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JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ March 28, 1867. 



less until March. During this time we have two or three " cold 

 snaps " as they are called here, when the thermometer falls 

 18° or 20° below zero ; then one takes to dancing early in the 

 morning, in fact as soon as he jumps out of bed, and everything 

 he touches in the way of iron is thrown down again as if red 

 hot. Fortunately these cold snaps only last about three days 

 at a time, and the useful and pretty .\morican stoves soon drive 

 out the frost so as to render the temperature bearable. Almost 

 all work is at a standstill whilst the cold snaps continue. It 

 freezes almost every night during the period I have named, but 

 on most days we have plenty of sun — in fact, a fine clear atmo- 

 sphere, and greenhouse plants do well. There are few out-door 

 evergreens save Arbor Vitm and Firs. From March to the be- 

 giiming of May we have occasional frosts, but about the 10th 

 of May com planting and Cucumber sowing are performed, and 

 the com will grow in eight or nine weeks as many feet high, so 

 that when vegetation does start fairly no time is lost. About 

 September we begin to have slight frosts again, and then come 

 the autumn tints, which are beyond my power to fairly describe. 

 The leaves of the Oak assume almost all the tints of the rain- 

 bow ; and where Oaks are intermixed with other trees, such as 

 Poplars and Willows, with their pale yellow leaves, they are a 

 sight not to be forgotten. One range of forest will look like an 

 immense flower garden consisting of miles of Verbenas, Petunias, 

 and Calceolarias ; another part will look like miles of " shot 

 silk " and the hues will keep changing according to the hour of 

 the day. This searon is called the " Indian summer," and I 

 think it the best part of the year in America, for there are fine, 

 warm, sunny days and cool nights. 



I win now make a few remarks as to the expense of getting 

 here and the cost of land, f ir I know many are anxious to come 

 out ; in fact, the Mayor of Windsor some time ago wrote to the 

 Mayor of Chicago for reliable information, in order to make such 

 known among English farmers who have been much affected 

 by the cattle plague. The expense, which is not great, depends 

 on the part of a ship in which a person takes a berth. For a 

 passenger in the first or second cabins it is from £15 to £20, in 

 the steerage from £4 10s. to £8 8s. The agents in England will 

 book passengers through to any part of America ; but to those 

 who contemplate coming over, I would say, Book only across the 

 Atlantic, if they can afford to spend £1 or 30s. more to Chicago, 

 for they will save it in expenses if they do not travel by emi- 

 grant trains, which are so long on the road, and sometimes 

 stop one or two nights at different depots, which puts the traveller 

 to extra expense. On this side of the Atlantic passengers can 

 book through by express trains, and will as a rule be more 

 civilly treated than in the emigrant cars, besides having more 

 comfortable ears to ride in. The express trains run here 

 in from twenty-four to forty hours according to the weather, 

 and, the emigrant trains will take from four to six days and 

 nights. If a person can sj-are about 14 doUar he can go to 

 bed at night in the express trains, lie there as comfortably 

 as if at home, and awake in the morning a long way On his 

 journey ; but the cars are comfortable in the United States, 

 while those for second-class passengers are dreary, uncushioned, 

 and wooden-seated in Canada. I do not know how the third class 

 cars are, but I was very glad that I had but one short night's ride 

 through Western Canada. Emigrants will find clean water in 

 the cars and water-closets ; and if they bring a can with a hd 

 on that will hold one or two quarts, they may make tea or 

 coffee for themselves in the cars, which will save money if they 

 carry provisions along with them. 



Land is very dear near the cities — that is, from ten to twelve 

 miles from them. Near Chicago land sells at from 200 to 2000 

 dollars per acre, but out on the prairies it sells at from 7 to 

 50 dollars per acre. A man with £500 or £G00 would be in a 

 good position for life, but many have extensive farms all paid 

 for who came here as labourers. I must now conclude with 

 the advice to all contemplating coming out. Do not expect to 

 find a fortune without hard work and care. — John Hague, Reform 

 Schools, Chicago, Illinois. — {Late of Ashton-under-Li/ne.) 



[Heartily welcomed was this commimication. Some of our 

 readers will remember that Mr. Hague and ourselves co-operated 

 in exertions to help the Lancashire weavers fond of botany during 

 the Cotton famine. — Ens.] 



ment it has been induced to flower, says, " The plant is 

 about C feet high, and covered with flowering buds, I believe 

 seventy in all. It is certainly one of the most beautiful Rho- 

 dodendrons I ever saw. I have had the plant, with others of 

 its class, since 1831 ; so you will perceive it requires a good 

 share of patience to wait for the flower." 



On Saturday next, the 30th inst., Dr. Masters will de- 

 liver the first of a series of lectures on " Plant Architecture" 

 at the rooms of the Royal Horticultural Society, South Ken- 

 sington, at three o'clock. 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



There is now in bloom at the Denbies, near Dorking, a 

 handsome plant of Rhododendron longifoUum, one of the 

 Sikkim species. Mr. Drewett, under whose skilful manage- 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAKDEN. 



The classification of work is at all times of the utmost im- 

 portance, more especially at this period. There are maxima 

 in gardening established by long practice, which it borne in 

 mind by the amateur or the tyro, would save in no small 

 degree the task of repetition in calenders. For instance; in 

 sowing-operations there are certain vegetables for which, in 

 order to produce a continuous succession, no better rule can be 

 offered than to sow a succession as soon as the preceding 

 sowing is fairly above ground. Such may be said of Peas, 

 Beans, Horn Carrots for drawing young, Radishes, Spinach, 

 small salads, &o. Again, with regard to plants for early- 

 forcing purposes, the forming of buds or shoots by one set in- 

 troduced into the forcing-pit should be the signal for the in- 

 troduction of a succession. In matters of propagation, like- 

 wise, the cuttings of various flowers for a summer display 

 should be collected, if at all possible, simultaneously, struck in 

 a frame or pit together, and nursed together afterwards. They 

 always meet with more steady and uniform treatment under 

 such a course, and it conduces likewise to the easy dispatch of 

 business. I shall this week say a few words about Asparagus 

 planting. It is of the utmost importance in kitchen gardening 

 to give every attention to a proper rotation of crops. It is re- 

 commended to grow all the Cflenj in what are called Scotch 

 beds, these beds to be from 5 to C feet wide, and every year 

 to break up an old Asparagus-bed or two in order to force it ; 

 part of the Celety ground being prepared in a special way with 

 a view to its being laid down in Asparagus. The preparation 

 consists in trenching it much deeper than the rest, and in 

 burying a considerable quantity of fresh vegetable matter in the 

 bottom of the trench, old refuse, vegetables, Cabbage stalks, 

 weeds, or, what is very good, half-rotten leaves, mixed with 

 a little manure used for linings in the previous year. The 

 upper part of the beds has more rotten manure, of course, fcr 

 the Celery. In taking up the Celery for use, the bed is broken- 

 up to a great depth, and the alleys with it, and thrown into 

 a ridge, which ridge remains as a fallow until plauting-time, 

 when it is merely levelled. It may be planted about the middle 

 of April. Dress Asparagus-beds, let the surface be carefully 

 forked over so as not to injure the cro\vns of the plants. The 

 soil should be finely broken so that no compact portions may 

 remain to obstruct the progress of the shoots. Artieliokcs, dress. 

 Cardoons, sow a few. Peas, keep up successions of these. Dick- 

 sou's Favom'ite, Bishop's New Long-podded, Knight's Dwarf, 

 and Flack's Imperial Victory may now be sown. Potatoes, 

 plant. The frost having made a premature clearance of Broccoli 

 and other crops usually succeeded by Potatoes, the latter will 

 derive advantage from an earlier possession of the ground than 

 would have otherwise been the case. Sow Par.'urips, Beet, Tur- 

 nips, Padislies, Paris Cos Lettuce, Savoy, Nasturtium, Sweet 

 Basil, &c. 



FItUIT GARDEN. 



Peach and Nectarine trees on walls are now coming into fnU 

 bloom, and may require slight protection at night, especially 

 when coping-boards have not been put up. Gauze of cotton 

 material may be obtained for little more than 1</. a-vard, and 

 if only two breadths of such be placed judiciously along the 

 front of the wall, a sufficient protection will be afforded against 

 such frosts as usually occur after this period. The substance 

 being light is not apt to be torn by the wind as are some thicker 

 fabrics. The grafting of Plums and Cherries should be con- 

 cluded as soon as possible, and that of Pears aud Apples pro- 

 ceeded with. In grafting old trees of the last-mentioned, two 

 or even three-year-old wood may be used if very strong young 

 shoots cannot be obtained. 



FLOWER GAIIDEN. 



The planting of shrubs, laying of Box, &c., if not already 

 finished must now be brought to a close as soon as possible 



