308 



JOUENAL OF HOETICULTUKE AKD COTTAGE GAUDENEK. 



[ November 17, 18G3. 



them in the orchard-house, or under old sashes or moveable 

 covers. "When phinged in leaves laid on the surface, and a 

 few leaves over the pots, they will stand almost any frost if 

 the soil is di-j'ish. Their own leaves will also help them. 

 For this purpose we never take off a leaf untU we begin to 

 put them in for forcing. Long practice has convinced us 

 that if the pots are very wot and much fi-osted in winter, 

 the flower-buds are apt to suffer. Packed a lot more on 

 their sides against the back waU of a pit, laying the first 

 layer on then- broadsides and three to six layers above them, 

 which will tend to keep them dry and also ai-rest growth, 

 both of which are of importance before commencing to 

 force. "We used to build them up in this way, packed in 

 ashes, and a board along the top row, before we coidd obtain 

 any other protection for them. Straw hurdles set in front 

 of them in ft-osty weather kept the frost from them. In 

 this way we seldom had any injured by mice, but we always 

 lose a few in hard winters by these vermin, when we set the 

 pots on the level, with a few leaves between them, whenever 

 the winter is more than usually severe. We prefer a wall 

 for such storing when such can be had, but we have had 

 the plants do very well when the pots were fi^ed in a 

 bed of ashes, just Uke a smaU span-roofed house or a ridge 

 Mushroom-bed. Thus, set off a 'oed— say 1 yard in width— 

 with a layer of ashes at bottom, lay down a row of pots all 

 round with the plants to the outside, fill up the space be- 

 hind the pots with ashes made fii-ra, and bring the ashes 

 foi-ward to the rim of the pots, making aU level and firm, 

 and seeing that the ashes below the bottom end of th» pot 

 are su^ciently high that the top of the pot, when laid 

 down, shall be perpendicular from bottom to top instead 

 of sloping, for that would let in the rain, whilst we want to 

 keep them tli-y. Proceed with the second layer, so that the 

 rims of the pots are 1 inch behind the rim of the first layer, 

 and so on to as many layers as you can put on, and cover 

 the top with ashes, litter, and a board. It is easy protecting 

 such a ridge with litter when necessary. The pots will 

 rarely be too dry aU wiuter. The ridge shoidd be broken 

 down about the middle of March, and the pots set on theii- 

 bottoms as, if they remained in the ridge on their sides, and 

 the -weather were fine after that time, the plants would 

 grow one-sided. Some such arrangement will be usefal to 

 many amateurs, as they may rest assured that the fr-eouent 

 want of success is greatly owing to the plants standing in 

 pots above the ground in aU weathers, in winter. If the 

 pots were even plunged, and a few leaves or some litter 

 strewed over the surface, it would be a great improvement 

 to st.anding them on the open ground. In the latter case the 

 roots and crown are often exposed to such a low tempe- 

 rature as the plants wotdd never experience if planted or 

 plunged in the ground. 



Picked out a few berries from Grapes that had signs of 

 dampmg. On the whole they are keeping very weU, but 

 the flo'jr of the house is not so di-y as it ought to have been, 

 owing to plants remaining rather long in it. Moved stove 

 plants irom vinery, pruned it, washed Vines, lime-washed 

 waUs, stages, &c., and wUl fill at once with bedding plants 

 that are most likely to suffer from damp— as thin<rg that 

 have been growing at aU freely, though they may be kept ' 

 from fi'ost by covering, will not stand a confined damp atmo- 

 sphere. "Watered Vines in pit with manure water, heated 

 to about 90°, and damped the stems a little. Manure water 

 in evaporating-pans is the best substitute for a heap of 

 fermenting dung in breaking Vines, &c. 



ORNAMENTAL DEPARTMENT. 



Placed peat and loam over furnaces to heat f^r top- 

 dressing and repotting Ferns, stove plants, and fresh-casing 

 baskets of Orchids. All stove plants are now kept rather 

 cool and dry except those in and showing bloom. Not the 

 best time for potting anything, but the little place beinn- 

 m com-se of repau- and alteration, the plants have been 

 squeezed m anywhere, and will need kind treatment to re- 

 luvigorate them. Used Httle water in consei-vatory, unless 

 for Chrysanthemums, Cinerarias, &c. Hardwooded plants 

 shoiUd have plenty of light and air. It is annoying to 

 find the floor sailed from a watering-pot as in the dog days. 

 Put a little fii-e on, to have all ready and in good order in 

 case of a sudden frost, and have had all furnaces, flues, and 

 chimneys looked at. After, so much wet there is liiely to 

 be damp everywhere, and a brisk fire will dry all up and 



make it fit for use. In long flues, with several turns, in a 

 waU, we have had before now to pull out a smoke-plate 

 some 20 or 30 feet from the furnace and put a bundle of 

 shavings on fire there, to give a good draught and prevent 

 our being smothered at the stokehole. By the way, there 

 were lately some very sensible remarks on managing furnaces 

 and regulating draught by the ashpit doors ; but the mis- 

 chief is, you would requfre to have the eyes of Argus and 

 feet that never weary, to keep such doors in order under the 

 generality of stokers. Moved lots of Verbena cuttings and 

 things of that sort where we could keep them drier. For 

 Calceolarias and things of that kind a little damp does no 

 harm. "We are almost sorry that our Calceolaria cuttings 

 in the pit are striking and pushing out roots. "We shouid 

 have Uked it as well if they had not done so until after 

 Christmas. They must have every bit of afr that they can 

 stand to keep them back, as they are so thick, and as yet 

 scarcelj' one has done badly out of many thousands. "VVe 

 do not think we shall be able to thin them before March. 



In answer to an " Inquirer," we would say that if you 

 can give no di-y heat, the worst place in which you can 

 preserve Verbenas, Petunias, Lobelias, and plants of that 

 sort is an old hotbed frame. The damp rising from the 

 dung, and ft-om rain soaking into the dung, will be a con- 

 stant annoyance. The frame set on dry ground would be 

 worth a dozen of the old damp hotbed. A few of the earliest 

 potted bulbs wUl now be fit ibr forcing in a mild heat. The 

 rest must be kept from frost, whether for pots or the flower 

 garden. Auriculas and Polyanthus of choice kinds should 

 now be plunged in a cold pit or fi-ame, and plenty of air 

 given in fiine days, and air back and front at aU times, except 

 when very frosty. They will need no covering unless the 

 weather be very severe. Pinks not planted out. Carnations, 

 Wallflowers, and early Stocks, Ten-week, Intermediate, or 

 Brompton, had better be under protection for the winter. 

 Tree Carnations will now be coming into bloom, and if well 

 rooted wUl stand a Uttle manure water. As afready in- 

 dicated, we have cleared a few beds in the flower garden for 

 oui' fermenttng-heap, chiefly in frosty mornings, as the lawn 

 is very wet. and we do not care to thoroughly sweep the lawn 

 untU most of the leaves have faUen, which they wiU have 

 done by the next fr'ost. We wiU, if possible, take oui- 

 DalUias up this week. It is weU to cut them rather high — 

 say fr-om 6 to 9 inches fr'om the tubers — and lay them with 

 the stems downwards in a dry place for a week. Then we 

 place the roots in dry earth in a shed, and rarely lose one. 

 The same earth has served for a number of years. — E-. F. 



COVENT GAEDEN MAEKET.— Nov. 14. 



The market continues well stocked with all kinds of fruit and vegetables 

 in &ea:^on. Hothouse Grapes are both good and plentiful, especially Black 

 Hamburghs. The supply of Pine.'? is very abundant, but fur those of the 

 best quality prices have not retrograded. The best dessert Apples consiut 

 of Ribston Pippin, Cox's Orange Pippin, King of the Pippins, and Golden 

 Reinette. In Pears, Giou Mor^eau, Chauinontel, Winter Nelis, and Pas'Se 

 Colniar are the leading kinds. The best Cobs maintain the prices previously 

 quoted, G5s. to 70s. per loOlbs. Cut flowers are the same as last week- 

 FEUIT. 



d. s. d 



G to 4 



Apples 2 sieve 



Apricots doz. 



figs doz. 



Filberts J; NutslOOlba. , 

 Grapes, Hamburghs. lb. 

 Uanibro's, Foreign 



Muscats 



Lemons lUO 



Melons each 



Mulberries qt;art 



Oranges 100 8 



Peaches doz. 



Pears bush. 7 



dessert .^ sieve 2 



Pine Apples lb. 3 



Plums ^ sievo 



Quinces doz. I 



Waluuts bush. 14 



d. a. 

 OtoU 

 12 

 



Beans, Broad bush. 



Kidney g sieve 



Beet, red doz. 



Broccoli bundle 



Cabbage doz. 



Capsicums 100 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Cucumbers doz. 



pickling doz. 



Endive score 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic and Shallots, lb. 

 Gourds & Pampk., each 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish ... bundle 



VEGETABLES. 

 8. d \ 



OtoO Leeks bunch 



! Lettuce score 



6 Mushrooms pottle 



j Mustd. & Cress, punnet 

 3 i Onions bushel 



u I piokliug quart 



8 ( Parsley bunch 



1 Parsnips doK, 



Peas bush, 



12 Potaroes sack 



Radishes doz. hunches 



2 6 Rhubarb "bundle 



Sivoya per doz. 



Sea-kale basket 



Spinach sieve 



: Tomatoes i sieve 



4 I Turnips Tbunch 



d. a. A 

 3 too 

 3 



