98 



JOUENAL OF HOBTXCULTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENEK. 



[ January 30, 186B. 



be planted ; also Shallots, in rich ground, in drills 1 inch deep, 

 and ti inches apart every way. To prevent the attacks of maggots 

 it is recommended, when digging, to mix a good sprinkling of 

 salt and soot, or wood ashes, with the soil ; or, if any signs of 

 maggots appear, water with soot dissolved in water, the soot to 

 be put in the bottom of the tub, a little water to be added, 

 and then stir the whole well, and fill up with water. The 

 liquid will settle in a few hours, when the top should be 

 skimmed oS, and the rest will be fit for use. When hoeing 

 draw the earth away from instead of towards the bulbs, to pre- 

 vent the attacks of mildew. Slacked lime strewed along the rows 

 will prevent the worms from drawing the bulbs out of their 

 places. Potatoes, plant Ash-leaf Kidneys on a bank or border 

 sloping to the south, or at the foot of a south wall or hedge. 

 The middle-sized whole Potatoes should be planted 'J inches 

 apart in the row, and covered with -4 inches of soil. When 

 they appear above ground they should be protected with straw 

 or litter every night nntU all danger of frost is over. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



If any fruit trees still remain not pruned, it is not yet 'too 

 late to perform that operation, taking care to keep the branches 

 thin and regular. When Peach and Apricot trees are just 

 ready to open their blossoms, 3'ou must be ready, too, with a 

 wash composed of lime, soot, sulphur, and soft soap, to paint 

 the trees all over. The later this is done the better. For the 

 other trees, on the walls, or in the orchard, sis weeks hence 

 ■will be time enough to wash them ; but for those on which you 

 have noticed any red spider for the last season or two, you 

 must mis a portion of sulphur with the soot and lime. 



fi:,o\vi;e garden. 

 In gardens where the ground was thrown up roughly in the 

 autumn, it will by this time be pretty well mellowed, and, 

 therefore, if the weather is dry it would be well to dig the beds 

 over again, so as to bring some more of the soil under the direct 

 action of the atmosphere. When the ground is poor enrich it 

 by adding some fresh compost, such as leaf soil, peat, and 

 loam mixed together, but avoid fresh stimulating manures, or 

 you will have strong, rampant plants at the expense of a fine 

 show of flowers. A few days might be advantageously spent in 

 regulating shrubs, such as tying misshapen plants into good 

 forms, pegging down branches to cover the naked ground, and 

 planting a few evergreen trailing plants where such are neces- 

 sary. Examine landscape scenery, and see whether by taking 

 down a tree here and there, or lopping a few branches, you 

 cannot let in a distant object or two that may he worth seeing. 

 As the time is rapidly drawing on for potting Carnation?, 

 look well to your compost heaps, turn them over, and parti- 

 cularly in frosts. Examine your turfy loam, break all lumps 

 with the back of the spade, and destroy every wireworm you 

 see. It is bad economy to be negligent in paying attention 

 to your soil, as a single insect of this description will often 

 destroy Carnations to a serious extent if overlooked. Should a 

 Irost ensue, gather cow manure from the pastures, and pile it 

 in heaps to decompose. All vegetable refuse ought to be 

 collected whenever an opportunity offers. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



Established plants in the conservatory should about this 

 time have the soil well stirred at the tops of the pots. The sur- 

 face of the border should now be removed altogether, the soil 

 stirred with a fork a few inches deep, and a layer of fresh earth 

 put on ; more air should be given for the first weak after the 

 operation to sweeten the house. Fast-gi'owing climbers that 

 exhaust the soil in a few years and become stunted, ought to 

 be transplanted now into fresh soil. As large quantities of air 

 are admitted to the greenhouse, more attention to watering is 

 necessary. Many greenhouse plants would be much benefited 

 if they could now be turned out into cold pits where frost could 

 be kept from them. Our long nights are not favourable to 

 very early spring growth ; indeed, nothing can be more in- 

 jurious to many woody plants than to allow or encourage them 

 to grow early. Softwooded plants that are annually cut down 

 or close-pruned, do not suffer so much from growing out of 

 season. 



STOVE. 



Any plants that flower in winter are valuable. Clerodendron 

 splendens, Centradenia rosea, and Manettia bioolor, are of this 

 class. The Manettia requires less heat than the other two. 

 They wiU do well in an intermediate house, aud flower freely in 

 a conservatory with 45' of heat. Dendrobiums which had their 

 shoots well ripened last autumn, will soon be beginning to 

 bloom ; some of them might now be forced, aud others removed 



to a cold place and kept dry, in order to prolong their flower- 

 ing season. Maxillaria aromatica ought to be grown largely for 

 forcing, it is one of the easiest Orchids to cultivate. A few Stan- 

 hopeas might also now be forced. All of these plants that have 

 been kept dry through the v.'iuter, should be plunged in tepid 

 water to soak the moss, peat, &c., in which they are grown, 

 preparatory to regular watering. It is yet too soon to encourage 

 plants in general to grow ; many would be benefited by a layer 

 of fresh soil or top-dressing. Give air freely on fine sunny 

 days. 



FORCING PIT. 



There is considerable room for speculating on the causes 

 which render plants liable to the attacks of insects. In the 

 forcing pit we see hardy plants infested on v.'hich an insect is 

 never seen in the open air. Moist heat being essential for 

 this pit, less watering is needed. Over- watering is a frequent 

 cause of failure in hardy plants, and a dry atmosphere and 

 sudden changes are nearly as bad. Primulas, Auriculas, Ane- 

 mones, PiEonies, and almost all plants that flower in April, 

 May, and June, out of doors, will force and flower two months 

 earlier if not put into too much heat at first. The whole race 

 of papilionaceous plants will force with less risk than other 

 tribes. 



PITS AND FRAMES. 



Scarlet and other Pelargoniums planted out in pits for the 

 winter may be potted and placed in a little heat. The first 

 opportunity make up a gentle dung bed for a propagating 

 frame. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST 'WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Asparagus. — Just now we like an Asparagus frame to have the 

 woodwork at the back and ends white, and the glass clean, to 

 let the shoots have all the light possible. There is no chance 

 of the sun being so bright for a month or two, as to injure any- 

 thing by the light and heat reflected from a white surface. We 

 are obliged to deaden the white colour on many walls in summer, 

 but it is scarcely possible to have walls where plants are grow- 

 ing too white in winter, as the rays of the sun are in general 

 too oblique for their light and heat to be reflected powerfully. 

 Hence clean glass is of more importance in winter than in 

 summer, when a little shade is often an advantage. Our forced 

 vegetables we have merely kept succeeding each other. 



Uhuhaih. — We are glad that " Yorkshire " has it so good 

 close to his kitchen fire. It is many years since we told how a 

 clergyman used to give treats to the ailing of his flock by re- 

 sorting to similar means. Nothing suits better for the purpose 

 than an old barrel of convenient size for removal, packing the 

 Fihubarb roots in the bottom, in soil, giving a good water- 

 ing out 01 doors, and covering with an old cloth if there is 

 not a lid. Wherever a heat of 50° to 55° can be secured, 

 rihubarb can be had all the winter after Christmas. It does 

 not come so well when taken up before December. If the roots 

 become too dry the barrel may be rolled outside, watered, and 

 when drained brought in again, without causing dirt. 'Vie would 

 bo afraid to mention the number of stalks taken out of a barrel 

 30 inches in height and 15 inches in diameter, and it should 

 not be forgotten that PAubarb thus forced will be better when 

 from 12 to 15 inches in length than when of longer growth. 

 There are few who have a garden and lihubarb roots in it, but 

 may thus have a tart in winter and spring if they like. If 

 desired, the roots when done with may be divided and planted, 

 and according to the treatment given they will be fit to be taken 

 up to force again in two or three years. 



Sca-lialc may be grown in a similar way, and in boxes or 

 barrels 18 inches deep. Nothing is easier to grow in summer ; 

 and young seedlings a year or two old, planted in rows 9 inches 

 apart, and Is inches from row to row, would bo in a fine state 

 for taking up after the beginning of November. We would 

 prefer boxes for this purpose, adopting the same treatment as 

 forPihubarb, but keeping dark, aud cutting the heads when from 

 i; to 7 inches long. We have filled a 12-inch pot with roots, 

 leaving the crowns level with the rim, and covered with 

 another pot of a similar size, closing up the hole, and tying a 

 piece of list round where the two pots joined, and from that pot 

 obtained two good dishes, or three middling ones, without 

 counting on a second gathering of smaller shoots. Not to 

 speak of many manufactories, there are of ten recesses near fire- 

 places where such pots or boxes could be placed, and thus a 

 great delicacy and luxury could be obtained at little trouble, 



