93 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTDRB AND COTTAGE OABDENBB. 



[ JwouT DO, IStS. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCUKS OAHDEX. 



jASriBT has proveJ a soanonable month, withjnst enoagb of 

 frost onJ snow lu cliock vpRctution : bad we experience j the 

 .severe eold that somotimes takes place after a mild November and 

 December, the effects would }iave been veri- serious. AVe must 

 not, however, be cheated into indiflerenco respecting February, 

 and withdraw protection from tender plants in matted beds and 

 frames, or from vcRetables where a ret^lar supply is required. 

 Whilst the frosty weather continues wbeelinj; manure, composts, 

 itc, onpht to go on nninlermptedly till tinished, in order to 

 s«ve the walks in the spring. As the frost has not as yet pene- 

 trated Jeep, digging and trenching all spare giound for spring 

 crops must be proceeded with. The ground for Onions ought 

 to bo left very rough for the frost to pulverise it. It is a croj) 

 to which great attention ought to be paid, being in general 

 demand. Cahhinjc, till up vacancies in the autumn plantation, 

 also make fresh plantations of the autumn sowing if necessary. 

 Caulifloutrf, those under hand-glasses and in frames must be 

 fully exposed in mild weather, or they will button-off in the 

 spring. Sow seed on a south border to produce plants to suc- 

 ceed the autumn sawing. CcU-nj, sow seed in boxes, and place 

 them in a forcing-house to produce plants for an early crop. Cu- 

 cumbers, as soon as the plants are turned out, thrust a stick under 

 each hill, and examine it frequently ; if there is any approach 

 to a burning heat draw as much of the soil from the bottom of 

 the hills next the turf as you can without disturbing the plants, 

 afterwards give the centre of the bed a good watering, which 

 will act as a temporary preventive of burning until the heat 

 declines. A lining of dr\' litter should be made round the bed 

 to protect it from cold drying winds. Sow a little more seed, so 

 that should an accident hapjicn to the plants turned out others 

 may be ready to take their place. Giirlic and Shallat.t, where 

 the soil is not wet and stiff they may now be planted, if not 

 done in the autumn ; plant in rows at 6 inches apart. Kidney 

 Beans, a crop sown now in small pots, and when of sufficient 

 size planted in a pit where a command of heat can be had, will 

 produce more abundantly than those in pots ; the introduction 

 of the red spider into the forcing- house will also be avoided by 

 adopting tliis plan. Keep those in pots well watered. Letliir,:i 

 in frames to have air night and day if the weather is mild ; 

 sow on a sloping border to succeed the autumn sowing. Potatoes, 

 where there is not the convenience of frames or pits plant on 

 a soutli border for an early crop. Rhubarh, pots may now be 

 placed over the roots, and covered with dung or leaves. "Sphinch, 

 a small sowing may be made between the rows of early Peas. 

 Turnips, where young ones are wanted early a sowing should bo 

 made on a slight hotbed. Traps should be set in different 

 parts of the garden to catch mice ; they will now more readily 

 take the baits than they will when there is other food for them. 



Fr.UIT GARDEN-. 



Finish all pruning, digging, trenching, See., in this depart- 

 ment as soon as circumstances will permit. Newly-planted 

 trees must be well staked and mulched if the spring is likely 

 to be dry. As thorough drainage is essential to the success of 

 every crop, now is a good time to push it forward. 



ri.OWEK GARDEN. 



The amount of delight and satisfaction which a flower gar- 

 den is calculated to yield to its possessor will always be in pro- 

 portion to the order and design which pervade it. to the unity 

 of its parts in constituting a perfect whole, and to the amount 

 of attention bestowed on the various details, constituting what 

 is termed high keeping. 'UTiat pleasurable sensations does the 

 well-regulated mind experience in viewing a small garden re- 

 plete with floral beauty and neatness! and, on the contrary, 

 ■what powerful emotious do we feel in viewing an extensive 

 place replete with " capabilities," but wanting the last touch 

 of finish ! Let us, therefore, remember, in all that relates to a 

 flower garden, that order and neatness are indispensable. At 

 this season of the year much must depend upon these qualities. 

 The smooth and verdant turf, the fresh and neatly-raked sur- 

 faces of beds and borders, the flowing sweeps of walks displavcd 

 in well-defined margins of shallow depth, the walks themselves 

 brimful of bright and warm-colonied gravel, the freshness and 

 beauty of the evergreens unencumbered by faggots of dead 

 wood; add to these thousands of Aconites, Snowdrops, and 

 Crocuses just protruding theu- tiny heads cautiously through 

 the soil, as if fearful of appearing prematurely, and we have 

 the beau ideal of what an English garden is in Februai-v. Grass 

 lawns will now bo mnch benefited by a thorough rolling, as 

 also gravel walks. It may be worth while to know that a small 



faggot consumed in the cylinder of the garden roller will beat 

 it BO as to prevent what is technically called " licking." When 

 it is necessary, take up Azaleas, Rhododendrons, iic, and re- 

 arrange them according to their sizes. If it is wished to in- 

 crease any choice kinds, layer a few branches now by pegging 

 them down ; this is the best time for such operations. If the 

 soil is poor give it a good dressing of half-rotten leaves, which 

 will enrich it greatly. 



OREENnOrSE AMD COXSERTATOnV. 



In the greenhouse proceed with the potting of young planti, 

 and small specimens of all kinds, using the soil tolerably rough, 

 with plenty of sand, and drainage, and keep them compara- 

 tively close until they take fresh root. This is a good time to 

 start a collection of Ealosanthes, potting them in a compost 

 consisting of two parts sandy turfy loam, one part turfy peat, 

 and one of half-decomposed leaf mould, with plenty of coarse 

 gritty sand, and a liberal admixture of charcoal and pebbles, or 

 potsherds broken small. Give them a liberal shift, and keep 

 them in a temperature of from 40° to 50', and as soon as they 

 have made fresh roots stop each shoot, and train the plants 

 into form. Attend to the training of Tropa?olums, and other 

 climbing plants, and shift the former into their blooming-pots 

 if not already done. Plants of Polygala or Boronia, which are 

 becoming too forward in their growth, must be placed in the 

 cool cad of the house. This is a good time to start a general 

 collection of Azaleas, and no place is so good for them as a 

 tolerably close pit partly heated by dung. Pot them at the 

 time of introducing them into heat, giving a hberal shift, into 

 good peat and sand, to which a little thoroughly decomposed 

 cowdung may be added. Increase the temperature of the pit 

 gradually to 65° or 70', and maintain a moist growing tempe- 

 rature, with plenty of air in favourable weather. 



STOVE AND ORCHIDEOCS-noUSE. 



In the culture of Orchids, the first point of importance is to 

 secure a good-sized and well-matured pseudo-bulb ; next to 

 this is the preseri-ation of all the roots in a healthy state. To 

 effect this it is absolutely necessary with many plants that they 

 should be grown on blocks of wood, either charred or not, but 

 without any moss applied to them ; and for the information of 

 amateurs and beginners, it may be as well to give a list of the 

 plants here alluded to : — Phalauopsis amabilis ; Barkeria spec- 

 tabilis ; Epidendrum Sldnneri, and E. furcatiim ; Oncidium 

 pubes, 0. triquetnuu, and 0. crispum ; Sophonitis cemua, and 

 S. gr.mdiflora ; Leptotes bicolor, uid L. A-iolacea ; Maxillaria 

 Steelii. The following also thriTe much better so treated than 

 otherwise: — All the Brassavolas. all the Lalias, all the Cat- 

 tleyas, most of the suiall-growiug Oneidiums, nearly all the 

 Epideudrums and Maxillariag, and all the Schomburgkias. In 

 giving new blocks to such i)l,".uts as require them, they should 

 always be chosen proportionate to the specimens they are in- 

 tended to bear, and the heel of the plants must be placed close to 

 the end of the log, so as to give as mnch space as possible for 

 the plants to grow npon, for by growing them without moss the 

 blocks in most cases will be found to last twice as long as if 

 moss \vere employed. The plants must be made fast to the 

 blocks by means of copper wire, and if they are shifted at the 

 proper time very little fastening is requii-ed. The proper time 

 to shift these plants is just before they make their new roots, 

 which, of course, is at very different seasons of their growth : 

 for instance, most Orchids make their roots while they are grow- 

 ing, but it is not so with the Cattleyas and Lalias ; they, for the 

 most part, make their roots after they have completed their 

 growth.— W. Keaxe. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN G.VKDEN. 



SowBD Early Horn Carrots, Radishes, &c., on a slight hotbed, 

 as alluded to last week. Gaye plenty of air to Radishes and 

 Lettuces coming on. Tlie Cauliflowers injured by damp, alluded 

 to last week, were not young plants, but those with heads fit 

 for table. \ few still remain, and BroccoU will succeed them. 

 Sowed a lot of Tom Thumb Pea, and Sutton's Long-podded 

 Tom Thumb, to grow in pots, and others to be transplanted 

 under protection ; also a few of DiUistone's Early Pea and 

 Early Mazagan and Gem Broad Beans for transplanting out 

 of doors. DiUistone's is a few days earlier than Sangster's 

 No. 1 ; but of all early Peas that we have seen there is none 

 with us that equals Sangster's in productiveness. The nest 

 best Pea for earliness and productiveness, though coming in 

 fully a fortnight later, is Dickson's Favourite. Our other work 



