December 29, 1863. ] JOURNAL OF HOETICTILTtJRE AND COTTAGE GARDENEE. 



515 



the place too hot to be pleasant, will strike out in another 

 direction ; indeed, if they did get singed or burnt by ventur- 

 ing too near to theii- warm friend, might I not, in these days 

 when root-pruning is the fashionable treatment, be right 

 in assuming that the process by cautery is superior to cut- 

 ting ?— W.'^W. 



Royal Hokticultural Society. — In the conservatory at 

 Kensington there is now suspended a bunch of Bananas of 

 extraordinary size. It was grown by Mr. J. CaiT, gardener 

 to P. L. Hinds, Esq., of BySeet, Surrey, and was produced 

 by a small plant imported fi'om the West Indies in Septem- 

 ber, 1862. The i^lant was grown in a tub, and was only 

 4i feet high when it bore the bunch, which is itself about 

 3 feet long, with a stem as thick as a man's wrist, the whole 

 weighing Sfi lbs. As yet only the fruits at the base of the 

 bunch are ripe, those at the opposite extremity or further 

 from the plant v.-hen gi'owing, are as yet green. We believe 

 it is intended for presentation to Her Majesty. 



WOEK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



The various operations of draining, trenching, and digging, 

 to be can-ied on with vigour-, and the ground if naturally 

 heavy to be laid in ridges. When frosts occur the ground 

 that has been ridged would be benefited by turning over 

 the i-idges with a fork, and if deeply frozen, with a mattock, 

 the more fidly to admit pidverising and vermin-destroying 

 action to all parts of it. The planting of vegetable crops 

 should now be merely confined to a few sorts of Cabbages, 

 Coleworts, and late Celery for soups. The hoe may be used 

 occasionally in di'y weather with advantage, to destroy 

 weeds between the rows of vegetables, and to draw earth to 

 the stems of Cabbages, &c. The Potato Onion is a most 

 productive crop. The small offsets to be planted in beds 

 4 feet wide, four lines (not di-ills) to be drawn 10 inches 

 apart on the beds, the offsets to be placed upright, slightly 

 pressed into the soil, and covered with an inch or two of leaf 

 mould, or any light soil ; when they appear above ground, 

 to be earthed-up on a fine day. They will be ready to take 

 up in the latter end of June to succeed the August-sown 

 ones for use. A dressing of fresh loam is, in many case.'*, 

 preferable to manure for land that has been long cropped 

 with vegetables, and where it is wanted and can be obtained, 

 it should be made ready in order that advantage may be 

 taken of fi-osty weather for hea^^y wheeling. AVhere ii-esh 

 soil cannot be obtained, charred vegetable refuse, such as 

 prunings of shrubberies, edgings of tiu-f, and many other 

 things that may be collected for the purpose, will form an 

 excellent substitute, and there are but few gardens that 

 would not be improved by a di'essing of charred vegetable 

 matter. 



FLOWEK GARDEN. 



The work of the flower garden and of the pleasure ground 

 win now consist in finishing, if mild weather continue, the 

 planting of shrubs, trees, bulbous roots, and hardy peren- 

 nials and biennials. Complete the planting of Roses, if not 

 done already, and if there is not sufficient time for trenching 

 the ground 2 teet deep, a large hole of that depth to be 

 made and filled up with some good loam and well-rotted 

 horsedung. Be careful when planting that the stem is not 

 buried too deeply, as a trifle lower than the depth it was 

 planted before will be sufficient ; the roots to be spread out 

 regularly, and when covering them the soil to be pressed 

 around them gently with the foot, then stake to prevent 

 the wind from loosening the plants at the neck. If the 

 budding of Roses is intended in Jvily, the stocks should be 

 procured and jilanted while mild weather lasts, the brown- 

 backed to be selected in preference to the green-backed; 

 plants of the China or other tender varieties to have a little 

 moss tied round them for protection from frosts. If there 

 is any other tree, shrub, or plant that the experience of past 

 seasons has proved to be susceptible of injury fi-om fi'osts 

 or the inclemency of the winter weather it should be pro- 

 tected in good time. Hoeing and raking the borders 

 amongst shrubs wiU be sufficient to give them a clean and 

 neat appearance without the use of the spade, to which we 



have a great objection, as it cuts the fibrous roots and 

 weakens the growth of shrubs that were planted to be orna- 

 mental for pleasure-ground scenery. 



FKUIT GARDEN. 



Although we consider November the best month for plant- 

 ing fi-uit ti-ees, if through any of the many causes of delay 

 such operations were not carried into execution, we would 

 strongly advise aU to set about such work as soon as possible, 

 and to finish it while open weather lasts. If only an im- 

 provement in the soil is thought necessary, loam and leaf 

 mould are the best for the purpose, and as a makeshift for 

 drainage to raise it as much as possible where the trees are 

 to be planted. When transplanting, the trees to be taken 

 up with care, any broken, bruised, or long straggling roots 

 to be pruned with a clean cut, and when planting to comb 

 them with the fingers to spread them regularly in the holes, 

 which are to be of moderate depth, and of more than suffi- 

 cient width for the extent of the roots. The fi-esh soil to be 

 shaken over them carefully, and gently pressed down (not 

 stamping with the feet) all round, the trees to be then watered 

 and mulched, tr.ained to the wall or espaliers, or if standards, 

 to be fii-mly staked. Make a point of examining every week 

 all choice fi-uits that are approaching ripeness, or are found 

 not to be keeping well, so that everything may be used at 

 the proper time, for some of our best Pears are worthless 

 enough if allowed to get over-ripe before using, and the same 

 is the case with many varieties of Apples. Also, look over 

 the whole stock when time can be spared, remcving any that 

 exhibit symptoms of decay, and putting them aside for im- 

 mediate use. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



Give ail- freely, but not in currents, when the weather 

 permits; use water very sparingly, always tepid; apply 

 fii-e heat occasionally in the day, with free air to di-y up 

 damp. Chinese Azaleas and Camellias to be kept cool, the 

 forward plants to be pushed on with a little heat to expand 

 their flowers properly. Shift on Calceolarias and Cinerarias. 

 Suijply water to the Heaths and New Holland plants that 

 are coming into flower more liberally than to the others. 

 Assist the early Pelargoniums with a little heat, but keep 

 the summer plants cool and au-y. Keep Chinese Primroses 

 near the light and air, and water cautiously. Orange 

 trees or any other plants that have not been recently potted 

 to be fresh surfaced, by removing a little of the top soil 

 and supplying its jilace with fresh. When the Chi-ysan- 

 themums begin to fade they may be removed to the north 

 side of a wall, the pots plunged in old tan, leaves, or saw- 

 dust, to protect them from the severity of winter. 



PITS AND FRAMES. 



Plants in these structm-es to be kept as dormant as 

 possible, with the admission of air at aU favoiu-able oppor- 

 tunities, and a little quicklime carefully sprinkled round the 

 pots to absorb moisture, and in some measure thereby to 

 prevent them from fogging-off. If a severe frost sets in, 

 when it will be necessary to cover them up to the exclusion 

 of light and an- for some days, when a change in the weather 

 take's place, the precaution of shading them for a few days 

 should be taken to inure them gradually to the glare of sun- 

 light. Means of protection should now be ready, for if post- 

 poned until a sharp frost sets in, all will be hun-y and con- 

 fusion, and the labour of months and the hopes of a rich 

 display next season may be destroyed in one night. 



^V. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



One of the great difBculties connected with gardening in 

 England is to be foimd in the extreme changeableness of 

 the weather. Many a man who attends to these changes 

 will prove himself a good gardener, though knowmg but 

 Uttle of science. Many a man with the knowledge of a 

 philosopher will fall into trouble because such little matters 

 are beneath his attention. We shall never forget a gardener 

 coming into a lodge of young gardeners, with buU's-eye 

 lantern in hand, and asking a clever fellow, absorbed in the 

 pages of a thrilling romance, " Why is it there is no fire 

 in the conservatory ':"' " Is there any fi-ost, sfr ?" " Well, I 

 did imagine you hatl something in the way of eyes, hands. 



