170 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 



[ Febraarr 22, 1872. 



of the second red. " They are only nursed-up in gardens in 

 England and Ii'eland, where they flourish and come to perfec- 

 tion, prodigiously inci'easiug to a vast plenty. The roots are j 

 hoilcd, baked, or roasted." — {Salmon'.-' Herbal, 905.) 



London and Wise, in the seventh edition of their " Compleat 

 Gardener," published in 1719, do not even mention the Po- i 

 tato (but it must be remembered that this is only an abridged 

 translation of M. Quintinye's work, published some years 

 previously). However, even as late as about 1770, the Potato 

 was not known generally in our south-western counties. Mr. 

 Knight, then President of the Horticultural Society, WTiting 

 in 1831, when he ^yas seventy-two years of age, says — 



"I can just recollect the time when the Potato was unknown 

 to the peasantiy of Herefordshire, whose gardens were then 

 almost exclusively occupied by different varieties of the Cab- 

 bage. Their food, at that peiiod, chiefly consisted of bread 

 and cheese, with the produce of theu' garden, and tea was un- 

 known to them. About sixty years ago, before the Potato was 

 introduced into their gardens, agues had been so extremely 

 prevalent, that the periods in which they, or their' famihes, 

 had been afflicted with that disorder were the eras to which I 

 usually heard them refer in speaking of past events ; and I 

 recoDect being cautioned by them fi'equently not to stand 

 exposed to the sun in May, lest I should get an ague. 



" The Potato was then cultivated in small quantities in the 

 gardens of gentlemen ; but it was not thought to afford whole- 

 some nutriment, and was supposed by many to possess dele- 

 terious quaUties. 



" The prejudices of all parties, however, disappeared so 

 rapidly, that within ten years tlie Potato had almost wholly 

 driven the Cabbage from the garden of the cottagers." — (KniqliVs 

 Papers, 319).— G. 



WOEK FOE THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN G.4RI1EX. 



Loosen the surface of the soil amongst all growing crops, to 

 admit the air and otherwise sweeten it. It is a very good plan 

 in planting-out subjects that are at all tender at an uncertain 

 season, to tlu'ow up the gi'ound in good strong ridges mnnrng 

 east and west, planting on the south side of the ridge. The 

 plants are thus sheltered from the north winds, and fuUy ex- 

 posed to the sun. Prepare stations for Caiilitlou-eris and Let- 

 tuces that have been wintered under glass, selecting a sheltered 

 deep rich piece of ground. Basil and Marjnrmit may now be 

 sown in pans in a hothouse. Ground should be prepared for 

 Carrots, Parsnips, and Oniotis. Trench and othei-wise prepare 

 ground for plantations of Rhubarb and Sea-kale. Plant the 

 principal crop of Ashleaf or other eai'ly Potatoes. Make fresh 

 plantations of Son'el, of which the large French Sorrel is 

 much the best. 



ERCIT G.VEEEN. 



Should the weather continue mild the wall trees will requii-e 

 naihng and pnining. Wliere canvas cannot be obtained, fir 

 boughs or wooden copings should be employed to ward off the 

 effects of fi-osts, which an early spring renders both probable 

 and dangerous. Clear away dead leaves from Strawberrj" 

 plants, and remove superfluous runners from the Alpine Straw- 

 beny. All should not be removed, as the runners generally 

 bear better than the old seedling plants. Gooseberries, Cur- 

 rants, Filberts, and all standard fruit trees ought to be kept 

 clear m the centre, so as to have a fuU surface exposed to light 

 inside as well as outside. 



FLOWEK GABDEN. 



Proceed with Eose-pruniug, many sorts of which the late 

 mild weather has already advanced; an exception, however, 

 may be made of Eoses recently moved. Plant and lay Ehodo- 

 deudrons. Trained MagnoUas should be secured to the wall, 

 and Pomegi-anates and tender shrubs uncovered. Conifers 

 may be planted-out or removed. Edgings required for flower- 

 beds (such as Box, Thrift, Daisies), should at once be planted, 

 and Box edgings cut. Plant Pinks, Pansies, and Carnations. 

 The laying of turf should be gone on with, and all planting 

 and pruning completed for the present. The Dahlias are now 

 in fiill course of propagation with the large gi-owers for sale. 

 The amateur may stiike the young shoots in a common hot- 

 bed, which, if properly managed, is easily accomplished. The 

 first thick shoots do not emit roots so well as those which are 

 more slender ; but, generally speaking, for small establish- 

 ments it is the best plan to start the roots in heat, and then 

 divide them, each division having a shoot attached to it. We 

 are glad to find that the merits of fancy Dahlias are now more 



appreciated. Most certainly they have improved much in 

 form, and what we now want is a dwarf race not exceeding 

 2 feet in height, for, as they now grow, their large size and 

 coarse growth necessarily exclude them from small gardens. 

 Mild showers occasionally would be of service to Auriculas, 

 and when grown in wooden frames, a brick placed under each 

 corner whilst the weather is open would contribute to their 

 health and well-doing. Some people top-dress their plants with 

 rich and stimulating soil at tliis period, but we do not admire 

 the system of adding anything stronger than thoroughly- 

 decomposed cowdung mixed with an equal bulk of decayed 

 leaves. This will grow them well without any risk of poison- 

 ing the plants. Eanunculuses may now be planted whenever 

 the soil is sufficiently diy. Place them in rows about 6 inches 

 apart, 4 inches from root to root, and cover them with 3 inches 

 of soil. The seed should be sown in thoroughly-drained pans 

 or boxes, filled with fine sandy soU and leaf mould. Water 

 this well the night previous to sowing, scatter the seed on the 

 surface thickly, and cover very thinly ; then dip a brush in 

 water and spiiiikle the soil, so that uo seeds are uncovered, 

 and then place them in a cold frame from which frost is care- 

 fully excluded. 



GEEENHOUSE AND CONSEBV.ATOKY. 



No time should be lost in cleaning and pnining the plants 

 occupying the beds in the conservatoiy, if the season of 

 floweiTug is to be retarded ; but pruning may be perfomied 

 later. Orange trees, Lemons, Citrons, Limes, and Shaddocks 

 .should be cleaned and top-dressed. Fuchsias should be allowed 

 to-grow, and cuttings obtained as soon as the shoots are suffi- 

 ciently forward. Pot Pelargoniums, Cinerarias, and Calceo- 

 larias, and keep them close for a day or two after the opera- 

 tion. Green fly must be repressed by fumigation. Pot 

 Verbenas to sujjply cuttings. HeUotropes may also be placed 

 in heat for the same purpose. Cut those Heaths that have 

 finished flowering, and clear away all dead flowers. Give air 

 freely both night and day, but do not allow a sudden cold 

 easterly wind to seal' and scorch up the plants. The many 

 beautiful New Holland plants may be expected in fuU flower 

 at this time. Be very careful for a short time in the applica- 

 tion of water to plants that have about finished flowering. 

 The mode of au-iug as directed for Heaths cut back, such 

 as Epaoris and Pimeleas that ai'e going out of flower, holds 

 good. 



STOVE. 



Prepare a dung pit or frame for the gi'owth of young stock 

 of stove plants, and when the heat is sweet and wholesome 

 place 2 or 3 inches of cinder ashes over the bed, and as soon 

 as these are wai-med the place wUl be ready for the reception 

 of the plants. In places where the more modern method of 

 gi'owing plants over tank heat is pursued, it will be well to 

 secure the as-iistance of a Uttle well-fermented dung to plunge 

 the pots in. I find dung heat will recover plants which, under 

 any other treatment, would inevitably perish. Some good 

 stocky plants of Clerodendrons and Ixoras should be potted 

 and placed in a hotbed of dung. The former delight in a free 

 open soU, consisting of loam, peat, and leaf mould, with a 

 little rotten cow dung,' and some charcoal and silver sand, 

 whilst the Ixoras flourish in pui'e turfy peat with charcoal and 

 gi'itty sand. If the plants are well rooted give a hberal shift, 

 but do not overdo it. In addition to these plants may be 

 named Dipladenia splendens, Cyrtoceras reflexum, .Allamanda 

 cathartica and A. gi-andiflora, Luculia gratissima and L. Pin- 

 ceana. Gardenias, Schubertia graveolens, Stephanotis, &c. 

 The showy Impatiens Jerdonia; should also be encouraged by 

 every possible means to make wood, and should be propagated 

 as quickly and freely as possible, for it is just the plant that is 

 wanted for autumn decoration, as are such softwooded plants 

 as Gesneras, Achimenes, &c. In the management of the pit 

 or house keep a fine gi-owing heat of from 60° to 70° ; shut it 

 up early in the afternoon, but open the sashes a little before 

 lea'ring it for the night. 



PITS AND FEA3IES. 



Attend carefully to the stock of bedding plants, and get 

 rooted cuttings potted-off as soon as they are in a fit state for 

 that pur])ose, encouraging them with a gentle bottom heat and 

 careful management to make quick growth, for after this 

 season there is no time to be lost with yoimg stock. Tender 

 annuals must now receive attention. Heat is indispensable to 

 the raising of these, though not necessarj' to flowering them. 

 Begin sowing this month, and continue to the end of April in 

 pans placed close to the glass, in a temperature of from C0° to 



