November 28, 1867. ) 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTOBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



407 



which it is important that a principal branch or leader should 

 proceed; it is better to cut nearly a bud higher, and in spring 

 a fresh cut can be made closer to the bud below. Now that the 

 leaves are fallen, inspect Apple trees, lest any American blight 

 .should have escaped former dressings, and if so, prune the 

 trees and apply naptha to such places as are infested. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



Rustic baskets and vases filled with plants last summer should 

 have the soil taken out of them, in order to keep them frum 

 being injured by frost, and to prepare them for receiving fresh 

 soil next spring. Fuchsias and other half-hardy ]>Iants that 

 have been killed down will now require to have their roots 

 mulched to keep the frost from injuring them. New work, if 

 any, should be proceeded with during this fine weather ; plant- 

 ing should also be carried on. Where shrubberies are too 

 crowded take up some of the best specimens and transplant 

 them, and cut down inferior sorts. Rose stocks should be pro- 

 cured forthwith, and planted in rich soil for budding purposes. 

 Examine pillar and trellis Roses, and see if the soil wauls re- 

 newing, or the kinds changing. Large holes, capable of con- 

 taining three or four barrowloads of soil, should be made for 

 choice kinds. Sound turfy loam is the chief requisite ; to this 

 add a portion of rich rotten manure, and, if at hand, a little 

 sandy peat or leaf soil. The florist's labours are, to a great ex- 

 tent, drawing to a close for the present. His Tulips are safely 

 planted, his Carnations and Picotees framed and in their winter 

 quarters, Ranunculuses are out of harm's way, Dahlias are out 

 of the ground, labelled, and stored away till the ))eriod arrives 

 to start them afresh, and the chief demand on his time and 

 attention is to give air to his plants, both to Carnations and 

 Auriculas whenever possible. Frost is not so detrimental to 

 either of the above hardy plants as dampness ; this must be 

 avoided as much as possible ; they will want but little water, 

 but when this is applied let it be effectually, and in the morn- 

 ing. Tulips also will require to be covered up, or to have other 

 protection during excessive frost, though many growers neglect 

 this precaution till the plants are fairly out of the ground. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERV.WOKY. 



The conservatory being now gay, care must be taken in the 

 very first place that all drip from the roof be avoided. To 

 accomplish this very little water must be applied in any way, 

 except that which is absolutely necessary at the root. How- 

 ever, under these circumstances a very moderate amount of at- 

 mospheric heat must be allowed ; for whatever heat is allowed 

 there must be atmospheric moisture, or the plants will soon 

 show marks of debility ; therefore it is advisable from the end 

 of November until the early part of February to keep as low a 

 temperature as possible, consistently with the main object in 

 view — viz., enabling plants with duly organised buds to develope 

 their blossoms in a proper way. A still atmosphere must be 

 maintained. The ventilation should be moderate, and a tempe- 

 rature of from 4.5' to .53° by day, and from 40" to 45' by night, 

 will be suflicient for the present. Be very cautious in applying 

 fires to Heaths ; nothing so much injures this tribe of plants 

 as the application of artificial heat. They can bear a consi- 

 derable degree of cold and some frost without sustaining any 

 injury, but they cannot withstand the drying influences of fire 

 heat. Very little water will now be required, especially for the 

 large specimens, which must be very particularly examined as to 

 dryness previous to any application of water. 



STOVE. 



Keep the temperature rather low than otherwise, that no 

 new growth may be promoted. Much more injury is likely to 

 result from a high temperature at this season than is generally 

 supposed ; 60° by fire heat will be ample for all stove plants. 

 Continue to look sharply after mealy bug, scale, and other in- 

 sects. This is the season more especially when stove plants 

 can be thoroughly cleaned. 



FORCING-riT. 



Keep the heat at 03° at night, with moisture, and never neg- 

 lect to fill up every corner of this useful structure, for on it 

 the greater portion of the floral display for some months de- 

 pends. Procure all kinds of Dutch bulbs, American and other 

 flowering shrubs. Lilies of the Valley, Heliotropes, Pinks, 

 Roses, and, in fact, all kinds of plants which are usually forced 

 for decorating the conservatory and drawing-room. Keep down 

 green fly by occasional fumigations of tobacco. In a mere pit 

 of fermenting matter a very free ventilation must occasionally 

 be allowed, or the moisture will be overpowering. A bottom 

 heat of 73° ought to be secured ; this is indispensable. The 

 pots should be about half plunged in the old tan. Keep the 



atmospheric heat very low at first, about 5.5° to 60° in the day, 

 with as much air as can be managed, and from 30° to 55° at 

 night, still leaving air more or less. 



PITS AND FRA5IES. 



As the nights are now cold the lights should be closed at 

 night, and the frames well covered with mats and litter if re- 

 quired, avoiding tire heat until it is absolutely necessary. Every 

 fine day look carefully over plants requiring water, but avoid 

 water at this season in dull weather. If the soil in the pots 

 has become green on the surface it should be carefully removed 

 with the point of a small stick ; this must be done in mild 

 weather. — W. Ive.ane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST TSTEEK. 



KITCHEN GAKDEN. 



Cahhapcs. — Filled up a few vacancies in our Cabbage quarter, 

 planted at three different times to afford a succession of gather- 

 ings, as, notwithstanding our wire netting, some rabbits had 

 gone in for a nibbling. These marauders, however, often find 

 their way in by garden doors, left open for convenience for 

 the greater part of the day ; and doors and gates that ought to 

 be kept shut, unless when ingress and egress are wanted, are 

 so apt to be left open. " Shut the door " is an easy maxim, 

 but it is not so easy of fulfilment. At one time, to bring 

 matters more into shape and order, small fines were imposed for 

 small shortcomings — as going out with insufficient tools, taking 

 tools to the shed dirty, stepping on a walk with dirty boots, 

 taking a dirty barrow wheel over a walk, or on a walk at all, 

 when it could be avoided, and one of these fines was for leaving 

 a certain door open behind one ; for that we were every now 

 and then fined ourselves. \ie had a strong suspicion that if we 

 passed that way some sly rogue made his way to the door and 

 set it open ; but nevertheless we had strong proofs that we had 

 left doors open which we wished particularly to be kept shut, 

 and when it was scarcely possible for any one else to come 

 after us. Such involuntary personal failings ought to make 

 us more charitable to the shortcomings of others, though in- 

 sisting all the same on what is right being done. 



We may here state, that to carry out well a system of fines, 

 three things are necessary — first, the sum should be small, such 

 as \d. or id. ; secondly, one of the best men should be recorder 

 and receiver ; and thirdly, at stated intervals the sum collected 

 should be used as the general vote of the men may determine, 

 so that no advantage from these fines should accrue to the 

 master or proprietor. Our system fell into disuse, because at 

 length fines became so rarely necessary, though every man 

 looked sharply after his neighbour. We sometimes think it 

 would be well to revert to them again. It was astonishing how 

 well the system worked, and how keeuly every man took hold 

 of a slip iu his fellow-workman ; and we do not recollect of a 

 single unpleasantness. 



We allude to the subject of keeping doors and gates shut 

 when not in use, as a hare or a rabbit is as anxious to make its 

 way into a fresh enclosure, as a bird is to see what is protected 

 under a net. With such prudence, and with good fences, much 

 may be done to keep these intruders at bay. 



Colewort Cabbages when young are almost as hardy as the 

 common Cabbages, but when at this season they produce their 

 flat crisp heads, they are easily injured by frost, and when that 

 threatens to be severe, it is wise policy to lift such plants, 

 remove only a few of the lower leaves, and lay them in, in a 

 turf-pit or border, thick enough just for the heads to meet, 

 protect with litter, &c., when needed, and uncover iu fine 

 weather. Such precautions make the winter pass more easily. 

 They wiU need less care than the Cauliflowers aUuded to last 

 week, but even in their case, as well as in that of 



Eiulirc which we had taken up and placed in an earth-pit, 

 lifting with good balls, we soon saw the necessity of frightening 

 nils to a distance, as they had begun upon the heaits of the 

 Cauliflowers, and had nipped out the centres of some of the 

 best Endive. Besides trapping, i'C, we took advantage of the 

 cleanly habits of the animal and scattered tar both inside and 

 outside of the earth-pit, so that the rats without burrowing 

 could not pass in without crossing the tar, the smell of which 

 is also offensive to them. Now, such tar sprinkled inside, even 

 close to the back and front of an earth or turf-pit, would do no 

 harm at this season, but let no one imagine he could place tar 

 in a pit or frame with artificial heat, where plants of a more 

 tender nature are kept. In this case, most likely, the fumes of 

 the tar would be destructive in the close atmosphere. We 



