Decombor li), 186S. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



r>riy 



Iilunts, by having reoourao to ooverint; up, &-c. Bosidos this, 

 we think the trees are benefiloJ liy having a few degreoB of 

 frost. lujnry in severe weather can bo avoided by ehutting 

 the bouseB close, and then the dryness luid stiilnesH will 

 prevent harm, even in frosts that aro severe. But for the 

 necessity of filling Peach-houses, vineries, &c., with tender 

 plants, wo would prefer that all should have ii few degrees of 

 frost before they aro cleaned, as being a great help, alike for 

 destroying insects and their larvie, and putting the trees at 

 once in a state of rest. For the want of tliis frost to any 

 extent, greater care must be taken in wasliing and cleaning 

 trees and houses, and whitewashing the walls. 



Our mixture, spoken off the other week, of blue or lampblack, 

 or fine soot and sulphur, looks and stands very well, the ad- 

 dition of a little Mack just toning down what would otherwise 

 be the fierce glare of the white hmewash. This is also of im- 

 portance, as the walls will mostly be covered with shelves of 

 plants before there is any obstruction of light from plants on 

 the roof, and in March and April the reflection of the heat and 

 light from a white surface, would scorch tender plants near 

 it. The toning down of the colour will cause a good deal 

 of such sun beat to be absorbed. These shelves, however, help 

 to dirty the wall again, and, therefore, it would be a good plan 

 to wash again in summer witli white material all the wall, 

 say with the exception of 18 inches nearest the top, and then 

 the white surface below would give more reflection of light to 

 the house, whilst the darker colour at the top of the wall \;ould 

 prevent all danger of scorching. Wo have known some cases 

 where glass was blamed for scorching and burning, when the 

 bright white wall was the cause of the evil. 



But for the advantage of the little frost referred to above, 

 neither Peach-house nor vinery will be otherwise injured, if 

 for Iho sake of plants in them frost is entirely excluded. They 

 will come little or nothing before the usual time if the Peach- 

 house with artificial heat does not rise above from 35° to 40°, 

 and if the vinery does not rise higher than from 35° to 45°. 

 When sun heat raises them higher the houses should have 

 abundance of air, imless w-hcn the air is frosty, and in all mild 

 weather plenty of air should he given. In starting any such 

 houses 40° for a Paach-house, and 45° for a vinery is high 

 enough for the first week, raising each 5° in the course of a 

 fortnight. All the operations of Nature are performed gradually. 

 Peach and Vine-borders out of doors, when the trees are in- 

 tended to be forced, should now be protected with litter. 



OENJMENTAL DEPAKTMENT. 



Had the pleasure groiind thorougldy cleaned up, walks swept, 

 and lawn rolled with a light wooden roller, not because it is 

 better than a heavy iron one, but because it answers the pur- 

 pose of levelling all wormcasts, &c., and can lie more easily 

 done. A bole of a tree, ccjual at both ends for a four or five- 

 feet length, and 1 foot in diameter, makes a capital roller for such 

 a purpose, and does well for scattering the dew and levelling a 

 lawn when ladies wish to play croquet early. The walks being 

 rather smooth and fine on the surface we have not rolled, but 

 merely swept them nicely, bcHeving that the slight roughness 

 on the top will cause them to he less influenced by frost than if 

 they were smooth and hard ; and just on the same principle as 

 we wish the ground among all youngLettuces, Cabbages, Onions, 

 Spinach, i-e., to be rough and open now, instead of smooth 

 on the surface, battered down by rain or otherwise. Our walks 

 are not so rough as to let rains through them, instead of throw- 

 ing oft the wet to the sides, but we have proved several times 

 that just a little roughness on the surface was better every way, 

 and especially before frost in winter, than having them rolled 

 smooth. Would our friends give us the results of their expe- 

 rience ? as between the slightly rough and very smooth there 

 is a great difference in the labour necessary, and in some 

 gravels the smoother the surface the more will the walks be 

 broken up by frost, and the more will they lift and clog when 

 thaw comes. Proceeded with pruning shrubs, and will enrich 

 and dig borders of Strawberries and beds as soon as we can. 



Examined Dahlias and Lobelias in a shed, and find no signs 

 of rot'iug or damping. Too much air, and too little moisture 

 can scarcely be given to Auriculas, Polyanthus, Carnations, 

 Pinks, Stocks, Wallflowers, &c., in cold pits, and in severe frost 

 they should be cut close, and a Uttle protection given if very 

 severe. Bedding plants look all the better of being removed 

 from cold pits and frames to roomy houses, where a Httle fire 

 heat could be given. The greater body of air about them, pre- 

 venting sudden extremes, is of itself a great advantage. Some 

 of the Scarlet Pelargoniums that we faggotted in pots will want 

 a little looking-over at the tops, to remove damped ends ; but 



they look as if all right below, little buds breaking, but roijniriiig 

 good glasses to be used to see them. Let us again remind aU 

 those who tried the plan to be very chary of the watei-pot. IJ 

 the pots stand on a moist bottom, and little or no artificial heat 

 is used, no water will be wanted for a long time to come. 

 Excess of water, and want of patience, are equally to be guarded 

 against. Chrysanthemums are getting over, what are left need 

 a fair supply of water. I'clargoniums of all the florists' kinds 

 should be kept clean, rather dry, and have plenty of room, 

 and should have every leaf dry before the sun touches them. 

 Pruned a number of Fuchsias preparatory to their breaking, 

 and potting and grovring on. Cinerarias coming into bloom, 

 and placed in a house where fire heat is used, should be kept 

 as cool as possible, and as damp at the roots as they will 

 bear, and yet be healthy. A good plan is to set them on 

 moss kept dampish, rather than give so much watering at the 

 roots. Chinese and double Primulas require more dryness and 

 warmth to keep them healthy. If the Cineraria is kept moist at 

 bottom, and in a temperature of from 40° to 45° at night, it will 

 rarely show any signs of insects. A high temperature, and a 

 dryish atmosjihere immediately around them, are the worst 

 things for the cleanly health of these and herbaceous Calceo- 

 larias. 



For general greenhouse plants the night temperature thould 

 range from 40° to 45° with artificial heat, with a rise of a few 

 degrees in dull days, and from 5° to 15° in sunny days, giving 

 all hardwooded plants as much air as possible in mild weather, 

 and a little only at the top of the house in preference to much 

 fire heat in severe weather. Much excitement to growth in 

 dull weather is not only unnatural but often pi-omotes un- 

 healthy extension, mere drawing out, instead of solid additions, 

 as in true growth under the influence of sun. This should be 

 kept in mind in forcing all kinds of hardy shrubs, and even 

 Indian .\zaleas, not to hurry on with too much heat at first, and 

 especiaDy in dull weather, as that will have a tendency to make 

 flower-buds drop. Wlien such plants as Justicias in bloom, 

 Euphorbia jacquiniasflora, Poinsettia puleherrima, Eranthe- 

 mum pulchelliim, Gesntra zebrina, Epiphyllum truncatum, 

 &c., are placed in a greenhouse or conservatory, then the tem- 

 perature should rarely fall below 50°, scarcely ever below 45° ; 

 and if Cinerarias, Heaths, &c., are to he kept in the same 

 house, these, and especially Cinerarias, must be kept lower by 

 placing them by themselves, giving them a cool moist bottom 

 to stand on. In plant-stoves, unless for particular things in 

 bloom, from 55° to G0° wiU be quite high enough, the first fM: 

 night, the second for day, with a rise from sunshine. 



Here, in addition to other work, we collected our Caladiums 

 which we had aUowed to die down and rest, and in order to get 

 them in little space, we turned out the corm-like roots, and 

 potted them in smaD pots in sandy peat and loam, set them in 

 a rather warm place beneath a stage in moss, and covered the 

 pots with moss, so as just to maintain a little moisture in the 

 soil vrithout watering. These will be shifted into larger pots 

 several times as they gi'ow. We generally allowed them to 

 start first before fresh potting, but the roots do not keep well 

 if long below from 50° to 55°, and we turned them into fresh 

 small pots now, chiefly to make them go into a third of the 

 room ; and, besides, there may be an advantage in not dis- 

 turbing the fresh roots much as they begin to gi'ow, which wag 

 apt to be the ease when the eorms were taken out of the old 

 large pots, after the fresh roots and shoots had begun to come. 

 Coldness, and wet when in a cold state, are very prejudicial to 

 these roots. We have known them keep very well planted out, 

 aud in rather a damp state all the winter, and partly at rest 

 too, when in a temperature of from (iO° to 70°. In pots, resting 

 and moderately dry, they should never be lower than the 

 above, from 50° to 65°, and the closer to 55°, or a little above 

 it, the better. These, like Gesneras, Gloxinias, Achimenes, 

 &o., are fine things for summer show v.-here winter room is 

 scarce. — R. F. 



TRiiDE CATALOGUE RECEIVED. 



fyuttoii'i: Sjirinff Catalogue aiid 



Sutton & Sons, Reading, 

 Amate'drs Guide for 1866. 



COVENT GARDEN MARICET.— Dklxmbeb le. 



The market has begun to assume its Christmns appearance ; Holly and 

 other evergreens are arrivhig by the wa^gonload, and Christuias-trees 

 of all sizes and prices meet one at every turning. Mistletoe is not for- 

 gotten, and it was only this morning that we noticed several railway 



