December 8, 1863. ] JOURNAL OF H0ETICT3LTTJEB AND COTTAGE GAKDENBH; 



457 



>'ORCING-PIT. 



This is a good period at which to introduce a good quan- 

 tity of shrubs and bulbs for forcing piu-poses. Azaleas, 

 Daphnes, Persian Lilacs, Moss and Provence Eoses, Sweet- 

 briars, Honeysuckles, Ehododendi-ons, Kalmias, Ledums, 

 Ehodoras, the more advanced Hyacinths, Narcissus, and 

 Tulips, may now be fairly started. A sweet bottom heat of 

 80° maximum, and a top heat of 65°, will be necessary, 

 whatever the structure. 



PITS AND FRAMES. 



Look well to those containing stores for next summer, 

 and have efiBcient protecting material always in readiness, 

 with which to cover them whenever the weather is un- 

 favourable. W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAEDEN. 



Tkemendous gales and rain, with skiffs of snow, have nrach 

 lessened out-door work. We have taken up some more Sea- 

 kale and Ehubarb for the Mushroom house. Eai-thed a piece 

 of a Mushroom-bed, ;md spawned another piece ; raked leaves 

 when the wind and wet would permit ; trenched or began to 

 trench ground; attended to all the vegetables coming on 

 as mentioned in previous weeks, giving plenty of air to 

 Cauliflowers, Asparagus, Lettuces, Endive growing, cS:c. ; 

 and when too stormy for the men to work usefully or com- 

 fortably out of doors, set them to break up wood, make 

 straw covers, point sticks, and wash pots, as we never like 

 to see pots standing out of doors in winter. Even in sheds 

 they are best washed clean, so as to be ready for use. We 

 once had a system of fines, but gave up when no one could 

 be fined but ourselves ; but we dai-esay we shall have to start 

 again. Amongst fines none could be more legitimate than 

 those making people remember who put a plant into a dirty 

 pot, left pots standing about everywhere, laid pots down in a 

 heap of all sizes, or when moving small pots took too many 

 at one time as a rope between the hands, to the danger of 

 cracking or bi'eaking several in the centre of the rope. As 

 to pointing small sticks, it is amusing to see men detected 

 making as many scrapes and cuts to form a point as if they 

 were polishing an ivory bodkin. We recollect the late Mr. 

 Joseph Knight insisted on such pointing being done with 

 two strokes of the knife. 



FKUIT GAKDBN. 



Much the same as in previous weeks. It has been too wet 

 for planting out of doors. Tied Peach trees in house, and 

 planted some Vines inside at back of a vinery to help to 

 give those in fi-ont a little rest. 



OBNAJIENTAL DEPABTMENT. 



Attended to plants in house, removing those which were 

 fading, and supplying with fresh. Placed leaf mould and 

 loam under cover for use. Cleared all the rvibbigh from the 

 pleasure grounds. Eemoved Dahlias that had stood in a 

 di^y house for a fortnight with then- stems down and tubers 

 up, and plunged them in dry eai-th in a close shed behind 

 the conservatory. So treated vi^e have scarcely ever lost a 

 tuber. We do not like placing them in earth at once, but 

 like all moisture to be drained from the roots and stems. 

 We generally leave the latter about 6 inches long, unless 

 much frosted, and if damp has lodged and remains there the 

 centre is apt to rot, and thus the buds uiay perish. If once 

 thoroughly dried a little moisture afterwards would not hui-t 

 them. The bed of earth is generally covered with a rough 

 stage crammed with Fuchsias, &.C., for the winter. We 

 once met with a fatal instance of overdi'ying Dahlia roots. 

 An amateur had obtained a fresh supply of novelties, a shai-p 

 frost came on in an early autumn night. He and his man 

 Friday went out late, cut over all the Dahlias, took up the 

 roots with the large tally attached, and placed them close 

 to a back flue in the greenhouse. When examined in spring 

 the tubers had nothing but skins, and scai-cely one grew. 

 If the roots had been earthed-up a little in the ground, or 

 merely treated as above, we do not believe that any such 

 misfortune would have happened. 



Took up the greater portion of Gladiolus, and put them 

 in by the heels in a diy place to mature the tubers. Some 

 of the tops are yet too green for that purpose. 



The weather wOl have proved pretty well whether we 



were right as to keeping, bedding plants in old hotbeds 

 instead of dry pits and frames. In the old hotbed we have 

 suffered a little fr'om damp, but from reasons several times 

 given om- plants are small, as we cannot take cuttings 

 early without injuring the outline of the beds. A spare 

 room with plenty of light is better for keeping such plants 

 than a frame over an old hotbed, and, the place being dry, a 

 little sprinkling of dry hay would keep out a gTeat amount 

 of frost. Some of our friends who have small orchard-houses 

 without artificial heat, would find it much easier to protect 

 then bedding plants there in winter than in damp old hot- 

 beds, as the afr might always be dry and pure, and in severe 

 weather it would be easy to cover them, and far less covering 

 would do, and in continued frost and duU weather it might 

 remain on for a good while. The great secret in keeping 

 such plants when in darkness is to iusure as much dryness 

 and coolness as wUl be safe, and yet arrest growth. These 

 conditions secured, we have had Calceolarias and Scarlet 

 Geraniums that never saw light for six weeks, looking 

 as well as if they had been covered up only for a night. 

 The inside temperature was little above 33°. If the tem- 

 perature had been from 40° to 45°, we may judge what the 

 result would have been. Many try to keep old Geraniums 

 in their cellars, and fail because the cellars are too damp 

 and too hot. They would succeed better with them in a 

 garret, where there was some light, and where a little pro- 

 tection could be given to them in cold weather. Everything 

 growing must have light. We have some Scarlet Geraniums 

 which in beds averaged 2 feet in height, and 2./ to 3^ feet in 

 diameter of head, so pruned back that fi-om a dozen to twenty 

 of them, with their roots, after being dipped in lime, were 

 squeezed like a faggot into a nine-inch pot, and if we could 

 keep these docked plants in spring, they would be larger 

 next summer than they were last summer. Now, to keep 

 these in the easiest way, the stems must not break before 

 spring, but owing to the continued mUd weather these 

 faggots of plants are beginning to push little green leaves, 

 hardly discernible as yet, but seen from thefr greenness, 

 and after that the plants to be healthy will requfre more 

 light than they would otherwise have needed. They would 

 do exceedingly well on the floor of a spare room mode- 

 rately lighted, whilst all the young plants from cuttings 

 stood near the window. Growing plants must have light, 

 it is of less importance for those at rest. The faggots of 

 Geraniums before they break may be treated very much as 

 we would treat a Dahlia root, or a Gladiolus. — E. P. 



COVENT GARDEN MAEKET.-Dec. 5. 



The supply at this morning's market was unusually good, especially as 

 regards vegetables, and the demand being also good, former prices were 

 fully maintained. Fruit of all kinds is also plentiful, particularly Pines, 

 which are more than sufficient to meet all requirements, and Apples and 

 Pears. Foreif^n Hamburgh Grapes are now over ; but importations of 

 White Grapes have come iu from Portugal. Cobs have risen in price, the 

 finest samples now bringing lOOo. per luo lbs. The only addition to the 

 varieties uf Pears previously reported is Bejrr(i Kance, of which and of 

 Newrowa Pippin Apples, there are some very good samples. 



FRUIT. 



Apples ^ sieve 1 6 lo 4 



Apricots doz. 



Figs duz. 



Filberts <fc Nuts 100 lbs. CO 



Grapes, Hamburghs. lb. 1 



Foreign 



Muscats 3 



Lemons lOi 6 



Melons each 3 







8. d. 



Mulberries quart to 



Oranges 100 



Pears bush. 



dessert g sieve 



Pine Apples lb. 



Plums ^ sieve 





 

 6 

 

 



Pomegranates each 3 



Quinces doz. 1 



10 

 5 



Walnuts., 

 VEGETABLES. 



..bush. 14 6 20 



Asparagus bundle 



Beans, Broad bnsb. 



Kidney ^ eieve 



Beet, red doz. 



Broccoli bundle 



Cabbage doz. 



Capsicums 100 



Carrois bunch 



Cauhlluwer doz. 



Celery bundle 



Cucumbers doz. 



Endive score 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic and Shallots, lb. 

 Gourds Hl Piimpk., each 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish ... bundle 



s. d. 3. d 



6 to 10 I Leeks bunch 



I Lettuce score 



' Mushrooms puttie 



10 1 G I Mustd.& Cress, punnet 



a 2 1 Onions i uahel 



9 131 pickling quart 



13 2 Parsley bunch 



6 8 I Parsnips dov„ 



2 6 4 I Peas bush. 



16 2 1 Potatoes sack 



6 12 j Radishes doz. bunches 



13 2 6 Rhubarb bimdle 



3 Savoys per do^. 



8 I Sea-kale basket 



I Spinach sieve 



3 I Tomatoes ^ sieve 



16 4 U I Turaips bunch 



8: d. 3. d 



3 too 



10 2 



10 2 



