February 27, 1868. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



173 



water maJe from old cow dung, deer dung, sheep dung, &c., 

 often Joes wonders. We have never ventured on very hot 

 water, except in the cases indicated, for the destruction of 

 woodlice, and, unless in some extreme case, we should never 

 think of so heating a bed, having often proved that tliough 

 spawn will remain fresh a long time in a low temperature, it 

 becomes weak, and perishes in a high temperature. From 90° 

 to 100° may be considered the highest limit of safety. 



To another correspondent, troubled with slugs and snails, 

 and who proposes dusting with lime and watering with lime 

 water, we would say. Never let your bed have quicklime either 

 in a solid or liquid form. Nothing, not even the boiling water, 

 will be more ruinous to the spawn and the young Mushrooms. 

 Trap with greased cabbage leaves, brewers' grains, hunt with a 

 candle at night — anything or everything except the lime water ; 

 for we know of nothing more certain to spoil a bed, according 

 to the strength and tho time it is applied. If merely used on 

 the surface before any Mushrooms appeared it might do no 

 harm, but then it could do no good, as it would soon become 

 as mild as a piece of chalk, and if it did no harm then to the 

 Mushrooms it would as little inconvenience the slugs and 

 snails. 



OENAMENTAIi DEPAETMEXT. 



In fine days Ranunculuses and Anemones cannot be too soon 

 planted ; all manure for them should be placed a good depth from 

 the roots. Carnations and Picotees in pots, if well established, 

 should ere long be turned into their blooming pots. Three plants 

 of a sort look well in a 12-inch pot. Where flowers without much 

 dressing are required, one twisted wire support in the centre 

 would do for the three. Nothing suits them better than fresh 

 sandy loam, with about one-eighth part of sweet rotten hotbed 

 dung. All the nostrums of half a score or more of ingredients 

 for composts may now be numbered with the things that were. 

 The finest Auriculas we ever saw were grown in sweet mellow 

 loam, with a little very sweet, well-aired, leaf mould, and then 

 in the spring they were top-dressed with sweet dry cow dung 

 from two to three years old, and were watered with clear ma- 

 nure water as wanted. The Auriculas should still be protected 

 from frosts and heavy rains, but have air back and front in all 

 mild weather. 



From the forcing pit bulbs are coming in ; and shrubs, as 

 Rhododendrons, Lilacs, Deutzias, and Roses, are adding their 

 attractions. These should be all raised out of the bed and 

 kept in the coldest end of the house before being taken to 

 the conservatory, and they and bulbs taken thither, or to the 

 dwelling house, should be moved before half of the flowers are 

 open, that they may cominue longer in bloom. Manure water, 

 though clear, and bits of charcoal, will help bulbs in glasses. 



Camellias in bloom want a considerable amount of water, 

 and those finished blooming may as well have a little more 

 heat in a vinery, or in a corner of the conservatory where they 

 can be kept by themselves. Heaths now require more air in 

 iine weather. Epacrises will do with less until the long days 

 come. Any plants of these, and of winter-flowering Heaths 

 done blooming, should be kept stationary for a few weeks before 

 pruning them back to make new wood for another year ; the 

 resting a little seems to suit them better than pruning them 

 back at once. All young plants in the greenhouse and stove 

 beginning fresh growth may now be repotted, especially when 

 a little additional heat can be given to them. 



Our window gardeners who kept their boxes or vases of 

 Scarlet Pelargoniums in their spare room or garret, should 

 now examine and give them a little water if very dry. Never 

 mind if they are almost leafless if the main part of the shoots 

 are sound. By March place them in the light ; prune any that 

 are decayed ; give a little water at a time, making holes with a 

 wire or pointed stick in the soil ; and as soon as growth com- 

 mences, and the leaves are the size of a shilling, remove 

 what you can of the surface soil, and dress with equal parts of 

 loam and rich compost, as sweet rotten dung. Thus managed, 

 these plants, though never repotted, wiU bloom better and 

 better every year — we cannot tell for how long ; but we have 

 seen some never turned out of their vases for nearly twenty 

 years, and, if possible, the last summer was always the best. 



Could we find room we would have a large number of cut- 

 tings of Verbenas, &c., inserted, and Pelargoniums potted. It 

 must not be forgotten to sow Lobelia, Perilla, Mignonette, all 

 tender annuals, especially of the Cockscomb tribes, and Ama- 

 ranthus melancholicus in a gentle hotbed. The Mignonette 

 to be hardened a little when an inch in height. This, if well 

 tended, will cost httle labour and come almost as soon into 

 bloom as that sown in autumn and protected all the winter. 



To have good rows of young Lobelias from seed it should be 

 sown before the end of tho month, and tho earliest sowing 

 prieked-off and kept in a slight hotbed until established. Pe- 

 tunias sown now with such help will make fine beds in the 

 flower garden, and so will Verbenas, if any of our readers will 

 be satisfied with a great variety of seedlings, instead of groups 

 of one colour. Such plants as Antirrhinums, and I'anties 

 English or Belgian, will bloom early in summer if thus assisted 

 a little now, and that help may easily be obtained where stable 

 dung or other fermenting material may be had, and there are 

 leaves, fresh or half decomposed, or the remains of an old hot- 

 bed, to go to. Secure the heat and do not trouble much about 

 its rankness if you can cover with from 8 to 12 inches of sweet 

 material through which no noxious steams or gases will come ; 

 but make sure of that if you do not sweeten your fermenting 

 material. With the best part of old hotbeds we are never long 

 in want of a genial bottom heat when we can obtain a few 

 loads of dung from the stableyard. W'hen mowing commences 

 in the pleasure ground there is still less diiTiculty, but there is 

 more danger without carefully keeping down the steam, and 

 grass itself soon flares out its heat, but it will yield a regular 

 heat a long time when mixed with strawy litter. When using, 

 with a great saving of labour, such rough-and-ready materials, 

 we say, Be sure that nothing but the heat comes up into the 

 atmosphere of the place ; and though we often find a covering 

 of 6 inches quite suflicient, and have many tender plants in a, 

 similar bed under a frame now. we would advise beginners not 

 to trust to less than inches at first. 



We cleared out the beds from two frames the other day that 

 had not been quite bottomed for two years, and thus had a 

 fine lot of rotten decomposed material for our flower beds ; but 

 we picked enough rather dry half-decomposed litter and leaves 

 to make a covering over the fresh litter as brought from the 

 stable, placed in the hole, trodden, watered, &c. ; and the bed 

 being thus covered, the heat which otherwise would have 

 escaped in the iJrocess of fermentation will be brought at once 

 into use, and after various crops and sundry turnings, the bed 

 will probably end in being planted with Cucumbers and Melons. 

 Such extemporised beds, where nothing better is to be obtained, 

 will always be of use for securing produce earlj' from the kitchen 

 and flower garden. Some people now expect Celery at mid- 

 summer, and without the help of heat now it is impossible to 

 have that and many other crops at all early. — R. F. 



CO"V^NT GARDEN MARKET.— Februahy 20. 



There is a sliglit improvement in business, and prices have an up- 

 wnrd tendency for best articles in general consumption. French imports 

 comprise .\sparagus. Potatoes, Radishes, Artichol^es. Lettuces, aud En- 

 dive. Home-sjrown produce from the market gardens is largely supplied, 

 and meets with a steady sale. Of Apples and Pears the quantity is 

 limited. Retarded hothouse Grapes are very good. 



FKUIT. 



B. d. s. d I s. d. e. d 



3 0to5 Melons each OtoO 







7 

 



8 

 10 











6 



o 



Apples ^ sieve 



Apricots doz. 



Cherries lb. 



Chestnuts bush. 



Currants ^ sieve 



Black do. 



Figs doz. 



Filberts lb. 



Cobs lb. 



Gooseberries . . quart 

 Grapes, Hothouse, -lb. 

 Lemons 100 



Nectarines doz. 



Oranges 100 S 



8 U I Peaches doz. 



Pears (dessert) ..doz. 4 



Pine Apples lb. 6 



Plums J sieve 



Quinces doz. 



Raspberries lb. 



Strawberries., per oz. 3 



12 I Walnuts buah. 10 IS 



8 12 I do per ICO 1 2 







1 

 1 

 



^■EGETABLES. 



S. d. 



.\rtichokea doz. 



Asparagus ICO 



Beans, Ividney 100 



Beet, Red doz. 



BroceoU bundle 



Brns. Sprouta ^ sieve 



Cabbage doz. 



Capsicums 100 



CftiTots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Cucumbers each 



Endive doz. 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish . . bimdle 



3 

 7 

 

 2-0 



6 



2 



1 

 



6 



3 



1 6 

 3 

 1 

 3 

 8 

 8 

 a 6 



0to4 Leeks bunch 



0- 20 Lettuce per score 



3 Mushrooms pottle 



3 Mustd.& Cress, punnet 

 6 16 Onions.... per bushel 



2 6 Parsley per sieve 



16 Parsnips doz. 



! Potatoes bushel 



8 Kidney do. 



[ Radishes doz. bunches 



I Rhubarb bundle 



' Savoys doz. 



' Sea-kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes per doz. 



Turnips bnnch 



B. d. s. d 



6 





 



4 6 



TE-ADE CATALOGUES EECEIVED. 



Sutton & Sons, Reading. — Siittons' Farm Seed LUt.— Supple- 

 mcntanj List of Flvwrr and VegeiahU Seeds. 



