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JOUBNAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



t November 20, 1866. 



roots as yon discover them. Kaspberry plantations may be 

 cleared of the dead canes and superfluous wood ; the suckers 

 should be taken off, and, where required, the strongest should 

 be at once planted for succession. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



The weather is still favourable for executing alterations, and 

 where these are in hand they should be prosecuted with the 

 greatest possible dispatch, taking advantage of frosty mornings 

 for wheeling. Planting, or the removal of large trees and 

 shrubs, cannot be finished too soon, for it is of the utmost 

 importance that the plants should be afforded some chance of 

 making fresh roots before the trying winds of March. Protect 

 the roots of Tea Boses with a coating of wood ashes or moss. 

 Fuchsias may be preserved in the same way. Eegularly clear 

 away fallen leaves from walks and lawns. In the disposal of 

 the various shrubs, let their natural and peculiar dispositions 

 and character be considered — thus, the Ehododendron is seen 

 with the greatest advantage at the base of a lofty tree, the 

 dwarf evergreens of the mountains on a hill side, while low 

 and swampy ground should be characterised by such plants as 

 Heraclenm gigantenm and some of the aquatic grasses and 

 reeds. Amongst tall trees the common Honeysuckle, wild 

 Hop, and Bramble may be introduced with excellent effect, or 

 supported by stakes. Some excellent effects may be managed 

 by these creepers. Tulips should now be all planted ; every day 

 that they are out of the ground is detrimental to their future 

 bloom. The amateur should by no means add to his stock of 

 Carnations and Picotees now, better defer doing so till the spring. 

 Late transplanting is a serious evil, which by all means should 

 be avoided, and, in fact, all moving of florist's flowers. Pansies, 

 Pinks, &c., had better be deferred till spring. When the 

 beauty of Dahlias has been destroyed, cut off the stems about a 

 foot from the tubers, and turn them upside down, so that the 

 sap may freely exude. Allow them to become quite dry, and 

 then store them in a moderately dry place secure from frost. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



Thorough cleanliness and a systematic way of carrying out 

 matters are now of the utmost importance in all plant-houses ; 

 above all things we would again say, By all means avoid crowd- 

 ing plants. Such is sure to prevent a high state of cultivation. 

 It matters not how good the potting may have been or how 

 careful the watering, those who will huddle their plants together 

 must be content with leggy stock, and that which is even worse, 

 with insects. Chrysanthemums in most instances will be the 

 chief feature of attraction in the conservatory at present, and 

 where they are largely grown, which they should be wherever 

 there is a demand for flowers at this season, they make a tine 

 display, and are worth every necessary attention to preserve 

 them in beauty as long as possible. They are very impatient 

 of a close, rather warm atmosphere, and if the house contains 

 plants requiring this treatment, the Chrysanthemums should 

 as far as practicable be placed in the coolest part, where air can 

 be given freely on every favourable opportunity ; for unless 

 they can be ratlin- freely exposed to air, their foliage will be 

 soon attacked and disfigured by mildew. Attend also to keep- 

 ing them well watered at the root. 



STOVE. 



The remarks in the foregoing section are equally applicable 

 here — nay, more so. Where more heat and moisture are ap- 

 plied there will, of course, be a greater tendency to "draw." 

 Let the resting section of Orchids settle quietly down towards 

 their habitual repose by withholding water at the root, by 

 diminishing the amount of atmospheric moisture, and by per- 

 mitting a much more liberal ventilation than in the growing 

 season. Plants of this kind enjoy a very considerable amount 

 of light, and although they may be kept under the shade of 

 Vines or other things for a few weeks during the growing sea- 

 son, like a seed during germination, yet the due amount of 

 their secretions must be ultimately encouraged and perfected 

 by means of an increased amount of light. 



PITS AND FRAMES. 



All store plants intended to be wintered in these structures 

 should now be finally arranged as soon as possible. Those who 

 have taken the calenderial advice on this head in due time will 

 now find themselves in possession of a sturdy stock thoroughly 

 established. A dry atmosphere, with a considerable amount 

 of ventilation day and night, is requisite. An observant 

 person may take a hint from the Verbenas which remain out 

 in the borders. How often do we see these green throughout 

 a great part of the winter. They are well established, however, 



at the root, and would infinitely prefer a moderate dry frost 

 a murky and confined atmosphere. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST "WEEK. 



The work has been to a great extent a continuation of that 

 alluded to last week, and has more particularly consisted in 

 packing away old Pelargoniums, shifting Cinerarias into larger 

 pots, taking bedding plants under the protection of houses 

 where fire heat can be occasionally used, pruning the second 

 vinery, and washing the Vines, glass, woodwork, and stages, so 

 as to take into the house lots of plants as yet standing out in 

 cold flames, earth pits, &c, with the usual complement of 

 mowing and cleaning. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



The chief work has been digging and trenching when dry ; 

 forking over the ground between the rows of Sea-kale, and cover- 

 ing the crowns with burnt earth and charred refuse, which will 

 protect them from extreme frost and the nibbling of vermin, 

 as before now, in severe winters, we have had whole beds with 

 the fine strong buds destroyed ; spreading rotten dung over a 

 part of the Asparagus ground, and preparing dung for forcing 

 this, as alluded to last week, which would have been done 

 before now, but for not having the material handy. Put some 

 old sashes over a piece of Eadishes. Made some rough pro- 

 tection ready to go over another piece in bad weather, and 

 sowed a bed under a two-light frame. For many other matters 

 see last and previous weeks' notices. 



FPXIT GARDEN. 



Cleared the Peach leaves from one of the orchard-houses, 

 where they were becoming ripe. Took some pots of Figs, 

 where the fruit was not ripe, and placed them in a pit where 

 they would have a little heat and extra light, as by this means 

 we have often had Figs late ; but by this late bearing the plants 

 will not do much as respects an early crop next season. In 

 this house we have an old 



Irun stuve, which has done good service, though not at all 

 well placed, as the horizontal pipe from it is far too long ; but 

 the other night, when frosty, it rather served us out, as it 

 smoked very much and considerably injured the leaves of the 

 Vines. It wa6 for these Vines that the little lire was used, as 

 the fruit on them was not so ripe as we wished, or would have 

 been if we had not kept the house so open and cool to retard 

 the ripening of the Peaches. Coal, too, had been used instead 

 of broken coke, and that also may have made a difference as to 

 the deleterious quality of the smoke and hot gases sent back 

 into the house, as we have frequently had a little smoke before 

 without doing any injury. Even in the present case it chiefly 

 affected the leaves near the glass, and just affected the points 

 of the shoots of a few Ageratums — young plants in boxes 

 that stood on the floor. The smoke did not in the least affect 

 the foliage of Peach trees, Fig trees, or even lots of plain- 

 leaved and variegated-leaved scarlet Pelargoniums. If we 

 had had a foot or 18 inches of a horizontal pipe from the 

 stove and then an upright one, we should have been troubled 

 little with smoke ; but there were particular circumstances 

 that rendered 7 or 8 lect of a horizontal pipe desirable, and 

 though this made the managing the stove a little more difficult, 

 it is the first time we Lave noticed anything like injury to 

 even tender foliage. Most likely in another season we shall 

 either alter the pipe, or, as the stove is old and has clone good 

 service in many positions, we may put a brick stove in its place. 

 Wherever there is danger from back draught where tender 

 plants are grown, and a stove, especially if a brick one, is used. 

 it would often be advisable to have the stove so placed that the 

 feeding-door should be outside the house. Under common cir- 

 cumstances, however, there need be no great annoyance if the 

 door for fuel, &c, is inside the house. The injury to the 

 leaves of the Vines is of little consequence now ; but it would 

 have been so ut an earlier period, and then most likely more 

 care would have been exercised. We mention it chiefly that 

 those who contemplate having such stoves may be careful as 

 to the shortness of the horizontal pipe that goes from the 

 side before it mounts upwards, and we do this more especially 

 because many experiments with this old iron stove have 

 thoroughly convinced us that for maintaining a mild tempera- 

 ture in a small house there is no plan so economical, as re- 

 spects fuel, as an iron or a brick stove inside the house. 



Hays's Stores. — Hitherto, however, we have strongly advised 

 having an outlet from all such stoves to let the products of 

 combustion escape into the general atmosphere ; and although 



