242 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GABDENEE. 



[ March 26, 1868. 



will be useful to those who like to have the use of this veget- 

 able as long as possible — uamelj-, to plant a row or a fresh 

 piece every year, by taking not mere slips, but good pieces from 

 large stools, by undermining with a pick and spade. These 

 pieces will produce the same season, but the check of moving 

 will cause them to produce a month or si.x weeks later than 

 the general crop. 



Aspnra;iu.i, — Turned aver the ground intended for a fresh 

 piece, and in the absence of beds in which to grow and force, 

 and. therefore, on the pystem of taking up a piece every year, we 

 Cnd it more convenient to grow it in rows, making these rows 

 when planted in a rounded ridge-form, and depending a good 

 deal on summer-mulching. We would scatter salt on our pro- 

 ducing plantation now, as it would not only assist the young 

 shoots, but would also assist in keeping the ground free from 

 weeds. Any cleaning required should be given without delay, 

 as the hoe is dangerous after the shoots begin to push up. 



TBUIT G.\linEX. 



Much as in previous weeks, only we watered the pots and 

 part of the ground in the orchard house with drainings from 

 the farmyard. This liquid was not strong enough to need any 

 dilution with water, and it was warm enough not to need the 

 addition of hotter water. When water percolates through an 

 open exposed dungyard, it is not often that much clear water 

 will require to be added ; but it is always safe to err on the side 

 of weakness, and not to give such water too strong. We have 

 seen liquid manure in a tank that had no ordinary rain or 

 •other water at all, and in that case we should have considered 

 from eight to ten parts of clear water to one of the manure 

 liquid essential to make it safe. Judgment must, therefore, 

 be used, and treatment varied according to circumstances. 

 Our latest house is coming into bloom in spite of us, and even 

 Plums are now opening their blooms. We never saw the 

 bloom stronger. Out of doors we are proceeding with pruning, 

 nailing, itc, as fast as we can. Will surface-clean Strawberry 

 quarters as soon as possible. Plants pricked out in beds last 

 autumn may now be transplanted into well-aired ground, and 

 will bear a good crop, as in most cases the fruiting plants can 

 now be discerned — one advantage of this thick planting in 

 autumn and final planting in spring, besides a great saving of 

 ground at first. In stiff, good, loamy soils, little more will be 

 required than planting with balls, and then slightly mulching 

 the ground, but in all light soils the soil cannot be (uade too 

 firm by treading aud ramming after planting, and before the 

 mulching is applied. 



0KXA3IENTAL DErir.TlIEXT. 



Gave a good rolling, especially to the grass by the edges of 

 -walks. Had these cut straight with the line and edging iron ; 

 cleaned part of the walks, and will have to hoe others, where 

 there is rather much green to permit of weeding aud sweeping. 

 Made banks ready in turf and earth pits, and turned the beds 

 over roughly to become sweetened for bedding and other plants. 

 Turf makes the best walls for such pits, but earth does very 

 well firmly trodden, and covered with tuif at back and front. 

 These in some cases have stood many years ; the turf on the 

 top keeps frost and wet out of the walls. With glass these are 

 as good for the purpose as brick pits or pits with wooden walls, 

 and also answer admirably when coverings of mats or calico, or 

 wooden shutters are used. Much has been done in finding 

 room for young plants, regulating verandahs and conservatories, 

 removing decaying plants, and supplying with fresh in bloom; 

 sowing seeds, prickiug-off seedlings, and making cuttings of 

 all scarce plants or those which will be wanted in quantities. 

 The general stock of Asters, Stocks, &c., we will defer sowing 

 for a week or two, as we prefer they should not be stunted after 

 they appear ; and when the seedlings appear, and are then 

 starved from the want of means to give them room and justice, 

 they rarely succeed well afterwards. It is much better to sow 

 later, and so that the plants may receive no check. IMoved 

 Dahlias to the floor of a house, where they could be advanced 

 a little. Scarce good sorts thould have been in heat earlier. 

 Hardy annuals should be sown in light soils. In cold soils it 

 is well to cover each patch with a pot until the young plants 

 are fairly up. When regular beds are wanted this pot system 

 is a good one ; but when much regularity and perfection in 

 outline are desired, we prefer sowing on a bed, with rotten 

 dung and rough mould below the fine soil on the surface, and 

 then lifting in lumps and transplanting. This requires more 

 labour, but the result generally more than repays the extra 

 trouble. 



Gorse or Furze. — This is now much valued for cover in many 

 places. On a large scale it is best to sow it in the present or 



in the first part of the next month, on ground made as fine 

 as for a crop of Turnips, and then the seed will do best if 

 sown in drills, and slightly covered and rolled. It likes a good 

 loam best, though it will grow in most soils. In smaller 

 pieces it may often be desirable to plant, and for this purpose, 

 when grass, Sea., was valuable lor cover for birds, we have 

 planted successfully by making holes 3 to 4 feet apart and put- 

 ting two plants in a hole. We have also planted by making 

 slits with a narrow spade so as to let the roots straight down. 

 In all cases of planting, however, the stronger and the older the 

 plants the worse suited are they for the purpose, and the less 

 chance is there of their growing freely. The best plants are 

 one-year seedlings, if they range from 4 to 8 or more inches in 

 height. These in general will do well. 



Frequently a small cover is wanted, and it is not desirable 

 that the ground should be seen turned up, either by spade or 

 plough, but that it should present its natural wild appearance, 

 especially from a distance. In such a case, holes may be dug, 

 or slits made for young plants ; and for sowing, narrow strips 

 1(5 to 18 inches wide may be dug, with intervals u or more 

 feet in breadth. In the centre of the dug part we draw a drill, 

 and deeper than is wanted if we can readily obtain some hght 

 sandy soil riddled for covering the seed, and not so deep as to 

 fill Ihe drill. This plan has several advantages — first, there is 

 no danger of stiff soil so incrusting the seeds as to keep them 

 from the atmosphere and thus prevent their freely germinat- 

 ing; secondly, in light soils the seedsbeing deeper-placed, though 

 not deeper-covered, the seedlings when young are less likely 

 to be forced out of the ground, especially by frost, and if 

 deemed necessary a little earth may easily be placed iilong the 

 sides of the young seedlings ; thirdly, the grass and weeds 

 that will grow in the intervening spaces will in a withered, 

 state be a great protection to the Gorse for the first year or two 

 when it is often injured by frost and cutting winds. We have 

 found the latter plan answer better than sowing in large 

 breadths, covering the ground ultimately much better and more 

 regularly, and the grass in the intervals was useful for nest- 

 ing until the Gorse covered the ground. 



In all such cases of Gorse plantations it should be clearly 

 understood, that all the labour aud the expense will be money 

 thrown away wherever hares and rabbits abound, unless the 

 young plants are protected from their ravages by wire netting 

 or other means. Young plants are most eagerly cropped, and 

 even rather old plants untU well established are not safe. One 

 would imagine tbat the prickles would be enough of protection, 

 but there are some animals, like some men, that opposition and 

 I difficulty only whet into greater energy and determination. 



Gorse when cut young, and ground or bruised into a pulp, 

 makes a rich pleasant food for cattle in winter. We have been 

 assured that a horse will do as much work on a peck of bruised 

 Furze as on a peck of the best Oats. — H. F. 



TBADE CATALOGUES EECEIVED. 



Downie, Laird, & Laing, Stanstead Paik, Forest Hill, Lon- 

 don, S.E., and 17, South Frederick Street, Edinburgh. — 

 Descriptive Vatalo'jiie of Fiori^t^^ Fioivers, dc. 



J. Salter, A'ersailles Nursery, William Street, Hammersmith, 

 W. — Dcscriptiie Catalorjiie of CJinjxanthemnms, Daldias, Pijre- 

 tliriniiii. Hardy Vurief/ated Plants, drc. 



J. Foulds, Hulla'rd Hall Nursery, Stretford New Bead, 

 ■Manchester. — Cataiofiue of Plants and Ciitlinps of New Zonal 

 i:eddiii;i Pehnyoniunis, Fuchsias, Clin/snntliemums, d>c. 



Hogg it Wood. Coldstream, N.B.— Hogg & Kobertson, 22, 

 Mary Street, Dublin. — Catalogxie of Select Agricultural 

 Seeds, (Cc. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— Makoh i>5. 



The market continues to be abundantly supplied. Good Peara are now 

 veiy scarce. 



FRUIT. 



a. d. 



8. d 



Apples ^ sieve 3 



.Ipricots doz. 



Chen-iea lb. 



Che.Htnuts bush. 10 16 



Curriiuta j sieve 



Black do. 



Fig3 doz. 



FUberts lb. 10 



Cobs lb. 1 



GoosebeiTJes . . ijuart 



Grapes, Hothouse.. It. 12 20 



Lemons 100 8 13 



Otoo Melons each OtoO 







I Nectarines doz. 



' Oranges 100 



I Peaches doz. 



Pears (dessert) . . doz. 







S 







4 







7 

 



8 

 12 



Pine Apples lb. 8 



Plums i sieve fl 



Quinces ". doz. 



KaspbenifS lb. 



Strawberries . . per oz. 2 3 



Walnuts bush. 10 IS 



do per 100 1 2 



