Janttary 2, IBM. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOBTIOULTOBB AND COTTAGE OAKDBNEB. 



16 



jfiTAD In the enawera referred to nro attended to. The top of the atove 

 being flat will enablo you to set n pan of wntor ou it when much heat Ib 

 wanted. The dniught miiat be rc^'ulatod by the ashpit door. 



Utilisino OinnsH Fkames (C). — Your choftpoHt way to mako your 

 six lightnof frames more u^icful, would 1)0 to makaapit. say from 18inchoB 

 to 24 iuchos deep all round, and of a width to suit your Iram<i» HtandinR 

 cloHo on tho walla, and tlie best way to heat such a placo would be by n 

 S-inch flue passioK throujjh it in front and along the ends, or a 5-inch 

 flue goiuR round it and coming to tho chimney. By such a mode, or 

 without tho frames, and havion a pit ^0 foot long, aiid tho back wall of 

 tho pit, if 6 feot wide. 18 inches higher than tho front, and heated the 

 eamo way. you could keep and grow many things, more enpecially if you 

 had ft moveable stiigo inside to i)laco the pots at a greater or less dis- 

 tance froni tho glass. You could boat such n place well with a small iron 

 stove, but then you could not force bo well. With one or more divisions 

 you could give each its suitable lomperaluro, and at an early period you 

 ooald nae fermenting material na lu a hotbed. Of course hot water, by 

 Mufwett's plan or otherwise, would bo best ; but dn as yon will, it is 

 always expensive for small places unless the simplest modes aro used. 



Winter Treatment of Viola cornuta {Fred).~li would be well tn 

 ren.ove any long Btraggling stems now, and to give a mnleh'ng of half- 

 rotten leaves, which will act as a protection. Place it round but not over 

 the plants, and in spring point it in with a fork, removing at the same 

 time any d<*cayed stems or irregular growths, so as to give the plants a 

 neat appearance. Thoy will bloom finely in spring, and much earlier 

 than young plants. If you require mora stock you may take up the old 

 plants in spring and divide, or take off the rooted offsets, which last will 

 Sfive you a later bloom if planted in good rich soil and well watered in 

 dry weather. 



Pansiks in Winter (Idem).~Tho old long stems which have flowered 

 ought to have been cut off early in autumn, but you may do it now, and 

 give a top-dressing of rich compost, say turfy loam and rotten manure 

 in equal parts, the ground having previously been cleared of weeds and 

 the surface of tho beds stirred, but not deeply, with a fork between the 

 plants. Tho top-dressing should be put between tho plants and close to 

 them, and it may be an inch thick. 



Cerastium tcmentosuji Edgings C/dfm).— Last year's edgings will 

 do for this if they are not old; but if old it would be preferable to take 

 them up in March and replant. If you leave the old edginga, reduce 

 them in spring lo the required width, and cut-in the shoots closely, so 

 that fresh shoots may bo produced. On the freshness of these ihe 

 beauty of the edgings in a great measure depends. 



Shrubs for Churchyard Depastured by Shfet (An Old Subscriber). 

 —You may plant the common and variegated Hollies largely. Evergreen 

 Oak, and standard Portucal Laurel, which we have seen in places de- 

 pastured by sheep; but the shrubs wero of good size when planted, and 

 had stems hi;,'h enough to place the foliage bevoud tho reach of the 

 aheep. Most of the Conifers would succeed, providing they were of good 

 size and tho upper part beyond the reach of the sheep. 



CouposT FOR Cycas revoluta AND Latania borbonica f.4. B. J.). — 

 They succeed in a compost of two-thirds turfy loam, that from rotten 

 turves being best, an.i one-third turfy peat, adding sand liberally. The 

 compost shuuld be used rough, merely chopping it with a i^padc, or break- 

 ing it with the hand, which is best. Good drainage should be given. 

 Good peat can be obtained in so many districts, that we are unable to 

 say from whence the best comes. Coneult a nurseryman or gardener in 

 your neighbourhood who is Huccessful in plant culture. 



Covering Vise Border with Glass {Beginnpr). — Instead of manur- 

 ing the border Jieavilv in autumn, we would, as tho roots are not to be 

 found, or with difficulty, remove the soil from the border to as great a 

 depth ns practicable without disturbing them, ond take it away. We 

 woidd then point-over the border, but without disturbing or injuring the 

 roots, and give a dressing of pieces of sandstone, from tho size of a wal- 

 nut up to that of the clenched list, scattering them over tho surface, but 

 not so as to cover it completely. Next we would give a scattering of dry 

 bruised bones, equal in quantity to tho sandstone, a like quantity of 

 lump charcoal and of mortar from an old building, placing them in the 

 order as named. Upon the charcoal you may give a sprinkling of cal- 

 cined oyster shells, and upon the lime rubbish place a layer of horse 

 droppings on inch thick, covering the whole to the depth of t> inches with 

 tunes cut 2 inches thick from an old pasture, where the soil is a rather 



light loam ; tho turf cut Into pieces about 6 incliea pquaro. We would do 

 thin now, having Drat convinced ourselvcfl that tho border is well drained, 

 and particularly that there Ib nn Htagnant water lodging about the roots 

 at the bottom of tho border. A fortnight before applying Are boat, or 

 previous to tho Vinos commencing growth, cover the border with from 

 18 inches to 2 feet of hot dung, such as is used for hotbeds, ^» as to pro- 

 duce a gentle heat. This moy remain on until its heat is gone and the 

 woathor haa become warm, when it may bo removed. In tho meantime 

 we would prepare tho lights with which to cover the border, and wo 

 would put them on as soon as the Grapes wero ripe, or, if very wet 

 woathor, when tho Grapes wore colouring. LeavinK it on all winter yoa 

 ml«ht winter bedding plants under the glass, providing you could keep 

 frost from thom ; but if they aro kept-in late in spring tho drip in water- 

 ing will bo as injurious to the Vines as the Klass covering would in other 

 reapects be beneficial. We would not employ it for any such jmrpose as 

 the growing of Cucumbers or Melons, but, on the contrary, take it away 

 entirely after May, and during that month and April, or even March, itt 

 mild weather, remove tho li«htB whenever it rained, so that tho border 

 miaht have the benefit, replacing them after the border had become 

 suiilciently moistened ; or, failing rain, tho border would require to bo 

 watered, especially if tho lights were kept on constantly. At tho end of 

 May removo thom altogether, unless you have particular reasons for 

 keeping them on, as tho Grapes ripening, or cold heavy rains occurring 

 about that time, which it will be well be throw off. Wo would not put 

 them on again until the crop was colouring, and then we would keep 

 them on continuously until we wished the border to become moistened 

 on the Vinos again starting into growth. In place of heavy manunnga 

 in autumn a top-dressing of turves one-third, horse or sheep droppings 

 one-third, and one-third half-inch bones, charcoal, and cnlcined oyster 

 shells in equal quantities, would be preferable; a covering 2 inches thick 

 would be ample. GlasK-covered borders are good when the covering is 

 moveable; but we think them them quite aa bad as exposed borders if they 

 are used for plants in winter, and Cucumbers or Melons in summer, 



GRAPTiNa Pkrkskia aculkata(.4 J? ).— You could not have a better 

 stock on which to graft Epiphvllum truncatum than the Peroskia— indeed, 

 it is the best of stocks. Take off tho head of tlie Pereskia at the re- 

 quired height, and make a slanting cut upwards, and about an inch long, 

 at the top of tho stock and on one side. You will cut off a stem or branch 

 from the Epiphyllum to be grafted upon the Poreskia, and pare one side 

 ftt tho lower end in a slanting direction downwards, making it quite thiu 

 at tho bottom, and so that the cut part shall fit that of the stock ex- 

 actly. About half wav down tho slanting cut in the stock make a cut 

 downwards, and about hall an inch long, and make a corresponding on© 

 upwards in the graft, which will make a sort of tilit or tongue in each ; 

 that of the graft should be introduced into the one in the stock, and 

 pushed downwards, so that the cut portions of both may fit correctly. 

 The graft may he fastened or bound to tho stock with a strip of bast 

 matting, still "keeping it in its place and tying tolerably tight, but not 

 very j.uch so. The junction may then be covered with moss, binding it 

 on with matting. It is not necessary to cover with clay. The plant may 

 be placed in a house where there is a gentle heat, and graft and stock 

 alike sprinkled with water twice a-day by means of a fine-rosed syringe. 

 When the graft begins to grow the matting should bo loosened. The best 

 time to graft is in spring, or a little before the Epiphyllum begins to 

 grow. The Ferns sent us were not numbered, so that we cannot refer to 

 them. 



Gladiolus Bulbs {P. I. y.).— We should have preferred to have kept the 

 bulbs on a shelf until they had become dry and parted from their stems, 

 ana then have stored them away in dry sand on shelves. The ground 

 where they are to be planted should be well nnd deeply dug, leaving 

 it rough for the winter, and working-iu a liberil dressing of manure. 

 The bulbs should be kept out of the reach of frost. 



Names of Fruits (//. A., London).— The Apple from Canada is Pomme 

 griso. (W. H. S.).— No. 1 is Crasanne, a melting Pear when proper!, 

 ripened; but in some seasons and in cold situations it does not ripeoy 

 and then it may be used for stewing. No. 2 is Black Worcester, one of 

 the best stowing Pearf. (If. hmith).—l. Eeurr.> Did; *2. Glou Monjeau; 

 3, Belle do Noel; 4, Hunthouae ; 5, Winter Pearmain ; 6. Crasanne ; 

 7, Marie Louise ; H, NePlusMouris ; 11, Beurrt* Dicl from a wall; 12, Vicar 

 of Winkfield. (A. H. G., Faver sham], —Your Pear is Eeurre de Ranee. 



Names of Plants {J. if.).— We cannot name plants from leaves 

 only. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS in the Suburbs of London for the Nine Days en<lin? Dereraber 31st. 



Mon... 23 

 Tues.. 24 

 Wed. . V5 

 Thurs. 26 

 Fri. .. 27 

 Sat. .. 28 

 Son... 29 

 Mon... 3') 

 Tuee. . SI 



Mean 



baboubteb. 



Max. 



30.199 

 S0.(lfi5 

 :■ 0,200 

 .1(1.210 

 30 170 

 30 133 

 30.150 

 30.187 

 3J.I40 



30.17:3 



Min. 



30.189 

 29.990 

 30.000 

 80.040 

 29.9H9 

 30.024 

 30.OS0 

 30.090 

 30.040 



SO 054 



THERMOMETER. 



Earth. 



1 tt. dp. 



39.11 27.67 



1.", 

 4S 

 43 

 43 

 44 

 44 

 41 

 41 

 41 



2 ft. dp. 



43 

 43 

 43 

 42 

 41 

 43 

 41) 

 40 

 40 



41.67 



Gbnerai. Remakks. 



Heavy fog, hoar frost ; slight has-.e; overcast. 



Overcast and mild ; clear and fine ; hazy at night. 



Overcast, hoar frost; flno ; overcast, slicht haze. 



Overcast and froBty; fogpy ; dense fog at night. 



Foggy ; overcaet ; very dark and overcast. 



Overcast; foggy; overcast, sharp frost at night. 



Slight frost; hazy; clear with starlight. 



Partiallv overcast; overcast; sharp frost. 



Hazy ; frosty fog ; slight Ehower of snow ; densely overcast. 



POtTLTRY. BSE, and HOUSEHOLD CHRONICLE. 



THE PAST YEAR. 

 MusiKo on this Bubject, we sauntered throush Bnrae of the 

 London streeta on the morning of Christmas. day. It is always 



the sisnal to us to prepare our annual adilress, and we approach 

 it with mingled feelings. It is seldom cheerful to contemplate 

 the past, and we ware at first not gay, but as we walked we 

 became lighter. The streets full of holiday-keepers and 

 pleasure-seekers; tho groups of families in full number, start- 

 ing early for the long enjoyment, to last more than once round 

 the clock ; young couples brimful of happiness ; the portly 



