«1C 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 34, 1867. 



ont of the reach of frost. lihubarb, clear off the leaves now de- 

 cayed, as also those of Sen-kale; fork over the soil, and cover 

 the Sea-kale with leaves where it is intended to be forced early. 

 Mnslimoms, the beds made as directed in September, will now 

 be bearing. It is a good plan to sprinkle or syringe the sur- 

 face of the bed a week or so before the Mushrooms make their 

 appearance, more especially in Mushroom-houses, where a fire 

 may have been used occasionally ; this is far better than water- 

 ing after the Mushrooms are through. The water, however, 

 must be allowed to penetrate so as to soften the soil. Late 

 beds, or portions of such may still be made in-doors ; let the 

 di'oppings be made somewhat drier than those of September, 

 and do not mix any soil with them. In spawning the beds, it 

 is a good practice to wrap the lump of spawn in a mass of half- 

 decayed, half-moistened, strawy manure, for in case of over- 

 heating, the spawn is not so readily destroyed. Let all be made 

 as firm as possible by treading or ramming ; light and porous- 

 heds will neither endure so long, nor produce such good Mush- 

 rooms as those of a solid character. 



FEUIT GAEDEN. 



The soil is now in good working condition, and its dry state 

 is very favourable for the formation and renovation of borders 

 for fruit trees. Such operations can be much better efieoted 

 when the roads and materials are dry than otherwise. Make 

 fresh plantations of Gooseberries, Currants, and Raspberries, 

 where required, and propagate the former by cuttings. The 

 planting of Cherries and Plums may be immediately com- 

 menced, their leaves having fallen early in consequence of the 

 frequent occurrence of frosty nights. As soon as Fig trees are 

 clear of foliage, they may be finally covered for the winter. As 

 many branches as can be huddled together should be neatly 

 covered with straw, and secured to the wall. The fruit-room 

 will yet require a free circulation of air. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



During fine weather all out-door work should be forwarded 

 as much as possible. Bulbs of every description intended for 

 beds and borders should be planted before the soil becomes 

 saturated with moisture. Where new work is to be done, it 

 should also be carried on with as much expedition as possible 

 while the weather is fine. Turf out of order should be fresh 

 laid, taking care to level the surface when necessary. Plant- 

 ing should likewise be proceeded with before cold and frosty 

 weather sets in. Look carefully after all kinds of seeds, 

 collect them as they ripen, and keep them in a dry, airy place 

 until there is more leisure time for cleaning them. Clip and 

 weed Box edgings, and sweep gravel walks occasionally to pre- 

 vent leaves from staining the gravel. As the winter approaches, 

 protection of some kind should be provided for plants and 

 S'arnbs of a tender character ; almost any material is eligible, pro- 

 vided it will, in a considerable degree, throw off wet. Canopies 

 for this purpose should be so contrived as to admit of one or 

 two sides being opened at pleasure. If only one, we would 

 place it on the north or west side, certainly not on the south, as 

 the excitement occasioned by bursts of sunshine is apt to prove 

 very prejudicial. The covering or canopy should by no means 

 he allowed to touch the plant, and the greater the space allowed 

 between it and the plant the better will it afford protection. It 

 is a bad plan to bundle the shoots together like a besom in 

 order to make them occupy a more limited space. Such may 

 save trouble and material, but is a most injurious proceeding. 

 More injury is occasioned by confined damp, in a majority of 

 cases, than by a lowering of temperature. Hoodings of straw, so 

 formed as to overlap the protecting material beneath, are very 

 good and simple protectors, and if rightly contrived may be re- 

 moved with as much facility for ventilation as the top of any 

 ordinary hand-glass. Oil cloth wiU prove a good protection 

 also, it formed into a kind of cone, on the sides of which a 

 small flap or two may be made to open without admitting the 

 rain. Before the application of any top covering we would ad- 

 vise an inch or two of the surface soil around the collar to be 

 removed, and replaced with dry sawdust, the newer the better. 

 This should be piled as high as the stem of the plant will 

 admit, taking care not to choke too many of the lower leaves, 

 and if the canopy is so contrived as to overlap this mound, the 

 covering will be complete. The only thing that remains is to 

 give air at favourable opportunities, avoiding particularly cut- 

 ting winds, which generally do more harm than the frosts. Mr. 

 Constantine, gardener at Hillingdon, uses such canopies for the 

 protection for his half-hardy shrubs and Gonifern;. Defer the 

 operation of covering as long as is consistent with the security 

 of the plants. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



On all favourable occasions admit air freely, it will not pro- 

 duce those withering effects upon the foliage that such an ex- 

 posure would do in the spring. The plants having been recently 

 fully exposed, to shut them up closely now would induce 

 growth, and prove their ruin. In order that the Pelargoniums 

 may be kept in a comparatively dormant state for some time, 

 little water and plenty of air must be given ; should they 

 advance into a free-growing state now the damps and fogs of 

 the next six weeks may produce spots on the leaves, and to 

 cure this you will have at an unnatural season to apply fire 

 heat. The strength of the plants will thereby be greatly ex- 

 hausted, and, consequently, they will neither flower so finely 

 nor so profusely. The Hybrid Perpetual, Tea, and other Roses, 

 as well as the Chrysanthemums, if attended to as directed in 

 former calendars, will render the greenhouse as well as the con- 

 servatory most interesting for the next two months. If severe 

 weather should occur do not hesitate to use a little fire heat, 

 especially where plants are blooming, as by this means a free 

 ventilation may be indulged in to expel damp and stagnant air. 



STOVE. 



As before, much less moisture will suffice at this period, even 

 for the growing Orchids. Keep the temperature progressively 

 on the decline, more especially in dark weather. Place all 

 flowering plants in conspicuous situations. Epiphyllum trnn- 

 catum makes a fine appearance in winter, some plants of it 

 may be forwarded by additional heat, and others retarded by 

 being kept in a low temperature, so as to prolong their flower- 

 ing season. It is astonishing how much gaiety can be pro- 

 duced by a little forethought in this way. The temperature 

 may now decline at night to 65°. 



riTS AND FRA3IES. 



If the weather continues dry, more watering will be required, 

 and air must be given freely to such plants as are well estab- 

 lished in their pots. Cuttings not yet rooted should be shaded 

 and kept quite close during the middle of the day, but un- 

 covered early enough in the afternoon to allow a little sun heat 

 to collect for the night. Choice plants in the parterre can no 

 longer be depended upon as to display. It is, therefore, de- 

 sirable at this period to look over the masses and beds, and see 

 if there is any choice subject of a tender character which it is 

 desirable to secure for next year ; snch may be potted with a 

 ball, and wintered in the cold pit. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Celery. — Took the opportunity of a dry day to put a little 

 well pulverised earth to Celery-beds. There is no diflioulty in 

 doing this, even if a bed is from three to five rows in width, 

 if the Celery plants are neatly tied up. We rarely use boards 

 across for this purpose, unless when we place ashes round the 

 Celery, and earth in the spaces between. Sifted cinder ashes 

 immediately round the plants are a good safeguard against 

 worms and slugs. We generally, when we have it, strew a little 

 lime among the plants a short time before earthing-up, which 

 helps to drive all such enemies away, as a few slugs and snails 

 will spoil the look of the finest heads of Celery. Could we 

 manage it, we would always use long dry litter, or long grass, 

 put on in thin layers, as the lasttopping-up for Celery either in 

 rows or beds. Even in beds, if such materials are put neatly on, 

 and raised highest in the middle, they soon get on the surface 

 a crust that will throw heavy rains to the sides, and thus there 

 is no danger of damping in the centre of the plants, and no 

 danger of injury from frost. 



Cabbages, Cauliflowers, itc, as in previous week's notices. 



Lettuces. — Have a lot in by the heels, which we have not had 

 time to plant in orchard-houses, at the bases of walls, &c., to 

 stand the winter, and will in a day or two take up a lot rather 

 more than half-gi'own, with balls, to place xmder old sashes in a 

 turf-pit, withotherprotection, and will do the same with a piece 

 of Endive. Last year, and several previous years, our Broad- 

 leaved Endive stood remarkably well, with dry litter placed over 

 it out of doors in frosty nights, and taken oft' when the frost 

 was gone. A little of the litter was strewed on the ground 

 between the plants, which kept them warm at the roots. Plants 

 thus managed kept well last season up to April. The great 

 danger in turf-pits, unless there is good glass covering, pro- 

 ceeds from two causes — the d&mp which accumulates from the 

 mere sinking of the pit, and which could only be avoided by so 

 raising the walls of earth or turf that the bottom or available 



