70 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



[ Jannary 23, 13CC. 



supported by Kororol instances. If tbo theory should provo to 

 be ot lUl correct, then tlio importttnco will bo JemoustrateJ of 

 pUntiug chietly on tlic poorer land of the hills, and leaving the 

 valley for ploughed fields and meadows. 



The frost came and wont as suddenly as the snow. On 

 Friday afternoon and evoninR it promised to bo very severe, 

 the glass falling to iibout 14' below freezing, at ID p.m., and 

 no change denoted then except a little hazines.s in the west. 

 Boiling ?now for the ice-well was out of the question after 

 the frost, but ice had formed on a largo pond, and that being 

 covered with suow, we had holes broken towards evening, 

 and water thrown over the snow by means of a jet, so that the 

 frost shoull have full power on the pond without the pro- 

 tection of a snow-covering, and we anticipated nice thick ice in 

 the morning, and a day with the icc-ciirt, though the roads 

 would be rather rough. The ice was thick enough, but on 

 going out in the morning wo found the rain, which we could 

 not see, pattering on our face, so sudden had I een the change. 

 Having made every arrangement we did not like being thwarted, 

 but after continuing some time the rain and sleet became so 

 fast and furious, and the roads so bad, that we were obliged to 

 desist, and by Sunday morning the snow was all gone. So 

 with us the tirst chance of obtaining ice for the season has 

 only been partially successful, though oven a small quantity is 

 bettor than none. 



The ground being so wet we refiained from going upon it, 

 for digging or otherwise, as much as possible, and the weather 

 being so unsettled the chief work has been washing plants and 

 pots, re-arranging houses, taking most of the bedding plants 

 out of the Peach-house, scraping about half an inch off the 

 surface soil in the orchard-Louse and taking it to a burning 

 heap — a matter of importance for destroying the eggs of insects 

 ii there are any ; and in addition to the glass of houses, went 

 over most of the frames and pits, washing the glass inside and 

 outside, putting on some spare sashes, so as not to expose the 

 rather tender inmates long, and doing this near sheds, so that 

 if a heavy shower came on, the men might be employed in 

 washing pots and mending and making straw covers for pro- 

 tection. These are in every way superior to mats, but not 

 equal to wooden frames or shutters. In the press of work some 

 sashes of frames were left imcleaned in the autumn, and with- 

 out seeing it we could scarcely have beUeved how dirty and 

 slimy the glass would have become from the want of the 

 autumn washing. No doubt this sliminess was gieatly in- 

 creased by the damp sunless weather we have passed through. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



The work here has been chiefly confined to sowing Peas and 

 Beans in half-circle drain-tiles and on pieces of turf for future 

 transplanting under protection. Removed Kidney Beans from 

 Vine-pits where they were about done, as we wanted the room 

 for moving and regulating the Vine-shoots. Placed Potatoes in 

 pots near the Ught, in a pit where there was a little heat from 

 leaves. Swept over the last spawned Mushroom-bed so as to 

 have the surface clean and smooth. Looked after large snaOs 

 at night, as they had begun to have more than their share ; 

 they generally make their appearance now about nine or ten 

 o'clock in the evening, and go back to their holes long before 

 dayUght. They are generally brought in with the tree leaves, 

 ic, which we use for the bottom of beds. Put a little more 

 Rhubarb in the Mushroom-house. Cut the Sea-kale before it 

 grew too long, as it came faster than we wanted it, and put it in 

 a cool place, on damp moss in a pot, with another pot over it, for 

 a few days. We are sorry to find that some good Cauliflowers 

 in an earth-pit have damped from being covered up several 

 days. Nothing olse has suffered, though the covering remained 

 on until Monday. Washed the glass over Asparagus to give 

 it all the light possible, and put on sashes with good glass and 

 large squares, instead of the inferior ones which wo were 

 obliged to use at first. Have very little of a fermenting-heap, 

 but intend to raise a bed that has been used for other purposes, 

 in order to sow Horn and Early Dutch Carrots in rows G or 

 7 inches apai-t, with Radishes in rows between, drawing out the 

 Radishes early, and thinning the Carrots chiefly by drawing. 

 Such a bed of Carrots not much thinned is one of the most 

 profitable things in the garden. We have sown a lot of Newing- 

 ton Wonder Kidney Beans, having run out of other sorts, but 

 though this kind is small it is prolific and well-flavoured, and 

 when the pods are not more than 1} or 2 inches in length, 

 they arc very good cooked whole. We often think that even 

 in the case of larger pods, though quite fresh and young, the 

 flavour is often rendered very flat and watery from" the pods 

 being minced and cut into such small pieces before boiling. All 



Kidney Bean pods are too old for cooking when they do not 

 break at once, and crisply, when you attempt to bring the two 

 ends of the Beans together. Other matters much the same as 

 in previous weeks. In case frost should come, though there is 

 at present no appearance of it, took up the remainder of the 

 Parsnips, and a lot of Horseradish and Jerusalem Artichokes, 

 secured the Globe Artichokes with litter, and placed burnt clay 

 and burnt rubbish over the crowns of Sea-kale. 



FRUIT G.IBDEN. 



Cleared most things out of the Vine-pit, so as to be able to 

 regulate the shoots. Examined and cleaned Strawberry pots 

 in this pit, and filled two shelves in the Peach-house with 

 Sti(iu-hi rnj plantx, setting the pots on turf reversed on the 

 shelf that overhangs the pathway, and in saucers where the 

 shelf overhangs the trees and can be easily examined. These 

 pots were just gently excited from standing close to the glass 

 in a frame, where there was a little heat below them from 

 leaves, jilaced above what had been a Melon-bed. Nothing is 

 better than such a frame for giving the plants a quiet start, 

 and nothing, scarcely, can be worse at this season than giving 

 such ))lants as much heat as would encourage them to root 

 freely in the leaves. If these have to be moved to shelves the 

 check given is often fatal to success, and the whole process 

 tends to the encouragement of leaves rather than flower-stems. 

 If the heat is more than the mildest the pots would more safely 

 be placed on boards and tiles, instead of being plunged in the 

 bed. Allow us to remind those who have their Strawberry 

 plants in frames or under glass, to keep a sharp look-out after 

 mice and rats, and especially the former, as a few of our plants 

 with nice crowns, and the trusses showing well, have been 

 nibbled and cut by mice imtil they are useless. What with 

 one enemy or another it is seldom that a gardener can have un- 

 broken ease and satisfaction even for a day. There is always 

 some interloper that does the best to mar his best-laid plans, 

 and at least to keep him ever on the alert. If the present 

 dripping weather continues, we will have the orchard-house and 

 trees thoroughly washed. We gave them a good smoking with 

 bruised Laurel leaves when the roof was covered with snow, 

 and the house still retains the scent of the burning smothered 

 leaves. There could have been no better time for smoking 

 greenhouses, conservatories, and frames, where such a smoking 

 with tobacco was necessary. A cool, airy atmosphere is the 

 great preventive of insects. We have not yet needed any 

 smoking with large plants of Cinerarias. For other matters, 

 as respects fruit and fruit trees, see pre\'ious weeks. 



0BNAMENT.4L DEPARTMENT. 



Chose a dry time, as soon after Monday as was practicable, to 

 sweep and level some icalks that had been rendered rough by 

 shovelling and sweeping pathways in the snow. A small snow- 

 plough — say formed chiefly of three boards, making a triangle, 

 the sides being 4J feet long, and the base 3i or 4 feet, the 

 boards 2 inches thick, and 11 or 12 inches deep, is the best 

 means for making walks passable when covered with snow, as 

 it will leave a covering of snow over the gravel, though thin, 

 and thus prevent the smooth surface of the gravel being inter- 

 fered with. These three pieces of the triangle, braced by stout 

 pieces between, and a weight placed on these in proportion to 

 the depth of the snow, a string or chain fastened to the acute 

 angle in front, and a handle behind to hold by and push, will 

 enable two or more men, according to the depth of the snow, 

 to seciu'e waUdug-space in a short time over a great extent of 

 walks. One good result of the snow is, that it has filled all 

 pools, ponds, and other receptacles for water to a greater depth 

 than they have been for many years. The ground has also had 

 a soaking, such as it has not had for many years in this neigh- 

 boiuhood. The mild weather has encomaged the worms to 

 throw up their heaps on the lawn, and to keep them out of 

 sight the lawn was run over with a light wooden roller, a smooth 

 gi-een lawn being now a great attraction. A nice lot of Pinks 

 in pots, we are sorry to say, have been nibbled by the mice, as 

 if for mere mischief. Even tarring a rat has not made them 

 all decamp. Wherever much grain is thrown down for game 

 near gardens there is sure to be more than enough of mice, 

 rats, and birds. At present, even as respects birds, every 

 compact Laurel bush seems to give a roosting-place to hundreds 

 every night. 



In the case of Auriculas, Polyanthus, and Carnations, the great 

 point is to keep them from becoming too damp, and yet give 

 plenty of air by raising the front and back of the lights, but 

 keeping the damp out. Drip from the sash-bars must be 

 avoided in the case of valued plants of Auriculas. 



