D«c«iDbor 5, 1867. 1 



JOUBNAIi OP HOBTICUIiTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



mado ground for new Asparagus beds. Potatoes, prepare well 

 for almost any crop. Deep or tap-rooted crops should bo suc- 

 ceeded by others with shallow or fibrous roots. Carrots and 

 Onions in rich kitchen gardens will be found much safer if grown 

 oa high-raised beds without any manure. Asparagus, cover the 

 lOjtswitha good coat of manuie. Hard frosts frequently do 

 f»rious injury to the roots when this protection is not afforded. 

 The CcUrij ground, as before observed, will answer well for a 

 new plantation. It should be ridged to mellow as the crop is 

 taken up. The best policy with Liltiices intended for the 

 supply of next spring, is to allow them to freeze tolerably firm 

 before covering them up. A very light screen of straw should 

 bo shaken over them at first, and when this is frozen add a little 

 more, the object being to keep them frozen as long as possible. 

 Above all, do not uncover them when a tbaw arrives, let them 

 remain until completely thawed. These remarks will bear 

 equally on all other vegetables of a tender character. 



FKUIT OABDEN. 



With regard to very young Pear trees, the object of pruning 

 should be to encourage the growth of wood in proper directions, 

 rather than the production of a few fruits at the expense of 

 retarding that development of the tree. The form in which 

 the tree is to be trained must be first decided upon. For walls 

 and espaliers, the horizontal disposition of the branches is the 

 best ; if the tree be a maiden plant it must be headed back to 

 three buds — to the two best situated for producing a horizontal 

 branch on each side, whilst the third or uppermost is trained 

 upright. If the tree is a year older, and has been treated as 

 above in the former season, the upright is to be cut 1 foot, or 

 four courses of brick, higher than it was formerly. Some- 

 times a little deviation will be necessary on account of the 

 buds, but generally tlic upright should be cut immediately 

 above that bud which is nearest the line of brickwork along 

 which it is desirable the horizontals should be trained. The 

 buds to produce the latter will, of course, be situated below 

 that line ; it is proper they should be so in order that the 

 shoots may grow diverging upwards a little way before they 

 take a strictly horizontal direction. These instructions with 

 regard to the management of the upright leading shoot are 

 applicable ever^' year till it is tinally stopped on reaching the 

 top of the wall or espalier. If the horizontal shoots are weak, 

 it will be advisable to shorten them about one-third. The 

 pruning of older trees on which fruit-spurs are formed, must 

 be deferred till next week : in the meantime the fruit-buds on 

 such will become farther developed and easier to distinguish. 



FLOwEn o.ir.riEN. 

 Look carefully over rock plants and protect the roots of such 

 as are tender. Divide and transplant any that are spreading 

 too much. In favourable weather when the walks are dry 

 manure may be wheeled on borders to be dug in during winter 

 as opportunity offers. Land that is naturally very stiff should 

 receive a coat of sand or lime rubbish to lighten it, but by no 

 means disturb the soil unless it is dry and in a (it state for 

 digging. Cabbage and Provence Hoses might now be pruned 

 if the weather continues mild, but Chinese and other tender 

 kinds should be left till winter is over. 



CONSERVATORY AND GREENHOUSE. 



The Camellias will now be making a iiue display in the con- 

 servatory. They should receive careful attention as to watering 

 with very weak, tepid, liquid manure. Let them not, however, 

 receive a drop until they are really dry, and then supply it 

 liberally. If in such cases any air-bubbles arise, continue to 

 fill up with water until they cease. Never allow the fine foliage 

 of Camellias and Oranges to become dirty, for the beauty of 

 the conservatory depends quite as much on them as on mere 

 floral decoration. Let not a drop of water be spilled on the 

 conservatory floor at this period, and keep on a very little back 

 air at night in order to let atmospheric humidity' pass off. He 

 very cautious in the use of fire heat ; the less the better if a 

 temperature of 4.5' to .50" can be insured. See that the early- 

 Howering Cinerarias have the lightest place in the house 

 close to the glass ; crowding is very prejudicial to this plant. 

 Ijet plants of Eranthemum pnlchellum coming into bloom 

 have abundance of water and a warm situation. The Velt- 

 heimias, Tritonias, Stenorhynchus speciosus, Laclienalias, Szc, 

 are delightful winter plants ; see that they receive due at- 

 tention. All decaying flowers should be removed every day. 



FOBCINO MT. 



Take care that the pots are not plunged deeply if there is a 

 lively bottom heat ; such in the neighbourhood of the roots 



should not exceed 7.5'. Indeed, if the atmospheric heat of 60* 

 or r,5° can be secured by other means, a bottom heat of 70' 

 would suffice. 



STOVE. 



No plants are more benefited by rest than Orchids. A drier 

 atmosphere and lower temperature are now desirable, but then 

 our collections are from countries with different seasons of 

 growth and various kinds of temperature and climate, and 

 hence it is extremely ditlicult to cultivate in one house a mis- 

 cellaneous collection of Orchids so satisfactorily as when there 

 are two divisions, the one commanding a higher temperature, 

 with more moisture, than the other. Where these do not exist 

 advantage must be taken of other houses, such, for example, 

 as u forcing pit ; many of them in a growing state can be re- 

 moved thither to great advantage, and thus their growth may be 

 promoted without injury to the general collection. — W. Keake. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK 



KITCHEN OARDEN. 



Such fine weather as we have had in November is almost 

 unparalleled, and it afforded a good opportunity for forwarding 

 work out of doors ; but we could not do so much in this depart- 

 ment as we wished. Most gardeners know what it is to find 

 every department requiring particular attention, when that can 

 only be given to one at a time. The frosty mornings of the 

 past week afforded a good opportunity for wheeling manure, 

 soils, itc, and the dry days were occupied in protectinq the 

 roots of Globe Artichokes, and packing some long litter among 

 beds of Celery, to help to throw wet aside, and to protect from 

 frost. A few little heaps placed at the sides will be ready 

 to shake lightly over the tops, if the frost become very severe, 

 and the covering will be removed when the thaw comes. This 

 is a very simple but effectual mode. Of course, if some sort of 

 a waterproof roof could be placed over the bed at this time, to 

 throw all the water off, it would be very desirable. We used 

 protection for Cauliflowers, Lettuces, and Endive, in the coldest 

 nights, and now have the litter in heaps. The drier the litter, 

 the better it acts, and the more pleasant it is to work amongst. 

 From having at one time a very limited supply, we used to 

 forecast for this stable litter, by shaking it well, and taking out 

 all the droppings, drying it on a hot day, and stacking it ia 

 summer. We would prefer clean straw now for such pro- 

 tective purposes, and even Fern, i-c, but the litter answers 

 well, and straw has been expensive for a year or two. It is 

 very comfortable to have a stack to go to in an emergency. 

 Rough hay taken from outlying parts of the lawn, but unfit for 

 cattle use, owing to the leaves of trees, shrubs, &c., is also 

 first-rate for this purpose. 



All such protecting material is most valuable when it is dry 

 — a simple fact that men are apt to forget, especially when it 

 is used over glass. Any one could see a change was coming 

 on Saturday morning, when most likely for a time there would 

 be no need of such material. This, therefore, was all removed 

 from Cauliflowers, Endive, bedding plants, &c., early, before 

 any rain could wet it, and piled up in little heaps. When much 

 in use, over frames and hurdles, nothing is better for taking 

 it off quickly than the back of a wooden rake ; but in doing this 

 there is a great disposition in the workman to bring it down to 

 the front and leave it there, a matter of little moment in fine, 

 dry weather, but of much importance in changeable wet weather, 

 as the wet that runs down from the glass, hurdles, &c., soou 

 soaks it : hence it should bo moved in such weather to a little 

 distance from the front, and placed in heaps to throw vret 

 aside. 



The last day of the month on which we are writing this, has 

 brought a change which will be agreeable to many in this 

 neighbourhood. The rain towards the evening came down in 

 earnest. As a general rule, those who depended chiefly on 

 large tanks in this neighbourhood, were badly off for water. 

 Most of the tanks have been empty for weeks, and water carts 

 were as busy after water as we have seen them in July. Now 

 tanks and pools m ill receive a supply. 



Tainlfd Wiitrr. — We have a large cement tank open to the 

 atmosphere. It receives the rain water from glass-houses, 

 shades, .'cc. It is now half full, and contains some hundreds 

 of barrels, which we would be sorry to lose. The water is 

 freely covered with Duckweed, which ought to do something to 

 purify it. There can be nothing in it but a few leaves that may 

 have blown in ; it is clear and pellucid, but the smell is such aa 

 to render it unfit for washing vegetables. We do not think it 



