Pcbrunry 4, 1889. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOBTIOtJLTURH ASD COTTAaB GARDENBB. 



86 



compost as that nued in potting round and below thorn. If 

 they are drawn np mucli bnry the stem, leaving 'J or 3 inches 

 above the surface of the gronnd, as they root from tlie stem. 

 If the weather is dry water them in the evening, and bo parti- 

 cuhir to protect them by sticks from the winds and the eats. 

 They will bloom freely and for a long time. When their bloom- 

 ing is over mark the places where they are planted with a label, 

 and when taken up treat them in the same manner as the 

 OladioluB. — Samuel Broome, Temple (lanlcns. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Make arrangements for the distribution of crops of vege- 

 tables with the view of preventing a similar tribe from oc- 

 onpying the same piece of ground during successive seasons. 

 Caulijlowers, these mnst be planted out when the weather 

 becomes warmer ; where the ground will admit of it, it will be 

 found a good practice in transplanting to throw out shallow 

 trenches, placing the soil removed on the north side, and 

 putting the plants in the trenches ; they will thus be sheltered 

 from the north winds, (-'elenj, forward the plants for an early 

 supply by pricking out on a slight hotbed, and sow on the same 

 for a succession. Broecoli, clear oil the dead plants, dig the 

 ground, and prepare it for other crops. Pea.s and Tleuns, should 

 the weather permit spade operations, a warm border or plot of 

 ground may be prepared, and a favourable opportunity chosen 

 for making a sowing of Early Frame Peas, or other early sorts. 

 The Mazagan and Dwarf Cluster Beans should receive the 

 same attention. Bee that those in the ground are not injured. 

 Sweet Uasi/, sow in heat ; as also Tomatoes, Sweet Marjoram, 

 (fce. Horseradish, plant, if not done, trench the ground deeply, 

 and place the manure at the bottom of the trench. JiJiubarb 

 and Sea-kale for next year's forcing plant immediately in rich 

 trenched soil, and throw a hillock of old tan, ashes, or sand 

 round each crown to encourage it during the vicissitudes of 

 the weather in February and March. Plant Bos edgings where 

 requisite, and thoroughly drain any portion of the garden which 

 exhibits the least appearance of stagnant water. Wherever 

 water is apt to stand on the surface through the puddling pro- 

 perties of heavy rains, try to improve the texture by a dressing 

 of sand, ashes, lime rubbish, charcoal dust, &o. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



In the orchard let all planting be finished as soon as possible, 

 and stake and mulch. Remember to drain thoroughly. No- 

 where is this advice more necessary than in the orchard. Al- 

 though Apples and Pears like adhesive soils, they will never 

 prove profitable where water is allowed to accumulate. Examine 

 all old or overborne trees ; many trees of this character may 

 soon be renovated by applying manure to the extremities of 

 their roots, as also by good top-dressings, which should be ap- 

 plied early in autumn. Pruning and nailing must be continued 

 unremittingly. Attend to the earliest trees first. Planting, 

 where an unfavourable situation has compelled its postpone- 

 ment, should be no longer delayed. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



Sweep and thoroughly clean lawns, and give them a double 

 rolling with a heavy roller to render the turf smooth and solid. 

 II any alterations still remain unfinished, every available hand 

 should be concentrated on this work, so as to have it completed 

 as soon as possible while the weather is favourable for such 

 work. Last year's seedling Polyanthuses will now begin to 

 throw np occasional trusses of bloom. Those which have pin 

 eyes are usually discarded, but I would advise persons who 

 are fond of artificial fertilisation to save any flowers which 

 may have first-rate properties, even if they are thus worthless 

 in a horticultural point of view, by the prolusion of the stigma, 

 as from the facility with which it may be acted upon a 

 more successful result is likely to be obtained from them 

 than from others not so constituted. The bee seldom or never 

 settles upon the Polyanthus, and from the position of the 

 anthers and stigma in a perfect thrum-eyed flower, the former 

 are difiicult to remove without either injuring the latter or 

 fecundating it with the flower's own pollen, which is not 

 desirable. I trust my readers will cross a pin-eyed flower of 

 perfect lace and form (hundreds of which have been thrown 

 away), with such flowers as Buck's George IV., or Pearson's 

 Alexander, and communicate the results of their experiments, 

 for it is by no means probable that all the progeny will be pin- 

 eyed. Cover Auriculas at night with mats, and as the plants 

 are now beginning to grow, a little more water may be given 



than common, taking naro not to water over the plants. Tulips 

 are lapidly appearing above the ground ; protect them as much 

 as possible overhead, allowing a free circulation of air. Car- 

 nations and Picotees will soon be ready to remove, harden 

 them as much as possible, and give these also a little more 

 water, but not over the foliage. 



OREENHOOSE AND C0NS?;RVAT0R7. 



The proper application of soils is no unimportant part of 

 the gardener's practice. Rules can scarcely be offered to em- 

 brace every circumstance relating to a just application of soils, 

 and the advice I would give is, to collect at the present season 

 a sufficient store of the various sorts of soil. Loam, peit, and 

 vegetable mould should be stacked a year at least in the com- 

 post-yard before being used for potting. I have seen plants 

 greatly injured by being potted in fresh-cut soil. Posh on 

 Azaleas with a warm moist atmosphere ; for decorative pur- 

 poses at this period of the year few plants are more nsefol. 

 Epacrises are also valuable plants for winter, and by starting 

 them into growth early, and having their wood well ripened, 

 they may be had in full blossom in November. Of AmaryUids 

 and Dielytra spectabilis there should likewise be a good supply ; 

 both may be had in bloom early in the season, and under good 

 treatment they last long in beauty. Continue to repot such 

 hardwooded greenhouse plants as require it, so as to aSord 

 them every chance to make vigorous growth. 



FORCING PIT. 



In this pit keep the bottom heat up to 80°, and allow the 

 atmospheric heat to rise to 80° likewise for a couple of hours 

 on sunny afternoons, with occasionally a slight syringing at 

 such periods. It the pit has a hot-water pipe or flue in it, 

 great pains must be taken to secure moisture in the air, with- 

 out plenty of which many plants must prove failures. If there 

 are two pipes, a flow and return, as is generally the case, the 

 bottom pipe should rest in a cemented trough deep enough, to 

 enable the water to cover the pipe when necessary, and from 

 (> to inches wide. Water, less or more, should at all times 

 be kept in the trough, at least after this period. pi- 



pits AND FRAMES.' •''^" 



A calculation should be immediately made as to how far tnb 

 plants in these structures will go towards supplying the masses 

 in the pleasure ground ; damp and frost will have, doubtless, 

 reduced the number of some kinds. Strong plants, or pots 

 of " stores " which became well-established in autnmn, and 

 which consist of Verbenas, Fuchsias, Petunias, Heliotropes, 

 Salvias, Calceolarias, &o.. should be removed forthwith to some 

 of the houses or pits at work, to enjoy, if possible, a moderate 

 bottom heat, watering them with liquid manure. These will 

 quickly furnish an abundance of early cuttings, which should be 

 slipped oft and propagated at once. Water sparingly here at 

 present, not using any if the plants continue healthy without 

 it. — W. Kease. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



The frost continued long enough to enable us to do much 

 wheeling, with the very least of cleaning-np afterwards, but it 

 disappeared too soon to enable us to proceed with mnch that 

 was contemplated. With mild weather since and some heavy 

 downponrings, the ground has become far too wet for general 

 work, though not too wet for transplanting trees and shrubs. 

 Sloppy and uncomfortable though working on the surface now 

 is, we have been surprised to find that with us the heavy rains 

 have not penetrated so far into the ground as we expected. In 

 making holes for planting, and trenches for draining and 

 laying pipes, we often found the soil 2 feet from the surface 

 almost as dry as it was last midsummer. We were indulging 

 in the hope that if the next s'.immer should be dry and warm 

 we should not be badly oiJ for water, as what had so liberally 

 fallen this winter would partly find its way upw.ards again when 

 the heat was applied to the surface, but we are now lees san- 

 guine on this point. We recently saw a trench made in a fiat 

 meadow where there was no drainage to take ofi" the heavy 

 rains that fell upon it, and IG inches from the surface the soil 

 was crumbling and dry. No doubt it was greatly dried last 

 summer before the rains came in the autumn. If this state of 

 the under soil should prove at all general, there will be some, 

 like ourselves, who may have to regvet that more means were 

 not adopted to save up part of the water that fell so freely on 

 the surface. We could have filled three times oar space of re- 

 servoirs if we had had them. 



