504 



JOlJENAii OF HOBTiCOiiXUilE AND COTTAGE GABDfiNER. ( Uccemier si, isca. 



watchful, if a severe frost should succeed this very mild 

 weather, which resembles the end of April more than the end 

 of December. For bad weather, cleaning rjluss and icoodxcork 

 of houses and frames, is suitable work. In washing, we have 

 no objection to just a little soap in the water, so as to make the 

 latter slightly Boapy— say 1 oz. of soft or ytilow soap in two 

 gallons of water; but we are very shy of using it stronger, as 

 then there is a danper of taking the paint away with the filth. 

 In all particular cases, however, we rely more on warm water- 

 say from 130° or so, than upon its having anything in it. We 

 frequently throw it on glass and woodwork warmer than that, 

 and then"uee water at or near the common teraperatura of the 

 air for washing. The dash of warm water is cue of the best 

 modes of destrnyiug the eggs of insects, though some of these 

 eggs when quite dormant will stand a fair Bcalding with im- 

 punity. There is hardly anything more depressing than sitting 

 in a room and looking at a window encrusted with dirt, and 

 spider webs clustered in the corners, and could plants speak, 

 they would tell us that nothing grieved them more than ob- 

 serving glass over them in winter go green and greasy that 

 only a few of the weak rays of light could reach them. 



We would direct the attention of " A Subsckieeb " to the 

 above, who in washing his sashes has taken the paint off like 

 the peeling of an Onion. We have no doubt, first, that the 

 paint had been rather new, and, secondly, that an extra dose 

 of soap, or, perhaps, soda or potash added, had been mixed 

 with the water. It is safest to use plain water, and a little 

 mgre exertion instead. 



oknamektal pepaethekt. 



The cleaning of glass and the fresh arranging of plant 

 iouees have here been prominent matters of work and of con- 

 sideration. On the principle already adverted to, we have 

 huge mounds of turf laid up for fresh pieces of lawn, because 

 the ground was too wet to te levelled and the turf to be laid, 

 and we could not take the turf to the place without^ tearing 

 np the lawn ground, and thus making more work. When the 

 weather changes we can move the turf by something lighter 

 than two-horse carts. The ground that was fairly levelled we 

 could manage to turf with the assistance of planks and boards, 

 Jbut the unlevelled ground was too wet for working at all profit- 

 ably. Pruning and transplanting could be done ; and as there 

 are some large trees to be trauEplauted, that can be well done 

 •where the ground is firm and less dressed than a la->n. It is as 

 late as we wish for removing large trees, but the ground is still 

 warm, and as we cannot at present proceed with some particular 

 groundwork, we will most likely do some of this transplanting 

 that otherv;ise should have been left to a subsequent autumn. 



Changing Flower Gardens, d'c— Some of our new subscribers 

 are in doubts as to some hints thrown out in this respect. 

 Well, then, in the smallest places changes are pleasant, even if 

 everybody should not consider them improvements. There 

 are few that have the inventive genius and such a ready use of 

 ihe pencil as our friend Mr. Kobson ; but there can be no doubt 

 that one of the great charms of the chief flower garden— the 

 huge bed of flowers at Linton, is not so much its fine position 

 as the simple fact that every winter and every summer there is 

 a fresh plan and fresh arrangement to look at. Monotony is 

 Ihus altogether prevented. It is true that the arrangement, 

 especially in summer, would tell for but little if the practical 

 details were not well carried out ; but supposing that the carry- 

 ing out of tha details were as perfect year after year at it would 

 he possible to make them, who is there that does not feel that 

 the" thorough change in form and arrangement of itself con- 

 stitutes a charm ? Now, in the smallest places— whatever be 

 the plan or the arrangement of the smallest flower gardens, it 

 is always easy to change the form and the position of the beds, 

 and, as already stated, even if the change should not to the 

 arbiters of taste be an improvement, still the change will be 

 pleasing to those who make it. But for always having more 

 work than we can well perform, we would be one of Mr. Eob- 

 ^on'B foremost disciples in thus changing the appearance of 

 ihe flower garden. What we have been chiefly obliged to con- 

 tent ourselves with is to change the cropping every year, but 

 this, of course, leaves all the outlines the same, and therefore 

 these very outlines become monotonous. 



We find that the changing of the flowers becomes as neces- 

 sary to us as the rotation of cropping is in the kitchen garden. 

 We thus to a great extent avoid the necessity of procuring fresh 

 soil for the flower beds, and this suits a great many of our 

 readers who can manage to form a flower garden at once, but 

 who could not well bear the expense of the frequent renewals 

 of soil for the flower beds. Now, as in our case, we feel that 



the time iliay come when, after deep stirring, adding even a. 

 little of the subsoil and a little manure, still the soil may re- 

 quire a rest from flower-growing, and in such a case, supposing 

 the flower garden to be on a lawn, what more simple plan 

 could be used than a new design, in which as much as possibls- 

 cf the old flower beds should be turfed down into lawn, ani 

 the lawn part tumed into flower beds, giving thus fresh soil 

 for a fresh flower garden in much the same position ? Even by 

 doing this gradually, fresh soil could be frequently obtained 

 without the trouble "of collecting and carting. 



Arrangement of a Small Greenhouse. — In ftunAcr to an " Ol» 

 ScppoETER," we would follow up the same principle in every 

 plant house, however small. Hehoe tor all small places the 

 greenhouse, with most of the plants moveable, is superior for 

 tho interest it yields to a house with a!l the plants fixed or 

 planted out. The latter, looked at daily, becomes monotonous, 

 and the finest objects thus become wearisome to the eye. In 

 the greenhouse, on the other hand, you may so change the 

 position of the plants every week or every month as to pre- 

 sent fresh combinations, and in such CBses the very change 

 will be pleasing. In further answer we would say that aa 

 " Old' Supporter " may do well all that he attempts in his- 

 single house. For instance: Place all the Heaths at the coolest 

 end, and where, in favourable weather, whenever the outside 

 temperature is from 35° to 40°, there will be a play of fresh air 

 over them, the opening being contracted or expanded accord- 

 ing to the weather. A similar position will suit his Cinerarias 

 that are growing. Those coming into bloom should be placed 

 more in the centre of the house, where they will have a tempe- 

 rature a few degrees higher. The middle of the house will' 

 do for Camellias, Oranges, and the softwooded florists' and' 

 fancy Pelargoniums. At the warmest end keep the Boronias, 

 Croweas, and the Epacrises until the latter begin to open their 

 flowers, when they may either remain, or bo placed behind the 

 Heaths or among the Camellias. The Camellias that are late 

 and in good bud, that you wish to come into bloom, may have 

 the warmest end, hut as soon as the blooms begin to expand, 

 they will keep much longer at the end that is coolest and more 

 airy. Thus, independently of artificial heat, merely by giving 

 more air at one end of a house than another, a considerable 

 dili'erence in temperature and atmospheric moisture can be 

 obtained in the same house, and plants will thrive all the- 

 better in pots when frequently moved, cleaned, the pots washed, 

 the surface dressed, &c. 



Camellias and A:aleas. — These are themes that would well 

 fill pages, but we can only spare a few lines to reply to " J. C." 

 Camellias, properly speaking, do not like forcing in winter. 

 They open their buds best and keep them open the longest in 

 an average temperature of 45°, allowing, of course, for sun- 

 shine. The forcing that suits them, is to have their wood firm 

 and the buds set early in summer, then they will swell and 

 open their buds early in winter and late in autumn. To have 

 Azaleas early in winter thoy should be treated in the same 

 way in spring and summer, and then with well-set buds these 

 will soon swell and open their buds when placed in a moist 

 gentle heat, and will remain long in bloom when transferred 

 to the greenhouse or conservatory. — E. F. 



Death o? Mr. William Hurst. — It is with much regret that 

 we announce the decease of Mr. William Hurst, senior partner 

 of the firm of Hurst & Son, seedsmen, of 6, Leadenhall Street, 

 City, which took place at his residence, 38, Highbury Place, on 

 the 24th of December. Ho was C9 years of age, and had been- 

 ailing for the last two years, and unable to attend to business. 



CO\'ENT GARDEN MAFJffiT.— December 30. 



TTiTn the Christmas holidavE has passed fiway what little improvoment 

 we had to notice in business here, and slocka are ample. French ini- 

 portations are heavy and not remunerative, and the general tendency in 

 prices is again downwards. 



FKUIT. 



s. a. 



Apples % sieTe 1 



Apricots doz. 



Cherries lb. 



Chestnuts bueh. 10 



6 to 2 



Cnrrnnts fXs:e;e 



Black do. 



Figs doz. 



FUberts lb. 



Cobs lb. 



Gooseberries .. qtzart 



(irapts, Hothouse.. lb. 



Lemons 100 



Melons each 2 



Nectarines doz. 



Oranges 100 2 



Peaches doz. 



Pears (dessert) ., doz. 2 



Pine Apples lb. S 



Plums 3-i sieve 



Quinces doz. 



RnspberrlPB lb, 



Strawberries . . per lb. 



Walnuts bush. 10 



do perlOO 1 



d. 



0to5 

 



