October M, 186S. ] 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



345 



forthwith. Let all bulb-planting bo comiilcted imraodiately. 

 Planting evergreen and' deciduous shrubs may now be per- 

 formed with every chance of success. Be very careful to secure 

 transplanted shrubs against wind, especially if large; these 

 should never be left until they are properly staked, or other- 

 wise made fast, for when this is put off it freiiuently hajipena 

 that the roots are injured in consequence of the tops being 

 rocked about by tlio wind. Tlu^ weather has assumed an aspect 

 BO decidedly wintry, that further hope for the lingering beauty 

 of the flower-beds can scarcely bo indulged in. Koses may now 

 be transplanted, jiruparations sliould be mado to receive such 

 subjects. Fresh loam, rotten dung, and burnt earth, form an 

 exceUeut compost. Hardj' creepers should be examined at this 

 season, and all unnecessary spray removed, and their security 

 from the blasts of winter ensured. Examine stakes and ties 

 generally. As soon as the greater part of the leaves are oil the 

 trees, let the pleasure ground be thoroughly cleaned and swept ; 

 the leaves if in sufHcient quantity should be stacked up for 

 forcing-purposes, covering the borders, and the like. Such 

 parts of the lawn as are near the house should be swept daily 

 to remove leaves and wormcasts, and the gravel-walks should 

 be freiiuently rolled to jireserve a smooth surface. The present 

 is a good time for rearranging the herbaceous groiuid, a work 

 which is rendered necessary eveiy two or three years by many 

 of the free-gi'owing plants becoming too large. 



GKKF.NHOUSE AND CONSERVATORV. 



As tho beauty of out-door scenery yields before the storms of 

 autumn, the conservatory should be made as attractive as pos- 

 sible, as it will now become in some respects the only place 

 where flowering plants can be inspected with comfort in un- 

 favourable weather. Let the requisite arrangements both as 

 regards watering and changing the plants take place early in 

 the day, that the effects of watering, syringing, &c., may be 

 removed, and an agreeable drjTiess pervade the house, before it 

 is visited by the family. No pains must be spared to keep the 

 house gay, by introducing plants in succession as they come 

 into bloom, including a portion of the stove plants which have 

 been gi-own expressly for this purpose. A little gentle forcing 

 will bring the different varieties of Epiphyllum truncatum in 

 bloom, and with the addition of Chrysanthemums, late Fuchsias, 

 and Pelargoniums, Pancratiums, Amarj'Uis, Mignonette, Nea- 

 poUtan Violets, &c., a tolerably gay appearance may be main- 

 tained until the time when forced plants shall be more gene- 

 rally available. 



PITS AND FRAMES. 



Have straw shutters, or whatever else it may be intended to 

 use for coverings for these, put in readiness for use without 

 delay. Straw shutters if well made are expensive in the first 

 instance, but are considered by many to be the most eificient 

 of any kind of covering in use, and taking into account the 

 time they last, they are, perhaps, as cheap as any. Expose 

 the stock freely to air on every favourable opportunity, so as 

 to check growth, and get the wood firm. — W. KiiANE. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 

 Rains have now come in earnest, filling the pools, water- 

 courses, tanks, &c., and with the winds, tending, we hope, to 

 purify the atmosphere and render it more healthy for man and 

 beast. Our tanks are now full, which they have not been for 

 the last thi'ee years, and with more means of saving it, there 

 would be a large quantity of water that might now be stored 

 np. Such another season as 1864 would render gardening next 

 to an impossibiUty, where nothing but rain water could be 

 depended on. It has set people husbanding water by various 

 means, who never thought of doing so before. For several 

 days work out of doors has been pretty well at a standstill, 

 which gave a needful opportimity for overtaking much in-doors 

 work, as roping Onions, cleaning sashes, washing pots, making 

 sticks and talUes, clearing and greatly reducing climbers in 

 greenhouse and stove, that light may be admitted in winter ; 

 washing shelves, stages, inside of glass, <fec., preparatory for the 

 an-angement of plants for the winter. A few of the most 

 tender Geraniums have been taken up aud placed in a shed 

 until wo find time to pot them, and place them in a suitable 

 position. Such pruning and thorough washing now, and when 

 the glass is dry a good smoking with tobacco or laurel leaves 

 before the plants are set in, wiU tend to keep all clear of msects 

 for the winter. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Here very little has been done, except roping Onions in wet 



weather, and tying-up and earthing-up a little more Celery on 

 a dry afternoon. Notwithstanding the heavy falls of ruin the 

 ground is still dry at no great depth, and we have observed in 

 ccmsequenco few drains at all deep that have yet begun to run ; 

 the excessive heat dried tho ground to an extent that we 

 scarcely ever noticed before, and yet most vegetables throve very 

 well, no doubt by pumping up moisture from great depths. 



Did we anticipate frost soon we would lay tho tunderest 

 Ilror.coli, as the leaves appear more than usually juicy and ro- 

 bust, the very circumstances in which frost would do them the 

 most injury. In performing this work it is best to lay the tops to 

 the north, and the next best is tho east, so that the sun during 

 winter may strike very little on the centre of the plant. Sup- 

 posing that the rows run north and south, the following is the 

 simple mode of operation, choosing a diy day for performing 

 it : — Begin at the north end of the row, take out a spadeful or 

 two of earth on the north side of the plant, without coming too 

 near the roots ; bend the plant to the ground and partly in the 

 opening, then move earth from the second jilant and place it 

 over the stem ; do the same with the second and all the rest 

 until the row and piece is finished. We generally take a num- 

 ber of rows across at a time. The above mode and a sprink- 

 ling of litter over the heads will save the crop in most 

 seasons. Wlien the Broccoli plants are wide apart, say a yard, 

 or one to 4 square feet (as some of our best growers do, but 

 which is seldom done in a gentleman's garden, because, in 

 addition to scarcity of room, the huge heads would not gene- 

 rally be liked on the table, except in the servants' hall), then in 

 addition to a slight laying to arrest free growth, more earthing- 

 up could easily be given so as to thoroughly protect the stems. 

 The putting the heads in a slanting position to the north not 

 only protects the centre better and keeps it more free from 

 moisture, but even if frosted, it thaws more gradually, because 

 the sun cannot act directly upon it. On this last account alone 

 we have noticed one row thus laid down pass seaithless through 

 the winter, whilst a row of the same sort standing upright had 

 almost every centre rotted out and destroyed. 



Cauliflower being more tender must be protected, and the 

 easiest way is to take the plants up as the heads approach 

 perfection, and keep them in sheds and frames. Without this 

 takincj up they may often be had pretty well up to Christmas, 

 in mild seasons, by breaking a few leaves from the cut heads 

 over those coming on, aud using a little litter over these on 

 the first frosty nights. 



Mushrooms. — We have just spawned a small bed in the 

 Musliroom-house, and would have had more preparing but for 

 scarcity of material. The beds in the shed are still doing good 

 service. The spawn used was chiefly what was made lately, 

 and which has given us Httle trouble, as it was mainly set on 

 a shallow bed of litter, and covered over with the same, for the 

 heat of the atmosphere was pretty well enough to make it run. 

 The litter had been so beaten down with the first rain that 

 little water seemed to penetrate, or we should have required 

 means to have kept the spawn dry ; it will be better to remain a 

 week or two longer, though what we used was very good. 

 '^Tien a good large heap is made it is rare that all the pieces 

 will come in at the same time — at least, we generally select 

 the best spawned once or twice before we house the whole. 

 Wherever housed it should be kept dry and cool before using 

 it. If the place is veiy open over-dryuess may be prevented 

 by covering with a mat or two or a httle loose litter. A shed 

 which is made at all warm and dry from a fire or stokehole 

 is not a suitable place, as there it would become too dry ; 

 but such a place would do very well if the shed were large, and 

 kept rather open. If the spawn is kept rather moist and hot 

 it will waste itself in producing little Mushrooms aU over. 

 When once the piece is permeated by the small, very small, 

 hair-like white threads, these should bo prevented growing 

 more by being kept in a state of rest untU they are wanted to 

 plant the bed from which the Mushrooms are to be gathered. 

 Even then a slight excess of heat and moisture wUl destroy 

 the spawn, and too much dryness in the bed will be almost 

 sure to give you small dried-up Mushrooms. 



Only a few can obtain the most suitable material, and that 

 in tho most suitable condition for a Mushroom-bed, but pro- 

 vided the temperature be all right, from 70° to 80 , at the time 

 of spawning, wo can greatly modify othei matters to suit our 

 purpose. For instance, if the bed is rather damp, we wrap 

 each piece of spawn in a good handful of dry, short litter, con- 

 taining a very little di'ied horsedmig, and insert it firmly 

 in the bed, the litter just appearing above the surface, if 

 the bed is warm enough, but rather dr}*, we know the spawn 



