Jarch 18, H60. ) 



JOURNAL OP HOBTIOULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



197 



These require a deep rich soil, which should be trenched 2 feet 

 deep, with plenty of rotten manure well incorporated with the 

 bottom spit; indeed, the ground can hardly be made too rich, 

 particularly for Asparagus. Tliis, when planted in well-pre- 

 pared soil, is very productive, yielding a largo number of line, 

 strong shoots every season ; whereas, if jilauted in poor, 

 shallow soils, no after-attention in the way of surface-ma- 

 nuring or watering with manure water, will serve to secure 

 first-rate heads, and it is so much esteemed in most families, 

 that the trouble and expense to properly prepare the ground 

 should not bo complained of, particularly as beds rightly made 

 last for many years, llivccoli, sow in beds of light rich soil, 

 in an open situation, for an early crop, and Ciihlniftes, Cuu- 

 hjluircrs, itc, in succession. Dwarf Kidnni lUans, put in a 

 small breadth of some early sort, on a warm, dry, sheltered 

 border, and plant a quantity in small pots, to be raised in a 

 cold frame and planted out as soon as all danger of frost is 

 over. Peas and ISeana, see to keeping up a succession, also 

 plant out winter Lritucr in a rich, warm piece of ground, and 

 provide a succession of Radishes, and other small salad plants. 

 Spinach and Turnipn should be sown on a warm rich border, 

 also Locks, Brussels Sprouts, and .S'ai'oys. 



FUUIT Gi3)DEN. 



Do not neglect to protect the blossoms of Peach and Apricot 

 trees, so as to secure a crop if possible. Whatever kind of 

 covering is used, it should be so arranged as to be easily re- 

 moved on fine days, and let down again at night, for the 

 thinnest covering is injurious to the trees, by sheltering insects 

 and obstructing the light, when allowed to remain all the time 

 the trees are in blossom. See that recently-transplanted trees 

 are not suffering from want of water, a circumstance which, 

 however, will hardly happen except on dry, porous soils, and 

 in such cases the ground should be mulched with decayed 

 leaves to preserve it in a uniformly moist state. 



FLOWEU GAKDEN. 



Look well to recently-transplanted trees and shrubs ; the soil 

 in which they are planted should be kept moist, but not 

 saturated, or run together by over-watering, as is sometimes 

 done. When the. weather shall have become warmer a sprink- 

 ling overhead with the engine in the evenings of drying days, 

 will be of more service to large evergreens than over-watering 

 them at the root. See that everything recently planted, 

 whether large or small, is well- secured against wind. Take ad- 

 vantage of the present state of the ground to stir and rake the 

 surface soil of herbaceous borders, to prevent the growth of 

 weeds and give a fresh neat appearance ; also plant out young 

 stock of herbaceous plants, and sow hardy annuals, biennials, 

 and perennials, where these are in demand. Prune Tea and 

 other Koses, and attend to the pruning of shrubs requiring it. 

 See that gravel walks are put in perfect order for the season, 

 and give turf a good rolling preparatory to mowing. Many 

 plants, for instance Asters, Phloxes, &c., throw up too many 

 flowering shoots ; where such is the case thin them out at 

 once, so as to obtain fine heads of bloom, and increased 

 strength in the remaining shoots, to enable them to need less 

 assistance from stakes. Hollyhocks for late blooming may 

 still be planted, as it is desirable where they are extensively 

 grown, to plant at two or three times, in order to ensure a suc- 

 cession of bloom. These showy plants are very suitable for 

 long lines, parallel with straight walks, walls, &c., where they 

 produce a fine effect. If the soil of any beds or clumps for 

 masses requires renewing or enriching by the addition of 

 animal or vegetable manure, it should be immediately done, in 

 order that they may be ready to receive plants or seeds. Where 

 the same or nearly the same plants are grown for a number of 

 years successively in any of the beds, it is advisable once in 

 four or five years to remove a large portion of the old mould, 

 and to fill up again with fresh soil. This practice, however, 

 for some plants, Zonal Pelargoniums for instance, would be 

 rather injurious, for the latter generally grow more luxuriantly 

 than is desirable, even in the poorest soil. Many bedding plants, 

 however, particularly annuals, take more from the soil than 

 can be supplied to it in a moderate top-dressing, and where we 

 find a certain kind of plant exactly suited to a particular 

 situation, we do not change it every year, but prefer changing 

 the soil. Perhaps no kind of flower garden is more generally 

 interesting than one of mixed herbaceous plants, if they are 

 tastefully arranged as regards height and habit of growth, 

 colour, and season of flowering, and it is owing to want of at- 

 tention to these particulars that flower gardening of this de- 

 scription is so little in repute. The beds are too generally 

 planted with little regard to system at first, and gaps which 



occur afterwards are supplied with little better taste. Aa the 

 arrangement of the plants cannot be rectified during the season 

 of growth, the best method of jiroceeding is to move them care- 

 fully aa they come into flower, and to make notes of their 

 heights, colours, season, and other particulars. With the 

 assistance of this information, any cultivator may make a col- 

 lection of herbaceous plants both beautiful and interesting. 



GIIEENIIOUSK AND CONSEllVATOHY. 



During the continuance of the cold easterly winds which we 

 are now experiencing, air must be admitted with caution, open- 

 ing the ventilators on the sheltered side of the house, and 

 avoiding as much as possible the passing of cold drying currents 

 over either plants in bloom or those commencing growth. 

 See that twiners which are starting into growth are kept free 

 from insects, as these, if allowed to gain a footing upon the 



! young tender shoots, will soon do a vast amount of mischief. 



I Mandevilla suaveolens is one of the most beautiful and useful 

 of twiners, but it is subject to the attacks of green fly and 

 thrips when commencing its growth in a cool house, and 

 unless these be eradicated they will greatly retard its growth, 

 and prevent its blooming early. This plant is well worth any 

 care it may require, for it almost rivals the lovely Stephanotis 

 itself in beauty, is not much inferior to it in fragrance, and 

 grows and blooms as freely in the conservatory as the Stepha- 

 notis does in the stove. It requires, however, to be kept dry 

 at the roots during winter, and should not be encouraged to 

 start into growth early in the spring. In a close-roofed con- 

 servatory it will be one mass of bloom from the middle of July 

 till November. Attend to the potting of Heaths and other 

 hardwooded plants as they require it ; this operation may be 

 performed with propriety at any season, when the roots are 

 making progress without unnatural excitement, but especially 

 when the plants are commencing new growth, which, as re- 

 gards the geueralitj' of hardwooded plants, takes place imme- 

 diately after their season of flowering. Before potting take 

 care that the old balls are sufficiently moist, for if potted in a 

 dry state it will be impossible afterwards to moisten them 

 without souring and saturating the new soil. As soon as any 

 plant has done flowering, its future shape should be adjusted, 

 by removing a portion of the old flowering stems, and unless 

 seeds are an object, they should never be allowed to ripen on 

 any plant. In conservatory borders, plants, whether climbers 

 or otherwise, which have been planted for some time, should 

 have as much of the old exhausted soil removed as can be 

 done without materially injuring the roots, and the space 

 should be refilled with fresh compost ; at the same time any 

 desirable alterations in arrangement should be made. Let the 

 main portion of the soil for these plants consist of rough 

 chopped turfy loam, or peat with an admixture of richer ma- 

 terials, according to their special requirements. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAEDEN. 



Owing to the rain, sleet, and snow, accompanied though 

 they were with fine bursts of sunshine, the frosty mornings 

 have rendered it still unsuitable to sow Onions on our heavy 

 retentive soil. If it do not become dry enough ere long, we 

 will do the best we can — namely, draw shallow drills, and cover 

 with fine-riddled stuff from beneath the potting benches. This 

 refuse soil, which soon accumulates where there is much pot- 

 ting, when kept dry is invaluable for many purposes at this 

 season, as the above, for covering seeds of all kinds out of 

 doors, making a part for early beds of Potatoes, Carrots, &c. 

 We use it for early beds of Radishes out of doors, to be slightly 

 covered with litter as soon as the seedlings appear. But for 

 having plenty for use from under protection, we would cover 

 these beds at night, and in all cold days, so as to give every 

 advantage of sunshine to heat the soil, and then the slight 

 covering to a certain extent prevents the heat escaping. 



Planted a few more Potatoes, but the work was very much a 

 repetition of what has been alluded to in previous weeKs. 



The frosty mornings furnished a good opportunity for turn- 

 inij over ridgcd-up soil in the kitchen and flower garden, and in 

 such weather it is impossible to do this too often. The more 

 thoroughly soil that has anything in it and is at all stiff and 

 heavy in its character is turned and exposed to the atmosphere 

 the more friable it will be, and the better will all annual crops 

 succeed. In very light lands the frequent turning is less ne- 

 cessary, and in many cases would be icjiuious, as allowing 

 manurial matters the more freely to escape. As a general rule, 

 the earth is a paymaster that gives wages of returns in pro- 



