Junnary 25, 1872. ] 



JOXJENAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENEE. 



87 



Gaedesees' EoTAi Benevolent Institution. — The 



Eev. S. Eeynolds Hole is to preside at the next anmversary 

 dinner. 



Mr. John An-dkew Henderson died on the 13th inst. 



at Hamilton Terrace, St. John's Wood, aged 77. Such is the 

 brief announcement we have to make of the departui'e of one 

 ■whose name in former years so intimately associated with the 

 Pine Apple Place Nursery, from the management of which, 

 however, he had for mauv vears retired. 



"WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



The time is at hand for beginning operations herein earnest. 

 One of the first steps is to plan out every inch of ground for 

 the whole year, and to put laths, descriptive of the manur- 

 ing, the kind of crop, and what it is to be succeeded by, at the 

 heads of the quarters. It is also necessary, in order to follow 

 up a systematic rotation of crops, to keep a croppiug-book 

 con'esponding with the labels. Most people will be laying in 

 their stock of seed for the year. A little Caulifloufr and a 

 pinch of Brown Cos Lettuce should be sown in boxes placed in 

 a forcing house. Slopes should be forthwith formed, about 

 3 feet 6 inches wide, running east and west, and attached, if 

 possible, to the framing ground, as such crops as Horn Carrots, 

 Early Lettuces, and Radishes will require occasional covering 

 with Utter. Slopes of this kind, after having borne their 

 spring and early summer crops, will be free for autumn ones, 

 as Endive and autumn Carrots, or for raising a stock of winter 

 Lettiices. The sooner Asparagus beds are manured and 

 earthed the better. Plant Jerusalem Artichokes, Horseradish, 

 and Sea-kale as soon as possible. Plant a few early Potatoes 

 8 inches deep, and draw off 2 or 3 inches of soil in the first 

 week of April as a cleaning process. Sow Parsley, early dwarf 

 Cabbage, Bound Spinach, and Early Dutch Turnips on a warm" 

 slope. Select some small Onions of last year's growth, plant 

 them a few inches apart on the surface of the soil, and cover 

 them with earth ; many of these can be drawn early in a 

 green state, whilst others can run on for early kitchen use. 

 The true Two-bladed Onion is the only one fit fir this purpose, 

 as it does not run to seed, but the very smallest should be 

 selected for this purpose. Now a small patch of this kind, for 

 producing young Onions early, should be sown in a warm 

 comer very thickly, and protected as directed for Radishes. A 

 weU-prepared situation should be chosen for Shallots, over 

 which some charred refuse should be thrown, and the bulbs 

 placed on the surface. 



FBUIT G.VKDEN. 



The thinning and pruning of orchard trees should be pro- 

 ceeded with, and liberal dressings of manure given to ex- 

 hausted soils. Prune and remove the suckers from Filberts, 

 which rarely, except in Kent, get the management they re- 

 quire. Recently-planted orchard trees should be securely 

 fixed, by using a little hay or moss at the tie to preserve the 

 bark. Fruit-tree borders, particularly for the finer kinds 

 against walls, should be made with fresh, turfy loam ; so let 

 that be prepared. Where the loam is heavy add road scrapings 

 for the Peach and Apricot, but for Cherries and Plums use 

 loam itself. Pears require a small quantity of cow dung, but 

 not if the loam is rich. Dust over on damp mornings, with soot 

 and lime, Gooseberries and plants which are attacked by 

 birds, for preser\'ing the buds of which two or three dressings 

 will be sufiicient. Raspberries may have the old wood re- 

 moved and the new shoots thinned, the shortening of them 

 being deferred until another time. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



■Wlierever there is a large extent of mixed shrubbery some 

 care is necessary to prevent the stronger-growing bushes from 

 overgrowing the weaker ones, and it wiU be found better every 

 few years to lift and replant the former than to prune them 

 severely, as this, by inducing the gro-svth of luxuriant wood, 

 prevents the habit of blooming profusely. Never allow a 

 margin of bare earth to intervene between the grass and the 

 plants, but cover it with such low-gi-owing plants as Periwinkles. 

 The pruning of the more common kinds of Roses may now be 

 done. Should, however, a part of the Provence, Moss, and 

 others of the summer-flowering kinds be required to bloom 

 late, reserve a portion tiU AprU for that pui'pose. The pro- 

 duce of Auricula seed sown last autumn wiU now need atten- 

 tion. If they have been planted out in sheltered beds it wiU 

 be advisable to stu- the soil with a blunt stick, remove the 



dead leaves, and to clean the beds thoroughly, after which a 

 top-dressing of a compost of decayed horse manure and leaf 

 soU should be applied to the depth of half an inch. It^wiU 

 be necessary to begin the destruction of snails by setting baits, 

 such as bran, &c., to decoy them. Flowering plants in pots 

 must be very carefully attended to, accorcUng to the directions 

 lately given. Phosphoric poison will be found an effectual 

 means of destroying mice. Polyanthus seed may now be 

 sown in pots. Many of the Tulips are now so forward that, 

 unless protected in some way, serious consequences may result 

 to the embryo blooms. I would advise that some sandy peat 

 be put in small cones over the rising plants just as they emerge 

 from the ground, which will greatly protect them ; this would, 

 however, be detrimental if it were deferred until they opened. 

 Pinks and Pansies wUl stUl require protection as previously 

 recommended, but Carnations and Picotees in frames must 

 have aU the exposure possible. Ranunculus beds may te 

 thrown up in ridges of about 4 inches, so that the lower pait 

 of the bed is allowed to remain undisturbed. By this means 

 advantage can be taken of a fine day, about the 14th of Feb- 

 ruary, to rake them level, as when suffered to he in the ridged 

 state the surface soil becomes sooner dry. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



Some of the conservatory climbers, as those on pot trelHses, 

 win soon want dressing. The time for doing this must, hov- 

 ever, depend in some degree on the time at which they e e- 

 required to blossom. Cinerarias which are cramped in their 

 pots should have a shift, as should also Chinese Primroses for 

 spring work. Frequently examine Heaths and other plants 

 which suffer from damp at this season. It is often necessary 

 to keep a little air on at night, when a slight fire should be 

 maintained, which, with sulphur efficiently applied, wiU greatly 

 help to keep plants free from disease. Shift all greenhouse 

 plants frequently to prevent their growing one-sided, and see 

 that no decayed leaves are allowed to remain on them. Keep- 

 up a succession of blooming plants from the forcing pit in the 

 conservatory, and do not let the temperature fall below 40°. 

 The larger kinds of Fern and some dwarf Palms have often a 

 good effect when skilfully introduced among mere forced 

 flowers. 



STOVE. 



Potting may be proceeded with from this time onward, but 

 it is not necessary that this should be the case with Orchids^ 

 except to facihtate the dispatch of spring business. Extirpate 

 insects when you have any leisure. The snails may be baited 

 for by laying a slice of fresh-cut Turnip on the spot, examining 

 it about nine o'clock in the evening and again the following 

 morning. The Blatta or cockroach may be destroyed by sper- 

 maceti and arsenic, say "2 ozs. of the former to 1 oz. or less of 

 the arsenic. This may be done by dipping sticks in the com- 

 position and pushing them into the pots. Woodlice may be 

 caught in a variety of waj's ; they will resort to a corner that is 

 kept dry, and may there be scalded. Thumb-pots with dry- 

 paper, hay, or rags wiU entrap them. 



FORCING PIT. 



Introduce into the forcing pit bulbs, Roses, Pinks, LUacs, 

 and plants of a similar description for succession. Take care 

 that the roots of plants in plunged pots are not burned ; no 

 portion of the plunging material in the vicinity of the roots 

 should exceed 7-5°. Maintain an average atmospheric tem- 

 perature of 60° at night and 70° by day, admitting air on aU 

 favourable occasions. — ^W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



Gathering vegetables, trenching, and digging were our only 

 occupations of importance during the last week, as no very 

 deUcate operations could be proceeded with on account of the 

 damp condition of the soU. 



The Incomparable White Celery is still looking well, but it 

 has suffered more from the long-continued wet weather than 

 the Red, which stands out clean and fresh, whilst the other 

 shows signs of damping and decay at the points. Notwith- 

 stantUng the advantages of the bed system in economising space, 

 I think in such linfavourable weather the plants are safer in 

 single rows. 



Our beds of Sea-kale; each of which has two rows, we covered 

 to the depth of inches with ashes, placing some hot leaves in 

 the trenches between the beds, and also upon the top of th^ 

 ashes. When treated iu this way the heads generally come 

 stronger than when the plants are taken up and placed in a 

 Mushi-oom house. 



