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JOUBNAIi OF HOETICULTCKE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



[ Febrnary 18, 1869. 



pots and glasses — Lord Wellington, rose; Mrs. Beecher Stowe, 

 red ; Gigantea, blush ; Madame Van der Hoop, white ; Mont 

 Blanc, -white ; Tubiflora, white ; Argns, blush ; Baron Von 

 Hnmboldt, violet ; Couronne de Celle, blue ; Prince of Water- 

 loo, white ; Laurens Koster, purple. 



Tulips may be planted in the same kind of soil as the Hya- 

 cinths, but put three in a pot, and do not allow them to draw 

 np too high before bringing them to the light.— Samuel Become, 

 Temple Gardens, 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDBN. 



Gardening operations may now be proceeded with in every 

 department should the present mild weather continue and the 

 ground not become too wet. Asjiaragus, make new beds with 

 two-year-old plants, and till up old beds. Bmns, plant out 

 Mazagan from boxes and pots ; sow Longpods. Cahhage, plant 

 out, and earth-up those already planted. Cauliflowers, plant 

 out from frames or hand-glaspes ; the latter must have but 

 three plants left under each. CeUnj, make a sowing on a warm 

 border. Cucumbers, give air to the frames as frequently as 

 possible, taking care not to let the heat decline. Sow for suc- 

 cession crops. Leeks, sow for the principal crop. Onioiis, 

 BOW main crops in drills or broadcast ; weed and thin out those 

 sown in the autumn. Fot Herhs should now be sown, or plant- 

 ations made from cuttings. Potatoen, plant early sorts in a 

 warm situation ; for earlier crops a few may be planted in 

 Jjoxes in heat, and transplanted to the open ground when they 

 have vegetated. Those grown in frames should have air given 

 freely. Sanoi/s, sow for early crops. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



The weather, should it continue mild, will so far advance 

 the wall trees, that unceasing application in nailing, pruning, 

 &c., will be rendered imperative. The necessity of affording 

 protection to early-blooming and trained fruit trees will shortly 

 occupy attention. The method most commonly adopted is 

 Ihat of tacking fir boughs over the blossom ; but when time, 

 Irouble, and the waste of material are taken into consideration, 

 it is questionable whether in the end it is not an expensive 

 plan. The Trench method, which is simply a narrow straw 

 mat resting on rods that are commonly fixed in a slanting 

 position under the coping of the wall, is both effectual and in- 

 expensive. Wooden moveable copings are effective but cum- 

 ibrous. I imagine glass might be employed advantageously 

 merely as a coping. Canvas or thick woollen netting fixed to 

 rollers and worked on rafters falling at a sharp angle from the 

 top of the wall, although an expensive, is an assured and effec- 

 tual plan of protection, the adoption of which can be recom- 

 mended from experience. Clear away dead leaves from Straw- 

 ierry plants, and remove superfluous runners from the Alpine 

 Strawberry ; all should not be removed, as the runners bear 

 tetter generally than the old seedling plants. 



IXOWER GARDEN. 



Proceed with Eose-pruning. The late mild weather has 

 already advanced the buds of many sorts ; an exception, how- 

 ever, may be made of Eoses recently moved. Plant and layer 

 Ehododendrons. Trained Magnolias should be secured to the 

 wall, and Pomegranates and tender shrubs uncovered. Coni- 

 lers may be planted out or removed. Edgings required for 

 flower beds, such as Box, Thrift, or Daisies, should be at once 

 iplanted, and Box edgings must be out. Plant Pinks, Pansies. 

 and Carnations. Progress should be made with the laying of 

 lurf, and all planting and pruning completed for the present. 

 Mild showers occasionally would be of service to Auriculas, 

 and when grown in wooden frames a brick placed under each 

 corner whilst the weather is open, would contribute to their 

 health and well-doing. Some people top-dress their plants 

 with rich and stimulating soil at this period. I do not advo- 

 cate adding anything stronger than thoroughly decomposed 

 cow manure, mixed with an equal bulk of decayed leaves ; this 

 will grow them well without running any risk of poisoning the 

 plants. Eanunculuses may now be planted whenever the soil 

 is sufficiently dry, planting them in rows about 6 inches apart, 

 4 inches from root to root, and covering with 3 inches of soil. 

 In consequence of the mildness of the winter Chrysanthemums 

 are growing very rapidly, rather too much so. To make them 

 more hardy, so as to withstand the severe weather which may 

 be expected before next May, and which will check their growth, 

 yon should now begin to dig up the roots, divide them into 

 three or four parts, and replant after well digging the borders. 

 If the plants have grown C inches long, plant their new growth 



3 inches below the surface, or according as they are drawn up ; 

 this will give them strength and health, and render them more 

 hardy. If this be not done, the frost and cold easterly winds 

 will damage the leading shoots, and cause the plants to break 

 at the sides, which will throw them back for three weeks in 

 the autumn, when they should be blooming. Take off' the 

 strongest side shoots for potting, put them singly into CU-sized 

 pots in light loam and a little sand, place them in a cold frame, 

 and they will make fine plants fur conservatories and green- 

 houses. If a quantity of bloom is required, when they have 

 made 7 inches' growth take out the crown to keep them short, 

 and this will cause the laterals to break earlier, and the plant 

 will be much stronger. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSEEVATORT. 



On the removal of a portion of the Camellias, as recom- 

 mended last week, some room will be made for gay plants from 

 the forcing pit or houses at work. In large establishments 

 New Holland plants, liiricas, &c., will, of course, be taken from 

 their proper stations to keep up a display. Where a gay small 

 greenhouse is kept, with but little other glass to assist, much 

 of what is termed flower-forcing has to be carried on in this 

 structure. The flower-forcing pit, if there is one, will, of 

 course, be regularly examined, and anything coming into blos- 

 som may be removed to make room for successional plants. 

 Poinsettias which have done flowering should be removed to a 

 warm growing temperature to make new wood, of which cut- 

 tings may be made. Euphorbia jacquiniff-flora, too, may be 

 transferred to a warm house, but not pruned. In the cool 

 house Pelargoniums should be duly attended to as regards 

 staking and tying out the branches, so as to induce them to 

 form handsome specimens. They will bear repotting the mo- 

 ment blossom buds are formed in the terminal points. Water 

 moderately after shifting until the pot is tolerably well filled 

 with roots. Tender annuals, as Balsams, Cockscombs, &c., 

 may now be sown ; they succeed best in a frame on a gentle 

 bottom heat, furnished by means of fermenting materials. 



ST0\'E. 



Orchids generally will, doubtless, now be preparing to push ; 

 fire heat should be kept sufficiently lively in the early part of 

 the day to allow of a free circulation of air. Every leaf should 

 be dry for an hour or so about midday, after that air may be 

 gradually withdrawn and atmospheric moisture renewed. This 

 treatment will suit the majority of stove plants as well as Or- 

 chids. Than Achimenes, few plants are more useful or attrac 

 tive, therefore every garden of any importance should possess 

 a good quantily of them ; the dwarf bushy habit, brilliant 

 flowers, and the length of time they continue in bloom, render 

 them worthy of every care. They all like a stove heat, but 

 they may also be grown without such convenience, for most of 

 the Achimenes, and even several Gloxinias, will attain a high 

 degree of perfection in a Cucumber frame. Achimenes look 

 best when grown in masses. This is done by taking four plants 

 out of small pots and planting them in a larger one, or in a 

 pan a foot or so in diameter, with 2 or 3 inches of potsherds 

 at the bottom to secure perfect drainage. The top as well as 

 the bottom heat now should be raised to about 80', keeping 

 up a moist atmosphere, syviuging frequently, and giving air at 

 every favourable opportunity. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



The 12th inst. was one of the wettest and most boisterous 

 days of which we have any recollection. It was just one of 

 those days when, whatever may be the press of out-door work, 

 we hke to find something that may be done comfortably under 

 shelter, and in which there could be no hesitation as to whether 

 it would or would not be as well to turn out for a little. When 

 drenching showers occur along with intervals of sunshine, it 

 is often advisable, if fairly set to work in-doors, to make up 

 your mind to remain there, otherwise, in such broken weather, 

 there is apt to be much time wasted in coming and going. 

 Gardeners as a rule must not ba afraid of a drizzle ; on the 

 other hand, some experience enables us to state that work done 

 out of doors in heavy rain is not only very expensive, as it is 

 rarely well done, but generally entails extra labour afterwards ; 

 whilst the men frequently soaked, insensibly to themselves be- 

 come less energetic when a fine day does come, frequent 

 soakings are among the best means of driving everything Uke 

 enthusiasm out of a man ; and without this enthusiasm the 

 best workman is apt to dwindle down into a mere look-at-the- 

 clock man. Though the day was so wet, we turned out for a 



