508 



JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



[ Decembei 19, 1865. 



strength to all l>;t!e growing plants inside and outside. Fight 

 as we will against it, the dull drizzling fog, making all things 

 look dark during the day, and pretty well invisible at night, 

 does depress aUke mental and pliyeic;il energies ; and men in- 

 sensibly get into an easy, jog-trot^ lifeless way of going about, 

 as if they felt little or no interest in anything they were doing, 

 purely the result of physical circumstances, and not from any 

 determination of will ; but let the sky become clear, and the 

 sun again come forth in his splendour, and there seems to be 

 generated, as if by an electric touch, a new life of activity and 

 energy. We have never known a garden, in which there was at 

 any time a want of work to go to, a very pleasant thing to con- 

 template, and relieving the mind from a vast amount of care 

 and perplexity ; just as having a great deal too much to do 

 loads the mind with anxiety, and involves a gi-eat deal of con- 

 sideration as to attending to what is most necessary ; whilst 

 other work must stand in abeyance. However some other 

 folks need reminding, it is rare that from want of work in a 

 place the gardener requires it to be brought to his recol- 

 lection that 



" An idler is a watch that wants both hands. 

 As useless if it goes as when it stands." 



But it is very pleasant to see when, during a course o! bad 

 ■weather, there has been a little relaxation of energj-, that at 

 ooce, when the weather changes for the better, and without 

 any reminder, there is a greater cheerfulness of demeanour, 

 and a gi-eater activity in feet and hands. 



It is becoming the fashion to cry out about the carelessness, 

 selfishness, and idleness of workmen and serrants, but em- 

 ployers have often themselves to blame. FaithfiU attention to 

 duty will not be long maintained at full stretch, if it is mani- 

 fested only ou one side. We once noticed a ca.'ie of two 

 neighbouring farmers who had a similar amount of corn crops, 

 and engaged the same number of men for the harvest work. 

 One farmer kept his men out of doors in a couple of vei-y wet 

 days in the beginning of han-est, the men eating their victuals 

 as best they could under the protection of a bank ; suffering 

 more then, in their soaked clothes, than when at work. The 

 other fanner kept his men doing odd jobs about the home- 

 stead, so that they were pretty dry and comfortable, and what 

 wa.s the result ? Why simply this, that the last-named farmer 

 finished his harvest work in three weeks and two days, and the 

 first referred to had something to do after the month was out. 

 When the behind-hand group of men were joked about it, 

 they said they did their best, but they did not know how it 

 was, they seemed to have a heaviness about them that even 

 extra beer would not remove. We believe the soaking made all 

 the difference. We believe if there were more considerate sym- 

 pathy there would be fewer complaints. We also believe that 

 considerate sympathy shown by an employer is not only 

 pleasant to all concerned, but tliat it is also one of the bes't 

 paying of investments. What comparison can there be be- 

 tween the mere working to pass the time, and working with a 

 mil and a resolution to make the best of the time and circum- 

 stances ? No employer can obtain the latter result merelv 

 from acting up to what is just ; there mast be sympathy for a 

 man's condition and comfort. 



KITCHEK G.IP.DEN. 



In addition to what was said last week, the changes in the 

 weather enabled us to fork the sm-face among Lettuces, young 

 Cabbages. &a., as well as to look after coverings for Cauliflower 

 in head, Lettuce and Endive lor salad, and for banking up beds 

 of Gelerj-. Old stubble or other loose litter is better for this 

 purpose now than extra earth, if the Celery is grown in beds. 

 Ashes sifted from the furnace, and a little lime mixed with 

 them, should be thrown over the bed. and a little into the head 

 of the plant before the litter is applied, as a preservative against 

 slugs and worms, that are otherwise apt to disfigure the heads. 

 Of Mushrooms and Sea-kale we have an abundant supply, and 

 for a change have had some nice dishes of blanched Turnip- 

 tops ; any place where there is a little heat and darkness wUl 

 do for this purpose, and the Swede is the only one fit for this 

 system. The tops will come of a bright yellow, and should be 

 cut when from 6 to 7 inches in length. 'Many prefer them to 

 Sea-kale. The bitterness is much modei-ated by the blanching. 



Asparnrju-^, just moring, we have given this a couple of inches 

 more light soil. As we do not wisli to have it before Christmas 

 we wiU not hurry it, as we have run ourselves rather short. The 

 roots can hardly be obtained for forcing unless you grow them. 

 They are frequently advertised, but very often when you buy 

 them they are of little use. Some time ago a nurseryman, 

 wishing the space occupied by some old beds, told us we "might 



have them for a trifle ; but the expense of carriage itself was 

 a dead loss. A huge hamper came, enough for a couple of 

 dishes a-week for a month if they had been worth anything. 

 The takers-up knew nothing of the necessity of buds in the 

 crowns, or, if they did, they managed to remove them, for none 

 came with the roots. That all might be clear and above board, 

 the plants were placed carefully in the ground, and covered 

 over with 3 inches of leaf mould, and next summer they 

 managed altogether to throw up three or four stems. Of course 

 this is by no means always the case ; but those who have 

 a good bearing bed of Asparagus have generally so little desire 

 to part with it, that when Asparagus must be taken up to be 

 forced, it generally must be grown at home for the purpose. 

 Although we have not such conveniences ourselves, a few beds 

 or pits to be forced where they grow, would be a very economi- 

 cal plan for all the later crops before it came in the open air. 

 To Cauliflower, Lettuce, Radishes, Endive under protection 

 gave aU the light and air possible by complete exposure in the 

 clear mild days, and moved aU the withered and decayed leaves, 

 as well as stirred up the soO. Trapped lots of mice that had 

 begun their depredations. Rhubarb in the Mushroom-house 

 is now gi-owing away nicely. We have often been puzzled as 

 to the reason why Rhubarb, with leaves all dead and decayed 

 long before the leaves of Sea-kale are withered, is yet so much 

 longer than Sea-kale in starting, though placed in similar cir- 

 cumstances as respects heat. Our first Rhubarb will require 

 quite another week, and we have been cutting Sea-kale for a 

 fortnight, 'ttlien the season is further advanced the Rhubarb 

 seems as easily excited as Sea- kale. Some friends of ours have 

 had first-rate Rhubarb after Christmas, by having a large root 

 in a barrel close to the kitchen fire. It will do very well in 

 any house where there is a little heat. Sea-kale does also very 

 well by the side of a kitchen or scullery fire if planted in a pot 

 or box, and covered with another so as to keep out the light. 

 First-rate Chicory for salads may .also be thus obtained. 



Brought a lot of Turnips under cover to keep frost and de- 

 vourers from them, taking them up rather small, not larger than 

 a common-sized fist, as then they are juicy, and not liable to be 

 spongy for a long time. Some of these little Turnips keep 

 weU in winter, and they are very sweet, and from their firmness 

 more nutritious than the most of the whites, but it is of little 

 use keeping them, or growing them for any purpose, untU some 

 great disciple of Soyercan bring them into fashion. At present 

 there seems a necessity that Turnips shall be white at table. 

 "Wlien bread is dear our labcuving people know how sweet and 

 nourishing a good well-boiled Swedish Turnip is, mashed by 

 itself or with other vegetables. 



Took up also a lot of Horseradish, Parsnips, and .Jerusalem 

 Artichokes, and packed some litter round the tops and roots of 

 Globe Artichokes, to keep the frost from them. For soups, 

 &c., Jerusalem Artichokes msiy remain for years in the same 

 place ; but when it is desu-able to dress them as a vegetable, in 

 lieu of Asparagus, Potatoes, &c., the crop should be grown and 

 treated as Potatoes, taken up and planted every year. Then 

 the crop will not only be heavy, but all the tubers wiU be 

 equally fresh and tender to the centre, imd boil thoroughly, 

 without the outsides being wasted or spoiled by absorption of 

 too much water. At one time we had a prejudice against these 

 tubers, the sight of them used to be enough ; but now, when 

 boiled as above and dished with a little pepper and salt, and 

 gravy, we have no doubt they would be relished by many of 

 our cottagers, and if so, might occupy any out-of-the-way 

 corner with propriety. Many an unsightly place, as a pigstye, 

 a dunghill, &c., might be concealed in the summer months 

 by pl.anting round it these robust growers. We have often 

 seen them produce their yellow flowers, but never so freely as 

 this season. The place where ours grew was shaded by a high 

 hedge immediately in front of them ; but for that shade, they 

 would have looked like a row of small-flowered Sunflowers. 



FRUIT GAKDEN. 



The change in the weather enabled us to surface-fork the 

 space between Strawberry-rows, and place some of the decayed 

 hotbed dung between them ; also, to surface-stir the ground 

 over the roots of pyramidal Pear trees, and give a mulching of 

 the same material, as the trees had produced very heavily for 

 some years, and now need some nourishment. Went on prun- 

 ing such trees as we could get at them. Gave all the air and 

 light to pots of Strawberries mider protection. P,emoved a few 

 hundreds of Scarlet Pelargoniums from the orchard-houses, into 

 the vineries and Peach-house, that the orchard-houses may be 

 entirely empty of aU such plants for a month or two, and. there- 

 fore, avoiding the necessity of keeping frost out, or from tender 



