January "25, 1S77. 1 



JOURNAL OF HORTIGULTUaE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



Talae I saw Mr. Bailey, whom I had not seen Binoe he left 

 Alnwiuk, and obtained "his unqualified sanction to offer it and 

 do with it as I liked. 



Fourth, as to its identity with the seedlings now at Alnwick 

 Castle Gardens. I do not vouch for such identity. There were 

 several brought by Mr. Bailey. Whether tho one from which 

 mine was taken has been preserved, or whether mine was 

 raised from one of those destroyed, I am not called on to affirm 

 or deny. This, however, I know, that an attempt was made 

 three or four years ago to obtain a certificate for one of these 

 very seedlings which signally failed, whereas on the 6th of 

 December last my Grape at once and unanimously obtained a, 

 first-class certificate. 



Fifth, as to the -name. It was necessary to give one before 

 the certificate could be issued, and in the circumstances as 

 above narrated, I had na scruple in giving its present name, 

 " Clive House Seedling," as Mr. Bailey the only other party 

 to be consulted, had given me full liberty to do as I liked. 



The Vine thus named and registered must stand on its own 

 merits. After all has been said it is a foundling the parentage 

 and connections of which none can vouch, but its high qualities 

 have secured it the unanimous approval of the Fruit Committee 

 of the Royal Horticultural Society. — D. P. Bell. 



DOINGS OP THE LAST AND WORK FOE 

 THE PRESENT WEEK. 



KITCHEN GABDEN. 



We have still been debarred from doing any work on the 

 kitchen-garden quarters owing to the wet. Peas that were sown 

 on a border faciLg sontli about ibe end of November are making 

 very fine growth. We shall always when sowing early dress 

 the seed with the carbolic mixture recently alludtd to, as it 

 most effectually protects the Peas from mice. The same mix- 

 ture is equally valuable for dressing seed Wheat, and prevents 

 it from being eaten by the rooks : a pint and a half of tbe mix- 

 ture is snfiicient to dress thoroughly four bushels of Wheat. 

 This ought to be good news for farmers who have to pay a boy 

 to drive away the rooks, which nevertheless generally contrive 

 to carry away a large qoantity of the precious erain. 



The Peas sown to stand the winter were William I., Alpha, 

 And Dr. Hogg. Our experience is that the first-named is an 

 excellent hardy variety for standing tho winter ; it is also very 

 early, and altogether is perhaps the best garden Pea for the 

 earliest crop. The pods when ready for gathering are very 

 large and of a dark green colour. Alpha is not such a hardy 

 variety, bat it has stood bravely through the wet and the damp 

 muggy atmosphere. It is a wrinkltd Marrow, not perhaps of 

 the quality of Veitch's Perfection or Ne Plus Ultra, but it comes 

 neartst to them, and is only a week later than William I. The 

 pods are not so showy nor of such a dark glaucous green as 

 William I., and for that reason are not so well adapted for exhi- 

 bition, but it is qnite certain that the Alpha will always be 

 preferred when cooked. The true stock of Dr. Hogg is a grand 

 early and prolific Pes, but it is a question whether the true 

 stock has not in some way become mixed with a spurious variety. 

 The seeds of the right variety are wrinkled and slightly angular. 

 It is the best variety to succeed Alpha. We cleared some Broc- 

 coli from a dry border, forked over the ground, and made another 

 sowing of the same varieties. 



For later sowings we might trust to varieties raised by Mr. 

 Laxton, as such sorts as Fillbasket produce enormously, but 

 our last year's experience with Dr. McLean will lead ua to sow 

 large quantities of that sort. If we are not mistaken it will 

 hold a high position in years to come. Veitch's Perfection also 

 most hold a place in every collection. In our dry soil with 

 ordinary treatment the Pea crop is apt to fail at the height of 

 the season; but when the ground is trenched and manured as 

 advised in previous numbers tho Peas usually bear heavily and 

 continaously, but the pods must be gathered as soon as they are 

 ready. Allowing the pods to become over-ripe is faSal to a 

 succession of them. 



Celery has not suffered from froft this winter, and clean straw 

 placed over the ridijes as recommended in tbe autumn throws 

 the wot from the top of the plant ; it is, of course, carried down 

 between the ridges, but there it can do no harm. We looked 

 over the Potatoes inteoded for planting. They have been kept 

 in a dark place aLd have sprouted to a considerable extent. 

 These sprouts were rubbed off, and the sets were laid in shallow 

 boxes in single layers; a littlo earth was placed around them — 

 just enough to show one side of the Potato above the soil. The 

 best place for the boxes is then to place them in a cool green- 

 house, any light place where the growths will be strong and 

 healthy. Of course frost mnst not reach them. 



We have left Jerusalem Artichokes in the ground, and dig 

 them out as wanted. A quantity of Horseradish was trenched 

 up and stored, and some more planted for use in future years. 



VINEBIES. 



.■\.ll who make any pretence to grow forced Grapes will by this 

 time have started their early Vines. The Vines in our two 

 earliest houses though pruued early cannot be said to be starting 

 well. Tho growths are breaking very regularly over the canes, 

 but they do not possess that vigour which so delights the Grape 

 cultiva'or; 6till they are likely to start freely when the con- 

 tinned heavy cloudy atmosphere gives place to days of occasional 

 suusbiue. Since tbe Vines were btarted, one house in November 

 and tlio other early in December, wo buve had prrjbably but one 

 day in which the sun had sufficient effect to raise the tempera- 

 ture to the maximum point. This, to some extent, will account 

 for the flow progress the growths have maile. There still seems 

 to be considerable difference of opinion as to the desirabiUty of 

 applying bottom heat to early vinery borders. It has been 

 stated, and it should be a warning to others, that placing fer- 

 menting material on the borders about two months before start- 

 ing the Vines is likely to cause cooipUte failure. It does not 

 seem reasonable treatment to do this, but many gardeners fancy 

 that it is wise to Etart tbe roots before the tops. Our own 

 practice, which has always been successful, is to water the 

 borders outside and inside with tepid water, and as the water 

 is applied the fermenting material is laid on to keep the heat in. 

 The same day that this is done the bouse is started with the 

 temperatures which were recorded at the time. As soon as the 

 buds have started an inch or so, the fermenting material, which 

 has lost most of its heat, is turned over, and some fresh added 

 to it. During the operation more water is applied. This la 

 repeated four or five times during the season. "The last water- 

 ing takes place when the Grapes begin colouring. We do not 

 always cover the inside borders, but a narrow ridge of fresh 

 stable manure is placed in the house, and the heat is kept up 

 by frequent additions from the stable. Until the Vines stait 

 into growth the canes are syringed with warmish water once or 

 twice a-day, afterwards syringing is difcontinued. 



Vines in pots should be kept in rapid growth. The night- 

 temperature ought not to exceed or fall much below 65"; in 

 mild weath.^r it may rise to 70°. Bottom heat for the pots onght 

 not to fluctuate much from 85° ; the pots should not be plunged 

 to the rim, two-thirds of their depth is better. After the fruit 

 is set dressings of rich manure act beneficially; they entice the 

 roots to the surface, and they work into the dressing. 



GBEENHOUSE AND CONSERVATOEY. 



Those who grow specimen hardw^oded plants will now be 

 able to find time to tie the flowering wood into position. This 

 work requires that the operator shoul-', have a knowledge of the 

 plant upon which he is engaged. N'lt a flower show is held 

 during the summer months but numbers of plants may be seen 

 tied in a manner that they would not have grown into naturally. 

 Severe and formal training must also be deprecated as an out- 

 rage on good taste; all the flowers and growths are trained into 

 a position that does not admit of the slightest irregularity of 

 outline ; if a flowering growth shotild escape a few inches out of 

 its place it is trained back to preserve the regularity of surface. 

 The experienced exhibitors — those who have gained a high 

 position in plant culture— will not outrage good taste in this 

 matter of training, and judges who are well uj) in their work 

 will surely take into consideration the method of training as 

 well as the health and other points of culture in the plants. 



In reference to the arrangement of plants in the conservatory 

 or greenhouse it is not the merits of this or that plant that ar& 

 taken into consideration, but the effect of the arrangement as a 

 whole; still to a cultivated mind well-grown healthy plants, 

 each one trained into a pleasing thape, first attract the eye, yet 

 tbe merit of tbe plant and not the traii.ing of it is of paramount 

 importance. Such plants will look well on any stage, and will 

 also form a perfect and harmonious whole. Tney ought not to 

 be placed closely together, nor will they require to be. Not un- 

 frequently plants are placed thickly together either to hide un- 

 healthy or badly trained specimens, and the mere fact of placing 

 them thickly together for this purpose tends to make matters 

 worse, as badly grown examples will become worse, and those 

 which are unhealthy will die outright. Any plant in good health 

 freely exposed to light and air will Lave a tendency to grow in 

 its natural position, and should be trained accordingly. 



At this time great care should be taken in watering, but nearly 

 all plants require more water now tuan they did a month ago. 

 Heaths, Azaleas, and most of the New Holland plants are now- 

 making roots, and some of them are beginning to moke growth, 

 and at such a time to suffer for want of water would injure them 

 for the season ; the bmall hair-liko roots are killed, the energies 

 of the plants are crippled, diseases and insect pests are also en- 

 couraged by injudicious waterings. 



Hyacinths, Tulips, forced shrubs, Eoses, and other plants are 

 now being brought in, and they must also bo kept in health. 

 The greenhouse or conservatory bhould be kept a little closer for 

 a day or two after a batch of newly-forced subjects are intro- 

 duced. As plants go out of flower they must be removed to 

 Fome house where they will matcre their wood for next season. 

 It is ruinous even to hardy plants to place them out of door 



