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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. t December 25, 1866. 



the defects were. As this kind of work may be done at any 

 time when it is dry overhead, it will be well to look to it in 

 time. It not unfrequently happens that failures or indifferent 

 crops in small gardens are attributed to the deficiency of 

 manure, while close at hand ditches are rendered inoperative 

 by accumulations of matter which could be usefully applied for 

 the enrichment of the soil, but as the scourings can seldom be 

 carried on the land as they come from a ditch they should, by 

 way of preparation, be stored in heaps, which might be turned 

 over once or twice in the course of the winter, and be mixed with 

 lime rubbish or road-scrapings. Let manure be wheeled upon 

 vacant ground when this can be done without injuring the 

 walks, and let all spare ground be turned up as soon as pos- 

 sible, so as to expose it to the action of frost. For land that 

 has been long cropped, a dressing of fresh loam would in 

 many cases be preferable to manure, and where such is wanted, 

 and can be obtained, it should be placed at hand in order that 

 advantage may be taken of frosty days for wheeling it upon the 

 ground. Where fresh soil cannot be had, charred vegetable 

 refuse, such as prunings of shrubberies, edgings of walks, and 

 many things which turn up in the course of the season, may 

 be cheaply made to form an excellent substitute. Asparagus, 

 if the beds are not soiled up for the winter, no time ought to 

 be lost in doing so. Litter or leaves ought likewise to be placed 

 round the stems of Globe Artichokes. Cauliflowers, pick off 

 decayed leaves of these and Lettuce plants in frames or hooped 

 beds. Some quicklime or wood ashes forked lightly in amongst 

 them will keep dampness, snails, and slugs in check. Peas 

 and Beam, draw earth to the stems of the first sowings. A 

 little dry charred earth is excellent, laving it on each side of 

 the stems. A few branchy sticks, or spruce fir, will defend 

 them from cold cutting winds. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



See that standard trees which have been recently moved or 

 root-pruned are firmly secured against wind; aiso let any 

 root-pruning or transplanting remaining to be done this season 

 be executed before frost set in. Orchard trees of large size are 

 much neglected about many places as to pruning, the heads 

 being allowed to become so thick of wood that fruit canuot be 

 expected save from the points of the outside shoots ; and except 

 when the fruit is accidentally thinned to something consider- 

 ably below an average crop, the produce is small and indifferent 

 in quality. Dry frosty weather offers a favourable opportunity 

 for thinning the trees properly, as men can work at this with 

 comfort when nailing would be very cold work, and advantage 

 should be taken of the first spare time to give them a careful 

 pruning. The heads should be liberally thinned, cutting out 

 all branches which cross the others, and dead pieces, and leav- 

 ing the shoots sufficiently far apart that light and air may 

 have free play among those left when the foliage is on. In 

 removing large branches care should be taken to make close 

 clean cuts, and if the wood is coated with strong thick paint, 

 this will help to prevent its decaying before the wound is 

 healed over. Plant all kinds of fruit bushes, clear off the 

 prunings, and manure the ground so as to be ready for digging 

 when this can be done. Also take advantage of leisure time 

 to thoroughly examine the fruit-stores, and remove any that 

 are found to be decaying. Of course, the frost must be ex- 

 cluded from here, but on no account use fire heat unless the 

 temperature cannot otherwise be kept above freezing. Admit 

 a little air on mild days, especially after keeping the room 

 shut for some time, but as the fruit will now give off but little 

 moisture, very little air will suffice to keep the atmosphere dry, 

 and no more than may be necessary to do this should be given. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



Dig or trench all vacant pieces of ground, leaving the sur- 

 face as rough as possible. Sweep and roll grass lawns and 

 gravel walks. Afford protection to tender plants by a liberal 

 supply of suitable materials. Prepare composts, soils, and 

 manures by frequent turnings. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



Many of the failures in plant-growing, and the sickly and 

 drawn character of the inmates of hothouses and greenhouses, 

 may be fairly traced to the attempt to keep up a degree of arti- 

 ficial warmth altogether out of proportion to the amount of 

 light. No axiom is of greater import in gardening than that 

 the heat as well as the atmospheric moisture should at all 

 times be regulated by a strict reference to the amount of light. 

 No prescribed amount of temperature will suffice without some 

 modifications founded on the character of the weather. For 

 instance, a general temperature of 55' by day may be recom- 



mended for the conservatory during December, supposing it 

 to be, as a house of the kind ought to be, filled with blooming 

 Camellias, Hybrid Roses, and a host of other gay-flowering 

 plants. This recommendation will be very suitable whilst the 

 weather continues open ; if, however, frost suddenly supervene 

 the attempt to keep up even this moderate temperature will, 

 from the construction of most houses, soon produce bad 

 effects provided the frost continue, more especially if accom- 

 panied by a dull and lowering sky. In such cases the experi- 

 enced gardener will betake himself to the minimum amount of 

 heat, and be content with an average of 45°. The attempt to 

 maintain an unnatural amount of heat will, of course, require 

 the assistance of a corresponding amount of moisture, and 

 this, under ordinary circumstances, will have a tendency to 

 produce drip, or at least an unnecessary condensation of steam 

 on the flowers, the delicate texture of which caunot, at this 

 period especially, be trifled with. Pelargoniums should be 

 kept rather cool and dry, giving whatever water may be neces- 

 sary on the mornings of fine days. Cinerarias, for late bloom- 

 ing, must also be kept cool and airy, and should not be allowed 

 to suffer for want of pot-room. The decay and removal of 

 Chrysanthemums and other plants which share the protection 

 of the conservatory merely during their blooming period, will 

 gradually give place to the forced flowers. The forcing-pit for 

 this purpose should be regularly filled from this period with Rho- 

 dodendrons, Azaleas, Persian Lilacs, Roses, Sweetbriars, 

 Honeysuckles, Kalmias, Daphnes, Rhodoras, the more advancep 

 Hyacinths, Narcissus, Tulips, See. Cold frames afford the best 

 possible accommodation for the culture of greenhouse plants 

 in the summer ; but unless they are furnished with pipes, so that 

 a little heat can be had to dry the atmosphere occasionally, 

 and also to exclude frost, they are not fit quarters for many 

 things in winter, for plants which are impatient of damp will 

 not bear being covered and shut up, as, in severe weather, 

 must be done to exclude frost ; and although in mild winters 

 most greenhouse plants may with care be wintered in cold 

 frames, such plants as Boronias, Leschenaultias, and Gompho- 

 lobiums, should be removed to safer quarters at once. Water 

 cautiously, keeping all plants rather dry, but not excessively so. 

 Be prepared with efficient covering against frost, and give air 

 freely whenever the weather will permit. — W. Eeane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



A rising barometer on the 17th and 18th, heavy rains at 

 times, and a foggy atmosphere and sunshine on the 19th, 

 would lead us to hope for a change of weather, were the changes 

 in the barometer less rapid. It is possible there may yet be 

 frost before Christmas, and a dry or hard-frozen road is of great 

 importance for promoting the happiness of thousands at that 

 season. 



From the damp and mildness of the weather everything out 

 of doors is unusually tender this season, and will require addi- 

 tional care if severe weather should come, and we may expect 

 it ere long after the days begin to lengthen. Owing, no doubt, 

 to the mildness and dampness of the weather, forced vegetables, 

 as Sea-kale and Asparagus, have come in earlier than usual, 

 and in a very mild heat, so that we have been obliged to put in 

 successions of Sea-kale and Rhubarb sooner than we intended, 

 and we shall be obliged to follow with Asparagus before long. 

 Where there is much of any of these vegetables to be forced, 

 it would be worth while to cover the ground in which they are 

 growing with litter to keep the warmth in, as after an average 

 temperature for some time of little below 50° in sunless weather 

 the earth has a genial warmth ; and the litter would even pre- 

 vent its being much cooled by evaporation, whilst loss of heat 

 by radiation would be greatly diminished. 



Our stiffish soil has been too wet to do much upon it, and 

 therefore, besides giving abundance of air to everything under 

 protection, and keeping off the rains and damp as much as 

 possible, the chief outside work has been collecting all the 

 leaves in the park that the gales of wind had left us, placing 

 them in a heap, where they will soon heat strongly, owing to 

 being so damp, and mending straw covers, washing pots, and 

 cleaning plants in wet days. When leaves are to be carted 

 any considerable distance it is well to choose a dry day for 

 collecting them. Lying on the surface, they soon dry when 

 there is a day or two of fine weather. Double the quantity 

 may then be carted with the same horse power, and then the 

 dry leaves will keep much longer, and be ready to ferment at 



