388 



jotjknaij of hoeticultube and cottage gaedeneb. 



[ November 7, 1865. 



the leaves of the Laurel, hovering over flowers and resting upon 

 palings in the sunshine, from the middle of May to the cud of 

 July. It is one of the most beautiful of the English two-winged 

 ilies, and has been thus described by Mr. Westwood. The 

 general colour of the body, which is five-jointed, varies from 

 rusty-brown to shining black ; head buff, with black hairs ; legs 

 yellow ; thorax (throat) sprinkled with long black hairs; wings 

 black, with various pale spots ; eyes green. The whole length 

 of the insect is not more than one-sixth of an inch, and its 

 wings, when outspread, barely half an inch across. The cross- 

 lines in our woodcut shows these proportions, as well as the 

 insect magnified. The motions of this fly are very peculiar ; 

 seated upon a leaf in the sunshine, the wings are partially ex- 

 tended, yet partially elevated, and it has a sideling land of 

 motion. The withered leaves of the Celery should be picked 

 off, and the gi-ubs within them crushed as soon as seen. Mr. 

 Wedgewood suggest that a string, smeared with birdlime and 

 sti-etched over the Celery-plants, might catch many of the 

 parents."] 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN G.iEDEN. 



If any esculent roots remain in the ground they should he 

 taken up immediately. Asparar/us, the haulm may now be 

 cleared off, cleaning the ground and giving a good dressing of 

 rotten manure, and in the case of young plants, which are only 

 very hghtly covered, the manure might be mixed with a quan- 

 tity of leaf moidd, applying a good solid coat 2 or 3 inches 

 thick if the manure and leaf soil can be spared. Caulifloiven, 

 the plants in head, if not wanted for use, may be pulled up and 

 hung in a cool shed, where they will keep for weeks, and be out 

 of the way of injury from frost, unless this should be vei-y 

 severe. Celery, the late crops should now be earthed-up rather 

 closely, making the ridges as narrow at the top as can conve- 

 niently be done, and nicely finishing the sides with the back of 

 the spade, so as to prevent, as far as possible, the soil about 

 the plants becoming saturated with wet. The soil about the 

 early crops, or that fit for use, should also be made to throw off 

 the wet as much as possible,pressing it firmly about the tops of 

 the plants, aud making the top of the ridge narrow and smooth. 

 Of course Celery will not be earthed-up after tliis season, when 

 the plants are wet, neither should it be done when the soil is 

 wet, if this can l)e avoided. Mixing plenty of quicklime with 

 the soil about the plants will be found of considerable use in 

 preventing their rotting in winter, and it will also save them 

 from being chsfigured by slugs. Endive, continue to blanch it by 

 tying up or by wrapping the leaves together and laying two flat 

 tiles on each plant, so as to form a slight ridge, one tile over- 

 lapping the other. Calihafies, earth-up those planted for Cole- 

 worts for winter and early spring use ; look over the principal 

 plantations frequently to see if slugs attack the plants, if they 

 are numerous lay a quantity of Cabbage leaves on the ground 

 and examine them daily, a pail of hot water or some lime may 

 be taken round at the same time and the slugs shaken into it. 

 Thus many thousands may be destroyed at this time of year. 

 Lettuce, j^ay the same attention to the autumn plantations that 

 was recommended for the Cabbages. Give air to the young 

 plants in frames daily ; Cabbage Lettuce in frames for winter 

 use will not require much air. Peas and Beans, a few may be 

 sown on a dry and warm l)order. They are sometimes covered 

 with cinder ashes, which is a bad prncth ■, and they are liable 

 to go off in the spring from that cause. 

 fetjit gaehen. 

 If fresh trees are to be planted in old borders let it be done 

 with as much care as possible, a barrow-load or two of fresh soil 

 may be put into each hole and mixed with the soil of the bor- 

 der. Let the holes be made sufficii utly large for the roots 

 when laid out straight ; it is by inattention to this that suckers 

 arise, which is in a great measure caused by cramping and 

 twisting the roots. Strawberries for early forcing should be 

 placed where they can be protected from drenching rains — a 

 cold frame or pit, when either can be spared, would be the best 

 situation for them, but the lights should not be put on save in 

 case of rain or frost, and, indeed, the whole stock in pots for 

 foreifig would be benefited by being placed where it could he 

 guarded from heavy rains. Let there be no lack of attention 

 in the fruit-room at present, for fruit reqiiires more care during 

 the first few weeks after gathering than all the season after- 

 wards. Give just sufficient air to carry off damji, but nothing 

 more, as allowing dry winds to blow over the fruit would onlj- 



cause shrivelUng. 



FLOWEI! GARDEN. 



Those who purpose making additions to their collection of 

 Boses should do so at once, as there will be a better chance of 

 obtaining good plants now than after the nursery stock has 

 been repeatedly picked. The present season is also very favour- 

 able for planting aU btit tender sorts, which had better be kept 

 imder glass until next May ; but these should be procured at 

 once, and if they can be placed in a gentle heat through the 

 winter they will grow freely, and furnish cuttings which will 

 root just as freely as Verbenas. In preparing groixnd forEoses, 

 let it be trenched at least 2 feet deep, and well incorporate a 

 heavy dressing of manure with the soil to the full depth. It is 

 hardly possible to make the ■soil too rich for any kind of Eose, 

 particularly the autumn-blooming kinds, and 4 or 5 inches of 

 good rotten farmyard dung will not be too much where the soil 

 is naturally rather light and poor. Large-headed standards 

 that have done blooming for the season should be cut back 

 pretty freely to lessen the chance of their being injured by 

 heavy gales of wind. Continue to clear the beds of their sum- 

 mer occupants, as these become unsightly, and after trenching 

 or doing whatever can be done to save time next planting-out 

 season, furnish them for the spring. The pi-inciples of pro- 

 tection are few and simple, and may be said to be within the 

 reach of every one, at least as far as such can be carried out 

 without the aid of houses and artificial heat. A comparative 

 degree of dryness is the first great essential, whether in the 

 atmosphere or the soil. In a frame or pit this amoirut of dry- 

 ness cannot be guaranteed without motion in the air, and this, 

 of course, in the absence of fire heat, must be accompUshed by 

 a veiy free ventilation at every fitting opportunity, remember- 

 ing that a small amount of frost is, in general, less prejudicial 

 than an accumulation of damp, which will rapidlj' tend to a 

 kind of mortification in the system of the i^lant. The same 

 .itmospherie conditions are to be obtained out of doors as far 

 as attention can secure them : thus half-hardy plants, against 

 trellises or detached, if covered with a mat stuffed closely with 

 hay inside, will be in danger of perishing of what we may for 

 the present term suffocation ; the same specimen will always 

 pass through a long -n-inter better with the mat alone, more es- 

 pecially if the collar is well protected by some dry and porous 

 material, and above all, the roots well top-dressed with sawdust 

 or ashes. 



GUEENnOITSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



Take advantage of tmfavourable weather for out-door work 

 to thoroughly clean the foliage of Camellias, Orange trees, itc, 

 for it is hardly less essential to the health of such plants that 

 their foliage be kept clean and in a fit state to perform its func- 

 tions than that their roots be kept healthy and active. Look 

 over the plants in the greenhouse frequently, and examine 

 plants very closelythat are liableto suffer from mildew and damp, 

 such as Leschenaultias, Boronias, &c., for a 'short neglect will 

 sometimes result in the disfigurement of a promising plant. 

 The Boronias, Leschenaultias, Gompholobiums, &c., are very 

 impatient of exposure to cold drj'ing winds, but air must be ad- 

 mitted by the top sashes freely on fine days. Young specimens 

 of Azaleas, which have been gi-owing in heat, had better be 

 removed to a cool house for a few months, which wiU cause them 

 to start away more freely in spring. Keep Cinerarias and other 

 soft-wooded stock clear" of green fly. and endeavour to secure 

 stocky plants by affording them sufficient pot room. The bulbs 

 of Japan Lilies to be shaken out of their pots, and to be re- 

 potted in half good fibrous loam and half peat soO, or decom- 

 posed leaf mould as a substitute for peat, with a small portion 

 of silver sand. As the bulbs, when making their spring growth, 

 emit roots for 2 or 3 inches up the stem, they wiU now require 

 to be planted that depth from the surface of the pot, and to be 

 earthed up with the compost in the spring. 



PITS AND FRAMES. 



Eoses for early forcing should be pruned by this time, and 

 placed where they will at least be safe from heavy rains. 

 Wliere American and other shrubs are used for forcing these 

 should be taken up and potted without delay, placing them in a. 

 cold pit until they are wanted for forcing, or in a t\u:f-pit 

 where they can be protected from severe weather, by straw mats, 

 shutters, or other covering. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST ^VEEK. 

 Tidiness. — As well attempt to wash an Ethiopian white as to 

 keep all trim and neat in gardens now. Ere long we shall be 

 glad of a sharp frost that will finally settle all the summer 



