December 13, 1873. ] JODKNAL OF HOBTICULTrKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



491 



obliging gardener, has kindly placed at our dis])osal :— January, 

 1j ; J'tbruary, oO ; JIarcli, 315; April, 2.51?; May, 8331- 

 jn-ft. 1290; July, 2842; August, 2502; September, 1088 '; 

 p*'...ber, 814 ; November, 534 ; December 117— total, 15,3y0. 



lu coucluding tbis notice we have to tender our thanks to 

 ".rr. Green for his pains in pointing out all that was note- 

 worthy, and to the Rev. C. R. Awdry for much information 

 relative to the history of the church, but which would be of 

 more interest to the antiquarian than to the gardening reader. 



WOKK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEX. 



While frost continues wheeling may be more expeditiously 

 and cheaply carried on than when the surface of the ground is 

 soft. Cover Cclerij witli dry litter to protect it from frost ; and 

 Cauliflowers planted under hand-lights or iu frames should be 

 guarded from damp by admitting air on every favourable oppor- 

 tunity, aud a slight protection from frost will be necessary, 

 particularly where the plants have not been properly hardened. 

 Enilitf aui Lettuce iu cold pits wiU require protection from 

 frost, and air to dispel damp whenever coverings have been 

 used. Continue to pay attention to Ci(cu)iibers in houses, and 

 above aU things keep them free from insects, as on this depends 

 in a great measure their well-doing. At tbis season take care 

 that they are not over watered, if they have a good body of soil 

 to grow in they will want but very little- /Icris may be takeu- 

 np and planted iu boxes or pots, and introduced into a forcing 

 house as wanted for use. Horse droppings should now be saved 

 for spring Mushi-oom beds. This is the best season for saving 

 them, as horses usually have more dry food than during the sum- 

 mer. Also see to the keepiug-up a supply of Dwarf Kidney Beans 

 by making frequent sowings under favourable circumstances. 

 These are generally gi-owu in pots placed iu viueries or plant 

 houses, but their hab'iUty to the attacks of red spider renders 

 them dangerous inmates of such sti-uctures, aud where it can 

 possibly be done they .should be planted in lines in the bed of a 

 pit devoted to their culture. Attend to keeping-up a supply of 

 Sea-kale, lihuhaih, Asparai/us, &,a., according to the demand 

 and convenience by introducing quantities of the roots into heat 

 at intervals of about a fortnight. 



FRUIT GARDEN, 



■Wheel dung upon Tacant ground, remove old decayed borders, 

 and drive good fresh loam to form new ones. Mulch all fresh- 

 planted frmt trees, protect with fern branches, &c., the tops of 

 those tlie wood of which is properly ripened. Clean old shreds 

 not too much wasted for use by boihng them, and cut plenty of 

 fresh ones. Deprive nails that have been used of adherinr- 

 mortar, i'c., by putting them red hot in an iron vessel, aud to 

 prevent them from rusting immerse them in oil before they 

 cool, .\noint all wall trees and bushes that are pruned with a 

 mixture of equal parts cow duug, clay, soot, and Hme made to 

 the consistency of paint with strong soapsuds, urine, or the 

 rich draimngs of the duughill, and if you prune .at all in such 

 weather let the wound be immediately daubcd-up with a thick 

 composition of the same. 



FLOWER OAHDEN. 



Take advantage of the present state of the weather to wheel 

 fresh soils or manures upon the flower beds and borders. Shrub- 

 beries may abio be thinned, where this involves only the cut- 

 ting-ont of overgrown plants, or lopping deciduous trees, but 

 where evergreens generally require pruning, that is best done 

 m March for although when the winter proves mild, such work 

 may safely be performed at any time, it is uev^r safe to depend 

 upon this, ^hen the hands cannot be profitably employed at 

 out-door work, get a good stock of pegs. Dahlia stakes, tallies, 

 brooms, and such-like things prepared and stored away iu an 

 orderly manner, so as to be ready for use when wanted. Should 

 he weather continue frosty little can be done amongst florists- 

 lowers, still there is always fuU employment even in unpropi- 

 t.oiis weather like the present. I last week stated that Car- 

 nation compost, or turf, as the case may be, shoiUd be fre- 

 quently turned. \\'hen the outside of the heap is frozen it may 

 be removed so that another layer of soil may be exposed to the 

 action of the frost. Should the hard weather continue, this in 

 uke maimer may be removed, and each successive crust turned 

 .-.enly tiU the whole heap has been frozen. This has a highly 

 beneUcial effect on the soil, and is the means of destrnj-mg the 

 et'gs ana larvie of many injurious insects. Auriculas when 

 liealthy will bear frost with impunity. I have known the 

 sou in Auncnla pots to be frozen as hard as marble without any 

 apparent injanoua effect on the plants. 



•nn -1 / OREENHOUSK AND COSSEIIVATORY. 



■ i. 1 ™''' weather continues be satisfied with as low a 

 night tempera;uM in all pUut hoises as it will be safe to ke,-p, 

 taking advantage of bright days to increase the heat, and 

 u^uig a little fire heat in order to be able to admit fresh air 

 , ^"Pel damp. The proper night temperature for conserva- 

 loriea very much depends upon the kind of plants they contain. 



Where Camellias, Epacrises, Heaths, and other winter-blooming 

 plants form the princip.al inmates 4U° will be sutliciently high, 

 aud with a dry atmosphere it may safely be allowed to sink a 

 few dcgiees ou i.ard ni:-,'ht-s, but in cases where the hardier kinds 

 of winter-flowering stove plants are brought iu while in bloom 

 45° should be considered the proper night temperature. Let 

 whatever watering may be required be done early in the day so 

 as to allow advantage to be takeu of sunshine, whenever such 

 may occur, to give air for the purpose of drying the foliage, &c. 

 Many persons appear to eutertam an opinion that very little 

 attention is needed to supply plants with water at this season, 

 and they only look over their stock at intervals of several days. 

 We would, however, caution young gardeners against this mis- 

 take and advise them to examine every plant at least every 

 other diiy, deferring the application of water until it is really 

 required, aud then giving a liberal soaking. Attend daily to 

 the removal of dead aud decaying leaves, and directly any of 

 the flowering specimens become shabby remove them to some 

 of the out-way places, taking care that they are put in proper 

 circumstances as to temperature, &c., according to their wants, 

 aud supplying their places with others iu full beauty. "Where 

 necessary, the leaves of plants should be sponged over and tho- 

 roughly cleaned, and twiners pruned, trimmed, and put into 

 proper order for the spring. Soils, crocks, and charcoal, and 

 whatever else may be necessary for potting should be got into 

 readiness for use when wanted. 



COLD PITS. 



Where the stock of bedding plants has to be wintered in 

 structures of this description the present will be found a trying 

 time, and the utmost vigilance and care will be required to 

 preserve the plants from harm. Apply sutlicient covering to 

 the glass aud also to the walls of the pits or frames to ward-off 

 the effects of the most severe frosts, and take advantage of every 

 chance of admitting fresh ah- and removing decaying leaves, iii 

 order to prevent damp aud mould. Too Uttle water can hardly 

 be given at present to plants in cold pits, and when it becomes 

 necessary to give any let it be done iu the morning, freely 

 adrnitting air afterwards in order to dry-up all superabundant 

 moisture before evening. Plants when covered-up for several 

 days should not be suddenly exposed to bright sunshine, but 

 should be partially shaded for a few hours, admitting air in the 

 meantime if the state of the external atmosphere will admit of 

 it; this will dispel damp, fee. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



PKUIT AND KITCHEN OjlRDEN. 



We take advantage of suitable weather to forward pruning 

 and nailing fruit trees. In some districts it is desirable not to 

 prune the smaller fruit trees, such as Gooseberry bushes, before 

 the buds are considerably advanced, as the birds are very de- 

 structive to them. We do not suffer from their attacks, and 

 can prune any time during the winter. 



In many gardens Gooseberrij and Currayit hushes are treated 

 with neglect, aud very little attention is bestowed upou them 

 at the time of pruning. We prefer the bush form for both, 

 each bu.sh to have a clear stem of about (5 inches ; the wood 

 sliould be well thinned-out in the centre, otherwise if this is 

 allowed to become crowded very little fruit will be produced 

 ou that part, and it will be of inferior quality. Both sorts of 

 fruit should be growm ou moderately rich soil, or fruit of the best 

 quality will not be produced ; but with some sorts of Gooseberries 

 this causes au over-abundance of youug wood ; all that is not 

 required of tbis must bo cut close back to the old wood, the 

 shoots that are allowed to remain being shortened a little. 

 Cutting close back would only cause another thicket of wood to 

 be produced the following season. Brauches that are trailing 

 on the ground should also be cut-off. Red Currants require 

 rather difl'erent treatment ; nearly all the fruit is produced from 

 old sjiurs, so that if the bushes are as large as it is desirable 

 they should be, nearly all the young wood may be cut back, and 

 any leading growths which may be reciuircd shortened to 3 or 

 4 inclies. I31ack Currants do not require much pruning, but it 

 is necessary to look over the bushes once a-year, aud to thin-out 

 any where they are crowded. 



Owing to frosts, accompanied by the densest fogs we have had 

 for many years, little has been done amongst hardy vegetables. 

 Before the frosts aet-in wo planted Jernsalcm Artichokes. Whei-e 

 this vegetable is esteemed a change of soil, well working the 

 ground, and manuring heavily are desiralde. In our case but 

 very few dishes are required in the course of the year, and the 

 same out-of-the-way corner grows our supply year after year. 

 The ground, of course, is deeply worked and manured. When 

 the tubers are dug-up the best are selected aud stored for cook- 

 ing, those that remain being used for sets, and a pjlentiful supply 

 is always obtained. 



A mulching of moderately-dry decayed manure was ])laccd 

 round the hand-lights iu which the Cauliflowers are planted ; 

 this keeps the frosc out of the giound and protects the plants 

 The ground was getting too hard to be trenched, but some 



