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JOUENAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAKDENER. 



L November 21, 1865. 



Out of doors, it is generally the small fruit that stand the 

 winter, or those that show at the points early in spring, that 

 ripen in the following autumn. 



OENAMENTAL DEPAKTMENT. 



Wormcasta on Lau-ns. — We have just managed to keep tidy 

 near the mansion. Care should be taken that the first look- 

 out should not be associated with the morbid and the melan- 

 choly. There the broom and the roller must frequently be 

 used for the lawn, as after the heavy rains worms are coming 

 to the surface and thi'owing up theii- carthcasts. In small 

 places these heaps may be prevented by watering with clear 

 lime water. The best way to use the water is to roll well a 

 day or two before, and as soon as the worms have opened their 

 fresh holes to give the ground a good soaking, when the water 

 at once runs down the tubular openings and scorches up the 

 tender skin of the worm. Those who cfislike such cruelty and 

 yet dislike the worjncasts, must keep on with the roller. A 

 light wooden one is best for the pui-pose, so that an active boy 

 could draw it, and when it becomes clogged up a little the 

 earth collected must be scraped off. A good roller for this 

 purpose is formed of the bole of a tree, or any other piece of 

 wood, say oak, made round, and 12 inches in diameter, and 

 from .SJ to 4 feet in length. If there are no leaves or litter, 

 such rolling will give a fresh, smooth appearance to a lawn. 

 It does best when the ground is moderately dry. Clear lime 

 ■water is easily made by throwing a good shovelful of quicklime 

 into a hogshead of water, stu-ring it well, and then allowing 

 it to stand from twelve to twenty-four hours before using it. 

 Nothing else is so safe, though other things are equally de- 

 structive to worms. In places where worms plough up the 

 sides of walks next the grass verges, removing the most of the 

 heaps, and strewing a little salt along close to the grass, will 

 generally prevent the throwing-up of such earth-heaps for that 

 season, and a little salt may now be strewn along the sides, 

 when it would not be advisable to apply a bit to the walks 

 generally, as that would most likely make them soft and moist 

 for the winter. Confined to 8 inches or so close to the sides, 

 the moisture would be of less consequence if the drains are all 

 right. In undrained walks such salting, even at the sides, 

 will prevent rains passing off so freely as they otherwise 

 would do. 



In other places we satisfied ourselves merely with raking off 

 the bulk of the leaves at present, and wiU follow ere long with 

 the scythe, when we hope the rest of the leaves and clearings 

 of beds may all be swept up and carried away, and the ground 

 pretty well cleared for a month or two. 



Dahlias. — These we went over, cutting over the tops where 

 frosted a little and decayed, and jjlaced them over the stems 

 in case frost should come ; but the weather looking uncertain, 

 we had the most of the tubers taken up, labels fastened to them, 

 and when they were dried a little, packed them in dry soil in a 

 shed. So treated we scarcely ever lose a tuber. 



Gladiolus. — Cut off the flower-stalks that were decayed ; some 

 are still showing fine spikes, and on the whole the general bulk 

 is still too green to warrant lifting the bulbs, vmless these 

 should be lifted with less or more of ball, and be packed in 

 l)ots or boxes, so that they may be sufficiently matmed. In 

 cold, strong soils it will' generally answer best to lift the 

 bulbs, class them according to size and strength, and plant 

 them afresh by the time the fresh fibres and fresh stems begin 

 to move. The very smallest offsets may be sown in rows, like 

 Peas, in spring, and in a short time good-sized bulbs will be 

 produced. Did these fine flowers continue to bloom all through 

 the autumn they would be still more admired. 



Vioh't!!. — Those out of doors should now be pretty well 

 cleaned of fallen and withered leaves, as otherwise darnp will 

 be apt to injure them. Stirring the surface of the ground 

 frequently, and even stremng on the surface rough cinder 

 ashes, are good for keeping the plants healthy, and driving 

 slugs away from them. It is not pleasant to smell them after 

 a worm has left even its slimy trace iipon them. Neapolitan 

 Violets in pots or frames should have every runner or offset 

 nipped off as it appears, leaving nothing but the old crown of 

 the plant, and from that blooms will come all the more freely 

 if the strength of the plant is not allowed to waste itself on 

 fresh runners. 



Pentstemom. — If cuttings have not been taken of the best 

 and most desirable kinds, the plants had better be taken up 

 and potted, and be kept in a cool airy place from which much 

 frost is excluded. In di-y light soils they will stand very well 

 out of doors if little cones of ashes or dry earth be raised about 



the stem just above the ground, and a few evergreen branches 

 stuck among and around them. 



Fuclisias. — All except the more tender kinds will stand out of 

 doors in most places, when well established, if the stems are 

 now cut down to the ground, and a heap of ashes, or better still 

 a couple of inches of moss, be placed over the stool. Even when 

 the climate is mild enough for the Fuchsia to stand the winter 

 without the above cutting down, it is rarely, either as masses, or 

 groups, or hedges, that these Fuchsias bloom so freely next 

 season as those that have been cut down in autumn. In the 

 latter case it is necessary that the young shoots should be 

 thinned in May and June, and then those left will grow very 

 freely and bloom in fine order in summer and autumn. We 

 have no longer masses of these Iplants, but we must gradually 

 introduce them again, as even when cut down in autumn, the 

 summer shoots Avere pretty well as useful for sticks and stakes 

 as a piece of osier or willow. 



Sultia fuljiins. — These fine scarlet flowers will generally 

 stand in the ground all winter with very little protection over 

 the roots, but even then they should be taken up and replanted 

 in April or May, as the plants, though they keep alive in winter, 

 will grow so vigorously in summer that they will scarcely bloom 

 before autumn. Plants raised from cuttings and afterwards 

 treated much as we have described for Calceolarias, will bloom 

 sooner aud more freely than these old plants ; but managed as 

 above they can be enjoyed by those who have neither pit nor 

 frame. 



Salvia jiateiis. — The best beds of the most magnificent 

 blue we ever saw were formed by strong plants that had not 

 been moved for a number of years. The plants were cut down 

 after frost, and the bed, after surface-stirring, was covered 

 with "2 or 3 inches of rough leaf mould ; and sometimes, over 

 that, to keep birds from scratching, were placed a few ever- 

 green branches, which were removed in April. Such beds were 

 a dense mass of colour from the middle of July until frost 

 came ; as, though the individual flowers did not last long, there 

 was always a plentiful succession of fresh flowers and fresh 

 shoots. 



Loljcllas of the tall kinds of scarlets, and lilacs, and purples, 

 may be kept in the ground much in the same way, but though 

 they can scarcely have too much water when growing in sum- 

 mer, they suffer easily from too much moistiure when in a state 

 of rest in winter. A good plan for them is merely to stir the 

 surface of the beds when the flowering-stems are deca5'ed, and 

 rough-hoop the bed with evergreens, so as to keep off the 

 greatest severity of frost, and yet allow a free circulation of 

 air. It is best to lift the roots and divide them in spring. To 

 make sure with the least labour, the best plan would be to take 

 up a portion and plant or place them thickly together in a cold 

 pit, and then as soon as the suckers are above groimd in 

 spring, to divide them, pot them singly, and grow them to a 

 good size before planting out. These will bloom earlier than 

 those that stood in the groimd all the winter, and were merely 

 divided in April or the beginning of May. 



As general routine, we finished putting in Calceolaria cut- 

 tings ; went on stumping-in Scarlet Cierauiums ; gave plenty 

 of air in tiue days to greenhouse plants ; took Primulas out of 

 a jdace where they were too damp ; potted Mosses and Ferns ; 

 regulated climbers in small stove ; washed off all that remained 

 of the shading of the glass, and though soft soap and soda 

 were used in moderation, the whiting that was put on as shad- 

 ing, mixed with milk, required a little trouble to take it all off. 

 In fine days gave all the air possible to plants at all hardy, 

 and in dull days and wet weather gave a little fire heat where 

 it was possible to do so. Damp and still foggy air are the 

 great enemies to plants this month, and hence the superiority 

 of most places where a little fire heat can be used, over cold 

 pits and frames. The fire heat wiU always produce a motion 

 of the air, and will change foggy visible vapom- into that which 

 is invisible, and yet always on the move. If a httle heat is 

 given to frames from fermenting material inside, that, in dull 

 weather especially, wUl only increase the damp. Neglect of 

 judicious air-gi-ving in such a case will often be ruinous. — R. F. 



The Language of. Flowers and Fbuits. — The Lilac in 

 April— "Give me leave." The Rose in June — "Well, I'm 

 blowed." The Asparagus in July— " Cut and come again." 

 Peas in August—" Shell out." The Apple tree in September 

 — " Go it, my Pippins." The Cabbage in December—" My 

 heart's my own." 



