376 



JOmiNAL OF HOETICULTTJEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. [ November lo, 1863. 



Lady Downes' in fruit were patterns of symmeti-y and 

 colour ; and Hamburglis on the back wall were large in bunch 

 and beixy, and exceedingly well coloured. We noticed also 

 what we have often noted before, that the bunches concealed 

 fi:om the full glai-e of the sun by the thickness of a leaf, were 

 rather deejier coloured than those more exposed. Though 

 there was the usual rod in front, 41 feet in height, with 

 bunches and shoots from it aU the way, still there is in these 

 houses a gi'eat amount of light that reaches the back wall. 

 I may also mention, that in addition to sulphm-ing the pipes, 

 the whole of the back wall of this house and some others 

 was well covered with sidphtu'. A bright sun would be siu'e 

 to bring out some of the fumes and keep red spider, &c., at 

 bay. 



The Pines were looking well, young and old, succession 

 and fruiting. Some fine fruit were ripening, and there 

 were aU stages from starting to swelling. There are three 

 ranges, each about 80 feet in length. All are well supplied 

 with hot-water pipes for top and bottom heat, and the former 

 are well supplied witli evaporating-pans. The two front 

 houses are pits vrithout any path in them. The back range 

 is a low house, half span or deep hip at back, with wide 

 path under it. This house is 18 feet wide : 12 feet is 

 devoted to the Pine-bed, and 6 to the pathway. The 

 Pine plants as a rule were in pots as being more manage- 

 able, and were distinguished for compact sturdiness, and 

 thickness and hardness rather than length of leaves. The 

 path on the floor and the shelves at back were supplied with 

 fine plants of Vines in pots. In other houses and pits across 

 the brook himdreds. nay thousands, of Vines in pots are 

 grown ill a superior manner, either for fruiting in pots, 

 when more room is given them, or for planting out, when 

 they are grown more thickly in nurseiy fashion. 



Before leading this gaj'den we may state that we noticed 

 many heaps of those tarred wooden covers we described at 

 Keele, ready to be used for keeping the wet from the borders 

 of either late or early Vines, &c. Useful at all times, they 

 must be peculiai'ly so in the general climate of Trentham. 

 Several questions have been sent respecting these covers ; 

 and if we answer them wrongly we tnist that Mi-. Henderson 

 will correct us. 1, Do you use these covers ? No, because 

 we do not j^ossess them ; but we have recommended them 

 for this piu-pose, also others for covering pits and fi-ames, 

 as the most economical in the end. "We commend our 

 young iiit|uirer for "keeping his eyes open;'" but he will 

 generally find it best not to open his mouth too wide, 

 so as not to frighten an employer with too many wants at 

 a time. 2, Are such covers better than taipaulin, oUed 

 cloth, &c. ? Decidedly so, as to economy of cost, and as to 

 economy of laboiu- _; for a little litter, a few logs, or a few 

 bricks or pots, wiU keep them from the ground, and we have 

 known them in use for a dozen years and seemingly nothing 

 the worse. 3, "Would yoii recommend using the boards from 

 the saw or planed before taiTing ? From the saw, if at 

 all smooth-cut; if to be made nice and painted, jilane the 

 wood previously. 4, Ai-e the slips down the joints essential, 

 and what are the best sizes ? The slips are essential, and they 

 save all rabbeting of joints. We are not sure as to size ; 

 but were we to make covers 4 feet wide and 4 to 5 feet long, 

 we would use boards three-quarters of an inch thick. We 

 would have three cross-pieces underneath, 1 inch thick and 

 from 31 to 4 inches wide, one at 6 inches from each end, 

 and one in the centre, to fastea the boards to. Along each 

 joint we would then tack a slip of half-inch wood 2 inches 

 wide bevelled at the edges, and then neither heat nor cold 

 would ever make open seams on the top. We would paint 

 aJI over twice with hot tar, and have it well dried before 

 using the covers. 



In this Pine ground and on hard bottoms were mostly 

 collected about two thousand pots of StrawbeiTies, which 

 seemed in exceBent condition. Many fine large plants were 

 in large pots ; but a gi'eat proportion of the plants were 

 in 40-sized pots or in very small 32's, and no doubt these 

 would be used for the earliest forcing, as the buds would be 

 soonest matured. — E. F. 



(To he continued.) 



most extensive of its kind, are justified by the number of 

 entries, which ah-eady amount to two hundred. 



The Great Chktsanthemtjm Show. — We are happy to 

 find that our anticipations as to this Exhibition proving the 



WOEK FOE THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAKDEN. 



Although the utility of trenching the gronnd in kitchen 

 gardens, and bringing up a portion of the subsoil to mix 

 with the surface soil when the latter is said to be worn 

 out with constant cropping, are generally admitted, there 

 are some who are indifferent to its advantages. If the soil 

 should be stiff loam, they are fearful of mixing a smaU 

 portion of it with the surface soil, although the latter may 

 be like an ash-heap and as lich as dung can make it. We 

 are aware it requires some judgment as to the quantity of 

 subsoil to be brought up, as the texture of the soO may be 

 materially injured by a large quantity at one time ; but it 

 can rarely so happen with a small quantity, and as many 

 old gardens would be greatly benefited by the operation, we 

 trust it will receive attention at all favourable opportunities. 

 Artichokes, immediate steps to be taken to protect the roots 

 from fi-ost. In some situations this may not be necessary, 

 but it is best to be on the safe side. We have known a 

 whole plantation destroyed by frost, in what was considered 

 to be a very favourable situation, and where it was thought 

 quite unnecessary to protect them. Cabbages, all that are 

 sufficiently grown to admit of being earthed-up, should have 

 it done before frost sets in. Eed Cabbage tor spring use 

 may still be planted. Continue to encoiu-age the planting 

 of crops in every respect as previously directed. Plant out 

 everything in the way of Cabbage or Colewort plants. The 

 Carrots, Beet, &c., being taken up and stored, let the ground 

 they occupied be trenched, and where the soil is of clay or 

 strong loam, let it be ridged that the frost and air may act 

 on as lai-ge a surface of it as possible. Ground may now be 

 got ready for new plantations of Asparagus, Sea-kale, and 

 Ehubarb, and as these are what may be termed permanent 

 crops, eveiy care ought to be bestowed on the thorough pre- 

 pai-ation of the soil for them. The depth to be from 2i to 

 3 feet, and thoroughly drained, trenched, manured and piil- 

 verised ; and where the soil is comparatively exhausted in 

 some of its essential qualities, as nearly all old garden soil 

 is, there ought to be an addition of new loam — for real suc- 

 cess in Asparagus-growing this is imperative. Clear away 

 dead leaves from all growing crops, and fill up blanks in 

 them. Take the opportunity of unfavourable weather for 

 out-door operations, to tie-up mats, prepare label-sticks, store 

 up roots, and see that a good supply of coveiing-materials 

 is at hand when required. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



Old-established shrubberies should now be gone over and 

 pnmed. We do not mean by pruning that the shrubs should 

 undergo the wholesale denudation of branches and foliage 

 we sometimes see when this operation is perfoi-med, but 

 sunply the shortening or removal of all dead and straggling 

 branches, taking care to cut in such a manner that the foliage 

 shaU conceal the incision made in the branch. Tulip-growers 

 must recoUect that people now begin to plant then- blooming 

 bidbs. AU offsets should be in the ground now, and the 

 main beds had better not be delayed. The Dahlia-growers 

 have been puzzled this season. In many places the plants are 

 growing rapidly still. Theu- growth should be checked by 

 the insertion of a spade or fork under the roots. Continue 

 to examine Am-iculas, taking off dead leaves, and, above all 

 things, seeing that the plants ai-e well dried and have no 

 drip from the frames. Plant Anemones and Eanimculuses 

 for early flowering : but the choice kinds are not put in tiU 

 February. Plant Hyacinths and early Tulips, Narcissus, 

 ic, in the open ground. 



FBUIT GARDEN. 



Continue to prepai'e for fi-uit-tree planting, by di-aining, 

 trenching, and pulverising the soil, and after planting, stake, 

 tie, and mulch them in good time. Clear away all dead 

 leaves from the wall trees, and remove the green fruit from 

 the Figs. The established strong-growing Iruit trees that 

 are tardy in producing fr-uit should be treated according to 

 cu-cumstances. If the trees are planted too deep, or the 

 soil has been raised above or about them since planting, by 



