November 28, 1867. ] 



JOUUNAL OF H0I4TIGULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



409 



the parpose will be thin moveable wooden sbiitters, and wben 

 well-seasoned tarred on tho outaide. The next best is asphalt 

 felt, fastened tightly to .strong light wooden frames. Straw 

 covers are tho next host, made with wheaten straw, drawn, and 

 the beads cut o(T before threshing. When threshed by machine 

 the straw is too much bruised, and thus retains moisture. 

 Mats, which our correspondent refers to, become too heavy 

 when wet, and wben not stretched tightly allow the rains to 

 pass. We have found them a valuable covering wlien stretched 

 (irmly on a wooden frame and tacked down to it, and then 

 brnsbcd on the upper side with coal tar, heated to make it 

 spread freely and thinly, and then dry sawdust scattered over 

 it. With us such covers have lasted several years, and are still 

 doing good service. 



For all these modes of protcctinR an earth pit in winter and 

 spring, there must bo two men to lift the covers off and on as 

 needed, or a stout piece of wood should go from back to front 

 of tho pit, and bo fixed beneath the surface, on which one man 

 may slide the covers upwaids and downwards. Even with such 

 protection in severe weather, some long stable litter, or other 

 similar substance, will have to go over them, and should not 

 be removed until the frost has gone for a day or two. Wo have 

 bad such protection untouched for six weeks, unless to break 

 the surface to aiTest the direct lines of radiation, and when 

 exposed tho plants looked as fresh as if they had been shut up 

 for only a common winter night. These covers or frames may 

 rest on the back end, and bo lifted up less or more on notched 

 sticks when the weather will not permit of their being taken 

 off, and yet is mild enough for plenty of air being given. 



All these are best managed when fixed to frames from Hj to 

 4 feet wide, and the expense of the frame, even in the case of 

 the mat, will soon be saved, as mats last but a little time when 

 rolled up and rolled down frequently, but are a valuable means 

 of protection when kept whole and the surface more or less 

 waterproofed. Those earth pits are also easily protected by any 

 textile material that can be fixed on light poles and rolled on and 

 rolled off with ease. For winter use, a waterproof pliable material 

 would be tho best for this purpose. For spring use frigi-domo 

 rather tightly strained answers well ; but for all such purposes 

 unbleached calico wben it shall fall to its old price, which it is 

 every day coming nearer, will be the best and the cheapest, 

 whether waterproofed with oil, beeswax, and driers, or as sent 

 out from the loom, for when tightly strained it sends oiT water 

 like an umbrella ; and when any of these means are used, cross 

 sticks, as alluded to above, will bo necessary to keep the covei'- 

 ing above the plants, and to act as the whalebone in tl)e 

 umbrella. When using such material it is well to have a slight 

 rail of wood at tho back and front of the pit, to keep the calico, 

 &o., from resting on tho ground. Besides the pole at each end 

 for every 30 or 40 feet in length to roll upon, and to stretch 

 tightly longitudinally, strings will be wanted every 4 feet or so, 

 back and front, to tie to pins to keep the calico, ttc, stretched. 

 Our experience would lead to the conclu.sion that wben wo can 

 purchase nearly two-yards-wide, not-over-strong, unbleoched 

 calico for from (id. to Ki/. or a little more per yard run, there 

 ia no other protecting material for such cold purposes that will 

 answer so well or can bo managed so economically. We have 

 had bedding plants under such calico from the middle of March 

 to the beginning of May, with Fcarcely the necessity of moving 

 it all that time, and the plants fiourishing without the need of 

 water, ,tc. ; and with such a covering our correspondent might 

 keep his pit tight-sovered, unless wlien he wanted to gather 

 the contents, as suflicieut light would bo admitted to keep up 

 growth, and sufficient air would circulate freely by merely 

 elevating tho calico a little back and front between the strings 

 that keep all tight. In severe weather a little clean straw and 

 clean litter would require to be thrown over it. We find that 

 for such purposes a very stout strong cotton is not so ocouo- 

 miCAl as a thinner cheaper one. 



OUNAMENTAL DEPAnTMENT. 



In this and other departments our work hasbeena continuation 

 of that of previous weeks. We have not yet cleared the flower 

 garden. In the open ground Salvias are still good, and, where 

 at all sheltered. Scarlet Pelargoniums and Calceolarias have 

 some fair bloom ; and some annuals, as Larkspur, Candytufts, 

 and Erysimum, are in good bloom. Dahlias, even in sheltered 

 places, are about over, though a few good flowers could be 

 gathered. Altogether we must soon clear off, as the first leaves 

 drop from the deciduous trees. We have taken up what few 

 plants we want to keep. Some Scarlet Pelargoniums which we 

 wished to keep for centres to pyramids, wo have potted singly, 

 and left their full length ; others which we wished to have as 



strong low plants we have pruned back to the hard wood, 

 spurring them in, and then cutting the roots to from 4 to 

 inches in length. We packed tho roots of some twenty or 

 mnro plants in a 12-inch put, and set them where they will be 

 rather dry and have no frost, and it will be well if they make 

 no leaves larger than a sixpence before the middle of March. 

 — E. F. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— Novembeb 27. 



AnniVALK have hocn Bomn-Rhut heavier thiR week, pnrticiilarly inPor- 

 tUKfl Grapes, OrangPH. ftiid Chestnuts. BnsiDPKH, however, is very 

 (Itjpressed, buyerti hnldint; ov<r until n neoror njiproarh to Christmas. 

 PmirB comprihoWiutor NeliB, Choumontel. and Glr.u Mnrrenu ; Apples 

 liibston Pipjiin. Cox'tf OrnuKc Pippin. Nonpareils, lU'incttcB. CalvUle 

 lilanche, nml others. Good sound Potutoes are in brislt demand, and 

 worth rather more money in tho northern markets. 



FRUIT. 



Apples ^ slevo 



Apricots doz 



Cherries lb. 



Chestnuts bush. 



Carrnnt» j sieve 



Hlack do. 



Fik's doz. 



Fiibnrts lb. 



Cobs lb. 



Gooseberrioa .. qunrt 

 Grapes, Hothouse, .lb. 

 LomuDS lUO 



Artichokes d.-'z. 



AsparofTus bundle 



Beans, Kidney 100 



ScnrletRun.^ sieve 



Beet. Red *. doz. 



Broccoli bundle 



Bru<4. Spronta ^ sieve 



Cabbafto doz. 



Capsicums loO 



Carrots bunch 



C.anlitlower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Cucurabcra each 



pickling doz. 



Endive doz. 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish .. bundle 



ff. d. fi. 



2 rttoH 



I) 







8 















1 

 1 



B. d. 8. d 

 2 OtoS 

 



' Melons each 



NectariQcs doz. 



Ornndes 100 5 10 



' Poaches doz. 



, Pcarg (dessert) . . doz. 3 8 



Pino Apples lb. 4 e 



Plnms i sieve 



Quinces doz. 2 3 



RftspborriftB lb. 



Slrnwherries lb. 



2 fi 6 Walnuts bush, in 18 



8 12 1 do per 100 1 1 



B. d. 



2 















2 

 



VEGETABLES, 

 d 



to 4 Loehfl bnnch 



Lettuce per score 



'<i Mnsbrooras pottle 



Mustd.&Cre^s, punnet 



ti ; Onions perbushel 



6 Pftrslev per sieve 



G P.lrsnipa doz. 



6 Pens per quart 



Potatoes bushel 



8 Kidney do. 



Radishes doz. bunches 



6 Kbubarh bundle 



Savoys doz. 



Sea-kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spiuach bushel 



Tomatoes. . . . per doz. 



Turnips bunch 



d. B. d 

 StoO 



9 









 4 6 



9 

 



■ Vegetable MaxT0W8,dz. 



8 



2 



2 



4 







TR.VDE CATALOGUE RECEIVED. 



J. House, Eastgate Nursery, reterborongh. — Catalogue of 

 Huses, Fruit Trees, ConiJ'eriC, liarchj Trees, Shrubs, dc. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



*.• We request that no one will wiite privately to the depart- 

 mental writers of the ".Journal of Horticulture. Cottage 

 Gardener, and Country Gentleman." By so doing they 

 are subjected to unjustifiable trouble and expense. All 

 coram unieations shoiild therefore be addressed anlebi to 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture, dc, 171, Fleet 

 Street, London, B.C. 



We also request that correspondents will not mix np on the 

 same sheet questions relating to Gardening and those on 

 Poultry and Bee subjects, if they expect to get them an- 

 swered promptly and conveniently, but write them on 

 separate communications. Also never to send more than 

 two or three questions at once. 



N.B. — Many questions must remain unanswered tmtU next 

 week. 



Star Pinks. — "L.Ji."* and other corrccpondrnts wi.«h to know where 

 these can be purchased. It would bo worth any florist's while to advert 

 tise them, for they have been so long neglected that they are now a novelty 



Yellow-leaved NASTcanrM (i?. ir.).— If permanent, andonlyOinchea 

 hiRh, it would bo a good edging plant. Send a specimen to the Floral 

 Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society. It is u novelty. 



ASI I AN .\3LATECR NOT Exci-CfED BY THIS RCI.E ? — " C C. /'.** askS 



thi.'!, and the rule is: — " .\u)atcurs (by which is meant persons not being 

 gardeners, nor emnluying any person as a rcgiilar gardener), may com- 

 pote.'' *' C. C. E." has a ser%-ant who works in the garden, but also cleans 

 boots, feeds pigs, attends to horses, and does other jobs alMut the house. 

 We couaider the servant is not " a regular gardener," and that •* C. C. £.'* 

 is lutitled to exhibit as on amateur. 



Camellia {E. Kobin^on).— Even if we saw a flower wo could not bo 

 certain of the name, considering the hundreds of varieties existing, much 

 less is it possible to name it trom a twig. 



