2ir, 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENER, 



[ March 20, 1878. 



tleniug? — James Weed, Muscatine, loica.- 

 lienor's ilonllihj.) 



-(Amerkan Gur- 



WOEK FOE THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GABDEN. 



Clean and move tbe ground between the rows of Lettuce, 

 young Cablmge, autumn-sown Onions, Garlic, Shallots, and 

 other winter-standing crops. Clear tbe garden of all litter. Roll 

 the walks if they have been loosened during tbe winter. Make 

 another sowing of Beans ; the Longpod ia a prolific sort, but 

 tbe Green Windsor has a better appearance when sent to table ; 

 earth-up the early crops. Pot young plants of Capsicums as 

 soon as fit, and place them in a hotbed-frame ; they are very 

 liable to be attacked by the gi'een fly, which should be destroyed 

 immediately it is observed. The weather is now favourable for 

 getting-in tbe main crop of Cm-rots. The Early Horn is an ex- 

 cellent sort both for early and late use, as it keeps as well as 

 the long sorts, and is much better adapted for many soils. 

 I'rick-out the early-sown Celery into boxes, or on a slight hot- 

 bed; when it has taken root give air at every favourable oppor- 

 tunity. As soon as tbe frames of Cucunihers are imcovered in 

 tbe morning, give a little air for an hour to let the stagnant air 

 pass off, when they may be closed again till the day is further 

 advanced ; if air has been given to the frames all night they 

 may be closed for an hour or two. As soon as the principal 

 shoots have reached the sides of the frame, never allow any of 

 the laterals to gi-ow more than two joints before being stopped. 

 Jerusalem Artichokes, if not yet planted no time should be 

 lost in getting them in. Some of the best plants of Lettuces 

 that have been wintered in frames may now be put out, some 

 under a south wall and others in a more open situation. If it 

 can be so managed tbe whole of the bods of Mushroums in one 

 house should be made before any begins beaiiug. This can 

 be accomplished by making tbe last bed about six or seven 

 weeks after the first. Sow tbe main crop of Onions. If large 

 ones are required plant the very small bulbs of last year, or the 

 autumn-sown plants in very rich soil ; or larger Onions may be 

 grown by the following method ;— Well tread the ground, and 

 lay 3 inches of very rotten dung upon it, on this sow the seed, 

 and cover with a little fine earth. Stick the early crops of Peas 

 as soon as they are earthed-np ; a few small beech boughs with 

 the leaves on may be stuck on each side of the row, this will pro- 

 tect them from frost and cold winds. Make a sowing ot Purslane 

 on a warm border. Sow a successional crop of liadisJies ; the 

 Turnip-rooted sort may now be sown. Bhuharb may now be 

 forwarded by placing a hand-glass over the roots ; a little litter 

 should be placed over tbe bottom of tbe glass to prevent the 

 ingress of cold. Make a good sowing of the Dwarf Green Savoij, 

 which IS by far the best for general use. Salsafi/ and Scorzo- 

 nera should be sown in drills at from 9 inches to a foot apart. 



FKUIT QAKDEN. 



Continue pruning and naiUng Peach trees, and when they are 

 coming into bloom put up coping-boards and curtains or nets or 

 m the absence of these, small beech boughs with the leaves on 

 may be stuck about the trees. Continue regrafting Apple and 

 Pear trees. Securely stake newly-planted standard fruit trees 

 nothing is more injurious to them than being blown and twisted 

 about by the wind. 



FLOWEK GAKDEN. 



The walks should now he turned if required, and the turf 

 edgings mended if necessary. Eoll and mow the lawn before the 

 grass gi-ows much, as it can be kept in better order afterw.ard6 

 than if allow'ed to remain until tbe cud of April or beginning of 

 May Level-down the beds a little with the Dutch hoe, but do 

 not aUow the rake upon them at present. Prune Roses to cause 

 them to flower late. All rubbish thrown upon lawns by tem- 

 pestuous weather, or othermse, should be carefully removed 

 before the roller is used. The planting of herbaceous plants 

 .should be completed, and the beds they occupy dressed with 

 tresli soil. It IS a good practice to defer the operation of prun- 

 ing Roses^ which have been recently transplanted until vitality 

 IS decidedly manifested in the buds, as in removing a largo pro- 

 portion of young wood the powerful excitement which it un- 

 doubtedly offers to the roots in influencmg them to action is 

 diminished. Tulips now begin to want warm and fine weather. 

 ^\ liere unprotected tbe late hailstorms have done considerable 

 damage to the fohage, and canker in many places has made its 

 appearance. I hear of several beds in the north having been 

 wholly destroyed, apparently by a disease similar to that which 

 has affected tbe Potatoes. All beds of any pretension should 

 now be covered with a net, and every attention possible ought 

 to be bestowed upon the growing plants. Pansies will require 

 considerable attention during the present month. Sheltering, 

 cleaning, &c., must bo sedulously attended to. Seedlings will 

 be expanding their blossoms, but we would caution the grower 

 not to remove those that are promising. After their good 

 quahties are ascertained, it will be advisable to take off tbe 

 gi-eater part of the main stem, which will induce the production 

 ot laterals ; these should be put in and will readily strike root. 



If Carnations and Picotees show symptoms of decay carefuUy 

 remove with a sharp knife the' decayed part, especially that 

 portion of tbe root where the severance from the parent plant 

 took place, also take away any bruised leaves. The general 

 stock should now be potted. Auriculas now require particular 

 watching ; they should be kept moderately and regularly moist, 

 not by watering them all at the same time, but only according 

 to the state in which each pot may be ; in some pots the soil 

 may retain moisture longer than iu others. Should the weather 

 be mild a little Ught rain would be beneficial, taking care to 

 protect the frames at night. 



OKEENHOUSE AND CONSEIIVATORT. 



Let the occupants of the conservatory beds and tubs receive a 

 proper degree of that attention which is demanded by all green- 

 house plants at this season, especially in regard to the supply 

 of fresh soil and other necessary stimulants to active growth. 

 Maudevilla suaveolens, tbe Kennedyas, Passifloras, and Big- 

 nonias will require regular supplies of water, and possibly a 

 further supply of rich soil. In introducing Roses, Pinks, and 

 other plants from the forcing pit see that they are free from 

 insects. Plants infested within tbe show house should be re- 

 moved and fumigated. Shift greenhouse plants as circum- 

 stances may render advisable. In some cases an alteration in 

 the period of blooming may be produced by varying the time of 

 potting and proportion of nourishment. Permit no depression 

 of heat in the forcing pit. 



STO^'E. 



Many of the plants can now be propagated with gi-eater 

 success than at any other period, it is impossible to particularise 

 them as they often vary in the time of growth according to the 

 treatment they receive. A knowledge of the time to take oB a 

 cutting is the principal art iu propagation. Give air at every 

 favourabls opportunity. 



PITS AND FRAMES. 



Many of the established and more hardy plants in these 

 structures may now be removed to temporary pits to make 

 room for the spring-struck stock. Proceed with the potting-off, 

 and do not permit any vacant space in the propagating frame 

 untU there are more plants than will be required for bedding- 

 out. — W. Ke.vne. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN G.UIDEX. 



The snow and rains still predominating have confined most 

 of our work to digging and turning ridges, the few frosty morn- 

 ings affording a good opportunity for such work. With a few 

 fine days the soil will be in a suitable condition for even the 

 finer seeds being sown, and then it will be seen that a little 

 delay will not be time lost. 



When the weather was at all dry we took the opportunity to 

 fork gently among a plantation of Cahbaijes which as yet has 

 not lost a plant, and the broad, squat appearance of the plants 

 leads us to hope that there will be no bolters among them. This 

 slight forking lets the aii- in among the roots, and does away 

 with the hard pan that rain and snow are apt to form on the 

 surface. We shall most likely give the soil between the plants 

 another forking a little deeper if the surface is at all di-y, and 

 then in a few days we will draw earth to the plants so as to 

 firm them more, and give them some security against winds 

 when their heads become heavy. In this earthing-up, though 

 placing some earth against the stems, we do not approve of 

 having the ridge shaiq) like the ridge of a house, but rather of 

 leaving it in the shape of two ridges with the j)lants in a little 

 trench or valley between. This gives the plants a gi'eat ad- 

 vantage as far as the benefit of rains is concerned. 



We intend to plant-out immediately a lot of youug Cabbage 

 plants kept in beds all the winter, putting them in between 

 Raspberries and Currants, though they would be well worthy 

 of an open space if we could afford it, even if they were all 

 pulled-up by the end of tbe summer and autumn. We say this 

 last advisedly, for though such spring-planted Cabbages, and 

 even Cabbages and Coleworts planted later will often after 

 being cut yield a good deal of produce in winter, still on the 

 whole for winter and early-spring produce in tbe second season 

 they will bear no comparison with the autumn-planted Cabbages 

 — that is to say, the Cabbages to which we first referred to, 

 planted-out last autumn, after giving a first, second, or third 

 cutting during tbe summer and autumn, wiU yield numbers of 

 small sprouts and young Cabbages all the winter and early 

 spring if the weather be not excessively severe. Few things 

 are better flllbaskets than such an old quarter of Cabbages. We 

 generally keep them until the sprouts from Scotch Kale, &c., 

 come in abundantly, and then the gi-ound is bedded-out for 

 Celery. 



Lettuce and Endive. — We ran a fine hoe or a fine-pointed 

 fork through rows and beds of Lettuces. Those planted in the 

 orchard house have come-in useful. Of small compact plants 

 of Broad-leaved Endive on a ridge containing five rows, one at 

 the apex, and two at each side, not a plant has been lost iu- 



