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JOOENAIi OF HORTICOLTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENEK. 



[ Decfmber 24, IKe, 



Cucumber ■will equally apply to the smallest seeds ; but whilst 

 care should be taken that such seeds should not be too moist 

 at first, nor too much covered, greater care will be required 

 in proportion to their smallnees, that the seeds do not suffer 

 from drought after they have swelled, and the radicle or root 

 has protruded. With such attention to trifles there wonld be 

 more snecess in raising seedlings, and seedsmen wonld not 

 be blamed when thoroughly honest and far above all such 

 practices as are too freely ascribed to them at times. 



All this care in sowing, however, will not always ensure that 

 the seedlings raised shall be true to the desired variety, and 

 this uncertainty will generally be in proportion to the newness 

 of the variety and the length to which it grows. All the older 

 and shorter varieties seed pretty freely and have well-formed 

 fruit, therefore it is easy to save good seed. The most of the 

 long-growing kinds, fertilise how yon may, produce seed spar- 

 ingly. It is rare to obtain a seed from a fine specimen Cu- 

 cumber of the long kinds, that, in addition to other desired 

 properties, is as straight as and more uniform in girth than a 

 gun barrel. An opportunity is taken to get seed from those 

 with chubby ends and malformed fruit, because it can rarely 

 be otherwi=e obtained. Kted we wonder that thus the variety 

 soon deteriorates ? What would be thought of the stock- 

 breeder who used the lame and the deformed of his flock to 

 keep up the high character of his stock? and yet this, to a 

 certain extent, must be done as respects these long fancy 

 Cucumbers. 



We rccolleot a particular case in point. Many years ago one 

 of our best gardeners exhibited some fine, long, white-spincd 

 Cucumbers, with a splendid mealy bloom on them, and they 

 were crisp and sweet, as well as pleasing to the eye. Seeds- 

 men wished to have the sending out of the variety. Towards 

 the end of the summer something like chance gave ns an 

 opportunity to see six or eight lights of this Cucumber left for 

 seed. There was not a single well-formed specimen, most were 

 crooked and twisted, and looked as if they would yield abun- 

 dance of seed. Need we wonder that in a couple of years or 

 so the Cucumber got out of date? Some said they had been 

 " sold," though there was not a doubt as to their having 

 seed from the right stock. The raiser kept on with it, and did 

 well with it ; but then, no doubt, he was particular as to the 

 fruit he had (he seed from, and very likely if that did not 

 please him be continued the variety by cuttings. " Beta '' and 

 other enthusiasts after long straight Cucumbers, will now see, 

 that however honest the seedsman may be, there will always be 

 8 tendency to deterioration and sporting in these very long 

 Cucumbers, and the grower will succeed best who saves his 

 own seeds, and is content to save very few from well-formed 

 fruit, instead of a great quantity from deformed ones. We 

 have not seldom been forced to fall back on chubby, gouty- 

 nosed fruit, because we could not get seed from a straight one, 

 but though frequently the variety was thus continued tolerably 

 pure, it was more than we had any right to expect. Facts 

 when fairly stated will often remove very unpleasant miscon- 

 ceptions, whilst reticence and unwise attemps at concealment 

 will only confirm them. 



FEriT GARCEX. .""^ ' ' 



We must refer the reader to pre vious ' weeks' notices as to 

 planting, transplanting, and pruning. Of the latter, and even 

 under glass, we have not done so much as we wish owing to a 

 press of out-door matters, hut nothing has been allowed to be 

 delayed too long. 



S'traicberriis.—We have just made up a mild hotbed, chiefly 

 cf long litter and tree leaves. These were trodden rather 

 firmly, and as even then the pots would be apt to sink more 

 in the leaves than would be desirable, a depth of 2 or 3 inches 

 of rotten dung was placed on the surface and firmly trodden, 

 so that the pots should stand level without being plunged. 

 The heat rising from the leaves will be enough to excite the 

 plants gradually and gently. Beds formed at this season are 

 apt in mild weather to heat too violently for the good of the 

 roots of the Strawberries, as when to be moved to houses after- 

 wards these do all these better when the roots have little more 

 of what may be called bottom heat than the tops or buds. A 

 strong heat also paralyses the roots, and when very warm bums 

 them. We wonld prefer placing the plants in the bed on boards. 

 This plan, with means to prevent overheating, brings the plants 

 en giadually and gives them an advantR^e over those set in 

 cool houses at once, as to the time of blooming and ripening. 

 A few sashes at liberty thus give us the advantage cf starting a 

 house in which Slrawbenies are to be placed a month later. 

 In a regular Strawberry house, which we would much prefer 



to making, as we generally do, the Strawberry merely a super- 

 numerary in other houses, and where fuel is no serious matter, 

 we would prefer setting the pots on the shelves at once. There 

 is always a risk at this season in plunging the plants in a bed, 

 unless the heat be the very mildest. If the roots strike through 

 into rich material there is ever a tendency in dull weather to 

 the production cf huge leaves, instead of bold strong flower 

 trusses. Hence, though a little heat will help them on more 

 than a cold pit or frame, we prefer that the roots clustering 

 round and in every part of the pot should not be subjected 

 directly to the action of the heat. 



Cut mildewed berries out of the Grapes remaining. This- 

 weather, even with the advantage of fire heat and air during 

 the day, has been rather unfavourable to their keeping well. 

 Apples and Pears also want constant looking over. 



OEXAirEXT.U. BErAEliraST. 



When not over wet rolled the lawn. Tresh-laid turf was 

 too wet to be rolled, we had to be content with slightly beating. 

 Where the ground was all levelled we could lay the turf down 

 by using planks and boards for the men to stand on, and as 

 they were light they were easily moved. Towards the end of 

 the week we had to give up all attempts at levelling theground, 

 from the wetness. A correspondent tells us that he can do 

 nothing with turf from half to three-quarters of an inch thick, 

 and thinks we must be mistaken as to the thickness. We have 

 laid loads between these two sizes, and when carting frcm a 

 distance much cartage is saved. We have no fear of such 

 thin tuif now, and especially in such moist weather. Some of 

 the first laid is growing beautifully. We should require 

 similar turf to be double the thickness in March, and then 

 there would often be the trouble of filling up the cracks, if 

 not of watering. To make a fresh lawn, therefore, economi- 

 cally, the work is best done in the end of autumn and the 

 beginning of winter. In large jobs it is very well to sow, but 

 it takes some time before the finest seeds will equal good turf. 



Tulips, especially of the best kinds, will require to be pro- 

 tected alike from heavy drenchings and severe frosts. Mats 

 and a little long litter will be useful for these purposes. All 

 bulbs and flowering roots must be protected from mice, by- 

 catching or otherwise doing away with the mice. We have 

 known fine beds of Crocuses spoiled in a few nights. Besides 

 poisoning and catching, we have sprinkled tar along the sides 

 of the rows and patches with advantage, and the tar would be 

 dried and innocent enough by the time the bulbs showed 

 strongly above ground, and after that the mice more rarely 

 touch them. When we place bulbs in a bed covered with 

 ashes or leaf mould for the purpose ef forcing, we have found 

 no security against rats and mice so effectual as dropping a- 

 hne of tar all round the bed, and sprinkling some over it. 



.4.uticnlas, Polyanthuses, (he finer Primroses, Carnations, 

 Picotees, i-c, kept in cold frames and pits should be frequently 

 sxamined as to dryness and any appearance of damp. When- 

 ever a few hours' sunshine occur the sashes should be taken 

 off, but in this warm, foggy, dripping weather the sashes 

 should be raised back and front to allow the air free pussage, 

 and so as to keep the plants robust and healthy. 



Ciilciolarliii. — Toung plants from cuttings in the end cf 

 October, which we lately stated have rooted ra(her sooner than 

 we wanted them, have been treated much in the same way as 

 the above, only (he sashes were pulled down in dry weather, 

 even if dull and foggy, as a little damp, along with plenty of 

 air, will rarely hurt such Calceolarias. We like as weU when 

 the cuttings do not root until about this time, as before they 

 have made many roots they will stand rougher trealment. In 

 severe weather we have had such Calceolarias covered up for & 

 month or six weeks, after making sure (hat the temperature 

 injide was cool enough to prevent growth and extension, and 

 just above freezing-point ; but whe« they are as thickly set as 

 ours, about IJ inch apart, and tolerably well rooted, they will- 

 not readily endure such long shutting up^ if they should be 

 called upon to meet if, but will require uncovering more fre- 

 quently. Herbaceous Calceolarias of the large-flowering kinds, 

 though equally rejoicing in a moist cool atmosphere, generally 

 do better where in all seasons they can have light, and, there- 

 fore, will bloom all the sooner if light can be given, and the 

 frost excluded by a little fire heat. It is easy to counteract- 

 the dryness from artificial heat. We have in years gone by 

 grown" great quantiiies of the herbaceous Calceolarias and 

 Cinerarias, and felt often amused in reading the weekly direc- 

 tion to be sure not to spare tobacco smoke amongst thtm. as 

 it was rarely we ever gave them a pufi. A cool moist atmo- 

 sphere will render all fumigation unntceseary, When remoyed 



