Angnst 5, 1863. 1 



JOTJBNAL OF HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



109 



afford a moist atmospbere, spriakling them overhead early on 

 the afternoons of bright days, and reducing the amount of air. 



STOVE. 



Such of the inmates as are intended for the decoration of the 

 conservatory in autnmn and early in winter, should be care- 

 fully looked over, shifting any that are likely to want more pot 

 room, so as to have the pots well filled with roots before the 

 flowering season. Maintain a moist atmosphere, and ply the 

 syringe vigorously upon any plant infested with the red spider. 

 With respect to Orchids, encourage any backward plants with 

 plenty of heat and moisture, while this can be safely done. See 

 that plants on blocks and in baskets are properly supplied with 

 moisture at the roots. Syringe lightly morning and evening, 

 and sprinkle the floors, i-c. frequently, so as to keep the at- 

 mosphere moist. — W. Keaxe. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAP.DEN. 



At last, on the 2Sth ult., we had a refreshing rain, not enough 

 to penetrate deeply, but enough to cool and refresh the whole 

 of vegetation on which it fell, and no doubt it would have 

 gone deeper if the surface soil had not been so warm and dry. 

 It has had a magical effect on some rows of Peas and Cauli- 

 flower which had been previously watered with sewage, and but 

 for the rain we would have followed the latter application with 

 a little clean water to make all sure. It is rarely at this season, 

 unless in a thunderstorm, that there is a sufficient downpour 

 to sink very deeply into parched soil ; and therefore it is a 

 good method where water is at command, to water pretty well 

 before some drizzling showers come, as then we receive the 

 benefit of the cool shady atmosphere. Watering in bright sun- 

 shine is only defensible when we cannot do otherwise, and then 

 the water will soon evaporate if means be not taken to prevent 

 its rising by mulching or surface- stirring. The great advan- 

 tage of the natural watering over artificial is, that it is generally 

 accompanied with a cloaded sky, and every part of a plant — 

 Btem and leaves — is refreshed as well as the roots. 



We have seen no signs of fly or blight on vegetables, but we 

 are sorry to learn that fields of Peas and Beans have had to be 

 out and used for little better than manure, owing to having 

 been crusted with the fly. The recent showers — and much 

 more abundant in the valleys round here than with us, would 

 do much to mitigate if not remove this evil. 



All crops planted out have been much refreshed, and promise 

 to grow freely, but we have planted out little more than what 

 was recently referred to, as on removing early Peas, &c., the 

 ground was more like ashes under a grate than common garden 

 soil, and planting would be of little use without a copious 

 watering. Unless more moisture comes we shall plant freely 

 in temporary beds, as this will enable us to economise water- 

 ing. We have turned the ground occupied by early Cauliflowers 

 into wide Celery beds holding four rows across, and planted it 

 at once, as the moist dung tended to make up for the dryness 

 of the soil ; but the dryness did surprise us, as the fine Cauli- 

 flowers had frequently been watered, and well mulched too. 

 The dryness of such ground must have been owing to the 

 amount of moisture evaporated from the large spreading leaves. 

 In digging out the Celery trenches we found that the roots had 

 gone deep in search of the necessary moisture. 



The rains and the cooler atmosphere will be of great benefit 

 to Turnips, especially young ones, which could scarcely hold 

 their own. When the foliage begins to cover the ground well, 

 and the land has been well cultivated, the plants are almost 

 independent and able to look after themselves. 



Our cottagers and allotment-holders should bear in mind, 

 that as Potatoes, &c,, are cleared off, it is a good time to sow 

 Turnips to come in during the winter and spring The White. 

 Dutch, the Red Stone, the American Bed-top, or Parple-top 

 rather, the Flat White Turnip, and the Strap-leaved, are the 

 best for this purpose. Those who grow and cook for them- 

 selves should not pass over the Yellow Maltese, but it is rarely 

 thsrt others than Whites are cooked in gentlemen's establish- 

 ments ; but what can be nicer than a crisp young Swede well 

 boiled and mashed ' 



A few words more about Potatoes. From the earliest-raised, 

 especially if tho tubers were a little greened by exposure, it is 

 not too late to plant in a warm border, so as to raise new 

 Potatoes in November and December. Of course these will be 

 waxy, but they may be kept over the winter bedded and mixed 

 with earth. The Potatoes, especially all the earliest ones, have 

 been good this season. Vv"e planted a few rather late, and wish 



we had not done so, as they will be rather in our way. These 

 threw up a number of small shoots instead of one or two strong 

 ones, and though we thinned the shoots considerably, the 

 produce will be later than we wanted them to be. We have 

 frequently intended to give a warning against the too fre- 

 quent use of very early waxy Potatoes. Using a few is a very 

 different affair from making such watery waxy Potatoes the 

 chief part of a meal. We have not much medical authority, 

 but considerable observation for the statement, that when cot- 

 tagers from hard times, &c., have been driven very early to 

 their Potato plots, sickness, low fever, and diarrhcea were the 

 frequent consequences. We know that it is the starch and 

 flour, and not the mere fibrine of the Potato that are chiefly 

 nourishing, and these are not much secreted when the tuber is 

 but young. Like most of the plants from which we procure 

 our sago, arrowroot, &e., the Potato belongs to a poisonous 

 family. We have had it on the authority of cattle-feeders that 

 Potato tops did more harm than good. Water in which Pota- 

 toes were boiled did anything but good to pigs, to which it was 

 given. There are few of us who at some time have not luxu- 

 riated in Irish stew, but there are few who have not knowa 

 something of heartburn when the stew was made in the usual 

 ^ay — Potatoes, meat, &c., boiled in the same liquid. These 

 effects are avoided when the Potatoes are nearly boiled in 

 separate water before they become a constituent part of the 

 stew. Oar cottage reader may depend on this, that if he boil 

 his Potatoes without breaking them— that is, if the water come 

 away clear from ihem, such water wUl be injurious rather than 

 otherwise to his pig if he keeps one. 



We have several times alluded to the earthing and non-earth' 

 ing-iip of Potatoes, dwelling on the importance of the former 

 operation, only when the tubers were so shallow as to be 

 likely to be greened by exposure to the air. We believe green- 

 ing is very good, so far as preserving tubers for planting is 

 considered, and their future vigour of growth ; but we well 

 know that greened Potatoes were unpleasant for use, and 

 always suspected they would be dangerous. We notice that 

 M. Chatel, the great French agriculturist, says, that in this 

 greened state the Potato contains a peculiar substance, called 

 solanine, which if absorbed in large quantities is a dangerous 

 poison, and which becomes more abundant as fermentation 

 advances. When we see at the vegetable stores of Paris, and 

 elsewhere. Potatoes grown more or leas green under the action 

 of the light, we ask how it is that the officeis of public health 

 do not forbid their sale. Of how many colics, diarrhcea, &c., 

 must they have been the unsuspected causes? M. Chatel, 

 therefore, strongly recommends that Potatoes designed for food 

 should be kept constantly in the dark. We have not a donbt 

 that it partaken of, greened Potatoes are not only unpleasant, 

 but dangerous. 



FRUIT GAKDEN. 



The dry weather has made our Strawberry season a short 

 one. As we write the produce is becoming small. By layering 

 and potting, we are preparing for future forcing. A good part 

 of our trees have had their summer pinching and pruning, and 

 would have all been attended to sooner, but for a press of other 

 matters not entirely connected with the garden. Gave a good 

 watering to trees in the orchard house now yielding some fruit. 

 In the Peach house we have a tree of the Walburton Admirable, 

 which has kept us in some measure in a succession of Peaches. 

 In other fruit houses, air-giving in this hot weather, and damp- 

 ing the paths and floors, have been the principal work. Melons, 

 on the whole, have been good ; in the very hot days some were 

 all the better of a piece of paper suspended over them. The 

 rains have pretty well cleared the Currants that remained and 

 had been troubled with honeydew. 



ORNAJIBNTAIi DEPAETMENT. 



A very busy week in putting lawns and walks in first-rate 

 order after the rain. The walks treated as lately described 

 will now be firm and clean for months ; and where we could 

 not with propriety machine or mow the lawn we cleared off 

 anything in the way of Plantains, Daisies, &c,, with the Daisy- 

 knife. The lawn is stUl greenish and considerably refreshed, 

 and has not been brown yet ; but, then, it does not have the 

 rich tint of green we like to see, and there are many cases 

 where machining or mowing, however slightly, would tend to 

 make it brown. 



The Scarlet Pelargoniums are now very good without any 

 artificial watering, and Calceolarias are still in their glory. 

 With occasional showers we may hope the flower beds will soon 

 do without much attention beyond picking and trimming for 

 the season, as the nights are now becoming longer, and we may 



