532 



THE GARDENER. 



[Nov. 



Abram r)ass, a new black Grape of much promise ; the berries are large, oval, of 

 excellent flavour, and it forms a large compact bunch. A special certificate was 

 awarded to Mr Cox, of Madrcsfield Court Gardens, for fine examples of Victoria 

 Nectarine. 



Floral Committee. — Mr "Williams, of Ilolloway, sent ^Macrozamia spiralis, a dense- 

 growing species, with graceful recurved dark-green leaves. A new hardy shrub, 

 Desmodium penduliflorum, a very floriferous plant of graceful appearance, with 

 drooping racemes of purplish crimson flowers, came from Mr "W. Bull, of Chelsea; 

 both the above received first-class certificates. Several groups of plants were ex- 

 hibited. Mr Bull, of Chelsea, had a large collection containing some fine plants. 

 Messrs Yeitch had a small collection of choice things : Cattleya exoniensis, with 

 fine spikes ; this is one of the most startling results of ]\Ir Downing's labours as a 

 hybridist : C. Dominiana, another superb hybrid ; and Cypripedium Harrisianum, 

 the best hybrid Cypripedium ; the pure-white Saccolabium Harrisoni, and some 

 others. Messrs Standish exhibited hybrid Gladioluses, the results of crosses between 

 Cruentus and the Gandavensis and Brenchleyensis section, but he has not yet 

 raised any startling novelty. J. Douglas. 



KITCHEN-GARDEN. 



In this department there will now be 

 abundance of work ; and if the weather 

 keeps free from severe frost, every effort 

 to {ret ground-work forward should be 

 made : manuring, trenching, draining 

 wet cold land, &c., are some of the 

 operations most pressing. When such 

 work is forward now it will tell favour- 

 ably in spring. Before manure is 

 wheeled on the ground, it is well to 

 make arrangements for next year's sup- 

 plies, at the same time taking into con- 

 sideration what has been or is now in the 

 ground. Changing the crops is well 

 known to be of primary importance ; 

 and notes on paper, with a bketch of 

 the garden, will do much to simplify 

 the management, as well as do justice 

 to the ground. Manure is easily 

 wheeled out on frosty mornings, and it 

 should be kept compact in the heaps 

 and ridges ; and to prevent it losing 

 its virtues, a coating of earth should 

 be thrown over it. When manure is 

 rough, it may be turned in two 

 spades deep ; and if well decayed, one 

 spade below the surface answers well. 

 Trenching is seldom performed too 

 often, and when done now the surface 

 should be left roughly in ridges to get 

 the benefit of frost. If ground is light 

 and the subsoil heavy, it may be im- 

 proved by bringing up a little from the 

 bottom to the surface. A sandy bottom 



can also be made to assist a heavy sur- 

 face. Caution is necessary, as a sea- 

 son's crop might be much injured by 

 injudicious management of subsoils. 

 When draining is performed, it is neces- 

 sary to go deeper than trenching ever 

 will in the soil. A fall to a main drain 

 or ditch is necessary ; and if a tank can 

 be placed at the outlet, in which water 

 can be stored, it might be invaluable 

 when seasons were extra dry. Broccoli, 

 which may be high in the stems, can 

 be laid down facing the north. Opinions 

 vary much on this practice. When 

 stems are weakly drawn up they are in 

 danger of severe frost. Ground in a 

 warm sheltered position may be pre- 

 pared for a sowing of early Peas and 

 Beans : a portion of each may be sown 

 from the middle to the last week of the 

 month. If they escape vermin, a good 

 early crop may be secured. If sown 

 near the surface, and covered with 

 chopped furze or dusted with red-lead, 

 they may escape uninjured. If kindly, 

 light soil is thrown over the seed before 

 they are covered with the ordinary gar- 

 den-earth, it will do much to help them. 

 Sowing on turf, in boxes, pots, or tiles, 

 and placed in frames during February 

 and March, is now generally preferred 

 to autumn sowings ; but many have 

 only the latter system to depend on, 

 and they should be more liberal with 



