 

 thise with such cultivators, any more 

 than with the peasant who told us 

 that he had "excellent health, though 

 brought up among muck all his daj-s." 

 A clean garden closely cropped with 

 good vegetables at this season is a 

 credit ; the reverse is a disgrace. 



M. T. 



FORCING DEPARTMENT. 



Pines. — By the end of this month 

 early Queens intended for starting 

 into fruit next January and February 

 should have their pots well filled with 

 roots, and be strong and well matured 

 in growth. They should now be man- 

 aged so that they neither make much 

 more growth on the one hand, nor on 

 the other be allowed to receive any 

 violent check. It requires a nice 

 adjustment of circumstances to have 

 these plants in proper condition. To 

 have them " pot - bound " too early, 

 and subjected to a high temperature 

 throughout the autumn, would either 

 cause them to fruit prematurely, or 

 they would show fruit very early in 

 the year which would be a mere 

 abortion, and come to nothing. The 

 temperature should therefore be de- 

 creased gradually as the days shorten. 

 The amount of moisture in both the 



soil and air must be correspondingly 

 lessened, but not to such an extent 

 just now as is quite safe in the dead 

 of winter. That portion of the stock 

 of Queens intended to make a growth 

 in spring before starting must still 

 be encouraged to grow as directed 

 last month. Smooth Cayennes, and 

 other late-fruiting sorts that are now 

 out of flower, must be encouraged 

 with copious waterings of guano- 

 water when they require it, to keep 

 the soil steadily moist. Keep the 

 atmosphere damp by means of sprink- 

 lings, and at shutting-up time syringe 

 the plants overhead — missing as much 

 as possible the crowns ; also damp 

 the surface of the bed and all about 

 the collars of the plants with the 

 syringe. Let the heat run up for a 

 time to from 85° to 90°, with sun-heat 

 after shutting up ; and use fire-heat 



