146 



JOVSfO^ 0F-HO»TICUfiTXJRE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



' [ P^bruJivyaS, 16(9 



(Jmbman, sea,, of lie Woking Nqiatry. He died euddenly, 

 ilxpm suppressed gout, on the 12lh inet. Be was in his eixtj- 



•: , ■:, o:;.t ■'WORK- FOR THE WEEK»e suohnmi eH 



"*''.V J." . KITCHEN OARDEK. ' ! ?a,;OX SIJ0103..- 



As the'w«fftth6»' has been particularly open 'aiia tWlfl Wp to 

 this time, all trenohing, rough-diggio!?, gravelling walks, <tc., 

 oogbt to be pushed on as fast as possible. Where draining is 

 necessary, now i^ a good time to proceed with it. While 

 agriculturists are so much alive to the benefits it confers, it is 

 strange to hear gardeners lamenting over their pining Peach 

 and Nectarine trees and bad crops, and making no effort 

 to strike at the root of the evil. The very worst soil and 

 situation may be improved by drainage, and wall trees of all 

 sorts rendered fruitful by artificial borders. Now is a good 

 time for burning and charring all the prunings of trees and 

 shrubs. Where ground has been trenched, re-trenohed, and 

 poisoned with dung, charred earth and wood in good doses 

 have a wonderful effect in restoring fertility and keeping grubs 

 and slugs in cheek. Afpanuim:, beds should be soiled or ma- 

 nured as soon as the ground is dry enough for wheeling. Canli- 

 fiowers, make a fresh sowing in the frame, and prick out those 

 "already up. Onions, about the second week in March is an ex- 

 cellent time to sow the main crop. We all know that drill- 

 cropping is considered, and justly so, a step in advance of the 

 old broadcast mode. To every rale, however, there is an ex- 

 ception, and having tried Onions by both modes, I am perenaded 

 that the broadcast plan in beds of 42 inches in width, is 

 superior to all others when the subsequent operations are 

 properly carried out. One of the prime objects of Onion cul- 

 tivation ought to be to secure an early harvest (a late and gross 

 crop is almost sure to be stiff-necljed and keep badly), and this 

 is ncoomplished by elevated beds, nnmanured, unless the soil is 

 excessively poor. The land should be trenched and lay in ridges 

 nnlil early in March, when, beir>g levelled down, it is marked 

 oot in beds 42 inches wide, with IG-icch alleys. Before the 

 seed is sown, the beds are raised by soil frona the alleys 

 9 inches above the ordinary ground level. When the beds 

 have become very dry imleed the seed is sown, and the ground 

 iS'trodden twice over until the bed appears as hard as a pravel 

 walk. A very thin coating of soil is then strewed evenly over 

 the whole, and finally the roller is passed over the bed. When 

 the Onions are fairly tip they are weeded at two distinct cpera- 

 tioUs/not a weed being left at the last one, and they are thinned' 

 oot at two different periods, leaving theiii finally abont 3 nr 

 4iiiohe3 apart. Plants thus situated, having n greater depthf; 

 of soil than usual, acquire a more sturdy habit than thos& 

 highly manured, whilst the elevation of tiie beds enables the' 

 heat of a warm July sun to penetrate a considerable depth into 

 the earth, slightly checking late growth, and, of course, pro- 

 moting early bulbing^ Potatoes, plant on a warm border. 

 TRVir oahden. 



In the case of trees recently planted it is a good plan to 

 place a piece of fresh-cut turf over their roots. Decide on the 

 system of training, and prune accordingly. The height of the 

 wall and amount of space laterally should be early considera- 

 tiing. Prune Raspberries, and any Gooseberries and Currants 

 not previously pruned should be forthwith attended to. 



FLOWEE GARDEN. 



Sweep and thoroughly clean lawns, and give tliem a double 

 iCiiliBg with a heavy roller. If any alterations still remain nn- 

 finished, every available hand should be concentrated on this 

 work, BO as to have it completed while the weather is favour- 

 able. Look over beds planted with bulbs, and where neoes- 

 sarj stir the surface, so as to keep it open and friable. Out- 

 tings of Hollyhocks should now be slipped oft old plants with 

 a heel, planted in very sandy soil, and afforded a gentle bottom 

 heat, keeping the leaves as cool as possible, and they will be 

 foni)d to root. Carnations and Picotees must now have atten- 

 tion. For growing purposes nothing is better than two parts 

 of Bound virgin loam, one part of rotten horse mannre, and 

 one part sharp river sand; in this, with occasional doses of 

 weak liquid mannre during the growing season, they succeed 

 most satisfactorily. Seedhug Pansies in beds should be gone 

 over carefully, the surface stirred, and a dressing of manure 

 put on. American plants may be moved. It is often danger- 

 ous to remove Rhododendrons in the winter, as their delicate 

 fibrous roots are liable to be killed by severe weather. Where 

 the natural soil is not favourable for the growth of Ehododen- 

 droBS, an artifiqial soil may be gradually formed by sweeping 



the fallen leavea over their roots, and covering tbem With eanfi 



every season. 



OnEENHOrSE ASD COXSERVATORf . 



Among other important duties which belong to this earfy 

 season, that of attending to the mnlliplioation of certain plants 

 by seeds is not the least imperative or interesting. There ore 

 many seeds of exotic herbaceous plants that should be eir- 

 oouraged to geiminate early, that they may receive the foil 

 be.uetit of the summer, as it assists them to attain a degree of 

 maturity which enables the latter to withstand the gloom and 

 severity of an unaccustomed winter. I recommend the sow- 

 ing of exotic and other seeds generally during the present and 

 following month. As hybridisation is beginning to be better 

 understood and generally practised, doubtless additional atten- 

 tion will be bestowed on the propagation of plants by eeedg. 

 It is a matter of importance to the anxious grower to flowed 

 his plants in the first season ; vrith many things it is only by 

 sowing early that he is enabled to attain this result. Pelargo- 

 niums should be sown immediately, and kept growing from the 

 moment they vegetate, to insure blossom in the first year. 

 As must seeds germinate 'under similar circumstances, a pit 

 might be appropriated exclusively to the purposed Beyond 

 regulating the amount of heat and supplying the seed pftnB 

 with moisture, no extraordinary care is required; lich soil for 

 seeds is not recommended. The character of the plant should 

 determine in a measure the selection of soil. The admissioBi 

 of air on all favouruble occasions will contribute to health 

 and keep the various iiowering plants in unimpaired beauty 

 for some weeks. Hyacinths, Tulips, Lilacs, Cytisuses, Aza- 

 leas, Cinerarias, Deutzius, llhodoras will lend beauty and fra- 

 grance to the various groups. Kennedya MaiTjatt;i:' is a charm- 

 ing greenhouse plant, and -valuable for blossoming at this 

 season. 



■• PITS AND FBAMES. ' ' '■'-' ^-^ -'I'bj ' ''^ 



If the tubers of Dahlias have not yet been pnt'to'woifk.'Ulppif 

 mast be looked over, and such as are decayed removed ; young 

 plants as soon as firmly rooted should be potted off, again 

 placed in heat until they are well established, and then removed 

 to a cold frame to harden them off. Sow seeds of Mignonetlei 

 Tea-week Stocks, Cockscombs, Balsams, and many other 

 tender and hilf-hardy annuals. Give air freely to plants sucB 

 as Verbenas, Scarlet Pelargoniums, &c., in store pits, and care- 

 fully remove all dead leaves. Neapolitan Violets Must be Bn-' 

 aovered. on all suitable oooasions. — W. Keane. • ' ' ' ' ' '" 

 sx, aoa^=.i £ li^^a i..i iiH_ :'"'''\",' a"'i>'>'a^-' ^-.i 



awwoJs Jo dgi-ona 3d ■: ^ " .-w 6, b£irjo-<8 ed 5"!! 



jLii jsiliriiDlEffiNGS OF THE LAST'^\"E'Ek^j' 69id-^ 

 ; gaiJa-i;id sal i-j ^.j kitchen garden. .,(j „j gf,,;,! 



'Oi*' &'*'^'dsiyhin the Dutch h^e among growing crops d 

 Cabbage, Lettuce, and Spinach. Planted more Potatoes, sowed 

 Peas under protection for transijlan ting, and turned over ground, 

 intended for Onions, Carrots, i-e. Gave plenty of air to Pota,-, 

 toes, Kadrshes, Carrots, and other crops in frames ; sowed-, 

 more Dwarf ICidney Beans ; potfed-cff young Cucumber and. 

 Melon plants in a frame; took up some more Rhubarb and 

 Sea-kale to be placed in the Mushroom house ; and set some; 

 common pots over crowns of Sea-kale out of doors, placing: 

 hay inside the pots, so as to leave an open space in the centrs; 

 fo<- the Kale to rise in. The hay next the sides of the pot, 

 inside protects alike from burning sun and severe frost. The. 

 weather has been remarkably mild, but we are not yet out of,, 

 danger. Everything is so forward that a severe frost will d«, 

 much injury, and we must provide against conlingeneieg.. 

 Cleaned the surface of Mushroom beds, and earthed down-, 

 another piece. We find that some rat^.^^^v^^.^^.^gn, pgt, ^^^ 

 hearts of Cauliflower plants. ,,-''j,;'idi8 sirit no JaadVT' 



FRCIT GARDEN. -il . ..,-.-,f.-.. 1.^ t m, .,<:^Il» 



We find a number of Gooseberry bushes quite dead ; this wa.i 

 attribute to the dryness of last season. They were all healtbyii 

 enough last summer. Fruit rooms this winter have wantedi 

 much looking after. We had heavy crops, and of a fair aize»i 

 but the swelling must have been too rapid after the rains in j 

 autumn, andhence, we presume, in many instances the prema-i 

 ture decay. We had some pyramidal Plum and Cherry treea.v 

 perfect pictures a few days ago as to fruit buds, but though w©'j 

 ha"ve scarcely seen any birds, these managed to clear off a good 3 

 portion one afternoon, there being no workmen about. Wsj 

 have syringed the trees all over with lime and soot wash — (> 

 rather too much of the latter, as the whitish appearance deter6:r. 

 the birds. The Cherries were netted, but scarcely any net willj 

 keep out a tomtit, and even a bullfiEch ftnd a sparrow will £nd ■ 



