260 



JOURNAL OP HORTIODLTDEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ April 15, 1869. 



oolonrs which theee afford. Prepare ehading without loss of 

 time ; also carefully examine the plants in the forenoons of 

 bright days, and see that none of them is suffering from want 

 of water, for with hright sunshine accompanied with drying 

 winds, it will be no easy matter to properly supply plants with 

 water. Erinp; forward the stock of plants recommended for 

 blooming in July and August, by shifting such as require it, 

 and allowing them more room. Kalosanths will require neatly 

 tying-out, as they form beautiful globular-shaped plants by 

 a httle management. Fuchsias will require a second shift, 

 and should now be in their blooming pots, using light soil for 

 the purpose. The same will suit Scarlet Pelargoniums growing 

 for specimens. These three plants can be well managed to- 

 gether. Keep the conservatory as cool by day as is consistent 

 with the health of the inmates ; this will keep the plants longer 

 in bloom, and be more enjciyable to persons inspecting them. 

 Any delicate plants with their pots full of roots, which it is not 

 desirable to shift, should have the pot inserted in one a size 

 larger, filling the interval between them with moss or sawdust. 

 This, if more generally practised, would save many a valuable 

 plant from the action of dry, absorbing air, as so porous a sub- 

 stance as a common pot soon extracts the moisture from the mass 

 of earth inside, and however carefully attended to, many plants 

 die from this cause alone in hot weather. In mixed green- 

 houses, let us presume that a climate is maintained somewhat 

 in advance of that of the cool greenhouse. By keeping one 

 end of such a house (the end where the hot water enters) closer, 

 using more atmospheric moisture, and at the same time a 

 greater amount of air at the other end, it is by no means im- 

 possible for the amateur to indulge in many of the luxuries of 

 larger establishments. 



STO\i;. 

 Orchids are now progressing rapidly, and will require at- 

 tention in shading daily, and gradually increasing the humidity 

 of the house, so as So keep pace with the increase of solar 

 light and heat. If the root is covered with climbers, a little 

 management in training them to effect a judicious shading of 

 the plants beneath, will save much trouble with the canvas 

 outside, as it will only be needed on very bright days, and add 

 much to the appearance of the house. See that plants on 

 blocks, or suspended in baskets, are not allowed to become dry, 

 which would have the effect of causing a check to the young 

 growth, which should bo encouraged as long as possible, to 

 obtain strong healthy plants. Plants in bloom should be re- 

 moved to a house with a drier temperature, to prolong their 

 period of flowering. 



PITS AND FRAMES. 



As the planting-out season approaches, take every oppor- 

 tunity of hardening-oH the winter stock, that the change to 

 complete exposure may be gradual, and the after-growth pro- 

 gressive. Bedding plants must not be rashly exposed for the 

 present, but shade slightly during bright sunshine, and ex- 

 pose freely to air such plants as are well established, carefully 

 avoiding cold drying currents. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAEDEN. 



We made preparations for planting a piece of Jerusalem Ar- 

 tichokes, finding that they were very much in demand, and 

 considering that the gardener should always grow whatever is 

 much in request. We recollect of s. large garden where for 

 twenty years none of the O.'iiou tribe was grown ; the sight 

 and the smell even of a Chive was enough to throw the pro- 

 prietor into a fit. However, the proprietor was perfectly right 

 in banishing from his premises what was so great an annoy- 

 ance to himself. We never met with anyone who could not 

 bear the sight and scent of a Hose, but we have met with 

 others free from everything like affectation, who could not 

 endure the edour of a Sweet Verbena (Aloysia citriodorn), or 

 the Cherry Pie (Heliotrope). Those who like Jerusalem Arti- 

 chokes ought to have them, though for ourselves we would 

 prefer a Potato or a Parsnip. If once planted in good, mo- 

 derately rich soil, they look ;iflor themselves, and come in for 

 a dish, and for soups iu «iuttr, when vegetables are more 

 scarce. 



Asparaijus. — Hoed and raked, so as to destroy most of the 

 surface weeds, and tecured this more effectually by a sprink- 

 ling of salt. 



Sea-kale. — Planted out all the roots that had been raised for 

 forcing, keeping about 6 inches of the crown-part pieces by 

 themselves, and all the smaller pieces by themselves, as stated 



ast week. We wish our amateur friends to bear in mind that 

 these bits of roots last season, without a visible trace of a bud, 

 did quite as well, it not better, than transplanted plants. 

 IVIade up some beds, about 3i feet wide, with 2i feet trenches 

 between them, so as to avoid covering with pots iu the open 

 air ; these we have planted rather thickly with good plants, 

 and we mean, with a few stakes, to place a slab on each side of 

 the trench to keep the beds up. We shall by mulching and 

 other means encourage these plants to grow as strong as pos- 

 sible in summer. As we find time we shall nearly fill the 

 trenches with finely- sifted, clean coal ashes. About midwinter 

 these ashes will be placed to the depth of G or 7 inches on the 

 Sea-kale, and covered with a few inches of long litter ; and as 

 spring advances we shall put fermenting material in the 

 trendies, which will give a little heat to the beds. As soon as 

 the Kale begins to throw up and appear through the ashes it 

 will be cut ; and when all is finished, beginning at one end, we 

 will move back the ashes into the trench, and the dung from 

 the trench to the beds, for the plants to make strong growth 

 in summer. By taking up and forcing during the most of the 

 winter, we shall be able to obtain our spring gathering without 

 the trouble and the casualties attendant on the use of pots. As 

 already intimated, anyone who has a warm shut-in place by 

 the side of a parlour or kitchen fireplace may have Sea-kale 

 during the winter months if he has good-crowned roots to go to. 



Globe Artichokes. — These may be great luxuries to suck and 

 chat over, where there is plenty of time for dining ; at any 

 rate, some people admire them much, especially when the 

 material used for cooking them would make almost anything 

 pood. This winter they would have needed no protection. 

 We have removed all the litter, and shall fork over, if not add, 

 some dressing in a day or two. They promise to be strong 

 and early this season, and therefore to continue the cutting 

 psriod we have taken off with a pickaxe strong lumps from the 

 stools, and planted a fresh row, which will produce heads late 

 in autumn when the more forward plants have yielded their 

 produce. We have seldom been able to give them what greatly 

 increases their productiveness and the long duration of the 

 flower heads — namely, rich mulching and manure waterings. 

 When thus treated, the same flower stalk, instead of one or 

 two, will yield continued gatherings, as fresh flower stalks will 

 come from almost every joint — a matter worth considering in 

 the case of those who have not many plants. Provided the 

 water is not too strong, we find these Artichokes like every- 

 thing that can be given to them, from soapsuds onwards to 

 guano. 



Prepared a piece of ground for sowing the main crops of 

 Winter Greens and other vegetables. When it can be done it 

 is a good plan to sow Brussels Sprouts, and even Scotch Kale, 

 under the protection of glass, and as soon as they make the 

 first rough leaves to prick them out, and then when strong 

 transplant them. But (or the many demands on time and 

 labour this plan will pay for the extra trouble, in the strength 

 of the plants and their increased fertility. 



Peas. — The weather being so cold in March, we kept a lot of 

 Peas in semicircular drain-tiles under a little protection; but 

 as April came in gentle, we pUnted them out, and staked them 

 as we proceeded. These have had no check, and will produce 

 our earliest crop. What with vermin, rats and mice, and 

 slugs, we have for years given up sowing in the autumn, or 

 rather early in winter. Counting even the trouble of trans- 

 planting, it is a saving contrasted with the constant looking 

 after all the winter. We thus, too, by frequent turnings, have 

 the ground in a fine, friable, pulverised, sweet condition, and 

 the 'plants generally grow strongly in it, and produce more 

 heavily than from seed sown where it is to remain. For this 

 plan we prefer Sangstor's No. 1 to all the newer varieties we 

 have tried. With us several of them come earlier, but they 

 do not bear so well. Merely with the protection of glass, as 

 in a cool late orchard house, Smgster's No. 1, sown or trans- 

 planted, does not bear heavily with us, while such a kind as 

 Dillistone's Early bears profusely. We generally sow or plant 

 a row near the front of the hou^e along with Lettuces, and as 

 the Lettuces are taken away, the Peas are allowed to lie on the 

 ground not staked before they arc gathered. When in bloom 

 and in pod, they have a very pretty appearance as the flowers 

 look up to the sun. By this" plan we obtain a good early crop 

 with little trouble. After having tried newi-r Uinds, as Little 

 Gem, &c., in pois, wo have fallen back on Tom Thumb, not 

 because it is the best flavoured, but because it is with us the 

 most productive, and flavour is not so much looked to at first. 

 ' Our row in pots iu the orchard house is looking very well ; in 



