496 



JOHKNAL OF HOETICULTTJEE AND COTTAGE GA:KDENEE. [ December 22, 1«03. 



a slight &ost in the present tender state of the young 

 wood would do very serious injury. When, however, you 

 guard against frost, talce caie also to avoid overheating 

 the houses, and give all the aii- possible at every favourable 

 time. Water cautiously and in the morning, but take 

 «qual care not to allow any plant to suffer from the want of it. 

 Look well to plants in a growing state, siich as Pimeleas and 

 aU the New Holland plants. 



FOECING-PIT. 



Introduce such jjlants as are generally used and frequently 

 recommended for forcing, especially the sweet-scented as 

 liOy of the YaUey, Sweet Briar, Lilacs, Eoses, and bulbous 

 plants. AU plants intended for forcing in siTccession should 

 be under temporary covering of some kind. An open shed 

 as as good a place as they can be put in, or under the stage 

 of the greenhouse. 



PITS AND FRAMES. 



The abundance of light with which the plants in these 

 structures have been lavom-ed (there having been scarcely 

 any need to have recourse to protective measures in the 

 shape of covering), combined with the mild weather, has 

 excited growth, and a disposition to grow long .ind strao-- 

 gling. To counteract this some attention wiU be required 

 on the part of the cultivator ; a stiff dwarf habit is easily 

 attained by a frequent use of the finger and thumb. Gera- 

 niums, Ageratums, and Calceolarias are very liable to be- 

 ■come damp and mouldy ; remove all mouldy leaves as soon 

 as they are discovered, or they wUl be certain to contaminate 

 others, and thus spread disease over the whole pit or frame. 

 It is necessary, in order to keep flower-garden plants in 

 first-rate condition, to give them a limited supply of water, 

 abundance of light, a iiee circulation of air, and a dry at- 

 mosphere. Abundant preparations must take place in this 

 department ; a good stock of garden mats to be jwocured 

 and tied for covering purposes ; labels rewi-itten ; and seed- 

 drawers thoroughly examined, cleaned out, and the old seeds 

 dated and classified, in order that their relative value may 

 be readily known. The new seeds wiU, of com-se, want ar- 

 ^^s^g- W. Keane. 



DOMGS OP THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAKDEN. 



Veet much the same kind of work in aU departments as 

 last week. Eaked leaves, trenched-up ground, removed 

 covering from Sea-kale in Musbroom-housc^as it was coming 

 faster than we wanted it. Placed a few barrowloads of hot 

 leaves close to a mound of Ehubarb in the same place, which 

 was not coming quite so fast as wanted, and the additional 

 heat about the lai-ge roots has acted almost like magic. 

 Placed a lot more of Sea-kale hi pots in Mushi-oom-house ; 

 the advantage of which is, that we can give heat round the 

 pots as we like, and if not wanted for use we can move the 

 pots to a cool, dark place, or make it dark for the Kale by 

 putting a pot overhead, and filling up an the holes. It is 

 much better to do this than allow the Kale to be long and 

 laniy. Prom G to 8 inches is a good size, and the thicker 

 and fii'mer the leaves the better it will look at table. Put 

 m a succession of Mint and other herbs likely to be wanted 

 green, where there was little heat. Have had some gather- 

 ings of Peas ft'om an orchard-house, but though there are 

 plenty of blooms, they do not seem to set in dull, cold 

 weather. Of course, with a little dry heat, they might be 

 had all the winter. Earthed-np Dw.arf Kidney Beans in 

 bloom m pots in a little heat, and potted off some more. It 

 IS more handy having them in pots now than planting them 

 out. At this season they like a little dry heat. When 

 gi-owmg them largely after January m a 'heated pit, we 

 used to sow a succession as soon as the first showed flower- 

 buds, sowing in rows 2 feet apart, and earthing-up. By the 

 time the fii-st was half gathered we sowed in the fniTOws, 

 and the plants were up and strong before we pulled the fii-st 

 ones up to earth-up what would be the third crop, and so 

 on with the others. By such close work with a pit of fi-om 

 fom- to six lights, we could keep a regular succession untQ 

 we obtained a supply first with a slight protection, and then 

 out of doors. Earthed-up a piece of Mushroom-bed, and set 

 another piece preparing. Have done nothing with Chicoiy, 

 as Lettuce and Endive are abundant. Cauliflower is also 



still plentiful in sheds and under glass. Stirred the ground 

 among young Cauliflowers, Lettuces, Cabbages, &c. Will 

 place some bui'ut earth and rubbish among these young 

 plants as soon as we can get at them. Gave abundance of 

 air to Eadishes, Lettuces, Cauliflowers, &c., in frames, when 

 the weather was fine. In cloudy, hazy weather elevated 

 the sashes back and front, that there might be a good 

 draught through. 



FEUIT GAKDEN. 



Examined the Strawberry plants placed in frames with a 

 slight hotbed of leaves under them. Pound the heat nice 

 and mild. It wiU be recollected that the pots were merely 

 set on the surface of the bed in case there should be too 

 much lieat if plunged. As the heat is mild, and that the 

 sides of the pots may feel the benefit oi it as well as the 

 bottoms, stuck some dry leaves in the openings between 

 the pots without moving them. The plants are just moving, 

 and as yet need no water, and will not likely need any until 

 they ai'e moved into dry heat. Watered a few Black Prince 

 placed in a narrow Vine j^it. Watered the Vines there, too, 

 with warm water; and as the temperature at night will 

 average 55°, will remove other plants, such as small Gera- 

 niums, &c., and fill as undergrowth with Dwarf Kidney 

 Beans. Syi-inged these Vines twice a-day, oftener if the 

 sun was bright, the syringing doing no harm to the leaves, 

 though it ivould to bedding plants. As the days were (^ry 

 wheeled out wasted manure fi-om eai'th-pits and fi-ames, 

 lea\'ing all matter that fr-om not being decomposed would 

 heat again, especially when mixed with fresher material, and 

 used the manure for mulching newly -planted dwarf standard 

 trees, to keep the roots near the surface, and for placing 

 between the rows of Strawberries, the ground having pre. 

 viously been stmed up with th-e points of a fork. This 

 manurial matter is put a little in the ridge-form between the 

 rows, and, therefore, breaks the force of the frosty winds ; 

 whilst the vii-tue, what little there maybe, is washed towai-ds 

 the plants. Por tender kinds, such as the Queen, if severe 

 fi'ost come, a few short evergreen boughs stuck between the 

 rows wiU be of great benefit. Eaithing-up the crowns 

 a little is also an advantage. If severe weather should come 

 we will place some burnt earth and charred rubbish close to 

 the crowns, which will not only secure the lower part of the 

 stems from exposure, but help to keep slugs, ic, at a dis- 

 tance. A Dutch hoe run through the manure between the 

 rows win make all smooth in the spring. 



We may here further state, in answer to several inquu-ies, 



1, That a stifBsh loam is the best of aU soils for Strawbemes. 



2, That light sandy soils should not only have extra manure, 

 but should, arter trenching, be trodden well before and after 

 planting. 3, That in making a plantation, if the depth of 

 the soil will permit, it should be trenched to the depth of 

 two or three spits, keeping in mind what was said on 

 trenching last week. 4, That m trenching a good supply of 

 manui-e, not more than half decomposed — say a thickness 

 of from 8 to 12 inches — should be used, and that not turned 

 in in layers, but intimately mingled with the soil as the 

 work i^roceeds. 5, In addition to this, when the surface is 

 nicely aii'ed and levelled, a little leaf mould or very rotten 

 dung may be spread on the surface when planting, so as to 

 encourage vigorous growth at once. C, The tiest time for 

 planting is as soon as the strong-rooted runners can be 

 obtained, whether by layering in pots or other means ; the 

 next best will be as soon after that as possible. In all small 

 gardens there is often a difliculty in sparing fresh ground so 

 early in the season, and where that is the case the best plan 

 is to prepai'e a border or piece of ground by well stirring it, 

 but not too deeply, and enricMng it well with leaf mould and 

 rotten dung, and inserting the runners in it, as soon as they 

 show roots, at fi-om 4 to 5 inches apart. Here they can 

 easOy get a little shading if nccessai-y, and watering, and 

 they will grow fast and strong, and may either be lifted with 

 fine balls in the autumn, or as soon as the ground is in good 

 order in the spring. When so done, as well as when planted 

 out early, they will fi-uit the fii-st season. We always adopt 

 this jjlan to have a reserve in hand for forcing when those 

 in i)ots might be exhausted too soon; and though it would 

 not do for early crops, it does veiy well for a succession or 

 two before Strawben-ies come in out of doors. 7, Wlien a 

 plantation is thus made, with the exception of a little 

 surface-stuTing and such sm-face-manuring as referred to 



