January II, 1872. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



39 



Perpetual Roses, hardy Azaleas, and plants of that sort. 

 Hybrid Perpetual Roses will do better in a more moderate 

 temperature. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAEDES. 



The common and Veitch's Cauliflower were protected during 

 the frost vrith Utter, which was left banked-up against them 

 eTtu in fine weather. On looking over these we came upon 

 half-a-dozen so hurt as to be useless, and also numbers with 

 heads of from 2 to 4 inches in diameter, swelling well, and as 

 white as milk, all of which would have been injured if no pro- 

 tection had been given. Mice and rats seldom meddle with 

 plants put out in the open garden, but should these be placed 

 under cover, they are at them immediately. 



FORCED vegetables. 



Lately I have not been able to force Dwarf Kidney Beans in 

 winter, but I would recommend them as being more tender 

 than those grown in the open air, as making a pleasing variety 

 on the dinner-table, and realising a handsome profit in the 

 market. Our first out-of-door crop was planted out from pots 

 in May, and the last sowed at the beginning of July in an 

 earth-pit, to be protected in October, and gathered in the 

 middle of November. Our first crop, under glass, we sowed in 

 pots outside during September, and brought into a heated 

 position about the middle of October. If it is necessary to 

 grow them in pots afterwards, sow four or five Beans in 

 60-pots, and then transplant them to 6 or 7-inch pots, in 

 which they bear heavily. After the middle of January we 

 used 12 and 15-inch pots, but the largest produce in the 

 darkest months of winter was always from smaller ones. 



We had more produce from pots than from pits during the 

 dark months, but from February and onwards that from plants 

 in a pit was larger than that from those in pots occupying a 

 similar position, though if the latter were well top-dressed 

 there was but little difference between them. Those planted 

 out, however, were on the whole better. A heated pit is pre- 

 ferable to a forcing house, as thrips and red spider are thus 

 avoided. When thus grown in pits we used to have strong 

 plants in 6-inch pots, which we planted thickly in rows from 

 2 feet apart. We often kept up successions by sowing in the 

 furrows between, shortly after those in the rows had begun to 

 bear. With a Uttle fresh soil we have thus often had four and 

 five successions in the same pit. When this plan is not 

 adopted it is best to sow in 5 -inch pots, and then plant them 

 out as a piece of the old crop is cleared. An apphcation of 

 lime and sulphur upon the walls, pipes, and flues, with a 

 plentiful syringing of warm soot-water on sunny days, are the 

 best preventives against red spider and thrips. Newington 

 Wonder, Sion House, and Robin's Egg were our favourite 

 kinds. Sir Joseph Paxton, if obtained true, is a dwarf free- 

 bearing kind. Kept-up successions of Sea-kale, Rhubarb, As- 

 paragus, and Mushrooms. Rhubarb may easUy be forwarded 

 by means of a barrel set over the roots, or by half a dozen 

 sticks put round a strong root and wrapped with a strawband, 

 then hght htter placed under, and a firm bunch of it stuck 

 n the opening at the top. The finest and sweetest Sea-kale 

 we ever had was obtained by covering the roots with 6 inches 

 of bog earth, and placing a foot of fermenting material aU 

 round, and on the shoots appearmg the crop was gathered. 

 The next best obtained out of doors was by covering the 

 ground above the roots with dry ashes and a httle salt to deter 

 slugs, and then la^-ing over from 12 to 15 inches of clean 

 sweet tree leaves, with a slight sprinkling of Utter. When 

 a Uttle protuberance appears on the covering you may be 

 sure that the shoots are from 6 to 7 inches in length, and 

 wiU come through the leaves white and sweet ; but on this 

 plan no dung must be mixed with the leaves. In all cases 

 where this is necessary the roots, or rather buds, should be 

 covered with pots or boxes to keep the shoots clean and sweet. 

 Direct contact with sUghtly warm leaves will not teU on the 

 sweetness of the flavour, but we have always thought that 

 direct contact with strong manure took away from the sweet- 

 ness of the shoots. We generaUy grow all our earUest in the 

 Mushroom-house, but we do not obtain such strong stubby 

 heads as we do later on by the above simple means out of 

 doors. The heads of Sea-kale should be stubby and branched, 

 not more than 6 inches in length, from 1 to 2 inches in 

 diameter at the base, and quite white with the exception of a 

 tiuge of purple at the points. 



I think that last year I showed in some place the import- 

 ance of using Sea-kale as an early out-door vegetable without 

 any covering or blanching whatever. Previously, I had di- 

 rected attention to the use of the flowers before they were too 

 much expanded ; but even these are inferior to the flue short 

 shoots that come in spring and early summer, just showing 

 the flower-umbel in miniature. If these are cut when short, 

 and cooked, they supply an abundance of rich food, and there 

 is quite time enough to put out new shoots to keep the plants 

 well estabUshed. Even thus treated, without forcing and 

 blanching in winter, the Sea-kale is as worthy of a place in 

 every cottage garden as Cabbages and Brussels Sprouts. 



Where vegetables are at all scarce, allow me again to re- 

 commend placing a score or two of Swedish Turnips with 

 their tops uncut in any dark place, with a temperature from 

 50° to 60°. The tops, if cut when 6 to 7 inches long, make a 

 deUcious yellowish dish, which many prefer to Sea-kale. The 

 blanching takes away much of the natural acridity of the 

 Turnip top, leaving just enough to make it agreeable. 



FRUIT DEPARTMENT. 



Looked over our fruit room, which is new and a little damp. 

 Pears have not kept so weU as Apples. We have open slatted 

 or railed shelves, the slats 3 inches wide, with thi'ee-quarters 

 of an inch between them, and a boarded floor. 



Grapes. — Picked a few berries from late Grapes, which 

 showed no signs of damping, until we were obliged to place a 

 lot of plants on the stages. Set the first division of vinery in 

 action, and placed shrubs and scarlet Geraniums showing 

 bloom for cutting on the stage, and bulbs coming on in front. 

 Began to use the Peach house, the floor of which is as yet 

 fiUed with Geraniums in boxes, filling the shelves from a pit 

 with Strawberries in pots, each plant having about IJ inch 

 square of space, until they are thinned. Put more Strawberries 

 where they would have enough bottom heat to bring them on 

 gently, but not to entice the roots downwards. A small wedge 

 not much larger than an ordinary tally, inserted between the 

 sash and the rafter, wOl keep sashes safe in windy weather. 



ORNAMENTAL DErARIMENT. 



Our chief work has been 



Moving and replanting large trees, though the weather was 

 anything but suitable for the work. The trees had received 

 no previous preparation, and therefore required much root- 

 tracing. I would tell those contemplating such work that 

 unless provided with very efficient machinery, the moving of 

 fine trees with boles ranging from 12 to 15 and 18 inches in 

 diameter will but rarely be very satisfactory, as for several 

 years they merely exist before beginning to grow freely again. 

 With younger trees, the diameter of whose bole ranges from 

 4 to 8 inches, the work is comparatively Ught, and after the 

 first year the trees will soon get over the check and grow away 

 freely. Without previous preparation much of the success will 

 depend on the careful tracing of the roots and the packing of 

 them well. The soil is just rather wet for packhig, and it i& 

 as weU in such changeable weather not to have the holes made 

 long before they are wanted. 



Damp 171 Cold Pits and Frames. — We gave air freely at the 

 top and bottom of pits and frames which contained Geraniums^ 

 to keep the plants from damping, but we would like better to 

 have them in a Uttle fire heat if that were possible. Many 

 thanks to Mr. Peach for his excellent article and plan of house 

 at page 16. It will confirm what we have aU along stated as to 

 the superiority of a Uttle house, however heated, over a pit into 

 which you cannot gain admission. Taking the comfort into con- 

 sideration, the Uttle extra expense for fuel in comparison with 

 the covering necessary for pits and frames wiU be as nothing. 

 The looseness of the grooves wiU contribute greatly to the safety 

 of the glass when put closely edge to edge. When put closely 

 edge to edge and held firm at the sides, there is risk of breakage 

 from expansion. 



Watering. — All pot plants, especiaUy in low temperatm-es, 

 must be watered with judgment, but bulbs throwing-up their 

 flower-stalks wiU want a good supply. Primulas, Cinerarias, 

 and Calceolarias must not be kept dry. These, aU softwooded 

 plants in general, and hardwooded plants in particular, should 

 never have any water poured close to or against the stem, 

 especiaUy in such close wet weather. Thousands of pro- 

 mising Chinese Prinu'oses, and also Cyclamens, are damped 

 and rotted-off by aUowing the collar or stem always to be wet. 

 In watering it is best to sail the top of the pot by pouring the 

 water on a crock or sheU close to the side of the pot. It is 

 easy to hold the pot in one hand and a large crock in the 



