65 



JOUBNAL OF HOKTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



( iaaxary 16, B86. 



FKCIT GARDEN. 



Some recommend deferriug the pruning of Peach, Nectarine, 

 and Ajiricot trees till Into in spring, or, at all events, till 

 the period when Bcverc frusts ^rc not likely to occur. It is 

 certain that by late pruiiiiitytho force of vegetation may be 

 considerably weakened. The French recommend it for trees 

 that are over-vigorous, but it is much better to effect this 

 object by a reduction of the foliage of the over-luxuriant por- 

 tions, whilst the weaker are allowed to retain all their foliage, 

 for, by this means, the weak are encomagod and the strong 

 checked, thus balancing the force of vegetation throughout. 

 Late piuning weakens the whole, the side branches as much as 

 the upright ; it does not tend to produce the equilibrium so 

 desirable, and therefore must be considered objectionable. The 

 only question, then, is, Whether it may bo best to prune now, 

 and cnsui-e the buds pushing boldly, supposing no severe frost 

 should occur, or defer pruiiiup, in case the weather should prove 

 injuriously severe. In the one case the advantages are great 

 and certain, whilst the injury that even severe frost occasions 

 to well-ripened wood is trifling ; besides, if such frost should 

 occur, a slight protection will be sufficient. In pruning Goose- 

 berry and Ciurraut bushes let the centre of the bushes be kept 

 open and free, and cut out all branches that cross one another, 

 leaving the leading shoots about 10 inches apart, and topping 

 at a bud inclining to the open si)ace. All latcr.al twigs not 

 required to form branches should be spurred-in to a few eyes. 

 The fruit is borne on short natural spurs, or on clusters of 

 buds formed on the old wood itself, and also on young shoots, 

 which should be shortened to one-third of their length. Old 

 worn-out branches to be cut back to a well-placed shoot. 



FLOWER GABDEN-. 



The weather having changed to snow, leave off digging 

 borders for a time, pai-ticiJarly when the soil is of a stiff 

 natme. Wlien snow has fallen it may be necessary to look 

 round the shrubberies and relieve any of the trees and shrubs 

 of their burden, where they are likely to sustain any injury. 

 Secure all plants from frost that are likely to be injured by it. 



GREENnOUSE AXD COXSEKTATOET. 



A d.".y temperature of 55° will be quite sufficient here at 

 present ; if tliis cannot be maiutaiued without strong fires, be 

 content with 45' and moderate tires, remembering that with 

 this low temperatin-e a very small circulation or motion in the 

 air wiU sufSce. A higher dcgi-ee of heat would both huriy the 

 beautiful Camellias and other choice flowers past their best, 

 and also create a necessity for the apphcation of more atmo- 

 spheric moisture, which, unless a warm roof is seemed by 

 covering, must end in drip, to the great prejudice of the deli- 

 cate flowers. Those who possess only one small greenhouse, 

 and are desirous of a variety of early flowers, may now intro- 

 duce fnm the cold frame or pit a few of the early Dutch bulbs, 

 provided their pots are full of roots, without which the applica- 

 tion of lieat is vain. They should be kept in the darkest part 

 of the house, or, what will be more congenial to their habits, 

 covered overhead with a mound of soil. The two points are 

 easily accomplished by first piling up a mound (moss would do), 

 and then inverting a pot over the whole. The continued damji 

 atmosphere which has prevailed for some time, especially about 

 London, has caused gi-eat destniction amongst many soft- 

 wooded plants, they should be carefully examined individually, 

 and every infected leaf or branch removed. Occasional slight 

 fires must be applied, but this should be carefully and juiU- 

 ciously done, or the cure will be as bad as, if not worse than, the 

 disease. The injurj- greenhouse plants suffer from overheat- 

 ing is at least equal to that from frost. 



STOVE. 



Examine the various tubers and bulbs that are dormant, and 

 see that they are in a proper condition, neither suffering from 

 wet nor monldincss. Achimenes and similar plants will soon 

 require to be excited ; there is Uttle to be gained, however, by 

 commeucing before the season. When heat is applied to start 

 them during winter, the shoots are of necessity draiN-n and 

 etiolated. It is at all times better to do things well in good 

 season, for it is scarcely possible to do them well at a bad time. 

 The art in this department at the present season is to prevent 

 plants fi-om growing. 



FORCISO-PIT. 



The tank forcing-pit may be made everything that can be 

 desired wherever there is a regular provision for bottom and 

 atmospheric heat from a lire ; but it is not so with the dung 

 forcing-pit in the dead of winter. The following plants may now 

 be introduced with every prospect of success, the plants being in 



good order :— Gardenias, Hedyciiiums, Gesneras, Paphnc cueo- 

 rum, Clerodendrons, (Jytisus, Honeysuckles, Sweet IJriar, Itoses, 

 Lilacs, I'.hododendrons, Azaleas, Kalmias, foieing Pinks, espe- 

 cially the Anne Boleyn, Aloysia citriodora, Hydrangeas, and 

 Heliotropes. It is not meant that these are .all equally eligible 

 for forcing, but that any or all of them may be attempted if 

 well prepared for the purpose in the previous summer, by early 

 growth, early rest, and a polful of healthy roots. With such 

 a miscellaneous mixture it is evident that no extremes of at- 

 mospheric ruanapemeut should bo pnrsncd; the amoimt of 

 moisture which the Gardenias, for instance, will revel in would 

 prove prejudicial, if not destructive, to such phiuts as the 

 HeUotropes. 



PITS AN» FKAMES. 



Should the lights become green from damp or other causes, 

 take advantage of favourable weather and have them washed, 

 it helps to strengthen the plants at this dull season bv admit- 

 ting more light. Surface-dress the [lots, and pick off all damp 

 leaves. Place in heat Lobelia fulgeus, sjilendens, ignea, itc, 

 for potting off in February ; they do much better treated in 

 this way than potted oft earher,"a3 the young roots, having 

 been excited, take at once to the soil. Calceolarias which were 

 put in last October are now ready to pot-oft": therefore do this 

 at once with such as are rooted, and should there be any that 

 are not, place them in a gentle bottom heat. All ucwkinds 

 of Tsrbenas, where the stock is short, should be excited for 

 euttings. — W. Keaxe. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN- GARDES. 



See last week as to vegetables in general, and Sea-kale, 

 Rhubarb, and Asparagus in particular. Had a nice frost on 

 Tuesday morning, which enabled us to have some dung wheeled 

 from old hotbeds to borders and quarters now stocked with winter 

 stivff, but which ere long must go into less room. What storms 

 of wind and hail on Jloudiiy and Tuesday ! On the afternoon 

 of the latter day, though the wind was westerly and the baro- 

 meter low, the sky was so clear and sharp, that we had to 

 get everjthing we could iu the way of litter for protection ; but 

 it was next to a false alarm. However, it is of no use to shut 

 and double-lock the stable-door when the steed is stolen. As 

 an act of retaliation, a lot of Cauliflowers, iSrc, we did not un- 

 cover on Wednesday, though after breakfast we were unable 

 to wheel without maldng a mess, and, therefore, took to other 

 work. One secret every gardener should aim at possessing, 

 and that is, the knowledge how to do work without making 

 work. Of course there are occasions wheu-a job must be finished 

 Y.hatever the weather is ; but much available labour will be 

 turned to the best account when the work is proportioned to 

 the weather. 



.Miishrootm.—Foi fear of frost put in a little litter over the 

 bed in the open shed, and which is still producing, but more 

 spai-ingly now. The first bed in the Mushroom-house on a 

 shallow shelf having produced heavily, and shown signs of de- 

 cline, though many Mushrooms are coming as pin-points, 

 the surface being a little rough by twisting off the crop, we 

 gathered the two or three dozen of the larger Mushrooms, 

 stuck the stalks iu damp moss to keep for a day or two, as by 

 that time the others will be large enough, and swept the bed 

 nicely all over with a hand hair broom, so as to leave the sur- 

 face smooth and hard again ; and as the bed seemed moist 

 enough, just sprinkled a Uttle dry hay over it, and put two or 

 thiee barrowloads of hot dimg iu what some day will be the 

 groimd bed, below this platform one. Judging from what gene- 

 rally takes places, in about ten days, when the Muslu-ooms th;»t 

 are buttons now arc gone, the bed will be pretty well covered in 

 good condition by those now scarcely larger than pin-points. 

 This slight sprinkling of hay over the surface of the bed will 

 keep the bed more equal in heat and moisture than making 

 the house hotter would do, and then the fuel also is saved. 



Lest some should think we are wasteful with our hay, wo 

 may mention hov.- we obtain it. On parts of the lawn at a dis- 

 tance from the house, and where a nimiber of evergreens 

 prow, we do not cut the grass until it is of a good length. So 

 many leaves of evergi-ecns, and bits of twigs, render it unfit 

 for hay for cattle, but when nicely made and placed in a Uttle 

 rick it becomes useful for all such purposes, and also for 

 covering up plants under glass, in frames and pits, in very 

 severe weather. We keep this as a refeiTC-hcap as long as we 

 can. One year, after we had placed our Geraniums for beds. 



