424 



JOUENAL OF HOKTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAUDENKK, 



[ November 27, 1873. 



down on rollers, or having it strained on light, portable, wooden 

 frames, easy to put on, and easy to remove. In small houses 

 and amateur practice the protecting material may be made to 

 run up and down on the inside, instead of outside the glass 

 roof. The important point to attend to is, that the canvas or 

 other material does not rest on the glass, but that by means of 

 transverse slips nailed on the roof a stratum of an inch or more 

 of air may intervene between it and the covering. 



It is in this way that double glazing forms so efficient a 

 protecting medium. A very noteworthy case of its value came 

 onder our notice, when during the course of a severe winter 

 and frost prevailing, the boiler and heating apparatus got 

 suddenly out of order, and some time elapsed before they could 

 be availed of. Nevertheless, the collection of plants, a choice 

 and varied one too, was none the worse though having nothing 

 to protect them from the enemy without than the warm blan- 

 ket of air which intervened between the double surface of glass. 

 So, too, in covering pits and frames, where more rough and 

 ready material is put under requisition, such as hay, straw, 

 fern, or htter, this principle should be borne in mind and 

 acted on, taking care that the medium which holds a large 

 body of air and lies loosely should be placed next the glass, 

 and the mat or other cover above it. This order is in practice 

 very often reversed, the closely hugging mat going on first, and 

 the straw or other loose material last. If snow come, it should 

 be borne in mind that it is a most excellent non-conductor of 

 ieat, and an admirable protecting material, which one should 

 be slow to remove from pits or frames over which it has 

 -thrown its sheltering mantle. If, too, frost be sharp and per- 

 sistent, necessitating keeping plants closely covered and dark, 

 the very common mistake of removing their coverings when a 

 thaw sets in, and suddenly exposing the plants to the action 

 of light and sunshine, should be carefully avoided. This in 

 practice is often productive of more injury to plants than the 

 actual touch of the frost. To give a familiar itstance : Potatoes 

 in pits may be actually frozen, and yet they will turn out quite 

 eafe, provided the pits be not opened immediately after, and 

 the tubers exposed. If the exposure be sudden the result will 

 'he very different. 



We venture these few hints in view of a contingency which 

 the gardener and amateur plant-grower have now, owing to the 

 dearness and scarcity of fuel, more reason than heretofore to 

 ■dread — a severe winter. Their further development, as well 

 as practical application, should such unfortunately be neces- 

 sary, may be very safely left to the intelligence and skill of 

 such of our readers as are immediately interested. — {Irish 

 Farmers' Gazette.) 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



We recently announced that a Grand Hoeticultueal Ex- 

 siBiTioN is fixed to be held at the Lower Grounds, Aston 

 Park, Birmingham, on the 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th of July nest, 

 under the title of " The Midland Counties Grand Horticultural 

 Exhibition." In addition to money prizes, amounting to £1000, 

 five silver challenge cups, value twenty-five guineas each, will 

 be awarded to the winners of the principal prizes ; one for 

 plants, one for fruits, one for vegetables, one for cut Boses 

 (nurserymen), and another for cut Roses (amateurs). 



On the 11th inst. Messrs. Sutton & Sons gave their 



annual dinner to those employed in their establishment at 

 Beading. We agree with Messrs. Sutton in thinking that such 

 meetings promote cordiality between the employed and the 

 ■employer. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



We have lately experienced such a continuance of wet weather, 

 that it has been impossible to proceed with out-door work every 

 ■day, but we trust that there are few instances in which the 

 labourers have been thrown out of employ. It is true there are 

 some gardeners who can scarcely find sufficient for garden 

 labourers to do for the space of one day, but we never yet knew 

 one skilled in his profession who could not employ hia men 

 for weeks within-doors in various ways to forward labour at a 

 future time. Numberless things might be made by them which 

 are now purchased at a distance, and consequently do not bene- 

 ■fit the poor in the neighbourhood. If the soil in the frames in 

 ■which the roots of Asparagus are planted should become dry, it 

 wiU be necessary to water it with water of the temperature of 

 the bed ; but this is not often required if the bed heats mode- 

 Mtely and the roots were properly watered when planted. 

 There should be at least 5 or G inches of soil of a loose open 



texture, such as leaf mould or old tan, above the crowns of the 

 roots after they begin to shoot. Admit air freely every day to 

 the productive beds. Where Beans have been planted in rows 

 and have made their appearance, draw the earth in ridges on. 

 each side of them, so as to afford some little protection from 

 cold cutting winds ; Peas in rows should be similarty managed. 

 Watch narrowly for slugs among the young Cauliflower plants, 

 and keep them free from dead leaves. If any are iplanted in 

 pots for the purpose of protecting during severe wefither, they 

 must be carefully attended to with water, otherwise ill the spring 

 it will be found that the time and trouble have beet uselessly 

 expended. TJiose Cucumbers in pots or tubs in forcing houses 

 will require a little fresh soil over the roots occasionally ; this 

 will keep them in vigorous health. As Dwarf Kidney, Beans are 

 gi-eatly subject to the attacks of insects in forcing houses, every 

 known means should be used to keep them under ; they should 

 be frequently sprinkled with water, and if the red spider be- 

 comes numerous, a little sulphur should be mixed with the 

 water. Any Herbs that may be wanted in a green state should 

 be taken up with balls of earth about their roots, and imme- 

 diately potted and jjlaced in a forcing house. The young Lettuce 

 plants in frames should have all the air that can be given them 

 in mild weather. Keep them and also those in the borders free 

 from dead leaves and litter of all sorts hkely to harbour slugs. 

 Take up and pot old roots of lihubarb for forcing if a succession 

 is required, or they may be laid in a Mushi'oom housejthat is at 

 work, and sUghtly covered with soil. ' 



FRUIT garden. 

 Proceed with the pruning and naiUug fruit trees in all favour- 

 able weather, as, if wholly deferred until spring, the proper per- 

 formance of these operations will be apt to interfere \^th other 

 matters demanding attention. If the trees were suitablylattended 

 to in the summer, there will not be much useless matter to be 

 removed now. Vines and Raspberries deprived previously of 

 all unnecessary wood had better have the shoots remaining left 

 unshortened until the rigour of winter shall have passed. The 

 spurs of Currant trees should be cut-in pretty closely to the 

 stems, and the leading shoots considerably shortened if quaUty 

 rather than quantity is aimed at. Gooseberries may be treated 

 in a similar manner, if the preferable method is not adopted of 

 having the fruit produced chiefly on the young wood, or on 

 small spurs on wood of two or three year's growth. Apples and 

 Pears against walls should have their fruit bearing spurs kept 

 as near the wall as possible, not only to secure the benefit of 

 the wall, and prevent the unsightliness of long, rampant, over- 

 grown spurs, but also for obtaining good-sized well-flavoured 

 fruit. Attention to the short spurs produced on good healthy 

 trees when gi'owing naturally as standards will furnish a good 

 lesson on this subject. In the case of some of our best sorts of 

 Pears which have a tendency to form a bold blossom-bud at the 

 ends of short shoots of the present year's growth, care should be 

 taken to retain a sufficiency, and, if long enough, to fasten them 

 closely to the wall. Plums may be pruned much the same 

 as Pears, but as the best fruit is generally produced on wood of 

 two or three yecrs' growth, care should be taken to lay-in a little 

 wood every season. Those not much accustomed to nailing are 

 very apt either to use shreds too short or too many of them. 

 Trees, especially young ones, are often irreparably ruined by 

 the former, and made to resemble rag-shops by the latter. 

 Comparatively few shreds will be necessary if placed alter- 

 nately, with a slight strain upon the upper and lower sides of 

 the shoots, and if the stronger ends are fastened with willows 

 or ro^ ^ yarns. However pretty it may bo to see trees beautifully 

 trained, ,^Jerting that object by driving-in nails close to the 

 branch, or pu;t'ng a strain upon it so as to endanger the bark, 

 ought on no pretence to be allowed. Peaches, Nectarines, and 

 Apricots. — Unfasten the young shoots so far from the wall that 

 they will incur no risk of being blown about by boisterous winds, 

 in order that the part iirsviously reposing against the wall may 

 be duly ripened before i' is exposed to severe frost, and also 

 that active vegetation m? , be retarded to a later period in the 

 spring. Where thin tiles i i'd been placed on part of the border 

 next the wall for radiating 1 it and keeping the border moist, 

 they may be removed to pri- -iut them from being broken by 

 frost or the performance of lb - necessary operations ; or if not 

 considered too valuable, and if che drainage was very defective, 

 they might be bedded in clay, Sic, to throw the water off the 

 border. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



Those who are fortunate enough to have the command of a 

 gravel pit should get a good supply i ravel provided whenever 

 the weather is suitable for that k -' work. See also to 



having plenty of soil prepared for ii ,ug cuttings in the 

 spring, and have draining materials for p^.i^s prepared and sorted 

 out in sizes. As soon as the leaves of the trees have all fallen 

 there should be a general cleaniug-up ; it would be of no avail 

 to clean-up a portion of the ground, as du- ing high winds the 

 leaves would blow about in all directions. The leaves and 

 sweepings of the walks may be laid about th^ shrubs in the 

 shrubbery, and to prevent them blowing about ihoy should be 



