January 33, 1868. 1 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



7r 



never, I fear, be of any Fervice in the garden. I saw a row of 

 it here alternately witli the ordinary type, but it did not look 

 very attractive. — D., Deal. 



WORK FOE THE WEEK. 



KIICnEN OiEDEN. 



Dili, ridge, and turn up all vacant giound ; give plenty of 

 air to all advancing crops in frames ; clean and stir the soil 

 among all growing crops in the open ground, and remove all 

 decaying leaves. Keep the walks and borders in good order, 

 and the kitchen garden clean and neat. Aspanigus, if you 

 have plenty of plants and command of dung and leaves you 

 can have Asparagus from Clu-istmas-day till it is cut from the 

 open ground. Cauliihni'eiv, seeds for the eai-liest crop may be 

 sUghtly forwarded, together with Radishes, I.ettuccs, and I'uia- 

 . toes, also Feas and Beans for transplanting. Onions, by sowing 

 these now on a slight hotbed, or in boxes in any house at work, 

 much time and seed may be saved, and a surer crop may be 

 obtained next summer, to bo transplanted when fit. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



Prepare the ground for those fruit trees, the planting of 

 which could not be effected in the autumn, by thoroughly 

 draining the borders, and forming a substratum through which 

 the roots will not easily penetrate. In the absence of paving 

 stones, tiles, &«., a good substitute may be formed of coarse 

 gravel and finely sifted quicklime, in the proportion of six 

 parts of the former to one of the latter, mixed well together 

 with sufficient water, and laid down to the depth of 5 or 

 6 inches. From 15 to 18 inches of good loamy soil will be 

 sufficient for Peach and Apricot trees ; much less will do if the 

 borders are mulched and cropping dispensed with. No ma- 

 nure ought to be mixed with the soil. In pruning Gooseberry 

 and CuiTant bushes, care must be taken to thin these well out 

 in the centre, so as to admit plenty of sun and air. The same 

 remark is also applicable to standard Apple trees ; the middle 

 of the tree must be kept quite open, taking care that all the 

 branches lead outwards, and preserve a regular distance from 

 each other. Pear trees should also be thinned well out, and 

 the produce will be much better in quality. 



FLOWEK GARDES. 



A part of this garden should in all large establishments be 

 devoted to the rearing of evergreen shrubs, such as Laurels, 

 Rhododendrons, Kalmias, Yews, Auoubas, and Laurustinus, 

 which may be propagated at home, or bought in from the nur- 

 sery when a year or two old at a very trifling cost. They 

 come in very useful when making improvements, and are sure 

 to grow from being accustomed to the soil and climate of the 

 place. There are not many places where a few hundreds of 

 these might not be planted with great improvement to the 

 grounds. Auriculas may now be top-dressed, removing care- 

 fully the surface soU, and substituting some two-year-old 

 decayed hotbed manure and leaf soil. Avoid all hot stimulat- 

 ing composts, for although they may increase the size of the 

 flowers for the present season, yet they are food so uncongenial 

 to the plant, tlaat the foundation of f utiue disease will most 

 assuredly be laid. Polyanthuses grown in pots may be kept 

 moderately moist, and a similar top-dressing to that recom- 

 mended for the Auricula will be of much service to them. 

 They are, however, grown on beds with a north-east aspect 

 with great success. A cool bottom, either artificial or natural, 

 is necessary for their perfect cultivation. Continue to give 

 Cai'uations all the aii' possible. If the green fly begins to be 

 troublesome, remove it with a camel-hair brush. As spring 

 advances the wireworm becomes more active and is mischievous 

 to Pinks. If there is reason to suspect that any lurk in the 

 bed, cut a Potato into quarters, inserting a skev.er in each ; 

 place them in various parts, just below the soil, and examine 

 them daily. They form effectual traps. In selecting roots of 

 Ranunculuses for blooming, choose those with a high crov,-n in 

 preference to those of large size. 



GBEENHOCSE AND COKSERVATORY. 



This is a good time to remove any Camellias that have no 

 flower buds, to the stove, vinery, or any place whero a gentle 

 heat is kept up, and as soon as they begin to grow give plenty 

 of water every day till their growth is finished. They may be 

 kept in the stove till their flower buds are formed. Then, if 

 they are kept in a cold frame all the summer, shaded for a 

 few hours in the middle of the day while the weather is hot, 

 and brought into the greenhouse by the end of August, they 



will come into flower about the beginning of November. 

 Another lot now in flower may be commenced to bo forced a 

 month hence for a succession. A third lot might be so treated 

 in April, and the remainder of the stock may be kept unforced. 

 When forced flowers are introduced into the conservatory less 

 air should be admitted than for the collection of conservatory 

 plants. See particularly that Orange trees, Neriums, and other 

 plants are clear of insects before they begin growing, as young 

 wood and foliage are very difficult to clean without injury. 

 Most conservatory plants, being in large pots and boxes, require 

 leas water than those in smaller pots in the greenhouse. Rho- 

 dodendrons and Azaleas are amongst the finest and easiest 

 plants to force for the conservatory. 



STOVE. 



This is also a good time to place in a forcing pit dormant 

 bulbs and tubers, such as many varieties of Hippeastrum. If 

 these have been put to rest in their pots, it is best not to dis- 

 turb their roots at present. If they want larger pots shift 

 them when they are in full growth next month. Some of the 

 Gloxinias are apt to damp-off if water lodges in the crowns of 

 their tubers. Gesnera elongata is an excellent winter flower, 

 which may be had from October to April with a little manage- 

 ment. When this has done flowering it should be kept rather 

 dry until it is pruned, and this should be done in succession 

 till the end of spring. Those pruned now should flower next 

 October. Prune the young shoots close to the main branches, 

 and keep them in the stove with but little water till all the 

 eyes are beginning to grow ; then shake the mould from their 

 roots, repot them in a light rich compost, and force them 

 gently for three months. After resting in the greenhouse 

 during the summer they should be again potted in August, or 

 in succession throughout the autumn, and returned into heat ; 

 they will then begin a fresh growth, and will continue to flower 

 for a long time. Leonotis leonurus treated thus, only being 

 turned out of doors in the summer, may be had in flower from 

 August to the end of November. There are two species o£ 

 a half-Orchid genus from Brazil, which thrive exceedingly 

 well in the conservatory in .Tnly, August, and September if 

 now set growing in a brisk bottom heat and very rich soil. 

 These are Dichorisandra thyrsiflora and gracihs, both with 

 beautiful spikes of light blue flowers. The old Costus specio- 

 sus, by the same treatment, will come in very useful late in the 

 autumn. As these plants, like the Gloxinia, require to be dry 

 in winter, and may be kept where nothing else would grow, 

 they are useful where room is scarce, and that is the case 

 almost everywhere. Seeds of stove plants, or from foreign 

 parts, may now be sown in well-drained pots, in peat and sand. 

 Look over all plants regularly, and let everything be clean 

 about them. 



rORCIN'G PIT. 



As soon as the blooms are ready to expand the plants should 

 be removed from close heat to a more airy situation for a day 

 or two before they are brought into the conservatory or sitting- 

 room. Syringe this pit at least once a-day. Keep the plants 

 free from insects. There are many plants, probably, that will 

 force well which have not yet been tried. 



PITS AND FRAMES. 



Protect securely through the night, but give all the air 

 possible during the day. Calceolarias and Heliotropes may be 

 potted-off preparatory to being hardened for the flower garden. 

 The whole of the Verbenas, Petunias, Salvias, and all the soft- 

 wooded plants for bedding-out in the flower garden are best 

 from spring propagation. Those in store pots may now be 

 introduced into heat for that purpose. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST AVEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



What Saturdays ! The 11th distinguished by a rain that 

 froze as it neared the ground, followed, as we expected, by open 

 weather ; and now, on the 18th, a deluge of rain and a hurricane 

 that has tried trees, glass, verandahs, spouting, slates, and 

 chimney pots, and sent them careering in many cases as if they 

 had been so much gossamer. 



The weather during the week enabled us to bring up to some 

 extent arrears of out-door work — trenching and pruiung, and 

 even planting and transplanting, though we had rather have 

 finished that some months previously. We would have planted 

 a lot of Cabbages out, but the ground was still rather wet, and 

 as we have at least three successions of young spring ones, and 



