t'ebruaiy la, 1873. ] JOURNAL OP HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE QAROENER. 



117 



Beraglios to fatten and keep up the embonpoint of the sultanasi 

 In some parts of Europe acorns are said to be converted into 

 bread. By analysis they have been found to contain in 

 1000 parts, fixed oil, 13; resin, 52; gum, Oi; tannin, 90 ; 

 bitter extractive, 52 ; starch, 385 ; lignin, 31'J ; and traces of 

 potash, lime, alumina, and some earthy salts ; by which it 

 will be seen that they contain more than a third of nutritive 

 matter, and that consequently they aro capable of being taken 

 as food, particularly when they have been deprived of their 

 resinous and extractive matters. In Italy the oil is extracted 

 and applied to burning in lamps, but it does not appear that 

 much attention has been given to this branch of industry. It 

 is stated by Dr. Barras that he found the infusion of roasted 

 aoorns, sweetened with sugar, of great advantage in promot- 

 ing digestion, if taken in the same way as coffee, after meals; 

 and that he has seen dyspepsia, and even disordered stomach, 

 cured by the use of them ; the acorns and their cups have been 

 found useful as an astringent in mucous diarrhuia." 



WOEK FOR THE "WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



In mild weather the Asparagus in frames or pits should have 

 abundance of air after the shoots have made their appearance. 

 Prepare groimd for permanent bods if the soil works well. 

 Plenty of good rotten stable manure should be used. A little 

 Beed of Early Horn Carrots may be sown on a sheltered warm 

 border when the soil is dry and works freely. Those in frames 

 should be thinned when an inch or two high. The greatest 

 attention should be paid to the state of the Cucumber bed for 

 the first fortnight after the plants are turned out. The heat- 

 stick should be examined daily. Prepare the ground for plant- 

 ing Horseradish. Dig two spits deep if the soil will admit of 

 doing so. No manure should be dug-in unless the ground is 

 very poor. Jerusalem Articholtes may be planted. Plant the 

 Onions of last year which begin to grow; they wiU be very 

 useful when there is a scarcity of sound ones. Plant Underground 

 Onions if not done in the autumn. Weed and clean the autiunu 

 crop. A good sowing of Parsley should be made as soou as the 

 ground is in a fit state to receive the seed. Make a sowing of 

 Knight's Dwarf Green Marrow Peas ; at the same time some 

 other approved sorts should be sown to keep up a succession. 

 Two or three crops of those sorts which come in for use quickly 

 must be sown, and will be ready before the Marrows. If any 

 Potatoes were placed in a forcing house a fortnight since, as 

 recommended, they will now be ready to plant out : a very 

 moderate heat will be sufficient. Plant some on a warm shel- 

 tered border if the weather be mild and favourable. A few rows 

 of Spinach may be sown between the early Peas if there is a 

 scarcity of autumn-sown ; if not, defer sowing a week or a fort- 

 night longer. Sow some seed of the Early Dutch Turnip on a 

 shglit hotbed; or where the soil is hght and dry, a sowing may 

 be made on a warm border. See to the due preparation of ground 

 for crops in general, but beware of carrying on operations when 

 the soil is in a wet state. Better be a fortnight too late with 

 any given crop. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



Where there are inferior sorts of Apples and Pears, or too 

 many of one sort, prepare scions of superior varieties for gr-af ting, 

 and keep them till wanted in a cool situation. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



As soon as the gi-ouud is a httle dried after the frost and snow, 

 it will be a good plan to have all the vacant beds in the flower 

 garden forked over, bo as to get the soil properly pulverised 

 prior to planting-out the autumn-sown annuals. Preparation 

 must also be made for a general sowing of tlie more hardy kinds, 

 such as Larkspurs, Godetias, Clarkias, Nemophilas, &c., which 

 should be made the first day the ground is sufficiently dry to 

 admit of sowing them. Proceed with the pruning of shrubs and 

 common Hoses, but leave the more tender kinds until you are 

 sure they will not be iujured by frost. The most tender of the 

 Chinese varieties that were covered with leaves in autumn are 

 in excellent condition. See that the plants in the reserve garden 

 are not thrown out of the ground by the late frost. If they are 

 loose, fasten them. Proceed with planting-out biennials as soon 

 as the ground is in a tit state, and pirepare a little ground in a 

 warm corner for sowing Stocks and some of the best of the 

 annuals for transplanting. As a matter of course, all floricul- 

 tural calendars must to a certain extent be acted on only as the 

 weather is favourable for the operations there detailed as neces- 

 sary. During spring and summer the experienced florist finds 

 it comparatively easy to point out the previous week what is 

 requisite to be done the ensuing one, but at this imcertain season 

 we must be guided by circumstances. Whilst writing, the frost 

 and snow appear to bo rapidly disappearing ; it will therefore 

 cause the florist to be on the alert. If the weather continue 

 mild di-aw the Ughts completely off the Auricula frames during 

 the day. Examine the plants minutely, and see the soil is going 



on well. Should any mild rain fall during the week they will 

 be benefited by a good sprinkling in the middle of the day. 

 When the li^^hta are drawn on tilt them, so that the grass may 

 become as dry as possible before night. These observations will 

 apply to Carnations, and carefully remove all spotted or diseased 

 leaves. Still cover Tulips with sand as they appear. Should 

 the beds get sufficiently dry, the Eanunculuses should immedi- 

 ately be planted. Strike Dahlia cuttings in moist heat as they 

 get long enough. As before observed, see that all planting is 

 completed forthwith. Improve as much as possible outlines of 

 every kind. Plant fresh masses or groups where necessary, aud 

 introduce specimen plants where fitting opportunities offer. 

 Much mischief is done by planting single specimens in recesses ; 

 these should be carefully preserved, as a general rule, to give 

 deep shadows and to throw the prominent features into bold 

 relief. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



Collect at the proper season for doing so a goodly store of the 

 various sorts of soil ready for a future season. Loaui, peat, aud 

 vegetable mould should be stacked a year at least in the compost- 

 yard before being used for potting. I have seen plants greatly 

 injured by being potted in fresh-cut soil. The conservatory 

 should now be full of interest, and ought, where much attention 

 is paid to flowers, to be quite as gay as at any other period of 

 the year. CameUias done blooming should, if possible, be re- 

 moved to some warm house where a moist atmosphere and a 

 temperature averaging 05"^ will induce them to jn-oduce wood 

 freely, shading them, should the weather become bright, for a 

 few hours in the middle of the day ; under such treatment the 

 leaves get well developed, large, and healthy. The plants may 

 also be watered occasionally with weak liquid manure. Climbers 

 should now have a thorough dressing, cutting away all weak 

 and decayed wood, and shortening where necessary to furnish 

 back wood previous to the growing season. The advantage of 

 increased solar light and heat will be rendered apparent by the 

 increased brilhancy of colour in the flowers and the depth of 

 verdure in the leaves, provided a judicious admission of air and 

 a just proportion of other essentials be continued. The disj^lay 

 of flowering plants in the conservatory may receive additions 

 from various quarters. The stove will afford the beautiful 

 Euphorbia jacquinireflora, which may be removed without in- 

 jury; the pits should long afford a supply of Cinerarias; the 

 Heath house, too, may contribute. Eragrauce is a quahty 

 always sought for in flowers ; the most striking are too often 

 deficient in that recommendation. In effecting an arrangement 

 this must not be forgotten ; however humble in appearance, the 

 modest Mignonette will always be valued for its delicious fra- 

 grance. Possibly water will be required more frequently, but 

 still administer it with care. Kemedy defects in drainage in 

 long-potted plants. Shift Calceolarias; repress green fly. A 

 temperature varying between SO'^ and CO^ in bright weather will 

 easily be sustained. 



PITS AND FRAMES. 



The plants they contain should now be worked over ; remove 

 the moss that may have accumulated on the surface of the soil 

 in the pots ; draw the hghts off every mild day to dry the 

 plants. Begm, if not ah-eady done, propagating summer-flower- 

 ing plants, such as Verbenas, Salvias, &c., that will afford 

 cuttings. — W. Ke.^ne. 



DOIKGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



The comparative highucss of the barometer on the evening 

 of the 1st inst.i when wo last Wi'ote, did not lead us to expect 

 such a fall of snow on the following days, Although that has 

 been much lessened, still the snow remains with us, aud the 

 sUght frosts of the morning, with easterly and northerly winds, 

 prevent its total disappearance. This has to some extent put 

 a stop to active employment on many kinds of out-door work. 



The snow lying on the ground was of gi-eat advantage to 

 many crops in the coldest night we have yet had — crops made 

 rather tender by the ijrevious dull, warm, moist weather. Many 

 subjects also imder glass received the benefit of the snow cover- 

 ing where there was no artificial heat. Eor instance, Calceo- 

 larias have had a snow covering over them for a week, and will, 

 probably, not be uncovered until all the snow is gone. Some 

 Czar Violets we imcovered to-day, after they had been covered 

 with glass and snow for eight days, and the blooms were as 

 sweet and nice as if the sun had played on them for hours 

 yesterday. 



Covering from Frost. — Cauliflowers underhand-lights have 

 had a sprinkling of litter over them all the week. What would 

 have been the use of taking away the httcr with its sprinkling 

 of snow, when for the week there was scarcely a gleam of sun- 

 shine ? The only thing to be cared for in this continuous 

 covering is to be sure that the plants are in such a safe but low 

 temperature that there shall be no stimulus presented to them 

 to grow and elongate. 



We had acted on this principle for years before we saw it 

 advocated by our late clear-headed practical coadjutor Mr, 



