March 10, 1670. J 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENEE, 



187 



Vice-Presidents of the Society for the present year — viz., H.S.H. 

 The Prince of Teck, The Bishop of Winchester, Lient. -General 

 Hon. C. Grey, F.R.S., and W. Wilson Saunders, Esq., F.R.S. 



The Council of The Royal Hobticultural Society 



have awarded a silver medal to Miss E. A. Ormerod, Sedbury 

 Park, Chepstow, for her contributions of insects to their collec- 

 tion illustrating economic entomology. 



WORK FOE THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDES. 



Cleab off old stumps of Coleworts, Brussels Sprouts, Savoys, 

 and Broccoli. Plant out Red and early varieties of Cabbages; 

 keep the hoe going amongst the plantations made in autumn, 

 and amongst the Winter Spinach. See that a good breadth of 

 American second-early Potatoes is now planted. Protect Ash- 

 leaved Kidneys and other early varieties as soon as they ap- j 

 pear above ground. Sawdust is as good as anything, and it i 

 can be raked off when all danger of frost is over. No principle j 

 of any importance iB involved in the cultivation of the Carrot, | 

 on which that of Turnips, Beet-root, or any other of our green ' 

 crops doe3 not also depend. There are, however, peculiarities 

 in the cultivation of the Carrot, arising from the character of j 

 the seed, the shape of the root, and the early period at which 

 it must be sown. We read and hear of the Carrot crop requir- 

 ing no manure, which the authorities for such statements ac- ■ 

 count for by the depth to which, a3 it is stated, these roots j 

 descend for nourishment. It may be safely admitted, however, j 

 as universally true, that all crops require manure, and espe- 

 cially those which we expect to yield well. The ground should J 

 be trenched 18 inches deep, and the manure placed in the i 

 bottom of the trench ; the seed to be sown in drills 12 or ! 

 15 inches apart. It is an advantage to make the seed germi- I 

 nate as soon a3 possible, and therefore it is well to mix the 

 seed and sani together four or five days before sowing, and to i 

 damp them a little, so as to swell the seed and partially to 

 sprout it. Do not wet the mixture ; merely damp it, so that 

 on squeezing a handful it shall preserve its form and not ] 

 crumble on opening the hand. Now is also a good time to sow j 

 Parsnips. The cultivation of the Parsnip resembles that of ] 

 the Carrot in every essential point. The land should be pre- | 

 pared as stated for the Carrot. Especial care should also be 

 taken to have a deeply-cultivated soil. Sow all herbs, as Thyme, \ 

 Mint, Sage, Winter Savory, Sweet Marjoram, and Sweet Basil . 

 in heat. Cover up with litter all slopes of early Radishes, 

 Horn Carrots, &c, whilst the sun shines, about three o'clock, 

 and water them once a-week with tepid clear manure water. 



FBUIT GARDEN. 



Protect fruit trees in blossom by all possible means. Straw I 

 ropes, mats, canvas, bunting, fir boughs, and fronds of ferns 

 should all be in requisition. As soon as you have finished 

 nailing the Peach trees, mix sulphur and soft-soap water to 

 the thickness of paint, and draw a band of the mixture be- 

 tween the shoots in all directions. This, done once, will secure 

 the trees thoroughly from red spider for twelve months. Pro- 

 ceed with grafting, following the order in which the buds 

 break. Top-dress Strawberry beds with rotten dung or leaf 

 mould if not done in the autumn. Plants forced one year and 

 planted out produce the largest and finest crop of this delicious 

 fruit. The British Queen, Hyatt's Pine, and other shy-bearing 

 sorts, rarely fail in producing a crop bythis system. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



A collection of the best hardy annuals should now be sown ; 

 they are of most service and most esteemed before the gay 

 masses of Verbenas, Pelargoniums, etc., come to perfection. 

 When a frame or pit is at liberty we would recommend their 

 being sown in small pots in loamy soil, and not turned out 

 until they are slightly pot-bound ; the flowers then gain the 

 predominance, and the great proportion of these above the leaf 

 constitutes the chief beauty of many annuals. They are also 

 more easily protected from slugs. Let Dahlias be placed in 

 heat at once for propagation. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



Potting will now be a matter of daily occurrence, and on the 

 mode in which this is performed will depend the future success 

 of the plant. I need say little here about the propriety of 

 using fibrous soil, or about thorough drainage ; these matters 

 are now tolerably well attended to, but a few words to the 

 amateur may be acceptable as to the best mode of watering 

 newly-potted plants. Let it be a maxim, then, never to water 

 a fresh-potted plant until it is placed where it is to remain. 



The soil for potting should be neither wet nor dry ; one is as 

 great an evil as the other. It should, of the two, incline to 

 dryness, and should be pressed tolerably firmly, not thumping 

 the pot on the potting-board. The watering at first should 

 not be performed in order to settle the soil, which means 

 shutting out the atmosphere, but merely with the intention of 

 preventing the soil from becoming any drier. Hard balls 

 should be soaked overhead in water a day before shifting. The 

 families of Camellia, Acacia, Cytisus, Phajus, Rhododendron, 

 Eutaxia, Citrus, Epacris, Cornea, Azalea, and last, but not 

 least, the Rose, will be a blaze of beauty where plant-growing 

 is well attended to. They will now require abundance of water, 

 to which clear liquid manure should be occasionally added. 

 Dispense with fire heat as much as possible ; the excessive 

 perspiration caused by a March sun is more than enough for 

 their evanescent beauties without the aid of fires. Canvas 

 screens, too, should be at hand to be drawn over the brightest 

 parts of the house for two hours on sunny days. Force on 

 Fuchsias where fine and large specimens are required ; a moist 

 atmosphere, with a slight degree of shading, will run the shy 

 sorts into wood by retarding flowering. Those wintered in 

 outhouses or cellars should now be brought forth and potted, 

 if possible, to give them a start for the decoration of lawns or 

 the flower garden. Brugmansias should be disrooted and 

 started in heat. Shift, when necessary, Australian and Cape 

 plants in a growing state, likewise Pelargoniums, Calceolarias, 

 and Cinerarias, with a view to having fine specimens. Pot 

 successions of Gloxinias and Achimenes, and keep them rather 

 dry and warm. Orange trees, whether in tubs or the open 

 border, must be examined ; remove the surface soil down to 

 the roots for several feet around each plant, and after giving the 

 plants a good soaking of tepid manure water, top-dress them 

 with rich compost, such as good mellow loam and leaf mould, 

 to which sheep and perfectly-decayed pigeons' dung may be 

 added to the extent of one-third. Orange trees require such 

 soil to grow the fruit to perfection, with a tolerably brisk heat 

 and plenty of moisture. 



STOVE. 



Orchids are now swelling fast, and many of the blocks and 

 baskets of Stanhopeas, Gongoras, Dendrobiums, &a., will re- 

 quire to be syringed twice a-week. L9t this be done on sunny 

 mornings early, and give air freely for a couple of hours, for 

 fear of moisture lodging amongst the buds. In shifting large 

 specimens in pots, break the pot carefully all round in small 

 masses without injuring the roots, and shift the whole mass 

 together. Terrestrial Orchids, in general, will succeed better 

 in loamy turf and leaf mould (not too much decayed), blended 

 with the lumps of peat. Renew moss on blocks forthwith. 

 Attend to pruning back and disrooting Justicias, Vincas, Clero- 

 dendrons.Eranthemums, Geissomerias, Plumbagos, Poinsettias, 

 Erythrina3, &c, at least those exhausted by flowering, and a 

 few for early work. Those first out of bloom, if carried on in 

 due course, will be the earliest next autumn and winter. 

 When the weather is changeable and the sun glaring, it will be 

 necessary to slightly shade some of the Clerodendrons and 

 other free-growing plants, more especially if they are under 

 sheet glass ; but if it can be dispensed with, it is advisable to 

 avoid shading as much as possible. 



FORCING PIT. 



Eeep Roses free from insects, watering frequently with liquid 

 manure. Provide successions of plants for forcing. The 

 Dutch bulbs should not stay long here. The Hyacinths lose 

 much effect when their bells are too far asunder, through too 

 much excitement in proportion to the light. Sow tender 

 annuals. Do not forget Phlox Drummondi, Rhodanthe Man- 

 glesii, and the Portulacas. 



COLD PITS. 



Give air to these structures continually, at night as well as 

 by day, if there be no frost. Pot-off stores for the flower 

 garden; and bring them forward, more especially Scarlet Pelar- 

 goniums, Salvia patens, Heliotropes, Verbenas, etc. It will be 

 necessary to keep up a genial heat in the cutting frame, and to 

 top all cuttings which have taken root and are beginning to 

 grow. The autumn-struck cuttings which were potted-off last 

 month should be removed to a cold frame or pit, and be pro- 

 tected from frost. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



March indeed came in like a lamb, giving us two or three days 

 of weather a3 mild as June, but he soon showed the shaggy 



