Januaiy 11, 1877. ] 



JOURNAL OP HOBTICDLTUBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



35 



up to within a few days of ripenicg was attacked with rust, 

 and the final reenlt only oame up to one-third of the average. 

 Indian Corn was a heavy crop. Apples were most abundant, 

 many of them having been sold at Wd. per bushel to be shipped 

 to Great Britain. Trade is eaid to be veiy dull in that colony 

 this winter. 



Owing to the protracted wet many bulbs, euch as 



Hyacinths, Tulips, Crocuses, etc., which ought to have been 

 planted in the autumn, are still in paper bags. If these bulbs 

 have not grown too prominently they may still be planted, 

 especially if covertd with light soil such as decayed leaves or 

 cocoB-nnt fibre refuse. We li&ve seen excellent beds of 

 Hyacinths and Tulips from bulba planted in January, but 

 Crocuses planted at the same period have many of them de- 

 cayed. The decay of bulbs is accelerated by making smooth 

 holes for them with a blunted dibber — water traps. The bulbs 

 should be planted in open drills in well loosened soil and be 

 carefully covered with light mateiial, eo that the water can 

 pass freely away. Bulbs planted now should not be covered 

 bo deeply as when planted in November ; 1 or IJ inch of light 

 covering ia sufficient at this period of the year. 



DOINGS OP THE LAST AND WOBK FOR 

 THE PRESENT WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



The weather is slill so excessively wet tbat very little can be 

 done to the quartera or borders in the way of digging or even 

 wheeling the manure to them. "We have continued pruning 

 dwarf and standard tiees, and also have proceeded with nailing 

 the wall trees. Itstiuctjons for this work were piveu in recent 

 numbers. Slugs Lave flourished amazingly owing to the wet 

 and mildness of tho wep.thsr. Frost and f reat dei^lhs of tnow 

 have been recorded from the north, but we have had uo snow to 

 speak of; it fell for a few hours a forlnight ago, but did not 

 remain on the ground. The glass fell for a few nights below 

 the freezing point, but not enoogh to arrest vegetatitn, and 

 Roses and many flowering deciduous shrubs are bursting into 

 buds. The most effectual way to destriy slugs amongst Let- 

 tuces, Cabbages, ttc, is to duet the plants with quicklime by 

 the aid of a lantern when the skigg are feeding. Dusting the 

 leaves thickly does to harm to the plants. The lime may be 

 applied a second or third time if the slugs are not destroyed. 



Those who have to do with heavy clay soils which have been 

 well drained will be sensible ot the advantages cf the draining; 

 the ground will dry eo much sooner after rains, and, if it has 

 not been brought into good condition by trenching, this should 

 be done at once. Wo have years ago seen tte evil of trenching 

 clay soils too deeply without taking care tbat the work was done 

 gradually. For instance, say that a portion of gond soil over a 

 clay subsoil has been dug for many years to the depth ci 

 10 inches, it would net be wise all at ence to trench this to the 

 depth of 20 inches or 2 feet; the pulverised soil on the top 

 would then be the bottom 10 inches, and there would be 

 10 inches of unworked clay soil on the top, a bad medium in 

 which to trust seeds or rmall plants in a ^et season. Our plan 

 with such soils is to woik-up a depth of 2 cr 3 inches of the 

 subsoil at each time cf trenching until ihe required deplh is 

 attained. The vegetable refuse heap comes in useful for mixing 

 with the subsoil, atd if leaf soil is plentiful it is equally well 

 adapted for the purpose. Stable manure is also much better 

 adapted for such sells than that obtained from the cow or pig. 



Pay strict attention to the beds of Lettuces out of doors, and 

 see that decay and weeds are removed from them, and Ihe 

 ground is stirred w,th a Dutch hoe when the weather is snfli- 

 ciently dry. Tboso plaints utder hand-lights, frames, or any of 

 the numerous glass protectors should receive plenty of air, and 

 the ground ought to be ttirred with a pointed stick frequently. 

 Caulitlower plants under glass require the same treatment. 



FtRCXSG HOUSES. 



With the advent of the new yer forcing of vegetables must 

 be commenced in earnest. The Potato is easily forced, and is 

 much Esteemed early in the year. It may be grown on a hot- 

 bed, or what is better in a heated pit. Only thoeo torts that 

 have short haulm should be planted, and they ought to be 

 freely ventilated after tlieir growth has commenced. The pits 

 and frames require to he fumigated occasionally to prevent the 

 attacks of, or to destroy green tiy. The Potato plants oogbt to 

 be in a position where they receive the direct rays (f the sun; 

 a close moist aimcspbere is net at all desirable for them. The 

 best sorts are the tru(i old Asbleaf Kidney if it can be obtained. 

 There are many "improved" vaiielies, most of which ate not 

 so early, althcuyii they are prolific and have generally too much 

 haulm. The Walnut.Ieaf Kidney ia distinct from the above, 

 and also well adapted for frame or pit cultru-e. 



Dwarf Kidney Hiaiis when well grown afford a supply cf 

 most acceptable dishes. The Beans can be rown in any tempe- 



rature from 50° to 65°. In the higher temperature]^ they come 

 on more rapidly. What they require to produce abundantly is 

 moderate pot room, a good rich loam, and being placed near the 

 glass in a moist a'mosphere. Some gardeners use pots as large 

 as 12 and 15 inches in diameter, brrt such ruke up much room 

 and are troublesome to move about ; 7 atd 8-inch pots are quite 

 large enough with five or six plants in each. It is a good plan 

 to sow thickly iu a box, and when the eeed leaves have grown 

 to the full size to pot the plants, buryir g the ttems in the soil 

 up to the bottom leaves. It is necessary to syringe from the 

 first to keep the plants free from red spider and thrips, and the 

 pots should not be too close to each other. The blossoms must 

 be exposed to light and air or they will not set well, and some 

 of the pods will die off prematurely. A few sprays of Beech or 

 Hornbeam should be placed in each pot to support the plants. 

 Directly the pods are large enough they ought to be removed 

 from the plants, whether they are reqirired iu the kitchen or not. 

 A good plan is to tie them up in bundles of say fifty, and place 

 each bundle in an upright position with the ends of the pods 

 just covered with water ; they keep best iu a cellar. If the plants 

 are supplied with m.anure water they will continue bearing for 

 a long time. 



Dishes of early Jeas may also be obtained by placing tho 

 plants on a shelf near the glass. They require more air and 

 light than the Beans, and cannot stand such a high temperatcro ; 

 in other respects the treatment required is the same. A light 

 or two over a hotbed may be used for a crop of French Forcing 

 or Early Horn Carrots ; a gentle heat from a bed of leaves is as 

 good as anything. Six inches of soil should be placed over the 

 bed, and the seeds be sown in shallow drills. A sowing of tte 

 French Breakfast or Dwarf Turnip Eadish may also be made 

 on the same bed at the same time. The Eadishes can be re- 

 moved before they do any iojury to the Carrots. Lettuce ot the 

 Paris White Cos type should also te sown urder glass at this 

 time, to produce a succession crop to tbat put out in the open 

 ground or on a warm border facing south iu the autumn. 



Succession lots cf Seakale and Rhubarb should be put into 

 any place where the temperature ranges from 50 to 65°, instruc- 

 tions for which have been given so recently that uo more need be 

 added at this time. Some persons may not have the convenience 

 of forcing houses or frames ; such may have a supply of Sea- 

 kale and Rhubarb by covering a portion over with fermenting 

 material of some sort. It ia neoetEary first to cover the crowns 

 with pots made for the purpose. Tbey are iu the form of a 

 cylinder, 2 feet high and about 15 inches in diameter, rounded 

 at the top in the form of a bell-glass ; a hole is made iu the top, 

 to which a lid is fitted, a bed of stable manure and leaves is then 

 mai3e amongst the pots, et:ongh to cover them G inches deep. 

 Excellent Rhubarb and Seakale is produced in that way, but it 

 does not come on so fast, and the method is not so convenient 

 as forcing the roots in houses. 



Plenty of variety may be obtained in salads. Chicory may be 

 had with the greatest ease. Eighteen roots may te potted in 10 

 or 12-inch pots, and the pots placed in forcing bcusea as they are 

 required. Mustard and Cresa will do anywhere if there ia suiS- 

 cientheat. The Eeeds ought to be scattered thickly on moist 

 soil, and it is belter not to cover the eeeds, as the leaves that 

 V ay are more free from grit, which is liOt eaEily washed from 

 the salad. Mint, Tarragon, Tansy, and other herbs should be 

 potted if thsy have not already been done, and they must be 

 p'aced iu heat accorditg as there is likely to be a demand foir 

 them. The pots may either be forced upoir hotbeds, or they 

 may be placed in forcing hcuses wbeie there is artificial heat. 



Forcing Flowtrs. — A heated pit with a bed for plunging the 

 plants in ought to be devoted to this purpose. A small house 

 20 or 30 feet long and 12 cr 1-1 feet wide will produce a large 

 quantity of flowering plants durirg lie season, becauEC as the 

 flowers open they can be removed to tbc greenhouse and others 

 be brought in to supply their place. Foremott on the list is the 

 Rose. The last Rose of summer is a poor thirg, although it 

 may be found much later in the jear thun formerly; but tho 

 first Rose of spring is a treasure indeed. To be forced early 

 the plants must be pruned early, and the birds will start strongly 

 and well in a temperature of from 50° to 55°, and with a bottom 

 heat of 85° or 90°. Water the roots moderately, and syringe 

 overhead at least once a day with water rather warmer than the 

 temperature of the house. Some of tho most free-growing 

 Hybrid Perpetuals and Teas are best adapted for forcing. 



Hybrid Rhododendrons, which have uow become so popular 

 for shrubbery planting, may be forced with the greatest ease; 

 but it is well not to place the pots in the plunging material, 

 and it israot at all necessary that the plant) should be near the 

 glass, but may be relegated to the darkest part of the house. 

 Let them be freely syringed and not snlltr for the want of 

 water at the roots, and iu the same tcmierature as the Rose 

 bushes they will soon come into flower. The plants may be 

 lifted from the open border, potted at once, and forced almost 

 immediately. Of course, only these well set with bloseom buds 

 should be chosen. When the first flowers oj en remove the 

 plants to the greenhouse, where the remaining flowers en tho 



