106 



JOUBNAL OF HOP.TI0ULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABUENEB. 



[ February 8, 1877. 



the mats should be removed shortly after daybreak, and not be 

 replaced antil nightfall. 



A crop of early Potatoes may be raised by planting the sets in 

 frames, if no other couveniences are available. Good loam, to 

 which some leaf aoil has been added, is about the best material 

 in which to plant them; over-rich soil has a tendency to produce 

 too much haulm. A few diahes of Potatoes or other vegetables 

 — such as early Pea? or Dwaif Kidney Peas, before the earliest 

 out-of-door crops come in, are usually much valued even if a 

 regular supply cannot be maintained. Potatoes and Peas may 

 be had by growing in pots, but it is well to place the pots in a 

 position near the glass and where li^ht and air may be freely 

 admitted. A very liigh temperature is unsuitable for Peas and 

 Potatoes. Dwarf Kidney Beans will succeed in a Piue house, 

 and they are not so particular about being placed near the 

 glass. 



Cauliflower plants in frames or hand-glasses require a little 

 attention. The lights should be quite removed iu fine weather, 

 but the plants must be sheltered from pelting rain; indeed, too 

 much wet is injurions. Plants in hand-iights will not require 

 any water during winter. We have now made a sowing of 

 Early London to succeed the autumn-sown plants. The seeds 

 were sown in shallow boxes and placed in a heated frame which 

 has been used for cuttings for the Last three or four weeks. 

 Where a large quantity of plants are required it is better to put 

 2 or 3 inches of fine soil over the surface of the bed and sow the 

 seeds in that. 



A sowing of Broad Beans has been made. The only variety 

 we grow either for late or early crops is a selection of the Windsor. 

 The rows are about 3 feet apart, and about 4 inches are allowed 

 between the Beans in the rows. In heavy soils after so much 

 rain it will, perhaps, be better to keep the seeds out of the 

 ground until it is iu a better condition. A good plan, too, is to 

 sow some Beans iu shallow boxes, and then place the boxes iu 

 any house that is not forced too much. The night temijerature 

 should not be more then 55°, and when the Beans are well out 

 of the ground the boxes should be removed to a cooler place 

 and the Beans be gradually hardened, and subsequently be 

 planted in the open ground. 



We generally make a sowing of Carrots about the midole of 

 this month on a dry border, and cover the bed with ground 

 vineries, at the same time Lettuce and Radish seeds are sown. 

 If a gentle hotbed could be made available for this purpose the 

 crop would be ready to gather about ten days earlier. Chives 

 are not grown so much now as they used to be. In small gardens 

 in Scotland a row used generally to find a place; they are a good 

 substitate for spring Onions, and are also used iu salads. They 

 are easily propagated by dividing the plants. They are of dwarf 

 habit, and 8 inches between the rows and about 4 inches apart 

 in the rows are suitable distances. A sowing of Round Spinach 

 should also be made now. The soil cannot be too rich. In soil 

 highly manured the leaves grow thick and fleshy, and of a deep 

 rich green. In order to produce Leeks of the largest size and 

 well blanched , a sowing ought to be made as soon as the weather 

 is suitable. The seed may be sown broadcast on a small space 

 of ground, the plants to be transplanted when large enough. 

 We shall immediately make a sowing of Parsnips on rich 

 deeply-trenched ground, but no crude manure should come in 

 contact with the roots near tbe surface, as this will cause them 

 to become forked. It is a good plan to place the manure in the 

 bottom of the trenches iu the autumn. 



VINERIES. 



In the earliest house the growths are now making rapid pro- 

 gress, and we have commenced tying them out, arranging them 

 as regularly as possible over the whole surface of the trellis 

 work. The Vines are trained on the short-spur system, the 

 rods being from 2 feet C inches to 3 feet apart, and the distance 

 between each spur measures from 15 inches to 2 feet. When 

 Vines are in vigorous health four or five shoots will start from 

 each spur : these are all removed but the two strongest ; and 

 when it can be seen on which the best bunches sra likely to be, 

 those shoots are tied down a little at a time. If bent too much 

 at once they are liable to snap off close to the old wood. It is 

 better not to remove the second shoot until it is seen that the 

 one to remain is safe. The laterals are stopped two leaves 

 beyond the fruit as soon as the growth is sufSciently developed. 

 We shall in a day or two give a good watering with tepid water, 

 and add some fresh fermenting matorial to the outside border. 

 A gentle heat is also kept up in the ridge of stable manure inside 

 the house. It is unsafe to put rank manure in the house whoi-i 

 the leaves are newly developed unless it is mixed with a large 

 proportion of some that is partially decayed. The temperature 

 at night is raised to 65" after the second watering. 



Vines in pots, if it is necessary to have fruit from them in 

 April and May, will now be at that stage which will admit of a 

 high temperftture being kept up in the house. Surface-dress 

 the pots with rich compost, and water twice a week with manure 

 water. 



•■■ Urange trees in the Pine house are heavily loaded with fruit, 

 but only those trees which were in flower after the Ist of March 



are in that state, and the fruit is not yet ripe. One free is novr 

 in flower, but unless the weather improves it is doubtful if the 

 blossoms will set well. Plenty of ventilation is necessary during 

 the blossoming period, and the stigmas ought to be dusted with 

 the pollen. Some of the trees seem to do without any season of 

 rest. At prest nt there are fruit nearly ripe, some graen and aS 

 large as a Potato apple, and a large quantity of blossom on one 

 tree, which tree is iu the best possible health, and the ripe fruit 

 very fine indeed. The Orange is a gross feeder, and to obtain 

 fruit of the best quality the plants most be potted in good turfy 

 loam ; and when well established regular supplies of manure 

 water are necessary to the perfect development of the fruits. 



GKEENHOUSE AND CONSEItVATOBY. 



It is now a good time to repot sltuw and fancy Pelargoniums 

 int:) their blooming pots. We began potting ours on the second 

 day of the present month. After they have been repotted they 

 are placed close to the glass, and the growths are tied out to 

 allow more space between them. Sometimes it is necessary to 

 thin out the growths if they are too close to each other. The 

 stage varieties are much more hardy than the fancy section, 

 and they will grow and flower even with indifferent treatment, 

 but to do them well they should be potted in turfy loam with a 

 fourth part of decayei' cow manure, and some silver sand to keep 

 the compost open ; a Utile leaf soil is also an improvement. If 

 the plants are yonng they do not require so much manure, say 

 one-sixth. It is a great mistake to overpot them; H-inch pots 

 are large enough for specimens 3 or 4 feet across, and a plant 

 that will produce two dozen trusses will do well in a (S-inch pot. 

 We annually grow a number of plants in 5-inch pots, and they 

 flower profusely. It is better not to water the plants for a few 

 days after repotting them. There are a few early varieties 

 adapted for forcing, but the show sorts succeed best if they are 

 kept in a greenhouse temperature throughout. A few of the 

 best varieties are Ambassador, Diplomatist, Gipsy, George Fre- 

 derick, Mountaineer, Modesty and Potentate, which are new 

 varieties of last year. Of older sorts the best are Achievement, 

 Admiration, Avistocrat, Blue Boy, Charles Turner, Claribel, 

 Constance, Duchess of Cambridge, Falcon, Highland Lassie, 

 Iron Dake, Marquis, Mary Hoyle, Prince Leopold, Sultan, Sybil, 

 and Warrior. A few of the best fancy varieties are Countess of 

 Dudley, Duchess of Edinburgh, and Nelly Fordham, which are 

 new sorts. Older varieties are Acme, Ann Page, Atlantic, Cloth 

 of Silver, East Lynn, Ellen Beck, Fanny Gair, Godfrey Turner, 

 Henry Bailey, Jewess, Leotard, Mrs. Hart, Princess Teck, Roi 

 des Fantasies, The Shah, Undine, and Vivandiere. The French 

 spotted sorts are preferred by some ; they are very pretty, and 

 generally flower freely. A few of the best are Beauty of Oxton, 

 Captain Raikes, DueheES of Edinburgh, Empress, Kabob, Queen 

 Victoria, and Triomphe de St. Mande. 



Cinerarias ought to be in their flowering pots long before this. 

 The plants must bo trained as they rfquuo it, and those which 

 have filled the pots with roots should be supplied with weak 

 manure water about once or twice a-week. 



It is now quite time that all the Chrjsanthemum cuttings 

 were potted. They strike very freely in a gentle hotbed, and 

 as soon as the roots are formed a little more air ought to be 

 admitted, as the plants are apt to draw up weakly in a close 

 atmosphere. Our earliest cuttings have been potted into larger 

 pots, and are now in a well-ventilated frame; a house would 

 be better where the frost could easily ho kept out. During 

 warm nights the ventilators should not be closed. Success is 

 secured in growing such plants as these without any check, and 

 yet they ought to be freely exposed to tbe air. 



We have repotted plants of difiereut varieties of Kalosanthes. 

 This plant does best in rich tuify loam, with leaf soil and sand 

 added to it. Cuttings put in last year iu July or August are 

 now in COsized pots. Thev will be pottedon as they require 

 it, and will in the course of the season make very handsome 

 specimens. 



All the Dntoh bulbs, such as Hyacinths, Tulips, Polyanthus 

 Narcissus, &c., have been removed to the houses where they 

 are intended to flower. Those who have not yet taken the 

 latest-flowering specimeus out of tbe material in which they 

 were plunged during winter ought to do so at once. 



We have put a few pots of Pink Lady Blanche into a house 

 to force. Such common and easy grown plants as Pinks, 

 Mignonette, &c., are easily brought-on in a little heat, and are , 

 very useful for furnishing the front stages. — J. Douglas. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



W. Barron & Sons, IG, Market Street, Nottingham, — Catalogue 

 of Vcgetahlc and Flower Seeds. 



R. B. Matthews, 65 and 67, Victoria Street, Belfast.— CuHwraZ 

 Guide, and General Seed Catalognc. 



Stephen Brown, Weston-super-Mare. — Illustrated Seed Gaia- 

 loqne, with Lists of Bulbs and Hoots for Spring Planting. 



Edmondeon Brothers, 10, Dame Street, Dublin.— Spr»«7 Cata- 

 logue of Vegetable and Flower Seeds, Culinary Boots, Flower- 

 ing Plants, Implements, <S:c. 



