November 12, 1868. ] 



JOURNAL OP HOKTICULTURB AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



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ing heads like forest trees, but by seeing tliem produce healtby 

 though stunted wood covered with fruitful buds, and if you 

 imagine that you must wait a long time for your ground 

 being fully occupied by such moderate growth, you may in- 

 crease the number of trees. 



FLO WE K QAEDEN. 



The subject of the winter decoration of the llower garden 

 was so fully discussed in the last calendar, that it is not neces- 

 sary to do more at this time than refer the reader to it. An 

 arrangement of this kind gives a garden a highly interesting 

 appearance through the dull months of winter, and the only 

 objection that can be urged against it is, that when bulbs are 

 cultivated they cannot be managed so conveniently as if the 

 beds were unoccupied. This, however, might bo obviated by 

 growing both the shrubs and bulbs in pots, but it is very 

 questionable whether the latter could be so well grown as if 

 planted in the open soil. Keep the ground as neat and clean 

 as possible, and roll the walks and grass as frequently as the 

 weather will admit of your doing so. Auriculas will still require 

 well looking after, all dead or yellow leaves must be gently 

 slipped off, taking care not to wound the stem, the top soil must 

 be frequently moved, and if there should bo any appearance of 

 bad drainage the soil must be carefully turned out, keeping the 

 ball entire, and more broken pots added. During rainy weather 

 the lights of the frames must be kept on, but tilted behind, 

 and a free circulation of air amongst the pots must be insured 

 by raising the frames a few inches from the ground. Should 

 autumnal blooms be thrown up, pull off the pips as soon as 

 formed ; when they happen to be heart blooms it is better to let 

 the stem remain. Carnations in frames will require all the 

 air and exposure possible, avoiding continuous wet. Should any 

 plants appear mildewed, or the leaves become spotted, the 

 diseased parts should be immediately removed, and the plants 

 be placed away from the general stock in a frame to them- 

 selves. Pansies that have made long and straggling shoots 

 may now be cut closely leaving a joint above the ground, and 

 hoops should be placed over the most choice beds that pro- 

 tection may be given in the event of sudden frost, which, at 

 this season, is apt to occur after excessive rain. 



GEEENHOnSE AND CONSEEVATOKT. 



Pelargoniums and Cinerarias require the warmest end of the 

 greenhouse unless there is a compartment for them among 

 the frames and pits. Except these, almost all the greenhouse 

 plants require constant air, and the house to be kept in a sweet 

 and rather dry state. When collections of fine new Chrysan- 

 themums have been brought into the conservatory this season, 

 now is the time for making memoranda of their habits, earli- 

 ness and lateness, &c. There are a few inferior varieties 

 among them yet, but they are all beautiful and fill up a blank 

 between autumn and forced flowers. See that Luculia gra- 

 tissima does not receive too much water ; it is very delicate in 

 that respect and must have comparative rest as soon as the 

 flowers are gone. 



STOVE. 



The Combretum purpureum was never known to flower so 

 long as it has done this season, it has been .ocarcely a day out 

 of flower since last April, and will go on to Christmas to all 

 appearance. Everyone admires the beautiful markings of the 

 Gesnera zebrina, one of the most easily-managed of our winter 

 flowers ; and Gesnera longiflora is by no means to be despised 

 at this late season. Then there is the old Eranthemum pul- 

 chellum, the best of all the blue-flowering winter plants ; while 

 Justicia pulcherrima is a blaze of purple. Aphelandra cristata 

 and Justicia pulcherrima are two distinct winter flowers, al- 

 though under one name in some books. There is much more 

 danger in overheating stoves than in their being now too cool. 



FOECING PIT. 



This being crammed with all sorts of plants for flowering in 

 the conservatory and drawing-room, it is now the most critical 

 part of our garden establishment. Forced flowers are coming 

 more and more into use every year, and in these a new branch 

 of trade is fast rising in London, which will soon spread into 

 the provinces. The steady bottom heat from tanks will effect 

 a great change in forced flowers, as many who could not 

 formerly venture on this now difiicult branch of culture, will 

 be able to do so with certainty. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



makeshifts. 

 Beetroot. — The frosts in the end of the week made us take 

 up our Beetroot, middling for size, but beautiful in eolotir. 



fearing the frost might be too much, and still more dreading 

 the rats, which had commenced on it in earnest. Much of it 

 which was bitten will come in useful if wanted, as the wounds 

 are well healed over, and (juito hard on the outside. Good Beet, 

 and fine Celery, enable one to pass through the winter more 

 comfortably. 



Parsleij. — Gave a good watering to the row in the orchard 

 house, to which we will go only in severe weather, when the 

 outside beds are bard frozen, or covered with snow. We pity 

 the gardener who cannot gather a handful of Parsley several 

 times a-day in winter. Some good cooks, to their credit, are 

 careful, and make it do several times for garnishing. 



CauUHoiL-crs, Endive, i(c. — As we could not manage to place 

 these under cover from the sharp frost, we did the next best 

 thing, threw some rough litter over it where it was, treating 

 beds of Radishes in the same way. 



Celery. — As we did not earth-up high we covered the remaining 

 part with long dry litter, stuffing it between the plants pretty 

 well up to their tops, but leaving all the tops exposed. We wiU 

 only cover the tops in very severe weather, but the litter will 

 keep all the upper part of the stems secure, and even the 

 ground free from much frost. 



Securing Litter.— lAitex is chiefly the dry cleanings from the 

 stable from which all the droppings, &c., have been shaken. It 

 is all very well to speak about straw for covering, but we fear less 

 and less of it will come in the way of the gardener. Dry dung 

 is a good substitute, and it is well to make the most of it. In 

 all places of any considerable extent, it is best for all parties 

 that the gardener should have a certain quantity of this litter, 

 and regularly, and not a load now and then, which in all like- 

 lihood he will not he able to obtain when he wants it. Such a 

 system also teaches forethought, and the habit of looking beyond 

 the present. In many places the gardener is allowed all the dung, 

 or part of it, that comes from the home stable, where carriage 

 and riding horses are kept, and this suits very well, as the 

 droppings and short litter come in as the very best for Mush- 

 rooms. Of such litter we would never have enough in winter, 

 for protecting frames and pits. Celery, borders, &c , but we have 

 generally more than enough in summer, and this we shake 

 carefully out during a fine day, and then build it in a stack, and 

 to it we go in any emergency, and can thus have litter for use 

 without troubling anybody. Within the last week we have 

 made fair inroads on our store, but still we have a good heap 

 left, which we trust will not be all gone until the bedding plants 

 are safe for the outside beds in spring. 



Took up a quantity of Sea-knlc and rJniJiarb, placed the 

 roots in the Mushroom house, and will give them a little more 

 heat in a week or so. Neither is any better of too much heat 

 at first. Packed with litter, and a little earth thrown over it 

 to keep it down, stools of Globe Artichokes, Sea-kale, Rhu- 

 barb, and even Horseradish, so that the frost shall not pene- 

 trate much into the ground. A very little loose litter prevents 

 injury from frost. For protecting the roots of plants at all 

 tender, nothing is better than an inch or two of moss. Even 

 north of Edinburgh, huge bushes of Fuchsias used to bloom 

 freely in the open air, the shoots cut down to the ground 

 every autumn, and the stools covered with moss, which was 

 nearly decayed as the young shoots came in the spring, and in 

 severe springs these sometimes were helped for a few weeks 

 with a hand-light. Thus treated the huge bushes were mag- 

 nificent, far before those even in the south, where the stems 

 stood the winter. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



Strairberrie': in pota began to give us some concern, owing to 

 the heavy rains and the frosts of the 6th and 7th inst. We 

 had some litter laid on them where they stood, but that was 

 in a conspicuous place, and did look untidy, and after a fine 

 day there was always the chance of the pots, when exposed, 

 being caught with a severe frost. We thought of several plans 

 for making them safe, and at last, on the 7th, adopted the 

 following: — As already stated, we had put some litter on the 

 Vine borders ; and that of the latest house, in addition, had 

 been covered with some old sashes, which were condemned 

 twenty years ago, but without the help of a bearer or rafter, or 

 much done to them, they have done good service in turf and 

 earth pits, &o., ever since, though old and shaky enough. 

 Well, on the border we made a bed for Strawberries, forking 

 the litter over, adding a little more, and making a wall of litter 

 from our stored-up heap back and front, on these laid longi- 

 tudinally the boles of some young trees, on which to lay the 

 ends of the sashes, top and bottom. The pots were plunged in 

 the bed, as the heat given will scarcely be appreciable, and, 



