March 2C, 16C8. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICUIiTUKB AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



241 



ong as possible. Facbsias represent tbnt class of greenhouse 

 plants which do best to be shaken out of their pots nnniinlly, 

 but as the strong varieties of them are gross feeders, yon may 

 use a rougher compost for them than is recommended below 

 for stove plants under the same treatment. A few of the smaller 

 plants of the common Cacti may be now forced to make an 

 early growth, this will enable them to flower early next spring. 

 Potting and propagation, with a more liberal .supply of water 

 and less air, must be attended to. 



STOVE. 



In potting Rtovo and other plants a distinction shouhl be 

 made between the preparation of the composts for permanent 

 woody plants, and for those softwooded kinds which are annu- 

 ally shaken out of pots. .Tusticias, Vincas, and some of the 

 Clerodendrons, form part of the latter class, .^fter these are 

 done flowering in autumn, they should be close-pruned, and 

 left partially dry during winter. In spring the soil should be 

 shaken from their roots when they are put into small pots, to 

 be shifted into larger ones as they advance. The compost for 

 this potting should be made quite fine, in order to let the roots 

 occupy every particle of it in a few months, while the compost 

 for permanent woody plants can hardly he too rough. 



PITS AND FRAMES. 



The bloom of the Hydrangeas introduced into the forcing 

 house in January will now be advancing; if you have anj' 

 doubt of its being blue, water the plants regularly with water 

 impregnated with alum to the extent of 1 oz. to every quart, 

 and keep the plants standing in feeders or saucers to prevent 

 the loss of water. Brompton Stocks in pots, may be planted 

 out, surrounding the ball with rich soil, and spring-Howeriug 

 Ten-week varieties may be left unprotected, so as to prepare 

 them for bedding-out about the middle or end of April. — 

 W. Keaxe. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Onions;. — Sowed the last of the main crop in rows, covering 

 the seeds with light soil riddled, from beneath the potting- 

 bench ; trod slightly in, and levelled by raking in the same 

 direction as the rows. The ground is still rather heavy and 

 damp for rolling, but as soon as it is dry enough we will run a 

 light roller over it. We find it a good plan to do this just as 

 the seedlings begin to appear. This secures a firm surface, 

 and then a slight hoeing between the rows does not interfere 

 with the general firmness, whilst it keeps the ground cool and 

 prevents its cracking with fierce sun heat. 



Carrots. — Sowed some out of doors, but the chief work as 

 respects them has been preparing the ground by frequently 

 turning it. The same remark applies to Beet, Salsaly, and 

 Scorzonera. 



Pens. — Sowed successions, planted out what had been reared 

 nnder protection, placing laurel twigs on each side to keep 

 them warm, and staking as the work procteled. We have 1 eeu 

 obliged to net those coming through the ground out of doors, to 

 preserve them from various intruders. The covering of snot 

 kept away mice, &c , until the seedlings began to appear. The 

 dwarf Peas in pots in the orchard house must have a few little 

 twigs stuck round them the first wet day. 



Sowed Spinach, Radishes, Lettuces, and Turnips, the last in 

 the open air and also under protection. When Turnips are 

 wanted early they should be sown under glass and over a slight 

 hotbed in the beginning of the month. One reason why they 

 require protection when sown early is, that the frost will not 

 greatly injure the appearance of the plants, but it will cause 

 them to bolt, and then farewell to a crisp, succulent Turnip. 



Potatoes. — From want of material at the time we could not 

 give any bottom heat to our earth pit, which we planted some 

 time ago, and owing to a deficiency of sun heat to warm the 

 soil, the crop will not be so early as we expected. We have, 

 therefore, planted two or three frames having a mild heat below 

 them with good plants from pots, and also some taken up with 

 balls from a Mushroom house, which will come in soon and 

 succeed those grown in pots. Before this shall have been 

 printed we shall also plant at the foot of the wall?, and in well- 

 pulverised borders those thus set growing in the ^lushroom 

 house, as much experience and observation testify that plants 

 thus started and rooted will come in weeks earlier than those 

 planted without that preparation. The sets are placed on old 

 Mushroom dung and leaf mould, and covered about an inch, 

 and the planting should take place when the tops are not more 

 than an inch above the covering. If the sets be placed o or 4 



or more inches apart they may be lifted with a mass of roots 

 imbedded in the rough material, and if the day is sunny and 

 the warm surface soil is placed round the roots, they will 

 receive no greater check than will predispose them to tuber 

 more quickly. We see the first-planted by the side of a wall 

 are coming through strongly and well. 



Crlenj. — Made up a bed, which will have temporary protection, 

 in which to plant out what was previously pricked out from the 

 seed pot. In a week or so will sow on a slight hotbed Celery 

 and Cauliflower, the latter being pricked-out before the former 

 attains any size. The bed which we will use for planting- 

 out the nice little plants of Celery, consists of 15 inches of 

 dung and leaves, then of 3 inches of rotten dung and rough 

 mould, and was finished with 2 inches of fine light soil in 

 which to plant about 4 inches apart. From this place the 

 plants will be lifted with balls at planting time. This bed will 

 be covered with sashes for a few weeks, taken from a frame 

 filled with Lettuces in use, and as these are outside the garden, 

 we protect with nets to keep oil' marauders. There is just now 

 a fine lot of Lettuces in the coldest orchard house. Were we 

 disposed to take up market-gardening, we could easily see to 

 what uses these cheap houses could be devoted in securing 

 early vegetables. We question if even then cold places in the 

 north might not vie with the south and the Channel Islands, 

 and the south of France, or even Algeria, for the carriage from 

 thence must cost something, and, therefore, would tell as a per- 

 centage on the cost of glass. As it is, unless wi'.h early- forced 

 crops, the foreign and southern growers must have it all their 

 own way, as Potatoes, Khubarb, &c., come into the northern 

 markets before they are more than above ground in these 

 neighboarhoods. In general the first importations of new 

 Potatoes are poor in flavour ; but still, being new Potatoes, 

 they are a boon and a change to those who cannot have them 

 of home growth. 



Sea-l;ah'. — Planted a piece after duly trenching, airing, and 

 enriching the ground. As we grow chiefly to lift for forcing, 

 and to cut from the open ground with the help of a pot or a 

 box over the plants, we grow them chiefly in rows 2 feet apart, 

 and the plants 1 foot apart in the row. Seedlings of last year 

 planted now make strong crowns for next season, and if these 

 are cut that year, and three or four shoots left, they will be 

 strong heads for lifting for forcing the season following. We 

 like young plants best, but cuttings from the bottoms of the 

 roots, if 6 inches long and as thick as the little finger, make 

 excellent plants, but come in later. The top end should be just 

 above the level of the soil, and when the concealed buds there 

 break, it will be necessary to thin them if more than two or 

 three come. Last season we did not obtain any seed. We 

 never like to have too much as it injures the plants for 

 making fine buds for the following year, but we generally leave 

 a piece which we do not intend to use until it has had another 

 summer's growth, hut last season as soon as a seed pod began 

 to become a little firm it was pounced on and devoured by the 

 rats. We noticed a fact new to us the other morning, %vhich 

 explained to us what we had found next to inexplicable — how- 

 rats could flourish in large settlements at a great distance from 

 water. In the neighbourhood of some wheat stacks we could 

 count a score or more rats quietly sipping the dew that rested 

 on young Clover and other plants, so that ihey were thus saved 

 the trouble of taking a long journey in search of a drink. 



Sea-kale at this season may be had very fine if covered with 

 earth or ashes to the depth of 7 or 8 inches, and cut as soon as 

 the first leaf peeps through. It may also be had fine in beds, 

 covered with moveable wooden boxes the width of the beds, and 

 with lids on one side if the b^xes are too heavy to be easily- 

 moved. The worst of rough boxes is, that the sun will open 

 the joints ; this could he prevented by tacking slips of wood 

 l! inch wide across each joint. A few open joints will interfere 

 with the blanching of the Sea-kale. A very simple and good 

 plan is to have raised beds 3; feet wide, with two rows of strong 

 plants in each beJ, and 2-feet-wide sunk alleys or trenche.s 

 between them, and to fill these alleys with sifted ashes. Mulch 

 the plants in the beds in summer, to make them strong; re- 

 move all this surface-dressing, except the most decayed, in 

 winter, and cover from G to 8 inches deep with the ashes. If 

 the alleys are then filled with fresh dung, it will come in for 

 top-dressing next summer, when the ashes are turned back 

 again to serve for the blanching process in future years. For 

 early supply, from the beginning of November, and onwards, 

 the lifting and forcing in heat and darkness give least trouble. 



dole Artichokes.— These have stood the winter well, and we 

 allude to them here chiefly for recommending a practice that 



