223 



JOUENAL OF HOBTICDLTUEE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEB. 



[ AprU 1, 1869. 



and were near the Bnrface on the 27th. Many seedlings, per- 

 fectly hardy at other times, are comparatively tender just as 

 the cotyledons or seed leaves are formed, though not yet pro- 

 truded above the soil. Hence many seedlings, from seeds 

 self-sown in autumn and the beginning of winter, will pass 

 through severe frosts without suffering, whilst seeds collected 

 and saved from the same plants and sown in the end of February 

 or the first fortnight in March, will often fail because their 

 vitality is assailed by frost and damp just at that germinating 

 stage when they are very sensitive. Whilst, therefore, it is 

 all very proper to recommend sowing vegetable seeds in the 

 end of February and the beginning of March in the southern 

 counties, and in light, easily pulverised land, we would wish 

 it to be clearly understood, that farther north and in colder 

 soil it will often be the wisest policy to defer for a week or a 

 fortnight, until a fine warm seed bed can be obtained. In our 

 practice we have sown Onions at the end of February and in 

 the middle and end of March, and although the first have 

 sometimes been the best, the last have quite as often come 

 off victorious. We have often noticed in sowing the same 

 kind of Pea at the beginning of January, in February, and in 

 the middle of March, that though often the first sowing will 

 come in the soonest, we have actually had the last of the three 

 sowings earliest, and the crops generally more robust and 

 fertile. Though we wish to have early Carrots, yet in such a 

 changeable season as this, we shall be satisfied if we have the 

 seed well in by the middle of April. Parsnips require longer 

 time, and are more hardy. Even when the seed is chipping 

 we have never found it injured by frost. It often surprises us 

 that the Parsnip is so little used, but we presume its very 

 richness makes it pall on the appetite. 



We make these remarks to meet the cases of those who. like 

 ourselves, have sown little as yet. It is always well to strive 

 not to be behind other people, but with comparative beginners 

 there is quite as much danger in sowing too early as in sowing 

 too late. 



FEUIT GAEDEN. 



In fine days got on with nailing, regulating, &o., and some of 

 the work has already been indicated in the way of protection. 

 We have also alluded to the importance of giving but little 

 air in such a cold bright day as the 'llth, either to forcing 

 houses or to plant houses. It would be a rare case in which we 

 should have given much front air to anything under glass in 

 such a day. The thrywing in lots of air in such days does 

 injury to the plants, and wastes the coal heap. Of all heat 

 there is nothing like sun heat. With only a little air given 

 early at the highest part of the roof, sun heat will never injure 

 or draw the plants if it should raise the house from 10° to 15° 

 above the average night temperature. In the case of tender 

 and new-potted plants it may be necessary to slightly shade, 

 or to lessen evaporation by slightly sprinkling the foliage and 

 damping floors and paths. 



For oicliard-huuse trecx in bloom, the 27t.h was a seasonable 

 day for ripening and scattering the fertilising pollen, but un- 

 less front ventilators were protected with woollen netting, &c., 

 we should not have advised opening them. Ours remained shut 

 all day. We could have plenty of air, without a strong current, 

 from openings at the back. It is well to take Nature for our 

 teacher, but we never could see the necessity for imitating in 

 our glass houses the currents and gales of wind that are so 

 often destructive out of doors. With air early given at the 

 top of a lean-to orchard house, the sun of the 27th would not 

 make the house too warm. From 10" to 20° rise in tempera- 

 tui'e would under such circumstances be safer than a greater 

 rush of cold dry air. Everything that is grown under glass 

 becomes more delicate, and more easily injured. 



In forcing houses, strong fire heat and strong sun heat, and 

 air to keep down the temperature in proportion, are very try- 

 ing. In most cases fire heat and sun heat should never meet. 

 In such a day. with a keen frosty wind, as soon as the sun 

 begins to tell, the fires should be reduced or put out, and then 

 less air will be necessary. Small openings at the top will 

 allow the warmest air to escape, and the cold dry air that 

 comes in will be warmed and moistened before it reaches the 

 plants. Very small openings will set tlie whole air in a house 

 less or more in motion. We have seen early Melons and 

 Cucumbers next to shrivelled up from opening the sashes in 

 front in a bright frosty day, when a little air at top would have 

 kept them safe and comfortable. 



ORNAMENTAL DErAP.TjrENT. 



Here our work was much the same as in previous weeks — 

 potting, propagating, and moving plants, but left much of the 



latter nndone owing to the weather. We have spent some time 

 in shoring up an 



Ivy fence, which is rather a pleasing feature, and as part of 

 our doings, the matter may be interesting to some cf our 

 readers. Many years ago, in separating a piece of ground from 

 the pleasure grounds, a brick wall or wooden fence was very 

 much objected to. Under such circumstances, having a stock 

 of small poles of Larch and Spruce, 2;V or 3 inches in diameter, 

 we made a fence with them, from 5 i to (J feet in height, setting 

 the poles in the ground, and crossing them obliquely, so aa to 

 leave rather large lozenge openings between them, connecting 

 the tops of the poles with a wooden rail. We then planted Ivy 

 and strong-growing Koses, to run through and cover the fence, 

 and for a number of years the effect was very pleasing. In course 

 of time the Ivy overpowered and killed most of the Eoses, but 

 as an evergreen fence few things could be more appropriate 

 than the rich green Ivy. The original fence of poles has long 

 been in a rotten state, and the Ivy fence began to bulge and 

 get out of shape, and merely to keep it up a post used to be put 

 in here and there. As it was desirable to keep the fence as 

 an object of interest and beauty, we resolved to have it done 

 simply and effectually. For this purpose, on the inside of the 

 fence, so as not to be seen from the pleasure grounds, we had 

 holes dug 2 feet deep, in which to ram posts, formed of the but- 

 ends of young Larch trees, ranging from C to H inches in 

 diameter, the widest end going in the ground. These posts 

 were fixed from 7 to 8 feet apart, to meet the length of some 

 iron rods, which were from 14 to l(i feet in length. These rods 

 were rather more than half an inch in diameter, and had been 

 used for fencing. The posts, in a straight line, were firmly 

 fixed, and in height less than the height of the fence. About 

 a foot from the top of the fence the iron rods were taken 

 through the strong interlaced Ivy, thus running in line with 

 the fence, and flat iron rods, cut in pieces about 1.5 inches 

 long, were turned up at one end, so as to clasp the rods, and at 

 the other end were bent into a hook, to go into a staple in the 

 post. The Ivy, with the rod thus pulled straight, was kept 

 firm with these stout iron braces fixed securely to the post, and 

 now no storm or tempest will ever move the fence, until the 

 posts decay, which they will not do for many years. We have 

 left the fence straight in the meantime, but if that be at all 

 tiresome to the eye, we can easily break the outline, by allow- 

 ing the Ivy to grow into curves and bays. Our straight line in 

 one place is rendered necessary, from having a flat border of 

 Ivy between the fence and the walk, which looks well as a 

 change from the grass. Such bordering could often be had 

 where grass would not grow. 



As to the posts, the trees had been cut not this but last 

 winter, and brought home ; they lay until the heat of the spring 

 caused the sap to flow, and they were then peeled of their 

 bark. Posts made of such peeled wood last much longer than 

 of wood with the bark on ; they would last still longer if, after 

 being thus seasoned, they were charred or tarred below and 

 a little above the surface of the ground. As a general rule, 

 there is only one disadvantage in peeling such young trees, and 

 leaving them exposed to the sun and drought of summer — 

 namely, that the wood will crack, and, therefore, not be so 

 suitable for cutting up into boards and rails. This can easily 

 be prevented by piling the trees in heaps, with cross bars to 

 let the air freely among them, and then covering the top with 

 wattled hurdles, and a little rough thatching, to keep out sun 

 and heavy rains. For lasting work there will be no com- 

 parison between these and those left unbarked to absorb 

 moisture, and to keep it about the wood. The bark of Larch, 

 we believe, to be worth from one-half to one-third that ef 

 Oak, but we rather think that bark taken as above, from trees 

 felled in winter, would not have the same tanning powers as 

 that from trees felled after the spring growth had commenced. 

 We are uncertain as to this, but we are certain if seasoned as 

 above stated, the peeled trees would wear the best, though for 

 some rustic work they would not look so well where first ap- 

 pearances were a great object. — E. F. 



TRADE CATALOGUE RECERT^D. 



Adam Forsyth, Brunswick Nursery, Stoke Newington. — 

 Descriptive Catalogiic of ChrysantJicmums, Dahlias, Fuchsias, 

 Fdaryoniums, and Miscellaneous Bedding Plants. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— Mahch 31. 



There is little to report, business being in a great measure suspended 

 during tlie holidays. Some new hothouse Grapes of good quality have 



