March i1, 1873. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE A^tD COTTAGE GAIlDfiNER, 



267 



tates. At any rate, there can be no manner of doubt tliat 

 Vines and plants may bo grown well together, and many a 

 house may be erected which would add considerable attrac- 

 tions to a snug and happy home. — J. W., Liin-olii. 



WOEK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GABDEN, 



At the time of earthing-up any of the crops strew a little soot 

 close to the stems of the plants ; this will prevent slugs har- 

 bouring there and biting them off under the surface of the soil, 

 which they are very apt to do in the early part of the season. 

 Looseu the earth between all the wiuter-stauding crops, and 

 keep every part of the garden free from litter. When Peas or 

 other plants are frozen, water them very gently with cold water 

 as soon as the temperature of the atmosphere surrounding them 

 is above the freezing point, but never before, or by its appli- 

 cation the juices of the plant will be more effectually frozen 

 than they were previous to the application of the water. The 

 general spring dressing of Asparoijus, if not yet done, should no 

 longer be delayed, as the roots will now begin to gi'ow. A little 

 Early Purple and Early White Broccoli may be sown for autumn 

 use, but Cape and Grange's almost su]>ersede the use of any 

 other sorts for autumn use. Make a sowing of Brusseh Sprouts 

 for the first croi^ : this is an excellent vegetable, but rarely to 

 be met with true. Plant out some of tbe early spring-sown 

 Caitlijioiccrs as soon as they are of sufficient size to succeed the 

 autumn-sown ; earth-up the early-planted as soon as it can be 

 done, so as to prevent the wind blowing them about to loosen 

 them. Take advantage of a fine day to draw the earth round 

 the hills of Cucinnbcrs after it has lain a day or two by the side 

 of the frame to get warm ; do not press it down round the plant. 

 As soon as the heat is observed to fall, fork up and add to the 

 linings ; or, if the heat is entirely out, renew the lining first 

 made. After a continuance of dull weather the plants are apt 

 to flag for the first few clear days ; when this is observed they 

 may be slightly shaded. Herbs should now be propagated, seeds 

 being sown of the annual sorts, or of such as do not supply 

 cuttings nor admit of being divided. Get in the main crops of 

 Potatoes where the ground is in good working order, otherwise 

 no time will be lost by waiting till such is the case. Plant in 

 trenches or drills drawn with the hoe in preference to dibbUng 

 them in. A little dryish Utter laid under and over the sets will 

 be found to increase the crop very materially. Keep-up a succes- 

 sion of Salading by sowing ouce a-week. Young liadishrs may 

 be drawn from the frames where they are too thick. Sow a 

 few rows of Spinacli for succession, limiting the supply to the 

 demand, as it is a sure crop and one that does not last long. 

 Pot Tomatoes as they require it, so as to get good established 

 plants by the time the weather will permit of their being turned 

 out, for if very small at that time they seldom ripen their fruit 

 well before the frost sets in. 



FBUIT CUIDEN. 



See that recently transplanted trees are not suS'eriug from 

 want of watering. This, however, will hardly be the case except 

 on dry porous soils, and in such cases the ground should be 

 mulched w'ith decayed leaves to preserve it in a uniformly moist 

 state. Attend carefully to the protection of the blossoms of all 

 fruit trees where nothing better or more convenient can be 

 obtained. Yew or sjiruce branches will be of service, provided 

 they are so fixed as not to be hable to be blown against the 

 blossom. Bemove the covering as frequently as may be conve- 

 nient on fine days, so as to fully expose the trees to sun and air. 

 Get a supply of tobacco water in readiness to attack aiJhides 

 immediately they make their api^earance on Peach trees. 



FLOWER G.iBDEN. 



All now groundwork, such as planting and turfing, must be 

 finished as expeditiously as possible, and as soon as all rubbish 

 has been cleared from the borders, &c., prepare for trimming 

 the walks and making them clean for the season. This, though 

 an operation readily performed, is frequently tarried over and 

 badly executed. A walk after it has been turned, levelled, and 

 the facing of new gravel laid upon it, should remain in that 

 state three or four days for the gravel to bleach, and not be 

 rolled until it has a shower of rain upon it. The utihty of this 

 plan is, the gravel becomes washed before it is rolled down, and 

 you have a clean, bright walk at all times instead of one sticking 

 to your feet and faliiu.Lj into holes in wet weather. This delay 

 causes inconvenience while the work is being done, but it i^ fully 

 counterbalanced by the excellence of the walks throughout the 

 season. Birds are very troublesome to early germinating seeds, 

 and where it is inconvenient to cover with netting it will be well 

 to sprinkle the beds with sand made wet with spirits of tar. The 

 transplanting of aU autumn-sown annuals should be completed 

 •without delay, also of biennials. Prepare for a sowing of the 

 latter a piece of ground, which must be sUghtly enriched and 

 dug to a good depth. In the shrubberies the work for the season 

 will be finished, except attending to newly-planted shrubs and 

 watering them when necessary. Take care that all newly-planted 



shrubs and trees are properly staked before they begin to make 

 new roots, and mulch them with short grass occasionally when 

 the lawn is mo'\^'n. Am'icula flowers are putting on an improved 

 appearance ; still keep them warm at night with mats, and as 

 they are growing they should have a moderate supply of water. 

 Last year's seedling Polyanthuses are now throwing up their 

 trusses and " showing their faces ;" those which do not come 

 up to the mark should be pulled up or planted for border flowers 

 in the shrubberies or elsewhere. Seed of llammculus is now 

 coming up fastj shelter from cutting winds, and if any are 

 rooted out of the soil, which sometimes is the case, they must 

 be carefully reinserted. Where practicable, the beds of named 

 flowers should be covered with mats when frost is expected. 

 Potting Carnations has commenced in many parts of the 

 country, and where the plants have been brought up hardy the 

 sooner they are out the better; as a precaution, place a slice of 

 potato between the rows, if two are planted in a pot, so that 

 they may have a chance of avoiding destruction should a solitary 

 wireworm escape you. The beds of Pansies may be top-dressed 

 with Melon-bed manure, and screened from the prevailing cold 

 with spruce fir boughs or other efficient protection. Snails must 

 be trapped, as they begin to be seriously troublesome. 



OBEENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



To keep the conservatory now in perfect order you must go 

 over the jjlants daily, or at least every alternate day, and take 

 out those beginning to fade. Pick-off all decaying flowers and 

 leaves, also all distorted flower-buds, or, indeed, any small or 

 ill-arranged flower which does not look well. Change the 

 plants in sitting-rooms often, if they are worth preserving after- 

 wards. Fuchsias represent that class of greenhouse plants 

 which do best to be shaken out of their pots annually, but as 

 the strong varieties of them are gross feeders, you may use a 

 rougher compost for them. A thorough revision of plants in 

 the different houses where plant-gi-owing and forcing are carried 

 on in a mixed way is necessary some time during spring, and 

 the present is as good a time as any for the operation, the 

 shutting-up of late vineries or Peach houses generally offering 

 facilities for the arrangement, and, of course, for reheving the 

 other structiu-es. Exhausted forcing stock should by all means 

 have a pit or frame fitted-up especially for it. It shoiUd by no 

 means be allowed to mix with the general stock. The amateiu' 

 may carry out this principle with a small frame. A bed of fer- 

 menting material of a mild character, covered G or 8 inches 

 deep with tan, and well tupped-up with linings and mats at 

 night, is what is required. A bottom heat of 80*, with fre- 

 quent syringing, and the plants plunged, of course, will restore 

 them to perfect health and prepare them for another campaign. 

 Cinerarias for late blooming should, if not bound, be shifted. 

 Likewise let plants in need of water have immediate attention ; 

 nothing conduces more to the encouragement of insects than 

 suffering plants to become checked through drought. By start- 

 ing Camelhas into growth about this time, and getting their 

 wood ripened early, they wiU be in full bloom in November, at 

 which season their flowers retain their beauty much longer 

 than after the sun becomes powerful in the spring. Proceed as 

 dihgently as possible with the repotting of such of the hard- 

 wooded greenhouse plants as require it, so as to afford every 

 chance of making a vigorous growth. Bo careful before potting 

 to have the ball in a moist state, and avoid giving large shifts 

 to weakly growers. — W. ICe.vne. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN G.VRDEN. 



Planted Peas and Beans for succession in rather favom'able 

 days. Placed more Potatoes under the shelter of glass for a time, 

 and we hoped to get ground ready for Onions, when we had a 

 heavy fall of snow on the '21st, and a sharp frost on the morning 

 of the 2'2nd, all tending to make the season a very late one. 



CatiUjiowers under glasses we shall soon thin-out to five 

 plants, as we find that, instead of the regulation three, we can do 

 five well when spread out in the earthrng-ui). When scan a of 

 ground we dig a trench between the rows of such protected 

 Cauliflower, so as to earth the Cauhflowers well up, we then 

 cover the ridges of Cauliflower with short grass or other litter, 

 and give several manure waterings ; thus we obtain large, clean, 

 compact heads, the trench being no objection whatever, so long 

 as the sm-face and the sides of the broad ridge containing the 

 Cauhflowers are mulched. Besides, the trench between comes 

 in well, with the help of rotten dung, to afford space for some 

 early Celery, the shade of the fine fohage of the CaiUiflower 

 helping the Celery much after planting-out early. _ _ < 



We have often dwelt on the importance of not cm-tailing the 

 ciitent of the kitchen garden. That wiU pay, whatever else re- 

 turns nothing except to please tbe eye, mucli in the same way 

 as we put a value on statuary or fine paintings. But with all 

 that, there is many a small kitchen garden that might return 

 double the produce it does by successional cotemporary cropping 

 in the same ground. Thus, in the case of the Cauliflowers re- 

 ferred to, many have supposed when the plants are put out ou 



