October 29, 1868. 1 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTTJBB AND COTTAGE GABDENER, 



325 



the winter, the plants would reqnire very litllo ventilation when 

 at rest ; but with ttrong lius ibis cannot be done, iiud the air 

 must be obanged as often as tbe weather will permit. One of 

 the most graceful winter-flowering stove plants is tbe Acacia 

 kermesina ; it is a plant of the eaf iest culture, and lloHcrs on 

 the top of tlie shoot.i, and like all plants with this habit, it 

 should be often stopped when jounR, to induce tho formiUiou 

 of a quantity of side shoots, as tho more shoots the more 

 flower-heads. Grafted standard high on Acacia alhuis, its near 

 relative, it would form a splendid object in a short time. — 

 W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



Effects of the I'rost. — Last week we expressed a hope that onr 

 first frost would not come on a Sunday evening, but it did 

 come, nevertheless, rather sharp on that evening (October ISth), 

 and as tho weather looked as if we should have more of it, we 

 lifted some of the most tender plants, and placed them under 

 protection on Monday, and though the leaves of tender Pelar- 

 goniums were rather hard, they were not injured when thawed 

 in the shade. For a particular purpose we were anxious not 

 to dismantle our beds, and, therefore, we covered up some of 

 the most tender plants on Monday night, but the sharper frost 

 of Tuesday morning showed us we had better at once make safe 

 what wo wished to preserve, and we took up a considerable 

 number of Pelargoniums, &c., placing them in sheds or shel- 

 tered places, with a little loose litter thrown over tbem until we 

 should bo able to attend to them. Wo never recollect having 

 such a severe frost as on Tuesday morning, so early, for many 

 years. The surface of the ground was well crusted, and the 

 leaves of unprotected Pelargoniums were as hard as pasteboard. 

 Ooleus has been destroyed, nnd Perilla considerably blackened, 

 and so have Dahlias and Heliotropes, but Verbenas, Calceo- 

 larias, Salvias, and the stronger-growing kinds of Scarlet Pelar- 

 goniums, are still green, and in many cases opening blooms 

 after the drenching rains of the 23rd and the 2ith. This is, 

 no doubt, partly owing to the heat contained in the ground, 

 and partly to the elevated position of the flower garden ; and to 

 this latter circumstance we would wish to draw attention for a 

 moment, as it might ho worth while for neighbours to compare 

 notes in this respect. 



We are all aware of the fact, that as a general rule the higher 

 we go into the atmosphere, tbe greater is the cold we experience, 

 until we reach the limits where snow and ice held their per- 

 petual reign. Within certain limits there are exceptions to 

 this rule. Gardens in elevated positions are often untouched 

 by the autumn and spring frosts, which cut up vegetation so 

 much in the valleys. We have met with many instances in 

 which even the bottom branches of rather tender trees have 

 been seemingly burnt up by a dry frosty air, whilst the 

 upper branches stood the test uninjured. From various ac- 

 counts that reach us, the fact is afcertained, that gardens in 

 valleys have suffered more, and earlier than we have doue, and 

 for this difference there must be a cause. We presume that 

 the free radiation of heat from the earth would be very much 

 the same from an extended elevated plateau as from a similar 

 extended valley, though there might be a difference at the 

 point where the eminence shelved down into the valley. 



We have several times adverted to the simple fact that, as 

 every body must be colder than the air around it before dew 

 can be deposited on that body, so tho deposition of dew and of 

 hoar frost will furnish a test as to the cold produced by free 

 radiation. We have no reason to conclude but that radiation 

 of heat proceeds as freely from the higher ground as from that 

 in the valley, and yet frost will bo injurious in the valley, and 

 the high ground will escape. Several times during this dry 

 summer when the short lawn, so favourable for tbe deposition 

 of dew in a quiet clear night, has been as dry as possible in 

 the morning, so that even a satin slipper could not be damped, 

 we have found dew on longer grass in a valley at a level of 

 150 feet lower. The only explanation that we can give for this 

 singular but frequent occurrence is, that there is a constant 

 tendency to an equilibrium of heat in the atmosphere, at least 

 for certain heights; and thus, whilst the air on the loner 

 ground becomes colder and colder, because tho heavier and 

 colder strata sink to the ground at once and can go no farther, 

 the heat given off by radiation on the higher ground and higher 

 positions, as the top of a tree, is for a time counterbalanced by 

 tbe cold air finding a lower level and the warmer air rising to 

 take its place. The mat(er is well worthy of consideration, as 

 being of much importance as to the position of a garden ; and if i 



these reasons bo near the mark, tbey will show that slightly 

 ."loping banks will be less exposed to sndden frosts than tlie 

 deep luvel valley, as for a time there will be an interchange of 

 strata of air differing in density and temperature. 



Wintering Old Pelargoniums. — Among the matters attended to 

 in the week, which were chiefly a repetition of those alluded to 

 in recent notices, and especially in the wet days, many of tbe 

 Pelargoniums were taken up from the beds, as' we always like 

 to save some of them for different purposes, and these wo 

 treated in three diiTereut ways. 



I'iist, as respects some variegated kinds which we wish to 

 keep and get cuttings from in spring. These we deprived of 

 a few of their largest leaves, and when the roots were very 

 straggling cut them in to G inches or so in length, and then 

 wo potted singly in small pots (4.0's), and set them in f. slight 

 bottom heat in frames, admitting air all night, that most of the 

 leaves left may remain uninjured. 



In a second case we took up some good-sized plants which 

 we wish to keep for centres of raised beds or pyramids next 

 season. We find that these are scarcely injured by the frost. 

 As height is an object, we retain them almost at their full' 

 height, but to save room we take off all leaves larger than a 

 sixpence, cut the roots if necessary, and place in the smallest 

 pots that we can get them in, and put them under glass. Gene- 

 rally these make fine plants in spring. They would make fresh 

 roots sooner if they, too, could have a little bottom heat, but 

 that we could not give them, and to save room we wish them to 

 grow very little during the winter. 



The third is the most numerous lot, and ' the' plants in this 

 wo merely wish to keep. We prune in the heads closely, leaving 

 only a bud or two at the base of each branch. We prune in 

 tho roots to about 4 inches in length, and then we pack these 

 roots closely in boxes — say thirty or forty of the close-cut 

 deer-antler-like plants in a wooden box 3 feet long by 9 inches 

 wide. If the soil is somewhat moist, they will need little 

 watering, just a little to settle the earth about the roots. To'' 

 prevent damping wo dip the cut heads in a pot of quicklime. 

 As not a single leaf is left on these cut-in plants, packed as 

 closely as a wood faggot, they will keep anywhere in winter, 

 where they will be secure from frost and damp, and will need 

 but little light until they begin to break their buds, which they 

 seldom do with us until March. These plants first treated with 

 light then, and soon afterwards given more room, so that each 

 plant may grow freely, will make a good show in the flower 

 garden. This plan, or some similar one, is the best to adopt 

 by those who grow Scarlet Pelargoniums, and have no green- 

 house or glass pit to keep them in. Such skeletons need little 

 care in winter. All young plants raised from cuttings must 

 have light, as well as be kept from froat..Ti-K. P. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— OcTOBtBl^'M''''^- 



Tnij supply of fruit and vegetables is ample, ^itli little variation in 

 n-ices. Tlae Potato market is firm tor good sound dcEcriptions. 



s d. B. 



Apples Ji slave 1 DtoS 



A.pricots doz. 



Clierriea... lb. 



Cheatnuta bnsh. 10 Iti 





 

 

 1 

 1 

 



Cnrrftnts 3"i sieve 



Black do. 



Figs doz. 



Filberts lb. 9 



Cobs lb. 9 



Giooseberries ,.<iuart 



Grapes, Hothouse, .lb. '1 



Lemons 100 10 10 



Melons each 2 0to5 



Nectarines dciz. 



Oranges 100 8 12 



Teacbes doz. 10 15 



Pears (dessert) .. doz. 3 GO 



Pino Apples lb. 4 7 



Plums 3-i eieve 4 6 tt 



Quince? doz. 9 16 



Raspberriea lb. O 



Strawberries., per lb. U 



Walnuts bush. 10 IB n 



do per 100 10 3 6 



VEGKTABLES. 



Artichokes doz. 



Asparagus 100 



Keans, Kidney J4 sieve 



Boct, Red doz. 



Broccoli bundle 



BruB. .Sprouts J-a aieve 



Cabbage doz. 



Capsicuma 100 



Can'ota bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Cucumbers each 



F.ndive doz. 



Fennel btmch 



Garlic lb. 



IlerhG bunch 



Horseradish .. bundle 



B. d. B. d 

 3 to G 

 

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 •i 





 4 



8 







2 



S 



3 



B 



S 





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Leeks bnnch 



Lettuce .... per score 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mu8td.& Cre^s, y unnet 

 Onions ....per but-hel 



Parsley per bieve 



Parsnips doz. 



Peaa per quart 



Potatoes bushel 



ICiduey de. 



Radishes dos. bnucbes 



Rhubarb 1 undle 



Sea-kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bu^bel 



Tomatoea per doz. 



Tomips btmch 





 



d. 8.d 



4 too e 



4 



3 



a s 



n u 



4 



1 O 



o 



6 U 



7 O 

 

 



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