Uoreh 13, 1888. ] 



JOURNAL OP HOBTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



203 



tingiiishing characteristics of a well-kept kitchen garden. At- 

 tend to the sowing of main crops as directed in previous 

 calendars, and keep up sucoessional sowings of vegetables 

 to come in, according to the state of the weather and the pro- 

 bable demand. Afparaf/ui, if not done in the autumn, dress 

 the beds with light decomposed manure, and fork them lightly 

 over, taking care not to injure the crowns. Many persons 

 apply salt at this time in the proportion of about a pound to 

 the square yard ; but it is more advisable to defer this until the 

 cutting is over, and the plants are in a gi-owing state, because 

 then they are in the best condition to receive the benefit of the 

 appheation, and the crowns are greatly strengthened for the 

 following season. The beds intended for new plantations to 

 be frequently turned, to be in readiness for planting the young 

 roots as soon as they have shot 2 or 3 inches. Artichokes 

 {Globe), should now be dressed, superfluous shoots removed, 

 and fresh plantations made if required ; as this is generally a 

 permanent crop, the ground should be well prepared by deep 

 trenching and a plentiful application of rich manure. Cucum- 

 bers, keep the lights free from dirt, wash them inside and out 

 if there are lights to shift them, keep the heat of the beds from 

 75° to 80", but particularly guard against a violent bottom heat. 

 Cauliflowers, give due attention to the plants under hand- 

 lights, by surface-stirring and giving air on all suitable occa- 

 sions, tilt the glasses on the side away from the wind in cold 

 searching weather, and remove them entirely on the first 

 occurrence of genial showers ; do not let plants in frames, or 

 the young seedlings which are now pricked out, suffer from 

 exposure to the biting cast and north-east wmds so prevalent 

 at this season of the year. ParsUij, a good sowing should now 

 be made ; clean and loosen the soil between the rows sown last 

 season. Potatoes, the main early crops should be put in as 

 soon as the weather will permit. Sea-kale, cover up a succes- 

 sion. Fermenting materials may soon be dispensed with for 

 this purpose, as it will merely require to be covered for the 

 purpose of blanching. 



FRUIT GAEDEN. 



With respect to the covering of wall fruit trees, we would 

 advise canvas curtains, so fixed as to be removeable at pleasure ; 

 their expense is generally the great drawback, but against this 

 should be placed a crop, or rather many crops, of fruit, as the 

 canvas will, with care, last for years. They will also serve to 

 protect Plums, Cherries, Ice, and retard ripening, which is 

 a matter of great importance where famiUes do not visit their 

 country seats till the autumn. Whatever covering may be 

 used for protecting the blossom of wall trees, the ends should 

 be secured so as to prevent a current of cold air passing be- 

 tween the wall and protecting material, as, in this case, the 

 destruction of the bloom is almost certain. If it is necessary 

 to dig among fruit trees, let it be done as shallow as possible, 

 BO as not to injure the roots. Weed Strawberry plants before 

 the weeds begin to grow much. Look over the fruit in the 

 fniit-room ; if it is damp, open the windows a few hours on 

 a fine day. 



• FLOWEK GAKDES. 



If the plants with which the beds in the flower garden are 

 to be planted this season are not decided upon, the sooner 

 this is done the better. Proceed with the planting out of 

 biennials of all kinds, and prepare a piece of ground for a sow- 

 ing cf Anemone coronaria, hortensis, and vitifolia. Anemones 

 delight in a strong rich soil, and a rather shady situation in 

 summer. Sow the seed, after it has been well rubbed in sand, 

 in shallow drills 9 inches apart, and cover with rich soil. A 

 sowing of Ten-week Stocks to be made on a warm sunny 

 border, cover with litter or mats at night until the seeds begin 

 to vegetate. Sow likewise a geneial assortment of hardy 

 annuals, such as Clarkias, Collinsias, Leptosiphons, Nemo- 

 philas, &c. Herbaceous borders, if not dressed over in the 

 autumn, must be attended to immediately, and either fresh 

 compost or manure must be added to the plants that are 

 weakly. 



GREEXHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



Potting will now be a matter of daily occurrence, and on the 

 mode in which this is performed will depend the future success 

 of the plant. We need say little here about the propriety of 

 using fibrous soil or about thorough drainage, these matters 

 are tolerably well known ; but a few words to the amateur as 

 to the best mode of watering newly potted plants in general 

 may be acceptable. Let it be a rule, then, never to water a 

 fresh-potted plant. The soil for potting should be neither wet 

 nor dry, one is as great an evil as the other ; it should of the 

 two incline to dryness, and should be pressed tolerably firm. I 



The watering at first should not be performed in order to 

 settle the soil— this means shutting out the atmosphere, but 

 merely with the mtentionof preventing the soil from becoming 

 any drier. Hard baUs should be soaked in water a day previous 

 to shifting. The families of CameUia, Acacia, C.nisus Rho- 

 dodendron, Eutaxia, Citrus, Epacris, Correa, Azalea, and last 

 but not least the Eose, wiU be a blaze of beauty where plant- 

 growing 13 well attended to. They will now require abundance 

 of water. Dispense with fire heat in the conservatory as much 

 as possible, and admit air on all favourable occasions. On 

 still nights the house may be damped and the sj-ringe used • 

 and as the plants exhibit vigour atmospheric moisture may be 

 increased generaUy. In the greenhouse continue the necessary 

 operations of shifting, training, and the general arrangement 

 ot the plants. The employment of soil containing a consider- 

 able portion of decomposed vegetable fibre must obviously be 

 suitable to dwarf-growing plants, the natural habit of which 

 leads us to the supposition that such soU existing on the sur- 

 face must form, from its being readily available to them, their 

 congemal and natural food. 



STOVE. 



Attend to the disrooting and pruning back of Jnsticias, 

 Vincas, Clerodendrons, Eranthemums, Geissomerias Plum- 

 bagos, Poinsettias, Erythrinas, &c., at least those exhausted by 

 flowermg, or a few for early work. Orchids are now swelling 

 fast ; and many of the blocks and baskets of Stanhopeas, Gon- 

 goras, Dendrobiums, &c., will require to be syringed abont 

 twice a-week. Let this be done early on sunny mornings, and 

 give air freely for a couple of hours, for fear of moisture lodging 

 amongst the buds. Terrestrial Orchids in general wiU do 

 better in loamy turf and leaf mould (not too much decayed), 

 blended with the lumps of peat. Eenew moss on blocks forth- 

 with. 



PITS AND FEAUES. 



Here the work needs no pointing out. The means of pro- 

 viding room after the plants are potted is the greatest difficulty 

 m most gardens. Cahco dressed with Whitney's composition 

 at the cost of 5d. per yard will answer as a protective material 

 after plants are first potted off. Choice annuals, such as 

 Brachycome iberidifolia, Viscaria ocnlata, Mesembryanthemum 

 tricolor, Portulacas, Clintonias, and the hke, should always be 

 potted off as soon as they are sufiiciently large to handle, and 

 afterwards be placed in a warm moist atmosphere, with plenty 

 of air in mild weather, until they are properly established. 

 Sow m a brisk heat Martynia fragrans and diandra, the different 

 varieties of Thunbergias and Ipomsas, Convolvulus major and 

 minor, and, where they are admired, the common yellow and 

 other Lupines. — W. Kease. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



As yet little has been done in the open ground except some 

 trenching. WiU plant out and sow Peas and Beans the first 

 favourable opportunity. Planted a row of Tom Thumb Pea- 

 nice stubby plants— in front of the latest orchard-house ; will 

 also plant a row of more forward ones, and some' of DiUist'one's 

 Early in the earher orchard-house, and we set a row in 10-inch 

 pots on the border in front of the wall of that house, removing 

 them from the Peach-house where they stood on a shelf ex- 

 temporised by placing three iron rods, covered with moss, on 

 the top of pots to bring them near enough the glass. The Peas 

 were showing the first tendency to draw, and the moving of 

 them will keep them stubby, and bring them, with more hght, 

 sooner into full bloom. This shelf was again filled with Dwarf 

 Kidney Beans, transferred without breaking the ball, from 

 40-sized pots into 16's, and the soil previously mellowed by 

 standing two or three days in a warm place. It is hardly right 

 to say that the balls in these small pots were untouched, as the 

 fingers were inserted a little along the outside to disentangle 

 the fibres. The only advantage of such transplanting is that 

 room is husbanded, but at the expense of labour ; and in all 

 such transplanting and repottipg at this season much of future 

 success and freedom from insects depend on not chilling the 

 young roots with cold soil. 



With rats and mice there has been great difiiculty in keeping 

 Peas and Beans, even under protection, and in these cold, frosty 

 mornings the garden was so like a pheasantry that not a Pea 

 would have been left if not securely netted. When planted 

 out 3 or 4 inches in height and staked at once, even pheasants 

 and partridges seldom meddle much with them, and after the 



