150 



JOURNAL OF HOETICDLTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



r February 21, 1867. 



in the centre, the Peas sown, and then covered with leaf 

 mould. These wore placed under some old frames, with just a 

 little heat below them. We like tiles better than turf it we 

 Lave enough of them. In tilling them with rich earth we place 

 a lump of rotten dung or leaves in each end. The Peas seem 

 to grow more freely when transferred from such tiles, or even 

 from boxes, than from turf, as, if the turf is lirm, it seems to 

 bind the young stems of the Peas too firmly, and so prevent 

 their free expansion. Our ground is yet too wet to do much 

 in this way out of doors, oven if we could do so with safety. 

 Last year about this time we thought we might sow with coni- 

 parativo safety, as we had not seen a pheasant about the 

 garden for weeks, but before they were sown three days our 

 winged enemies knew all about it ; repeated sowings were 

 just repeated feedings to them, and even tarring the ground 

 would not keep them away; wire netting, or even' common net- 

 ting, would have baffled them, if small enough in the mesh— 

 from J to 1 inch, for if the openings were from It to 2 inches 

 there was every chance of many birds hanging themselves in 

 the netting. The pheasant will cimningly shove his head 

 through netting barely large enough to admit it, but he has 

 little idea of extricating it. 



In the last page of advertisements hut one in the number for 

 the llth of February is a representation of icire guards in yard 

 lengths at Is. per yard, which would make a secure protection 

 for Peas and other crops sown in rows, and which, besides 

 answering many purposes of protection, would last a long time 

 when taken care of. If this meet the eye of the advertiser, it 

 would be well if he would state the width and height of the 

 guard, the size of the small openings, and whether the wire 

 IS plain, japanned, or galvanised. These matters would be 

 of importance to many, especially amateurs, who have been 

 making inquiries on this subject, and to some of these we 

 had recommended mere makeshift and cheaper plans, such as 

 Strips of wood placed on each side of the row, and a piece of 

 fine netting fastened on the top. Two boards three-quarters 

 of an inch thick, or even half an inch thick, with cross pieces 

 to keep them together, 5 inches apart at the bottom, and three- 

 quarters of an inch apart at the top, would keep Peas from the 

 larger birds, but we question if such modes would be so econo- 

 mical in the end as these neat wire guards, with their iron feet 

 to go into the ground, and at any rate they would not be so 

 useful for general purposes, or for giving protection to rather 

 tender plants when first turned out. When the Peas are 2 or 

 3 inches above the ground pheasants and other birds will 

 trouble them but little. They are most ravenous at them just 

 when the radicle is extended aud the plumule peeping up, for 

 then the seedlings are as sweet as young Peas. AVe should 

 not mind sowing under cover the earliest crops, even with the 

 ground fo wet as it is now, and altering it to bring it into a nice, 

 dry, friable condition before the plants are turned out, and then 

 staking them as we go, for in that case the ground is left in such 

 a healthy condition that the Peas generally thrive much better 

 than those which have been longer in the ground. It is a serious 

 matter, however, to do this with the general crops, as we did 

 ■with most of them last season. Even the matter of watering 

 them becomes serious, and there is a difficulty then in securing 

 -the usual luxuriance, and altogether the additional labour in- 

 volved would soon equal in cost many yards of wire guards. 



Treat garden Beans much in the same way as Peas. 



Dwaif Kidney Beans must make ro»'m for a succeeding crop, 

 the last just showing bloom, and the one before that bearing, 

 and we have nice plants just ready to turn out. Now is the 

 greatest strife of the season under glass — the great contest, 

 resolving itself into whether such aud such space shall be given 

 to the useful or the ornamental. 



Sowed more Celery on a slight hotbed covered with glass, 

 and scattered over the bed a thin sowing of Cauliflower and Let- 

 tuces, which will be transplanted, or rather pricked out, before 

 the Celery shows much. 



Planted out strong plants of Cucmnhers from six-inch pots, 

 and singly, and used nothing but turfy loamy soil, well aired, 

 with a little two-year-old cowdung. ' We examined the soil 

 for fungus spawn, and rejected all in which there was a trace. 

 On removing the soil lately from an old Cucumber-bed that 

 did not quite please us, we found that there had been spawn in 

 the little leaf mould used, and it had spread considerably in 

 the soil. We have never found Cucumbers thrive well with 

 such fungus matter in the soil. Wherever it is suspected a 

 little quicklime should be added aud frequently turned with it, 

 but the whole should remnin exposed until the lime has become 

 quite mild. We have traced some of the ills that Cucumbers "are ' 



heir to " to the fungus matter in the soil, at least we think so, 

 and only wish we could be more certain. We have advocated 

 fermenting ti-ee leaves for many purposes ; but though it in- 

 volves a little waste, it is safest to use them after they have 

 been well heated, as the heat helps to se«d all crawling in- 

 truders to a distance, and to destroy the most of the fungirs 

 spawn. Even with that care we have found nasty spawn 

 spreading through the leaves, and taking hold of and running 

 thread-like through the soil ; and then in some cases we have 

 found the leaves of Cucumbers flag, fade, and rot, without any 

 apparent cause ; the stems would become soft and cankered, 

 or split and gutter, aud the smaller fibres would be soft and 

 spongy, and rot with mildew. Instead of the old nostrums of 

 many ingredients in a compost, we shall have to resort to sim- 

 plicity more and more in soils, and many things besides. 

 Though leaf mould is one of our most useful materials in a 

 garden, we feel sure that if not decomposed and sweetened, and 

 free from fungus, it often, especially in the last case, does great 

 injury. For particular purposes, such as when used by the 

 amateur for his favourite pot plants, it is a good plan to heat 

 it well at a fireplace, or in or about an oven, and then place it 

 in a dry, airy situation, and turn it frequently until it is 

 thoroughly sweetened. All soils for in-door work will be much 

 improved by this airing and sweetening. 



All forced vegetables much the same as in former week's 

 notices. Earthed down the fourth piece in the Mushroom- 

 house. The first piece is still doing fairly, the second is in 

 full bearing, from the third we shall not expect the Mushrooms 

 to show for some weeks. The heat given off by these shallow 

 succession-beds has been sufficient for the house, except when 

 we had the severe frost, and we gave extra heat then chiefly 

 because wo wanted extra produce. We have often done this 

 when we wanted a good supply for a certain time, though well 

 knowing we should rather injure the continuous bearing of the 

 bed. We were somewhat afraid we had thus put a sudden stop to 

 the producing powers of the first bed ; but after sweeping it all 

 over, giving a little manure water, and a slight covering of hay, 

 it has produced abundantly after a ten-days rest. 



FETTIT GARDEN'. 



Besides pruning, nailing, &c., out of doors, and planting what 

 should have been done in autumn, our chief work has been re- 

 gulating and finding room for Strawberry plants. In our lean-to 

 Peach-house, where the bloom is rejoicing in the snatches of 

 sunshine, which house is about 11 feet wide, we have now four 

 rows of Strawberries far apart from each other, and the shade 

 of which will do little harm to the trees for some time. The 

 highest suspended shelf has the pots set on turf reversed, and 

 the grass from the edges of the turf has been twice clipped oft, 

 as otherwise from its hanging down it would give nearly as 

 much shade as the pots. Besides, once or twice we have 

 noticed this grass, from the extra stimulus to growth become 

 very weak, and then it would be attacked by insects, and these 

 would not stay on the grass. This does not often happen, but 

 it is almost the only objection against using turf for this pur- 

 pose, so far as its utility is concerned. Moss, too, is also very 

 good, more especially if soaked some hours previously in hot 

 lime water. Of course. v;e mean moss mostly fresh-collected, 

 as, if it has been long stored up and dry, such precautions wUl 

 not he needed. In its fresh-gathered state it is almost sure to 

 have lots of slugs and snails, which though next to invisible to 

 the eye, will soon show themselves when indulged with the 

 higher temperature of hothouses or pits. Hence the propriety 

 of soaking it in hot lime water. A little precaution often saves 

 much trouble and expense. 



OEXAMENTAL DEPAETMEXT. 



In addition to the general routine alluded to last week, the 

 chief additional work has been inserting cuttings, potting 

 Scarlet Pelargoniums in large pots for standing in verandahs in 

 summer, giving them a little bottom heat after potting, and turn- 

 ing out and repotting a lot of CaJadiuins, placing them in small 

 pots in the rneantime, and where they will have a little bottom 

 heat. We would have delayed this until the rhizomes had begun 

 to push, but we wanted the room in w-hich the large ))Ots stood, 

 and the pots, too, for other things. We have sf en Caladiums 

 do well where they were scarcely ever entirely at rest, such as 

 when planted out on banks or rockeries, in plant-stoves. 

 When grown in pots and allowed to go to rest as the leaves 

 show signs of decay, two precautions are necessary for their 

 safety : First, that the soil in which they are kept in the pots 

 should neither be very wet nor yet dust dry, but in such a 

 position as would be secured by the pots standing on a damp- 



