126 



JODBNAIi OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



r Fobnury 13, 18M. 



with a truss of bloom ; on the '.Hh Snowdrops and Crocnses 

 were in fnll bloom ; and on the I'.'tb the first Daffodil made its 

 appearance. AU this, perhaps, may bo imnsual, but not so 

 surprising as when I state that on the same day some Khodo- 

 dendrons of the ponticum varieties expanded some trasses of 

 bloom ; and on the 21st we had a bright scarlet one a mass of 

 bloom, about thirty trusses heinf: all expanded at once. Sou- 

 venir do la Miilinaison Kose also gave us some good blooms. 

 Many hardy .^lirubs are making growth. Teach trees are on 

 the march, and the vegetation of many other plants is becoming 

 more or less active. I should like to know if this is the case 

 elsewhere. If so, it will be necessarj- for every gardener to 

 have a watchful eye to the weather, and have plenty of pro- 

 tecting material at hand ; otherwise wo are likely to lose the 

 bloom of many valuable plants, and have our prospects of fruit 

 destroyed. — T. Kecobd. 



On New Year's-day of the present year I picked from my 

 garden — a terrace one, and exposed to easterly winds — six ripe 

 Strawberries of a very fair average size, and nearly equal in 

 flavour to a summer Strawberry. — F. K., iVellington, Saloji. 



GLOXINIA CULTURE. 



I HAVE often wondered that Gloxinias, a class of plants possess- 

 ing so many beauties, are not more generally cultivated. They 

 may be had in bloom throughout the summer and autumn, and 

 if we take into acconnt how simple their cultuie is, I think there 

 are few plants that better repay the attention bestowed upon 

 them. Where a succession of bloom is required tlie tubers 

 must be started into growth at different times, allowing from 

 four to five weeks between each lot ; and as the time to start 

 the first is at hand, I have thought the following remarks on 

 their culture might be of use to some of the numerous readers 

 of The Jodrsal of Hobticultcfx. 



Early in February take from their winter quarters the pots 

 containing the dormant tubers, and place them on a level 

 surface, tlien with the watering-can give as much water as will 

 moisten the soil, which will have become di-y during tlie time 

 the tubers have been at rest. This done, plimge the pots in a 

 bottom heat of from 65° to 70°, but if bottom heat is not at 

 command, a vinery that is at work will answer very well. With 

 due attention to watering, the tubers will in two or three weeks 

 have started, and begun to grow freely. Then, but not sooner, 

 turn them out of the pots and carefully shake the old soil from 

 them, doing as little injury to the fibres as possible. Transfer 

 them to clean, well-drained pots a size larger than those from 

 which they were taken, using the following compost, which I 

 have found to suit them admirably : — Two parts decayed leaves, 

 one part fibry loam, and one part dried cowdung broken into 

 little lumps about the size of cob nuts, adding as much silver 

 Band and fine wood charcoal as will give the whole a nice 

 friable texture. This compost should at the time of its being 

 used be nice and dry, and of the same temperature as the 

 structure in which the plants have been growing. 



The soil being in readiness, proceed with the repotting by first 

 draining the pots, an operation which must be done elhciently, 

 as the well-doing of the plants depends in a great measure on 

 this. On the top of the drainage place the roughest portion of 

 the compost, pressing it firmly down with the hand, and fill 

 the pots until by placing the tuber on the soil the crown reaches 

 to within an inch of the top of the pot. Then fill in between 

 the pot and the tuber with the finer portion of the compost, 

 give the pot a few smart taps on the bench, which will cause 

 the soil to penetrate amongst the fibres, and finish by pressing 

 the soil round the tuber with the fingers, leaving the crown just 

 pe«ping through the soil. This being done, give a gentle water- 

 ing with tepid water, and return the Gloxinias to their old 

 quarters ; if in the bark-bed place a small flower-pot, not in- 

 verted, beneath each, which will prevent worms from entering, 

 and allow the water to pass off freely. 



After the pots have been plunged for a fortnight raise them 

 one-half their depth, and in another fortnight lift them entirely 

 out of the bed, placing the plr-nts where they can have as much 

 light as possible, but not near a flue or hot-water pipes, as dry 

 hot air is very injoi-ious to the foliage. Examine the plants 

 daily, and see that none suffers from want of water. That used 

 should always i:e of the same temperature as the house in 

 which the plants are growing. Be also careful not to over- 

 water, as if the soU becomes saturated they will cease to thrive. 



As soon as the plants begin to show flower remove them to 



the warmest part of the greenhouse, as the flowers should 

 expand in the same heat as that in which they are to remain.* 

 In hot weather a slight shade will be necessary during the 

 hottest part of the day. As the plants go out of flower water 

 must be gradually withheld, and they hhould be placed in a 

 position where they can have all the sun possible ; this will 

 cause the tubers to ripen and go to rest, which is necessary to 

 their future well-doing. During the period of rest these must 

 never be exposed to a temperature below 4.5'. — J. Hammond. 



GROWING ME.VLY POTATOES. 



" D., Deal," is quite a Coryphfcus among flowers, but I can- 

 not say as much for his knowledge of Potatoes. He should 

 have known that meahness or waxiness in I'otatoe.s is much 

 under our control. If he had taken the native habitat of the 

 Potato, the chemical constituents of the soil there, and com- 

 pared it with the analysis of a healthy and a diseased Potato, 

 he would have found suggestions enough. The Potato is an 

 alkali plant. Our manured soils have a coiTCct relation to the 

 Wheat plant, a phosphatic plant, but little to the Potato. A 

 waxy Potato is full of developed albuminous cells ; but the 

 cells are not all filled with starch. Phosphatic manures favour 

 the production of albuminous compounds, and alkalies the 

 production of starch. Now, if " D." of Deal will add alkalies 

 liberally to his rich garden soil, he can grow even sound Pota- 

 toes as mealy as he likes. Sulphate of magnesia is one of the 

 best Potato stimulants we have, and it is cheap, 7.<. or 8». per 

 cwt. Sulphate of soda, dry — i.e., not crystallised, technically 

 the salt cake of the alkali manufacturer, is another — say 58. per 

 cwt. Nitrate of potash is the finest stimulant of aU : but the 

 price is beyond the reach of ordinary Potato growers ; but 

 those like " D."' of Deal, who are verj- partial to good Pota- 

 toes, and to whom cost is a small consideration, should use it 

 freely — say per acre, to soil full of phosphates : — 2 cwt. nitrate 

 of potash ; 2 cwt. sulphate of soda ; 2 cwt. sulphate of mag- 

 nesia ; 2 cwt. common salt. A poor soil in all constituents 

 would also require 4 or G cwt. of guano, or superphosphate. 

 If the nitrate of potash is left out, except in manse gardens, 

 the remainder will be found a valuable and a profit-paying 

 manuie. — W. Eoss, Herefordslare. 



AVORK FOR THE •V\-EEK. 



KITCHEN G.^UDEN. 



Attekd to the drainage of your gardens, for at this season, 

 when frequent forkings and turning over of previously trenched 

 ground are requisite, it is easy to perceive the advantage and 

 great importance of efiicient drainage. This, of course, refers 

 to soils that do require drainage, because some do not. How 

 beautifully the earth mellows and crumbles down, and how 

 much sooner it comes into a fit state for cropping when the 

 drainage has been properly attended to ; nay, more, the labour 

 it requires is much less, because all pulverising operations are 

 more easily performed. If the soil be uudrained the labour is 

 far greater to bring it into anything like condition for the re- 

 ception of crops, and even then the progress and produce of 

 the crops committed to it are greatly inferior to what they are 

 in the former case. We would, therefore, endeavour to im- 

 press upon the minds of all who cultivate the soil with the 

 view of receiving an adequate return for the labour bestowed 

 upon It, that a thoroughly efEcient system of drainage is the 

 basis of all successful cultivation. Persevere in hoeing, sur- 

 face-stirring, and dusting with Ume amongst all advancing 

 crops, and do not forget to put good-sized readable labels to 

 every crop, with the name in full, and the date when sown 

 or planted. This will save much trouble hereafter, and the 

 results, if transfened to a journal, will be valuable for future 

 reference. Carrot;;, make another sowing of Early Horn. Cu- 

 cumbers, the greatest attention should be paid to the bed for 

 the first fortnight after the plants have been turned out, the 

 heat-stick should be examined daily, as it is a much better cri- 

 terion to go by than a thermometer, which only indicates the 

 heat of the atmosphere in the frame. Cover up according to the 

 heat of the bed : if this will allow of it, a small portion of air 

 should be left ou every night ; this may be done in the even- 

 ing, after the frame has been closed three or foui- hours. En- 

 din', continue to blanch the late crops. Lettuce, attend to 



" The greenhouse shonld be warm, and the air moist. In aji airy 

 CTcenhouec the leaves become shabby.— Eds. 



