February 14, 1867. ] 



JOUKNAIi OF HOETICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



131 



founded with any other Skinuer whatever." He died of yellow 

 fever on the 9th of .Jaunary at Aspinwall, Isthmus of Panama, 

 at the age of 62 ; and it adds paiufuUy to the feeling for his 

 loss to know that he was jonrneying to Guatemala to complete 

 arrangements for retiring from the lirm, preparatory to taking 

 up his residence in England permanently. 



He was a native of Scotland, and his father, the Very Rev. 

 John Skinner, was Dean of Dimkeld and Dunblane, who died 

 at Forfar in 1841, and who was son of Bishop Skinner, Primus 

 of the Episcopal Church of Scotland. The Bishop, we believe, 

 ■wi"0te the well-known " Pieel of TuUochgorum." 



Mr. Skinner, whose death we now record, was not only a 

 Fellow of the Linnean and other kindi-ed Societies, but was 

 ever ready by Lis counsel and his purse to aid others who were 

 pursuing the sciences those Societies fostered. He advised 

 with Hartweg as to the latter's researches in Mexico ; and he 

 supplied Warseewicz with money at the time of his extreme 

 need, when he had been abandoned by the Belgian Association, 

 which had sent him to South America to collect plants. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEX GAHDEN. 



See to the due preparation of ground for crops in general, 

 but beware of carrying on these operations when the soil is in 

 a wet state, better be a fortnight too late with any crop. I am 

 of opinion that where kitchen gardens arc composed of light 

 soil, it is better dug or trenched some weeks before it is wanted 

 for some crops, especially Broad Beans, which like a firm hold 

 of the soil. A small plantation of Marshall's Dwarf Prolific or of 

 Mazagan Beans may be made as soon as the weather is favour- 

 able for the operation. Pens, when the first sowing is coming 

 through the ground it will be advisable to draw a little eaith 

 to the plants. In the case of mice attacking them, there is, 

 perhaps, no better remedy than trapping ; the old figure-4 

 traps, a number of which c.in soon be made, are as good as 

 any. Those who have not already sown Peas may make a 

 sowing of any good early sort in the warmest part of the gar- 

 den, on the first favourable opportunity. Take care, however, 

 that the ground be previously dug to a good depth, or trenched, 

 and in tolerably good heart. As Peas sown at this period of 

 the year, especially in clayey soils, are liable to rot if buried 

 too deeply, do not cover them more than 2 inches. Farstiiji-^, 

 sow as soon as possible. The ground should be trenched and 

 manured in the autumn. Sow in shallow drills 18 inches 

 apart. Tomatoes, sow in heat directly ; also, Sicecf Basil, Su-eet 

 Marjoram, d-c. Sea-hnle and Rhubarb for next year's forcing 

 should be planted immediately in rich trenched ground. Throw 

 a hillock of old tan, ashes, or sand, round each crown to coax 

 it on through the vicissitudes of March and April. Where 

 water is apt to stand on the surface through the puddling pro- 

 perties of heavy rains, try to improve the texture by a dressing 

 of sand, ashes, lime rubbish, charcoal dust, &c. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



Eemember to drain thoroughly. Nowhere is this advice 

 more necessary than in the orchard. Although Apples and 

 Pears are fond of adhesive soils, they will never prove profit- 

 able where water is allowed to accumulate. Thin-pruning is 

 also of great use to Apples which are rather free setters ; it is 

 likewise of great service to varieties of the Nonpareil class 

 to enable them to perfect both frnit and wood. The stems of 

 fruit trees on which moss or the hiding-places of insects are 

 apparent should be cleansed. For this purpose brushes vary- 

 ing in stiffness according to the hardness of the bark should 

 be employed. Those made of brass or iron wire will be found 

 well adapted for scrubbing old crusted bark. The scale may 

 be dislodged to a great extent by such means, and the bark 

 freed from myriads of parasites,' animal and vegetable, which 

 prey upon its substance and render it unsound and unsightly. 

 Moist weather facilitates the operation. Prepare clay for graft- 

 ing, by mixing it with a portion of cowdung and a little fine 

 hay. The pruning of wall trees on south aspects should be 

 completed as soon as possible. In this climate every bearing 

 shoot of the Peach and Nectarine requires to be shortened, 

 otherwise a sufficient supply of young wood for future bearing 

 cannot be insured ; but it this has not been done there may be 

 some difficulty, in consequence of these shoots having formed 

 no wood-buds, except, of course, the terminal bud. In that 

 case it will not be acting too severely to cut back at least every 

 other shoot so fully studded with blossom-buds to within half 

 an inch of the base, in order that from thence better shoots 



may spring, for after this reduction the number of blossom - 

 buds left will, doubtless, be ten times greater than the number 

 of fruit which the tree ought to bear. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



Improve as much as possible all outlines. Plant fresh 

 masses or groups wheu necessary, and introduce specimen 

 plants when fitting opportunities offer. Much mischief is done 

 by planting single specimens in recesses. These should be 

 carefully preserved as a general rule, to give deep shadows and 

 to throw the prominent features into bcld relief. Top-dress 

 Auriculas, delay it not while the weather is fine. Eemove early 

 blooms, and if any plants look sickly examine the roots; if 

 from canker, apply tlie knife ; and if ffom inefficient drainage, 

 put more into the jiot, if possible, without breaking the ball 

 of soil. Tulips are coming forward, shade carefully from 

 frosts and cutting winds. Continue to watch for leaves that 

 are cankered, and remove them as soon as perceived. Top- 

 dress the beds of Pansies with decayed leaves and manure 

 from the Melon-pits reduced to a black unctuous compost ; peg 

 down or remove all straggling shoots, and place bran under 

 tiles as a decoy for snails, &c., which will now, on mild nights, 

 begin to be troublesome. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



It is somewhat difficult to give directions in a successful way 

 for mixed greenhouses. Plants of all climates will occasionally 

 obtain a place there ; and as no special treatment in regard to 

 temperature may be long indulged in with impunity as to the 

 plants from warm countries, a compromise of some kind must 

 continually take place. As a principle, therefore, of frequent 

 and somewhat harmless application, a rather free increase of 

 heat should be allowed on sunny days early in the afternoon 

 for a few hom's, letting the temperature sink at night to the 

 old point, or nearly so. In this structure there will frequently 

 be found Ericas, Pelargoniums, New Holland plants, bulbs, 

 &c., and even Orchids. Vv'e would, therefore, advise a division 

 of these families ; let the Orchid.s, bulbs, and plants of hot 

 climates occupy the hottest end with little air, and the Ericas 

 the other •with a free circulation of air ; the Pelargoniums m.ay 

 stand midway. The conservatory should now be of great in- 

 terest. Any Camellias done blooming should, if possible, be 

 removed forthwith to some of the houses at work ; a moist at- 

 mosphere, a temperature averaging 65°, and a canvas shading 

 overhead, are the requisites in order to cause them to produce 

 wood freely and large leaves ; the shading must by no means be 

 neglected. The climbers in this structure should have a 

 thorough dressing at this period, cutting away weak and de- 

 cayed wood, and shortening back shoots. As a general rule, 

 plants in flower require more water than those not in flower ; it 

 is not intended that they require to be deluged with water, but 

 they should be very carefully and regularly supplied, or possibly 

 the bloom of many plants will fall off prematurely. Again, they 

 must not be exposed to currents of air; these, indeed, should 

 not be admitted in any situation where exotic plants are kept at 

 this time of the year, for they have no other effect than that of 

 paralysing the vital action of the plants within their influence, 

 and, therefore, while they are hurtful to all plants and flowers, 

 they are especially so to such as have been produced in a close 

 warm atmosphere. Again, the decayed and decaying flowers 

 must be sedulously removed ; this is necessary, no less on 

 account of neatness and order, than for the purpose of prevent- 

 ing the injury or decay of the undeveloped flowers, which 

 would be liable to injury by contact with those which were in a 

 state of decomposition. 



STOVE. 



Ssme little increase of temperature may now take place here, 



and that chiefly, as before observed, in the afternoon by shut- 

 ting up early and using plenty of moisture, taking care to 

 thoroughly dry the foliage previously by a free circulation of 

 air. Look over the fastenings of Orchids on blocks or in baskets, 

 renew the wires where necessary. Fasten a httle fresh ma- 

 terial on those not to be shifted, but beware of burying the 

 buds on the eve of their becoming developed. Apply baits for 

 snails and cockroaches most assiduously, and attend closely to 

 the extirpation of all scale. Examine and shift when neces- 

 sary stove plants in general, and cut back some of the kinds 

 after flowering to make cuttings. — ^W. Keake. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



With heavy rains and boisterous winds the weather has still 

 been favourable for much out-door work, and where the ground 



