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JOUilNAL OF HOlillCULTUllE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEK. 



149 



more importance in pits anil frames than it is in the case 

 of lean-to houses with front glass. In the case of pits and 

 frames there is no light, except what comes directly over 

 the tops of the plants, no side light whatever reaches them, 

 and, therefore, the tendency to be dra\vu up weakly will just be 

 in proportion to the heat applied and the distance the plants 

 are from the glass. The position of plants in a pit must, how- 

 ever, often be regulated by other considerations. If the pit 

 or frame is shallow, the plants will be exposed to sudden 

 extremes, just as they are placed close to the glass : hence, 

 even on the score of safety, it is oftesi desirable to have the 

 bulk of the plants near the back fully a foot from the glass, 

 and to place other plants near the front that would for a time 

 rather enjoy the sh«de. There are fine-toliaged plants, too, 

 which often enjoy a diffused rather than a shaded light, and 

 these may receive what they want by standing farther from the 

 glass. By acting on this principle shading may to a great 

 extent be dispensed with. 



An amateur, a thorough admirer of the " close-to-the-glass 

 principle," informed us two years ago that in following our 

 mode with his Calceolaria cuttings he put them iu in a cold 

 pit in October, and that they were not more than 4 inches from 

 the glass. He was resolved to have them bushy, but the very 

 proximity to the glass necessitated shading at first, which was 

 rather against bushiness, and worse than that, the want of 

 covering in a cold frosty morning caused them to be much 

 injured by frost, so that he came to have doubts as to the 

 " near-glass principle." Our correspondent, who will see this, 

 wiU excuse our referring to it, merely as an evidence that a 

 good idea may be carried too far. We generally put our 

 cuttings out at a distance of from 12 to 15 or 18 inches from 

 the glass. This season we did not insert them until the 

 end of October and the first days of November. They are 

 watered as inserted, but they seldom or never have any shad- 

 ing. In fine days the sashes are drawn off, in mild days tilted ; 

 and if a sudden unexpected frost should come there will be 

 fuDy a foot of air beneath the glass to freeze before the cuttings 

 be touched : hence, even for plants in pots that have to be 

 pretty near the glass in pits, they will be less subject to sudden 

 extremes if the pit is deep enough to permit of a platform being 

 placed in it, so that there may be air below the plants as well 

 as above them. 



But if this old rule about keeping plants close to the glass 

 should be followed with prudence, even in lean-to pits, it may 

 be regarded as perfectly obsolete in all span-roofed houses with 

 glass at the sides as well as on the roof. A stage or shelves in 

 such a house is more a matter of adaptation and convenience 

 than of sheer utility, so far as light is concerned, more es- 

 pecially if large squares of glass and light bearers are used. 

 In such houses plants will thrive as admirably on the floor 

 as they will do on a stage, if, in cither case, tliere is tmtliiiiii 

 above them to intercept the liciht, and, iu either case, venti- 

 lation is sufficiently under control. Whilst, therefore, the ad- 

 vice about keeping plants close to the glass must be attended 

 to in old dark houses and pits, it will become pretty well obso- 

 lete in the case of new light airy houses. Even in such houses 

 pretty well all glass, if there are plants on the floor, a stage 

 about 3 feet above the floor filled with plants, and the roof 

 shaded with creepers or a fair crop of Grapes, we should ex- 

 pect the plants on the floor to become very spindly when they 

 had enough of heat to make them grow. In a comparatively 

 dormant state many plants could be kept there. To meet the 

 case of manj' inquirers as to how to obtain Grapes and flowers 

 out of their one house, and both good, and without interfering 

 with each other, we shall have a few words to say ere long. 

 Meanwhile, instead of lofty houses, we have no doubt that lower 

 ones with light all round will become more general for plant pur- 

 poses, unless where heat and fuel are primary considerations, 

 for then the opaque wall of a lean-to house constitutes an 

 advantage. 



KITCHEN OAEDEK. 



Much the same as last week. Nothing could be done with 

 advantage except wheeling on a frosty morning, followed as we 

 expected by a drenching afternoon. On the same morning, 

 the groimd being a little hard, cleared away a few decayed and 

 yellow leaves from Brussels Sprouts, Savoys, &c., as a few of 

 them, esjiecinlly in muggy weather, are sufficient to taint the 

 atmosphere of the garden. Threw wood and cinder ashes over 

 Lettuces, &c., to keep slugs from them, and hardened off 

 with plenty of air Peas and Beans uuder protection, so that 

 they can go out iu good condition as soon as the gi-ound is dry 

 and friable. Cut off the heads of Turnips in store, and did ■* 



the same with Carrots, as the mild weather is causing them to 

 shoot prematurely. Gave abundance of air to Radishes, young 

 Carrots, i-c. Eadishes iu the open air had better be covered 

 every night, the weather is so uncertain. Gave a little more 

 room to Kidney Beans bearing in pots. There is nothing 

 gained by having them too close together. Kept up successions 

 of Sea-kale, Rhubarb, and Asparagus. As we wanted the spare 

 room iu a heated pit for forcing and propagatiug-purposes, 

 placed soil in the bottom for Cucumbers, and then jilunged iu it 

 large pots with strong bushy plants of Cucumbers showing 

 fruit. They will fruit more freely and early from the cramping 

 of the roots in the pots, and the hole at the bottom is sufficiently 

 large to let out the roots ultimately. By this means we make 

 better use of any part of the pit unoccupied, than if we planted 

 out the Cucumbers in the narrow border. All plants turned 

 out in a bed or border suffer less or more when other plants in 

 pots are set on the surface, as the watering of these pots pro- 

 motes an unhealthy state iu the border beneath them. These 

 matters are worthy of notice when every inch under glass has 

 to be made the most of. Partly from necessity at first, and 

 now from choice, whether in pits or frames, we now keep the 

 roots of Melons and Cucumbers chiefly in a space of from 

 2 to 3 feet in width, instead of their traversing all the width 

 of the bed, and we have less trouble and rather more fruit iu 

 consequence. 



FHUIT GARDEN. 



Much the same as last week ; ground too wet and clammy to 

 do miTch out of doors. Proceeded with dressing and tying trees 

 in orchard-houses. The trees against the back wall are tied to 

 nails driven in the wall at regular distances, and remaining 

 stationary as so many studs. Tying is not so easily done as 

 when wire trellis is used, but the expense is far less, and there 

 is no trouble with shoots behind the wires. The studding with 

 cast metal nails at once is far superior to using nails and shreds 

 in the usual mode of fastening, as the shreds are a constant 

 harbour for insects and their eggs, and every nail-hole becomes 

 a nest for such enemies. In driving in the nail-studs, C inches 

 apart every way is a good distance ; and when metal nails are 

 used a large space of wall can be done for little money. When 

 we thus used nails as standing studs, we heated a lot of nails 

 on an old useless shovel placed over the tire, and then turned 

 the hot nails into oil, and when cool spread them out to dry. 

 If these be coloured, when the wall is covered there will scarcely 

 ever be any appearance of lust upon them. In all other de- 

 partments allowed growth to come on slowlj', so as not to be 

 weakened iu the dull weather (See remarks on temperature a 

 few weeks back.) Planting fruit trees should be finished as 

 soon as the weather will permit. A little frost will now do 

 great good in keeping back the buds of fruit trees cut of doors, 

 and will most likely be accompanied with more sunshine to 

 benefit what is further advanced under glass. A steady uni- 

 form heat should be maintained about Pines showing fruit. 

 Plants in pits and frames should have linings well backed-up 

 back and front, when dung is used for heat, so that the atmo- 

 sphere may be warmed without the heat passing though the 

 plunging material of the bed. Such dry top heat is of im- 

 portance in all such moist dull weather. For Melons, especially 

 early ones, much depends on having a nice atmospheric tem- 

 perature at an early period, without running the risk oi making 

 the bottom heat too strong to be healthy. When dung heat, 

 or that from any fermenting material, is used, this top tempe- 

 rature is easily supplied by banking fermenting material round 

 the pit or frame. Will prune and nail trees out of doors as 

 soon as we can. 



ORNAMENTAL DEPARTMENT. 



In dryish places proceeded with planting trees and shrubs, 

 and this was better done on grass-covered ground than on that 

 which had come under the influence of the spade or the plough, 

 as the groimd is still very wet. Gave plenty of air to Calceo- 

 larias and other half-hardy plants in pits. Filled vases, &c., 

 with bulbs for the mansion. Did little with the lawn or 

 walks. Notwithstanding care, some Primulas in the conserva- 

 tory have damped and become unsightly, owing chiefly to drip 

 from the roof. Violets in pots under glass reqiiired plenty of air. 

 Am-iculas that have become too damp from drip should have 

 the drainage examined, a part of the surface soil removed, and 

 its place supplied with rich fresh compost. Everything com- 

 paratively hardy, but under glass, should now be kept as robust 

 as possible, by plenty cf air in mild weather. 



Air-riiring. — Such a winter as we have passed through does 

 much to show the importance of a heating apparatus in all 

 kinds of plant-repositories, as a little artificial heat during the 



