4S6 



THE GARDENER. 



[Oct. 



frame which may be placed over them 

 a month later, but only for protection; i 

 coddling for want of air draws them t 

 up weakly. Lettuce may be planted 

 in quantity, also Batavian Endive : 

 a good border or ridge in a sheltered 

 position is very desirable : the ground 

 should be rich and well broken. Brown 

 Coss, Hardy Hammersmith, and All 

 the Year Round stand as well as any 

 kinds we know. All young plantations 

 should be well hoed, and dustings of 

 soot, ashes, and lime strewn over the 

 ground among the plants. Celery 

 should all be gone over, and have a 

 good earthing up ; dustings of lime to 

 keep grubs and snails in check are very 

 necessary in some gardens. Endive 

 should now be blanched by placing a 

 quantity in a frame or pit, and cover- 

 ing the glass to keep out light : wooden 

 shutters answer well for such purposes, 

 but tying may be resorted to : laying 

 a board over the plants, or slates placed 

 flatly on them, are often successfully 

 used for blanching. Chicory may be 

 lifted and trimmed for blanching; in 

 any dark, close place it will blanch : 

 a Mushroom -house answers well: a 

 quantity taken in every few weeks 

 will keep up a good supply. Spinach 

 should have all yellow leaves taken 

 off, weeds pulled, and the hoe put 

 through the crop neatly : lime and 

 fine ashes may be dusted all over the 

 surface of the ground. Turnips must 

 be thinned by a careful hand at this 



season, only separating the plants and 

 clearing oil the weeds : a finely broken 

 surface with hoe is advantageous to 

 growth. Broccoli growing too vigor- 

 ous may be lifted and laid with the 

 heads to the north, if checking luxu- 

 riant growth is necessary. All such 

 crops for winter and spring supply 

 should be gone over with hoe or fork 

 — later it may not be suitable from wet. 

 Ground for Peas and broad Beans may 

 be prepared ; thorough trenching is 

 advantageous. Break the surface well , 

 so that the seed may be sown on it, 

 and the soil drawn over. All roots may 

 be lifted and carefully housed, Pota- 

 toes especially. There need be no 

 hurry with Beet and Carrots till the 

 end of the month. Parsnips are dug 

 up as they may be wanted fresh from 

 the ground : they retain their flavour 

 and keep better when left in the earth. 

 The forcing of French Beans may be 

 proceeded with. To have plenty about 

 Christmas they should be started this 

 month in quantity, either in pots or 

 planted in pits or frames. Asparagus, 

 where wanted early, may be lifted and 

 placed on a gentle hotbed as thickly 

 as the roots can be laid out, with the 

 crowns clear, and covered with a few 

 inches of light soil. Seakale may also 

 be started this month ; a close heat, 

 about 6*0°, will bring it forward. Keep 

 successions of Mushrooms on the way 

 by forming beds often. 



M. T. 



FORCING DEPARTMENT. 



Pines. — Such an exceptional season 

 as has been experienced calls for prac- 

 tice of a somewhat exceptional order. 

 In the case of plants intended to fruit 

 early in the year, or, it may be, started 

 into fruit by the end of December, it 

 may be necessary to keep them both 

 drier and warmer than usual to get 

 them into a condition that will in- 

 sure their starting after being rested 

 awhile. Owing to the very wet and 

 sunless summer, the growth of these 

 plants is very likely to be soft and 

 immature, and a drier and warmer at- 

 mosphere will, for the next month, so 

 far rectify the deficiency. Avoid, how- 

 ever, now that the nights are getting 

 long, a higher night temperature than 

 65° ; but keep them dry at the root, 

 and freely ventilate on fine days when 

 they occur. See, however, that the 



pots are plunged firmly to the rim, and 

 that their bottoms have a good layer 

 of the plunging material between them 

 and the pipes. Keep a temperature 

 of 70° in houses where fruit are swell- 

 ing off, and let the bottom-heat range 

 as nearly as possible about 90°. Keep 

 the atmosphere moist, but discontinue 

 syringing overhead, and moisten the 

 collars of the plants and surface of the 

 bed instead. If any crowns have a 

 tendency to grow large, screw the 

 centres out of them with a sharp 

 chisel or similar instrument. See that 

 the soil never gets very dry; just keep 

 it moist, but not wet ; and if the tan, 

 or whatever they are plunged in, has 

 shrunk, put on a surfacing up to the 

 rim of the pots. All young-growing 

 stock should now have a lower night 

 heat — 65° is sufficiently high. Keep 



