Fobruary 1, 1872. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOBTIGULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



107 



before. I have been expecting a gale all day, but it has evi- 

 dently been on the south-west of Ireland or somewhere there- 

 abouts. — C. P. Peach, Appleton-lc-Strcet. 



[The barometer at Pimlioo, near Loudon, was 28.35 ins. at 

 the same time. — Eds.] 



WOKK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN OAEDEN. 



As the season has been so mild it has been difficult to wheel 

 manure en the ground ; as soon, therefore, as the ground is fit, 

 let this work be forwarded as much as possible for all .spring 

 crops. ^Vhere dung will have to lie on the surface until March, 

 it should be soiled over immediately, or drying winds will steal 

 away its beneficial properties. Spring Broccoli, such as Grange's 

 or Knight's, now coming in should bo protected. Push a hand- 

 ful of soft hay amongst the leaves. Sow a little Celerij, Cauli- 

 jUnccr, and Lettuce seed in heat. If the early Peas appear 

 above ground throw over them a handful of sawdust in a ridge, 

 but this must be removed when their leaves are expanded. 



FRUIT GAHDEN. 



As soon as the blossom buds of Apricots can be distinguished, 

 the trees should be pruned, and nailmg completed. The eggs 

 of the caterpillar which so much mfests the leaf should be 

 hunted for and destroyed ; they are deposited on the branches 

 in circular groups, of about the size of a Parsnip seed, look 

 somewhat hke it, and have the appearance of being pasted on. 

 The trees must have protection forthwith. Take care to 

 secure bundles of the main twigs of Apple primings, tie them 

 at each end, and put them in some dry place ; they are very 

 useful in summer. Prune and uaU Peaches and Nectarines ; as 

 soon as they have been nailed, soak the trees and wall \vith 

 soapsuds, and when dry take a bowl of sulphur mixture 

 (sulphur blended with softsoap water until as thick as paint or 

 nearly so), and draw a strip with the brush between every two 

 shoots. This is a good preventive of red spider. Look after 

 Gooseberry buds ; country folks in some places tie feathers 

 over the bushes to keep birds away. In wet weather prepare 

 .shreds for nailing, make taUies, andlook over stored vegetables, 

 Potatoes, and Apples. 



FLOWEK GARDEN. 



Lawns and gravel walks will now be benefited by a thorough 

 roUing. Examine all belts at the outskirts of the kitchen 

 garden, remove deciduous trees where they uijure the best 

 evergreens, and introduce HolUes or trees of a permanent charac- 

 ter in blanks. If not already done, stake newly planted trees 

 carefidly ; the harm which has lately resulted from inattention 

 to staking has in some places been very great. Procure Rose 

 stocks, and plant them in lines on higlily manured ground in 

 the kitchen or reserve garden. Should heavy snow or severe 

 weather set in, Pinks and Carnations planted in the open 

 border will run some danger of destructioii in those locaUties 

 where hares and rabbits abound. I lately saw in a florist's 

 garden, in the immediate vicinity of a large preserve, a simple 

 and efficacious remedy. It consisted m laying small pieces of 

 Larch spray or branches between the row of plants, and then 

 placing other branches on the top of these ; ah- and hght have 

 free access to the plants, and as spring advances the covermgs 

 are removed, for as vegetation progresses more palatable food 

 in the shape of young Clover, &c., wUl entice the rabbits to 

 feed at a distance. Tulip seeds may now be sown m a compost 

 of equal parts of leaf mould and sandy peat. They may be 

 placed at equal distances, almost toucliing each other, on the 

 surface, and gently pressed down, covering with the same soU 

 to the depth of an eighth of an inch. As the fohage of the 

 bulbs planted in the main bed shows itself above groimd it 

 should be covered with sandy peat, but this must be done be- 

 fore it opens, as soil getting into the heart is very detrimental. 



As soon as you perceive that the Auriculas have made a 

 start give them occasional waterings with weak liquid manure ; 

 that made with sheep dung is best. Should premature blooms 

 show themselves, allow the stem to rise high enough and re- 

 move the pips. To cut or pull the stem at this season often 

 has an injurious effect on the plant, by causmg it to decay 

 down to the heart ; by simply removing the pips this is avoided, 

 whilst the plant is strengthened. 



onEENHOUSE AND CONSERVATOKY. 



Among the plants in the mixed greenhouse may be enume- 

 rated Oranges, Lemons, Banksias, Chorozcmas,Pimeleas, Epa- 

 crises, some Heaths placed in the most airy part of the house, 

 with many other flowering plants interspersed. For the pre- 



sent apply air abundantly in suitable weather, but we shall 

 certainly meet with a sudden atmospheric change. Correas, 

 Polj'galas, and Acacias will now begin to blossom freely; see 

 that they are cai-efully watered — the Acacias require much 

 moisture. Care must be taken that Camellias receive no check, 

 otherwise their buds wiU bo endangered. Brugmausia san- 

 guinea, a noble conservatory plant, demands similar attention. 

 CUmbers should bo neatly trained, and every plant that re- 

 quires it, previous to being introduced into the conservator^', 

 should be staked. At present we may expect this structure to 

 be furnished with the foUowmg plants in flower : Lucidia gra- 

 tissima, Epacris, Euphorbias, Pimeleas, Boronias, Cinerarias, 

 Giesnera zebrina, Eranthemum puJchellum, Primula sinensis. 

 Pinks, Azaleas, Hyacinths, Narcissus, Tulips, and Neapolitan 

 Violets. Of these the stove plants should bo jilaced in the 

 warmest part free from cold draughts or cm'rents of au-, and 

 the New Holland, greenhouse, and others of the more hardy 

 plants nearest to where air is admitted. Many of the plants 

 will require frequent changmg, and neither stove nor green- 

 house plants should remain in this structure long enoiigh to 

 be injured. 



STOVE. 



Here there is a constant source of interest, many interesting 

 plants being at all seasons in bloom, whUe others are making 

 their growth, and some are resting. Place a few of the early- 

 flowering Gesnera zebrina in the resting corner to ripen-off 

 gradually for early flowering again. Select a few Gloxinias 

 and Achimenes in variety, shake them out, and put the former 

 in open turfy porous loam, heath soil, coarse charcoal, and 

 sharp sand well incorporated, and do not pot too firmly. The 

 Acliiuieues tubers .should at first bo placed thicldy in pans, 

 and potted singly as they push, in leaf mould and light loam 

 in a veiy coarse open state, with a fourth part of charcoal. 

 These two tribes of plants delight in a moderate bottom heat. 

 See that no plant is suffering from want of water. Take ad- 

 vantage of the lightest days for applyhig the greatest portion 

 of humidity. If the green fly prevails smoke occasionally with 

 tobacco, and see that there is no other kind of vermin encou- 

 raged. Allow no plant to be injured from want of timely 

 staking. Some of the Orchids which are commencing growth, 

 if dry, may have a Uttle water appUed at the roots. This must 

 be done cautiously. The best way is to apply it round the 

 sides of the pot, taking care not to saturate the soil round the 

 collar. See that the fresh potting material undergoes a kind 

 of quarantme before it is introduced into the house. The 

 blocks should be immersed in boihng water. 



FOECINO PIT. 



No diminution of temperature must be allowed in the forcing 

 pit. Puiks after they have made a little growth require to be 

 removed to a cooler place, otherwise the buds wiU fail. Gar- 

 denias require a moist warm atmosphere. As the season is at 

 hand when increasing the stock of plants will demand atten- 

 tion, prepare a place which will afford the required convenience. 

 There is scarcely a gardener who is not called upon annually 

 to apply his skill to replace the losses that invariably attend 

 the occurrence of a rigorous or otherwise unfavourable season, 

 and yet we rarely find a proper situation appropriated for the 

 purpose. This is partially owing to the facilities which exist 

 for propagatuig the plants principally in demand for decorating 

 the flower garden, such as Pelargoniums, Fuchsias, and Ver- 

 benas, in the common plant houses ; and we consequently see 

 them crowded with pots of cuttings to the destruction of order, 

 besides being the means of introducing various insects. I 

 would recommend a small pit constructed with beds to contain 

 plunging materials, and provided mth a heatmg apparatus 

 capable of supporting a bottom heat of 90". This, with a 

 complement of beU-glasses, would enable the gardener not 

 only to obtain his stock of summer plants with certaiuty and 

 expedition, but give him the opportunity at the most suitable 

 seasons for multiplying rare plants and those difficult to strike. 

 ^W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



EITCHEN GARDEN. 



Owing to the wet weather the work has been very Umit'^d. 

 An opportunity has been given for sweeping the walks, and 

 the rains have washed them clean and solid. 



The mild weather, though so wet, has been favourable to all 

 the hardier vegetables, and tall Scotch Kale headed is now 

 showmg fine side shoots, which I always consider much better 

 than the main heads. We have been taking the small heads 



