iSyi.] 



NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



577 



Peaches. — The early house prepared 

 as directed last month may now have 

 fire-heat regularly applied, keeping the 

 temperature about 50° in mild weather, 

 and a few degrees lower when cold. 

 Proceed with caution for the first few 

 weeks. Sj'ringe the trees morning and 

 afternoon with tepid water, give a little 

 air early every fine day, and husband 

 every gleam of sun-heat that can be had. 

 Prune and tie succession - houses. 

 Where planting young trees is con- 

 templated, now is a good time to make 

 ready. The drainage should be thorough 

 and the loam rather strong than other- 

 wise, and it is most undesirable to use 

 much if any strong manure in making 

 the border. It will tend to produce 

 rampant unfruitful wood. Future top- 

 dressings can be applied at the time 

 when stimulants are required, and such 

 have a tendency to induce the roots to 

 work near the surface. 



Figs. — Where early Figs are requir- 

 ed, a place should be got in readiness, 

 where those in pots can be started after 

 the middle of the month. Bottom- 

 heat is of great advantage thus early : 

 it obviates the necessity of much arti- 

 ficial heat for a while at first if a bed 

 of Oak leaves can be made up, in which 

 the pots can be plunged in a bottom- 

 heat of about 80°, with a night temper- 

 ature of 50° to begin with. They not 

 only break more freely and strongly 

 into growth, but young fruit formed in 

 autumn are not so likely to drop off as 

 when forcing is commenced without 



bottom-heat. Syringe the plants on 

 fine days, and just give fire-heat enough 

 till they break to keep the tempera- 

 ture at 50° ; and when water at the 

 roots is required, let it be given at a 

 temperature of 80°. If the plants have 

 been grown several years in the-same 

 pot, top-dress them with something 

 rich, and water with guano or sheep- 

 dung water. 



Cucumbers. — See last month's 

 Calendar, and avoid hard forcing in 

 very cold sunless weather, or the leaves 

 will become thin, and the whole jDlants 

 weakened. When the weather is se- 

 vere, it is very desirable to cover the 

 surface of the glass, and fire more 

 moderately. 



Strawberries in Pots. — Put a 

 quantity of these into heat, according 

 to the number of plaints and available 

 room. The early Peach-house, or a 

 shelf near the glass, is a good place to 

 start them, as they do not do well with 

 much heat thus early. If they can be 

 set on a fermenting bed of leaves in a 

 pit near the glass, it will be a great 

 advantage to them. The mild bottom- 

 heat will start them more kindly. 

 Before putting them in heat, remove 

 all decayed leaves, turn every plant 

 out of its pot to see that the drainage 

 is not deranged, and water them with 

 clear lime-water to kill all worms, 

 which, if not got rid of, will begin their 

 injurious work immediately they are 

 put into heat. 



'^ioiut^ to €oxxcB:^oix^tni^, 



All business commimications should be addressed to the Publishers, and com- 

 munications for insertion in the 'Gardener' to David Thomson, Drumlanrig 

 Gardens, Thornhill, Dumfriesshire. It will further oblige if all matter intended 

 for publication, and questions to be replied to, be forwarded by the middle of the 

 month, and written on one side of the paper only. It is also requested that 

 writers forward their name and address, not for publication, unless they wish ir, 

 but for the sake of that mutual confidence which should exist between the Editor 

 and those who address him. We decline noticing any communication which is 

 not accompanied with name and address of writer. 



We very much regret having, from want of space, to postpone several papers, 

 for which we thank our correspondents, as well as for the hearty support they 

 have afforded us throughout the year. 



We have received a long and interesting letter from Mr John Duncan (whose 

 paper on American Wild-Flowers we publish this month) on America as a field 

 for young gardeners, a portion of which we will publish next month ; and we are 

 certain it cannot fail to be interesting to those whom it concerns. 



