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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 16, 1866. 



roots ; but do not keep the atmosphere close and moist, for 

 growth should not be encouraged after this season. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



Hints from the thermometer should regulate the admission 

 of air. The great advantages accruing from favourable weather 

 should be employed to the utmost extent, and in many eases 

 openings for air left all night. The practice of opening the 

 sashes at stated intervals to only a certain degree, without 

 reference to external circumstances, must throughout the sea- 

 son be avoided. Whatever watering may be necessary should 

 be done early in the day, so as to allow of the superfluous 

 moisture being dried up before night, for there is much more 

 danger from damp amongst plants in flower at this season, than 

 from a rather low temperature ; and in cold, dull weather 

 it will be advisable to use a little lire heat, with air, during 

 the day, so as to secure a moderately dry state of the atmo- 

 sphere. Use fire heat very sparingly, however, and only 

 when it may be necessary to prevent injury from damp, and to 

 prevent the temperature falling below 40° ; or, where plants are 

 brought from warmer houses, it will hardly be safe to allow the 

 night temperature to average below 45° ; but in houses contain- 

 ing a mixed collection of plants there is more danger to be 

 apprehended from a high night temperature than from keeping 

 it somewhat lower than may be suitable for some of the in- 

 mates. The scarlet Pelargoniums prepared at the beginning 

 of the summer will now be coming into bloom, and in a tempe- 

 rature of from 45° to 55° will continue to bloom for many months. 

 Salvias, too, especially the old Salvia eoecinea and some of the 

 other kinds, with Chrysanthemums, Perpetual Roses, and a 

 few choice plants from the greenhouse and stove, will make 

 the conservatory look gay for a long time to come. Do not 

 forget the Neapolitan and tree Violets, with Mignonette and 

 Cyclamens, and such other plants as may evolve a little scent, 

 and keep every part of the house as neat and clean as possible. 

 The specimens on the walls and in the borders must be ex- 

 amined at the roots, and, if necessary, receive a gentle soaking 

 of weak clear liquid manure. Look the Camellias over, and 

 thin out the flower-buds when necessary, allowing not more 

 than two buds to each shoot, and retaining the largest and 

 smallest, so as to obtain a long succession of flowers. The 

 leaves, if necessary, must be washed perfectly clean, and the 

 same of Orange trees. Those who have no more room for 

 their plants than they know what to do with, will be glad to 

 convert the vineries and other forcing-houses into plant-houses 

 for a few months. For such houses strong portable stages 

 should be provided, and in them such plants as Chrysanthe- 

 mums, Pelargoniums, and many other plants grown for their 

 flowers, may be housed until the return of the forcing season. 

 If the wood of the Vines is pretty well ripened the lateral 

 shoots may be removed to admit light to the plants, and some 

 of the longest of the spurs may be shortened-in likewise. A 

 great number of plants is generally packed under the stages, 

 and ithere scarlet Pelargoniums and Calceolarias from the 

 flower garden establish themselves admirably between this and 

 the new year. 



STOVE AND ORCHIDS. 



Little now can be added with regard to these tribes at pre- 

 sent. A temperature of 65° to 70° by day and G0° by night 

 will suffice, still using a moist atmosphere in the afternoon 

 and during the night, with a free circulation of air, keeping 

 also a quiet ventilation all night. As some of the Orchids 

 become ripe, such as the Catasetum family, the Cycnoches, 

 Lycastes, See., they may be removed to a drier and somewhat 

 cooler atmosphere. Pursue a kindly course of treatment with 

 the Euphorbias, Gesneras, and such things for winter-flower- 

 ing ; these will soon be of great service. The Phajus grandi- 

 folius with the Stenorhynchus speciosus will soon begin to 

 blossom, also Cypripediuin iusigne and venustum ; let them 

 have plenty of heat and moisture. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK 



A fine day on the 8th, the first sun for ten days on the 9th, 

 and a dry dewless morning on the 10th did much to bring up 

 arrears in the corn and fruit harvest. The previous ten days 

 had been the darkest, dreariest, and dampest without rain 

 that we have ever known in this neighbourhood at the end of 

 September and the beginning of October ; and though it was 

 very close and muggy at times, the corn crops left out, though 

 injured in colour, suffered little or nothing from growing, and 

 in this respect fared better than much that was harvested in 

 good condition, but was not thatched before the rains came. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Cleared off all the Onion crop, and placed the Onions where 

 they can be tied in strings on wet days, that the ground may 

 be dug for succession Cabbages. As the plants are rather small, 

 will most likely prick them out in a rich-surfaced bed, so as to 

 lift them when larger, and plant with a trowel, and then, be- 

 fore being turned out, they will be stronger to resist their 

 enemies, and the ground will be in better order. Placed a 

 layer of burnt ashes, earth, &e., between the rows of those first 

 planted. A little sun is making them look up. In the sun- 

 less damp weather they scarcely made any advance in growth. 

 A similar beneficial result is showing itself in all Turnips, and 

 especially late ones. Earthed up a piece more Celery, and 

 placed some ashes round the stems. Unless we have a very dry 

 autumn watering will not be needed, and this season for Celery 

 the water-pail has scarcely been used. Planted Lettuces where 

 they can be protected in frost, and younger ones where they 

 will stand the winter if possible. Banked-up the linings of 

 Cucumber-frames, and trained the plants in a pit intended for 

 late bearing, not allowing any fruit to remain as yet on the 

 young plants. Gathered Tomatoes, and cut Red Cabbages for 

 pickling. 



Cut over the stems of Globe ArticJiokes, which have ceased 

 bearing much earlier than usual, and the shoots are showing 

 weaker, indicating that they want manure after all this wet 

 and misty weather. Cut over Asparagus after collecting some 

 seed, and cleared the ground, taking stems and weeds to the 

 burning heap ; as, if the haulm of the Asparagus is used in the 

 way of protection, or is placed on the rot-heap, there will be 

 multitudes of young plants in another season, and Asparagus 

 when not in its right place is no better than a weed. Wheeled 

 some rotten dung to be forked over the J Asparagus-beds and 

 rows ; but we would rather feed in June and July, if we could. 

 Cleared Sea-kale and Rhubarb troubled with weeds, and removed 

 the leaves where faded, that the plants may be made ready for 

 forcing. A little of the Convolvulus had established itself 

 among the Globe Artichokes ; we shall try and take out the 

 roots before we add the manure required, and we will then 

 put a little ashes and litter round each stool. We like Arti- 

 chokes to come in early, and to continue later than this ; but 

 we shall not have nice late heads this season. Now is a better 

 time to make fresh plantations than in spring ; and digging or 

 trenching round the stools, so as to take off good-sized pieces 

 well furnished with roots, is the best mode of obtaining strong 

 plants. These, turned out into rich well-trenched ground 

 about a yard apart, and well firmed in their places, will take 

 hold of the soil before severe weather, and then a crown of 

 ashes and a wisp of straw will secure them from severe frost. 

 In most places it is best to renew the plantations, say in five 

 or six years, and in large places a row might with advantage 

 be planted every year, destroying an old row as the new one 

 was established. There are some places where Globe Artichokes 

 are as much valued as the Cauliflower is in others. At this 

 season a little rough cinder ashes from coals is a good pro- 

 tection to young Cauliflower, and having put some round hand- 

 lights we see no sign of a slug or a snail entering as yet. They 

 do not like the sharp angles of the rough cinder ashes. 



Walks. — Those in the kitchen garden will soon want going 

 over, as in many places the dull weather has left them green, 

 where three weeks ago they were as bright as need be, and 

 without a weed on them. There is much work to be done in 

 this fine weather, and as most likely a few nice days will be 

 followed by clouds and rain, it should never be forgotten that 

 more may be done to kill weeds in one sunny day than in a 

 fortnight of dull damp weather. 



FRUIT garden. 



Very much the same as last week, only that the change in 

 the weather has enabled us to house all the ripest fruit. Take 

 note of what was said last week as to planting fruit trees, 

 shrubs, &c. Our Peaches in-doors will ere long be over. Our 

 friends in the north, if the weather keep line, may expect to 

 have fine fruit yet. We think early fruit out of doors, and 

 especially Pears, even such kinds as Williams's Bon Chretien, 

 were harder, more gritty, and not so well flavoured as usual, 

 owing, we believe, to the long duration of sunless damp weather. 

 In this neighbourhood, judging merely by tanks and reservoirs, 

 there has not been a great excess in the amount of rain, but the 

 length of time for which we were kept in a sort of gentle 

 shower-bath has been next to unexampled. We presume that 

 from thus being as it were wrapped in wet garments, Plums 

 out of doors were not comparable to those under glass, though 

 in general they are at least quite as good in a bright dry autumn. 



