U6 



JOURNAL OP HOBTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GABDENEK. 



[ December 4, 1878 



which I learnt from your Journal some years ago — viz., a 

 small wine-glassful of turpentine in a wine bottle, and the 

 neck of the bottle thrust into the hole of the nest at night. 

 I never found it fail, and the advantage of it is that turpentine 

 is always at hand, whereas tar is not, and cyanide of potassium 

 is a deadly poison. The cyanide is chiefly useful for hornets 

 when they make their nest in a root or building, as a little on 

 a sponge can be fixed in the hole in the wall or roof. — H. 0., 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



The application of creosote to seed Potatoes has been found 

 to act as a preventive of the disease. The Kev. J. Crawford 

 gives an account of his experiments with this substance and 

 their results in a recent number of the Ayr Olsi'iTi'r. The 

 eyes of the Potatoes are very slightly touched with the cre- 

 osote, a small painting-brush beiug the best tool for applying 

 it. Mr. Crawford says that those Potatoes in which every eye 

 was anointed were perfectly free from disease, while from one- 

 third to a half of those not so dressed were lost. Some of the 

 tubers planted by him had all the eyes but two or three dressed 

 with creosote, and in this case a few of the tubers were found 

 diseased. On the other hand, some few had too much creosote, 

 and were consequently found completely lulled. This is cer- 

 tainly a simple method of preventing the disease ; but great 

 care must betaken in performing the operation, the least touch 

 being sufficient to preserve the Potatoes from an attack, while 

 one touch more will effectually prevent vegetation. Mr. 

 Crawford expresses himself as highly confident as to the 

 success of this simple remedy when properly applied, and 

 until the awai'd of the Judges who have to wade through some 

 hundred essays sent in for Earl Cathcart's prize is made 

 known, it wUl be worth while trying it. — (English Mechanic). 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GiRDEN. 



The rigours of winter may be soon expected, when it behoves 

 everyone possessing a garden to cast their eyes once more round 

 in order to see whether its severity can be further softened with 

 regard to anything tender. If the heat of the Aspanir/us bed 

 should decline a slight lining may be added, but care must be 

 taken that it does not heat violently. An opportunity will now 

 occur of covering the out-door beds with a good coating of rotten 

 dung. Hard frosts frequently do serious injury to the roots for 

 want of such a covering. Take advantage of every favourable 

 opportunity till frost occurs, of earthing-up the late crops of 

 Celery, both for the purpose of blanching and protection. 

 During the present dull dark weather water should be given to 

 the Cuciimhers sparingly; less fruit should also be allowed to 

 swell off them in clear weather. Lettuce in frames for present 

 use must be kept dry and free from dead leaves. Where hot 

 dung supplies the heat in the Musliruom house, a little air 

 should occasionally be given if the beds are found to be getting 

 too moist, but when fire heat is used pans of water should stand 

 on the flues to create a mcist atmosphere. Where Parsnips 

 have not yet been taken up, they should not be left in the ground 

 any longer, as they are not in the sliiibtest degree benefited by 

 remaining in it, and should severe friist set in there will be a 

 diflieulty in taking them up. On the first indications of severe 

 frost it is advisable to get some Turiiips under cover. They may 

 be laid in sand after the tops are cut off. Keep the Broccoli free 

 from dead leaves, as after frost they materially injure the 

 plants by causing them to rot. Keep the Celery ground dug-up, 

 so that it may be ready for Onions in the spring. At this period 

 those who are desirous of laying the foundation of a good garden 

 in the ensuing year should closely review the routine of crop- 

 ping for the past summer, and even cast their eye back on the 

 preceding year. Various are the schemes or rotations prac- 

 tised by different gardeners, many of them being based on no 

 better foundation than the convenience of the present hour. 

 Where, however, the kitchen garden is sufficiently extensive 

 and where much produce is required, the rotation of crops 

 should be carefully studied. The great difficulty is to pro- 

 cure fresh ground for the Cabbage tribe, so numerous are the 

 kinds as well as successions in cultivation. Broken-up plant- 

 ations of Strawberries, Raspberries, and bush fruit should at 

 all times as a leading principle be set apart for some of the 

 Cabbage family. Potatoes prepare well for almost any crop. 

 Deep or tap-rooted crops shouJd be succeeded by shallow or 

 fibrous-rooted ones. When the course of cropping bas been 

 decided on for the year, and entered with numbers in the garden 

 book, the usual practice is to set-up laths opposite to the space 

 appropriated to each crop with a number corresponding with 

 the book, and the name of the crop on one side, and on tbe 

 other the manure (if any), of what kind, where from, and the 



quantity, with the mode of cultivation, digging, or trenching. 

 This done, a labourer who can read the label can set out or pro- 

 ceed with the work at any spare time. This, therefore, is a 

 matter that should receive attention. 



FEUIT GARDEN. 



Those who find that the leaves of their Peach trees are still 

 green and do not fall, had better protect tbe trees slightly by 

 straw ropes or by sticking fern, &q., among the branches, as a 

 sudden check to the gi'owing system after such mild weather 

 would be more prejudicial now than after the trees had got ac- 

 ciTstomed to variation of temperature. 



FLOWER GAKDEN. 



As the leaves are now in a great measure off the trees, the 

 pnmiug of common shrubs may be proceeded with, and the bor- 

 ders put in order for the season. I have previously spoken against 

 digging, ai.d as the ground must be cleared of leaves it is best 

 where they are not wanted for other purposes to draw them into 

 ridges in the back part of the shrubbery, and there to let them 

 lay and rot, to be distributed over the ground about this time 

 twelve mouths. It is not a bad plan to fill pots intended for 

 American and other choice plants with wet leaves, and to place 

 the ball level with the surface of the ground ; as the leaves 

 decay the plant will sink to its proper level and grow admir- 

 ably. Once more look over tender stock and add any protection 

 necessary according to the principles heretofore laid down. 

 Kemember that fresh sawdust, ashes, or cocoa-nut fibre refuse 

 are excellent protectors to tbe crown and collar of tender plants. 

 It will be advisable to keep all Carnations and Pinks which may 

 have been potted during the past month from the actiou of frost, 

 as they are unable to withstand it so well as those which have 

 established themselves from being potted earlier in tbe season. 

 They should not, however, be shut down when damp, for though 

 extremely hardy, no flower snfi'ers so much from want of a free 

 circulation of air as the Carnation. Examine the plants after 

 the frost goes, and fasten the soil round the stems. They want 

 very little water at this season. Tulip-beds as amatter of course 

 have been covered. It is a good plan to lay young shoots of 

 Gorse between the rows of Pinks where rabbits ate apt to come, 

 and it will prevent cats from taking liberties with the beds, in- 

 dependently of protecting the plants from the cutting winds of 

 the winter months. 



GKEENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORT. 



The earliest of the Chrysanthemums will now be nearly over, 

 and when they are turned out the best way is not to cut them 

 down as is generally done, but to store them in light dry soil 

 under a west wall, turned out of their pots. The tops being left 

 on will keep the suckers more backward, and also shelter them 

 in some degi'ee. The less the suckers grow before March the 

 better plants they will make next year. Spring-forced Camellias 

 now in bloom should be guarded against currents of cold air and 

 damp. Cinerarias which are great ornaments for this bouse in 

 winter, are thirsty plants and good subjects on which to try ex- 

 periments with some of the new fertilisers mixed with the water 

 given them ; they are also liable to the attacks of insects. In 

 pruning and training climbers in this and other houses, some 

 regard must be paid to the time wheu it is desirable the plants 

 should bloom. Where stove cUmbers are not required to flower 

 before autumn, pruning may be deferred for some time ; but 

 for earlier display it should be done at once. Passifloras, 

 Begonias, and similar plants which make long annual shoots 

 should only have their branches thinned and slightly shortened, 

 while others, Combretums for instance, may be spurred-in. 

 Kenuedyas will soon be showing bloom, and what training they 

 require should be done at once, but the pruniug of these should 

 not take place till after they have done floweriug. Where 

 Orange trees are grown to decorate the flower garden, care 

 should be taken to prevent their pushing in winter, and this 

 more especially if the trees are in a dark-roofed house ; when 

 such happens the young leaves have a thin flabby appearance, 

 and soon turn brown when tlie plants have been, set out of 

 doors ; whereas, if growth is prevented till the trees are in the 

 open air the foliage will bear any amount of sunshine. 



PITS AND FRAMES. 



Half-hardy plants stored away in winter in pits and temporary 

 structures, are Ukely to hive a severe trial before tbe winter is 

 over. Prepare against severe weather with additional coverings. 

 Keep such plants as dry as they can bear, and expose them on 

 every favourable day. If any plants of Chinese Primroses still 

 remain in the frames they must be watered very sparingly at 

 the roots, and never over the leaves. As soon as the Chrysanthe- 

 mums are out of bloom they should be removed to the green- 

 house. Cyclamens should also be removed to the greenhouse 

 — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST ^^^EK, 



FRUIT AND KITCHEN G.AKDEN. 



Trenching Ground fur Peas. — The market gardeners in this 

 district do not approve of manuring for Peas previous to sow- 



