JOUEX.VL OF HOBTICULTUEE AUD COTTAGE GABDENEE. 



[ Jaunaty 25, 1872. 



Prepaie for planting Asparagus, Sea-kale, Ehubarb, and 

 Artichokes, and turn over the ground intended for Carrots, 

 Onions, and Potatoes. Made mild hotbeds for CaiTOts, Ea- 

 dishes, and Potatoes, and placed manj' of the eai'liest of the 

 last-named in shallow wooden boxes. In this position they 

 make a very free growth, but if early-ripe tubers are desired 

 they are produced better in 60-sized pots. 



FKUrr GAEDEN. 



Kept the fruit-room well aired by means of fire heat and 

 ■ventilation during the early part of the day. On foggy days 

 keep the Tentilators shut and give a little air at the top ; on 

 sunny days do not give much heat for fear of making the air 

 too dry, and thus causing the late Grapes to shrivel. Straw- 

 berries should be brought on very gradually, and watered very 

 carefully. Inesperieuced persons should not use saucers for 

 early crops unless they take care to see that these are empty 

 shortly after watering. 



Fruit trees intended to bear in pots may be raised, replunged, 

 and mulched or surfaced with rich compost. It is too late to 

 repot should fruit be wanted at aU early, under ordinary 

 "treatment ; that is best done at the end of summer, in order 

 that the pots may become full of roots before the tops break 

 into growth. Good results may notwithstanding be obtained 

 by potting now and placing the pots in a mild bottom heat, 

 whilst the head is kept as cool as possible until the fresh roots 

 are near to the sides of the pot. To have ripe Strawberries in 

 March, the plants must be well estabhshed by the middle of 

 September. Plants taken up even now would make httle progress 

 if put in a forcing house, however gradual the increase of 

 temperature. Those lifted in March and April and placed 

 where there is heat will do very fairly, particulai'ly if bottom 

 heat suiBcient to encourage the roots a little more than the 

 4op, can be given them at first. 



Preparations for the planting of fruit trees may still be 

 proceeded with. 



AU hardy fruit is scarce. In a good fruit season Apples and 

 Pears would not bring much until after midwinter, but tliis 

 season half a peck of Apples has often brought more money 

 than a couple of bushels did in more plentiful years. 



OKNAIIENTAL DEPARTMENT. 



Box-edgings may now be cut, but the best time for doing 

 "this is in spring, when the frost is" nearly gone, or early in 

 autumn. If cut in winter or too early in spring they are apt to 

 "have, for a time, a stubby halt-dead appearance, instead of the 

 rich fresh green. 



Transplanting. — Trees from 4 to 7 inches in diameter of bole 

 Tnay be moved advantageously, even without preparation, by 

 tracing the roots and by means of a timber gig. This consists 

 of two wheels, an axle between them, and a pole, to which 

 Taorse-power is appUed in proportion to the weight. We would 

 rather have done the work early in Kovember, as when the soil 

 is too wet it is difficult to pack the fine saved fibres properly, 

 -and on this packing much of the success depends. 



Hyacinths and Tulips peeping up out of doors woiild be 

 ■safer it Uttle cones of ashes, rough cinders, sand, or, best of 

 all, fine charcoal, were placed over them as a protection from 

 frost and excess of moisture. A Uttle litter would be an equaUy 

 good protective against frost, biit unless carefully removed in 

 mild weather, the damp which accumulates about the top of 

 the plants vriU injure them. It is not even advisable to use 

 a shading or protecting cloth to the finer kinds too early, as 

 the flower-stems are thus apt to become drawn and weak. 

 "When the bulbs are planted regularly over a bed, each forward 

 iiUb, as it pushes through, may be protected by an inverted 

 4-inch pot, the hole of which is stopped. Many years ago we 

 used to protect TuUps, Hyacinths, and the earUer Narcissus of 

 the good sorts in this way, adding mats or Utter in severe 

 •weather, and taking off the pots in bright warm weather. 



Heartsease, Pinks, a.ni Carnations, especiaUy if young plants 

 out of doors, wiU reqiure to be examined and fixed firmly in 

 their places after such changeable weather. In fixing them 

 "with the fingers, a Uttle dry sandy soil with some smaU char- 

 •coal wUl be of advantage, and wiU prevent future frosts throw- 

 ing the roots bare. 



Atiriculas can scarcely have too much air in this mild wea- 

 ther, but the sash over them must be tUted back and front to 

 prevent deluges of rain from inundating the pit or frame. 



Shruhhy Calceolarias. — The first cuttings inserted in the 

 cold pit at- the end of October are now matted with roots, but 

 those inserted in November are merely beginning to strike. 

 We would have liked better if the earUcr had been Uke the later. 



as we must do everythuig to keep the more forward back untU 

 the weather wiU permit us to plant them out more thinly. 

 Though they stand damp well, we do not want them to be 

 wetted by the heavy rains, and therefore take the sashes off 

 only when there is no prospect of rain, merely tUting the sashes 

 on wet drizzling days. Without being in fire heat or in pots, 

 it is rarely that our bedding Calceolarias are ever troubled 

 with the nibble of an insect. 



Chrysanthemums. — We have now only a few of these flowers 

 left. The tops should be cut down, and the plants turned into 

 the soU to set the pots at liberty. By-aud-by cuttings, suckers, 

 or bits of the old plants may be grown on for next season's 

 blooming. For beds out of doors, or for waUs, large masses 

 of this plant are more suitable. For flowering in pots, cuttings 

 and rooted suckers have their special advocates. We never saw 

 much difference in the results, if equal attention was given 

 to potting, and especiaUy watering. We used, after the plants 

 were fairly started, to turn them out into rich soU in May and 

 June, and pot them with baUs at the end of October. These 

 and the winter-flowering Salvias do weU under this treatment, 

 and much watering which would be necessary for pots in summer 

 is saved. We used to pack four or five plants in a vase, as closely 

 as possible, leaving an open space m the centre, on which the 

 bottom of an 8 or 12-iuch pot was placed. The shoots of the side 

 plants hid the central pot, and a fine pyramid of flowers was 

 obtained. To save frequent watering, these plants were in 

 summer plunged in a bed of half-decayed leaves, and the pots 

 were moved frequently to prevent the roots going much beyond 

 the pot. 



Camellias. — If the soU is weU drained, plants swelling and 

 opening their buds should be rather freely suppUed with water 

 at least as warm as the temperature of the house. Weak 

 Uquid manure will also be acceptable, and especiaUy if instead 

 of being of a hot it is of a rather cool nature, as that made 

 from cow dung which has been dried somewhat, and is at least 

 a twelvemonth old before it is added to the water. ■ If good 

 guano is used, 1 oz. to the gaUon is enough. It is weU to re- 

 mind those who wish to have CameUia blooms early in winter, 

 that it is not advisable to apply any extra heat for that pirr- 

 pose then ; but whatever extra heat or forcing is given should 

 be appUed so as to excite early growth in spring, and the early 

 setting of the bloom-buds in sununer. When these conditions 

 are secured, the buds wiU sweU in autumn and open at the 

 beginning of winter in a moderate temperature, such as 45' at 

 night. A lugh temperature appUed to make the buds sweU 

 and open wiU often cause them to f aU. The true time to force 

 is when there has been a rest of a few weeks after blooming. 



Deutzia gracilis, with its sjjray of white flowers, is very useful 

 at this season for reUeving flowers more briUiant in colour. 

 Very little heat soon brings it into bloom. I have flowered it 

 well along with LUacs, Ehododendrons, etc., by lifting the 

 plants with baUs, potting them, and plunging in a sUght hot- 

 bed six weeks before any increase of the atmospheric tem- 

 perature was given. 



Bulbs. — Hyacinths, TuUps, &c., may be flowered early if the 

 bulbs are potted early in autumn. No forcing can weU take 

 place untU- the pots are fuU of roots. When I have had my 

 supply of bulbs late in the season and wanted some in flower 

 by Christmas or the New Year, I have plunged the pots in a 

 mUd hotbed out of doors, and put little over the bulbs, the 

 object being to have the pots weU fiUed with roots before the 

 tops moved. The heat beneath is of no use except under such 

 circumstances and for early b oom. In taking the bulbs to a 

 hotbed after plenty of roots have been made, it is desirable to 

 shade the yeUowish growth above the soU either by an in- 

 verted pot, which helps also to draw-up the flower-stem, or by 

 a thick mat over the glass, especiaUy in sunshine, untU the 

 top growth acquires its natural green colour. When the flower- 

 stems are rising strongly they wUl often begin to open their 

 blooms sooner if placed on a shelf nearer the glass, bat other- 

 wise in the same temperature. Before the plants are taken to 

 a room, window, or cool house, the pots should bo moved out 

 of the hotbed, and then the plants be graduaUy hardened off, 

 so that the change of cUmate may not be felt. 



Once I had to keep up a succession of Hyacinths in flower 

 with a Umited number of glasses, the same glasses having to 

 be supplied ■n-ith bulbs in bloom as long as they could be had. 

 I grew the whole in pots, turning the plant into the glass when 

 a few of the lower flowers on the spike had expanded. The 

 baU was turned out of the pot, and the whole of the soU washed 

 away in a paU of water at from 65° to 70° without injuring a 

 root. The roots were then put carefuUy into the glass, sup- 



