336 



JOUENAL OF HOETICULTTJEE AND COTTAGE GAEDEKEK. [ Octoiar 27, ims. 



this they will bear very freely and show freely ; but pradence 

 wo\ild say. Allow hai-dly any fruit to sweU as yet, for the 

 more that do so the more exhausted will the plants be about 

 the new yeai-, when most probably they wdll be most re- 

 quired. A country and a metropolitan demand are also 

 very different things. Amongst fashionable people Cucum- 

 bers may be often more in demand in the country in the 

 winter than at any other time ; and if wanted for home 

 supply at that time they must be had, whatever the expense 

 for fuel or heating material. It would be next to folly to 

 grow at that season for the London niai'ket, as Cucumbers 

 only come to be valuable when the parties are given in town 

 after the assembling of Parliament — at least that used to 

 be the case when we lived in London ; and that is the answer 

 to a correspondent who wished to supply the London martet 

 with Cucumbers in wduter and lived 15U miles distant. We 

 have no data by which to judge of the consumption of 

 Cucumbers in winter in the metropolis : but judging from 

 the price at which they then sell, and the high price in 

 February, March, and April, we come to the conclusion that 

 there must be only a limited demand in winter. 



The fine sunny days that have taken place have swelled 

 our late Dwarf Kidney Beans wonderfully, and there is now 

 abundance under the protection of some old sashes and frigi 

 domo, fr-om seeds sown in the open ground. Cleai-ed away 

 a portion of the leaves from Sea-kale, to get it to rest more 

 quickly, and mowed do-rni part of Asparagus that was get- 

 ting broivu. Artichokes (Globe) in over-stiff soil are stai 

 bearing fr-eely, and before much frost comes we wiU. put 

 litter round the stems to make .-dl safe. Several times 

 during the season we have tasted these rough-looking cus- 

 tomers and cooked in dift'erent ways, and the decision to 

 which we came was that, though very nice, they were a good 

 deal like flint soup that was none" the worse for a little 

 meat, rich gravies, and the best of spices. However, the 

 Artichoke is more than ever becoming a fashionable dish, 

 cooked in various ways ; and if the gardener wishes to be 

 sm-e, he had better protect his plants if not with litter, 

 which we tliink advisable, at least by moving the sm-face of 

 the sou and throwing some spadefuls of eai-th, in a crumbly 

 state, round the stems. If the gi'ound in which a planta- 

 tion is to be made (and now is a good tune, and the very 

 moving wiU deprive the frost of its power), is well trenched 

 and stagnant water prevented, the yield in summer will 

 be greatly increased by giving abundance of manure water. 

 When so treated the fruiting stems branch out with young 

 fruit amazingly. We have seen recommendations to cut 

 down the stems when the fii-st heads are removed; but 

 this .we consider wasteftil practice, as, with due nourish- 

 ment, plenty of heads wiU come fi-om every joint on the 

 stems. Jerusalem Ai-tichokes may either be taken up 

 or_ left in the gi-ound. We never yet knew them to be 

 injm-ed by frost. Now would be a good time to make fresh 

 plantations in rows 1 yard apart, and 1 foot apart in the 

 rows. We look upon them as most valuable as covers for 

 pheasants. The heads make good cover, and the roots are 

 dug up by the birds and relished in winter. The Mushroom 

 spawn out of doors, covered with litter, is doing well, and 

 wai want moving in order to take out what is done and 

 leave what is imperfectly done a little longer. Full details 

 of making, Ac, were lately given. The crops in the open 

 shed are still good, and the spawn is running nicely in the 

 first piece in the Mushi-oom-house, showing little bits like 

 pin-heads. As we have put a lot of manure in the house for 

 successions in winter, and the weather is so warm, the house 

 at present is left open day and night. Our house is a very 

 simple one. A bed on each side ou the ground floor, or 

 below the ground level, and a shallow bed on each side 

 above. These make altogether some seven or eight suc- 

 cessions. The upper shelves are generally filled first, and 

 then the beds below them assist them vriOi warmth before 

 they are spawned. In the second and tliird succession there 

 was about one quarter of lumpy fibry loam incorporated 

 with the cb-oppings and rough litter, and when well beaten 

 and spawned a thin casing of sheep-di-oppings was placed on 

 the surface. The thu-d piece is not yet soiled, but will be 

 done in a few days. We find the small-bit system the best 

 when maniu-e is so scarce as with us. 



FRUIT GAKDEN. 



Here the work has chiefly been confined to sweeping the 



leaves from Cherries, Apricots, Figs, and Peaches, pruning 

 roughly all trees on walls and bushes, as Pcai-s, Apples, 

 Ciu:i-ants, &c., finishing clearing Strawberry-beds, making 

 preparations for planting as previously reported, giving 

 plenty of ail- in fine days to late Grapes and a little at all 

 times. Gathering the last of the fruit and looking after 

 that in the fruit-room, and we ai-e sorry to say that Pears are 

 ripening too fast, and not keeping so weU as we expected. 

 Vines commenced forcing must go on slowly. Now is the 

 best time to replant or lift the roots of fr'uit trees that are 

 too luxm-iant to be fruitful. Early Vines that had shanked 

 fruit fi'om deep borders should now have theu- roots raised 

 nearer the surface into fresh soil and drainage be attended 

 to. Figs outside will soon want a little protection. Eoutine 

 much the same as previous weeks. 



OKNAMENTAL GAEDENINO. 



The flower garden would yet be beautiful but for the 

 leaves, which no cleaning will prevent being spread over the 

 lawn. There ai'e beds of Excellence Geraniums as fine as 

 ever a bed could be in August ; huge rows of scarlet Salvia 

 fulgens, some 31 feet in height, and rather more across — 

 dense masses of scarlet, than which scai'cely anything can. 

 be more showy after August, but the tree leaves, yeUow and 

 all coloui-s that strew the ground eai'lier this season than 

 usual, spoil aU the chai'm by theu- reminders of desolation 

 and decay. We have as yet only tiiken up a few things, 

 but will take up a few of the best variegated Geraniums, 

 &.C., without much delay. A few particular ones we will 

 cram singly into GO-sized pots ; but the great majority we 

 save wUl be taken up, all the leaves removed that are larger 

 than a threepenny -bit, and then we wiU stuff them as thickly 

 as they can stand, like faggots, either in boxes or large pots. 

 We rather prefer young plants to these, unless when the 

 pyramiding of beds is resorted to. The only thing we have 

 cleared off are several large groups of Hollyhocks. We have 

 cut them down about G inches from the gi'ound, and if we 

 find time we mil daub the cut parts with a little tar, to pre- 

 vent the water entering and resting there, and so injuring 

 the roots. Of stems we had several cartloads, and we used 

 to char them, but as at present we are scarce of fermenting 

 material (and what there was of it was chiefly short grass, a 

 few leaves from sweepings of the pleasure grounds, and a little 

 litter from whence the horse-droppings had been removed, 

 for Mushi-ooms, which altogether would have heated too 

 violently like a puff, and then cooled as rapidly), these 

 Hollyhock-stems were cut with a bill over a block into 

 lengths of about 9 inches, and well mixed with the short 

 grass, &c., and the whole will make an excellent heap of 

 fermenting matter, wliich wiU retain heat for a long time. 

 Many things taken up will be the better of a Uttlo ferment- 

 ing matter, to set the roots going. Some Scarlet and other 

 Geraniums taken up are thus helped. All the earth is shaken 

 fi-om the roots, the roots trimmed a Uttle if long and sti-ag- 

 gling, and then squeezed into a small pot, aU the leaves 

 bigger than a sixpence being picked off. The soU must be 

 neither wet nor dry, but dampish, no water given, but the 

 tops dewed with water in a sunny day, the pots plunged into 

 a little heat, and air left on, except when frost comes. Such 

 plants will generally be well rooted in a fortnight, and then 

 may have even more air. Even those placed in the faggot 

 style in bundles woidd be all the better of a little heat at the 

 roots to encourage the making of new roots liefore ivinter. 

 Unless very scarce and valued kinds of Calceolarias, it is of 

 little use taking up the plants, we woidd far prefer taking 

 cuttings of every little bit, and placing them in a cold pit 

 or frame. Such old plants, however, are useful for cuttings 

 in spring ; but w-hy not make them now, when the cuttings 

 take up no more room than the plants, if so much, and 

 hardly one will fail if time is given them ? This last is the 

 whole secret. A Calceolaria cutting wiU need as many weeks 

 to strike now in a cold place, as it would need days in spring 

 with a little bottom heat. A little bottom heat is all weU 

 enough in spring, but if much or any is given now, its ten- 

 dency will be to enervate the constitution of the futiu-e plant, 

 and those plants struck cool in autumn wUl be hardier, and 

 bear more cold, and bloom earher than those struck in 

 spring, because they may be planted-out much earlier. 

 Spring-struck Calceolarias ai-e best for autumn blooming. 



As a proof of the mOdness of the autumn, the Calceolaria 

 amplexicaulis is the finest in Ijloom, as fine nearly as in 



