808 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICCLTUBE AUD COTTAGE GARDENER. 



( Ootsber 14, 1H9. 



amazement as they eye the monnter, evidently doubting whether 

 the ultimate verdict will be reversed, and the beetle •ntllow 

 the chick ; at Inst one more venturesome givei a peck, and by 

 degrees enmmons up sufficient courage to run off wiili it, fol- 

 lowed by the rest, each in turn possibly undertaking the carry- 

 ing business; then one bolts the dainty tit-bit. n»D«eforth 

 the mystery is solved, reminding us of Charles Lamb'i history of 

 roast pig; for as the pigstyes were continually bsiug burnt after 

 the discovery of the luxury of roast pork, especially "eratkling," 

 BO with the chicken, the second cockchafer is most uueeremcni- 

 onsly seized and devoured. 1 do not doubt that ehickuni would 

 pay tlie same attention to the crane fly, only that the Utter, if 

 not disabled, would probably not fham death, as does the eoek- 

 ohafer, but speedily fly away. When, however, they octur «o 

 tliickly as they appear to have done latterly in some parti of 

 the country, that they might be "swept up," ai " R. 1'." «ayi, 

 then probably they would be so injured as to prevent fiiKht. 

 A little boiling water would make death certain, and I fauey 

 chickens would eat them then ; if not, they might still be nseful 

 as manure. — Y. 13. A. Z. 



WORIv FOU THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Now is a good time to thoroughly drain any part of the gar- 

 den requiring drainage, to replant the Box and other edgings, 

 to mend the grass in these where it is not neeeesary to relay 

 the w hole, to prepare gravel, <!:c., for new walks, or for repairing 

 the old ones, and to make any necessary alterations. Thoroughly 

 trench and drain ground newly taken in, and every spare piece 

 in the garden, choosing suitable weather. Care should always 

 be taken not to operate on close, retentive, badly-draiued soils 

 when full of water, which they will continue to be if heavy 

 rains prevail. Broccoli now becoming too Iniuriant may be 

 checked by laying it down. Some of the Caulijlou-er plants of 

 siiitable size and age should be potted and placed in Melon 

 pits and frames, turf pits, or temporary pita made with a few 

 stakes, and interwoven with evergreen boughs, furze, heath, 

 fern, or straw. They may then be covered, when frost is likely 

 to occur, with Pea haulm, evergreen boughs, mats, or anything 

 that is convenient, laid on cross poles or sticks. A quantity 

 may also be placed in warm, sheltered borders, or comers, and 

 if taken up with balls of earth and sheltered temporarily, as 

 above recommended, both Cauliflswers and Cape Broccoli can 

 be secured in succession throughout the winter, until the early 

 varieties of Broccoli come in naturally, thus securing a regular 

 supply the whole of the year. Warm, dry borders and banks 

 should be prepared for early Peas and Beans, so that time may 

 be allowed for exposing the soil to the inflmnce of the atmo- 

 sphere. Secure the supply of the best Bed Cahhages lot pickling 

 while thc-y are sound and good, after they have had rnfBcient 

 frost to stay their natural colour. Strong plants of Lttkiee of 

 the hardy kinds should now be planted in w»ll-prepar«d, dry, 

 warm situations to stand the winter. Small Oniont, too, should 

 be thought of while they are good, for the same purpoie as the 

 Red Cabbage. See that the Pea and Scarlet Runner stokw are 

 snugly tied in bundles, stacked away neatly, and thatched 

 with reed, straw, or evergreen faggots. Prepare in wet w«»ther 

 straw mats, thatched hurdle?, &c., and tie Rns.sian Mtts in 

 readii/esB for use. Hoe and stir amongst all growing trops in 

 suitable weather, and collect all dead and detaying Uaves. 

 Those who have spare ground should still continue to put out 

 Coleworts and Cabbage plants, or if any strong plants of Savoys. 

 or the varieties of Kale, should be loft in the seed beds, by all 

 means plant them out thickly — say at the same diitance as for 

 Coleworts. Those who are fond of Turnip Grten.t at an early 

 season, if they have any overgrown bulbs left in the beds, 

 should at once colle«t them, and plant them 1 foot apart on 

 warm spots, or on sloping banks. 



FECIT GABDKN. 



Remember in collecting the late varieties of Pears, that they 

 do not generally come evenly to the proper condition to gather, 

 but ripen in small patches, while others on adjoining branches 

 cling firmly, and in some cases do not arrive at a fit condition 

 to gather for several days. The storing of fruits, as weU as the 

 after-management, must this season be accomplished with par- 

 ticular attention. The Apples and Pears iihould be carefully 

 wiped and regulated after sweating. The Medlars and Quinces 

 should be collected in good condition. To select perfect Walnuts 

 for storing, the best plan is to immerse them in water after the 

 basks are taken off, and all that are quite perfect at once sink 



to the bottom, while the imperfect ones float on the top ; even 

 those which have the least poseible deficiency in the kernel 

 will float. Those which hnve sweated chould he well cleansed, 

 by being placed in a dry sack, and shaken by two perilous from 

 end to end ; the friction will clean tuem perfectly, and then 

 they may be itored. 



FLOWXB OARDZN. 



In Bom* localities the cold nights we have lately experienoed 

 must have greatly damaged the appearance of the more tender 

 kind.i of plants, and thore which are to be saved should he re- 

 moved at once. Proceed, therefore, with potting such plants 

 witli as much dispatch as posrible, and if practicable a little 

 artiticial heat should be applied to help them to root before 

 wiuter. In general, a show of spring-flowering plants is quite 

 as acceptable as the more gaudy occupants of the parterre in 

 summer, and steps should be taken to fill up the bed.4 as they 

 are cleared, for the pnrpoee of contributing to the enjoyment 

 of spring. A miscellaneous mixture of dwarf early-blooming 

 shrubs, perennial plants, and bulbs, are most commonly planted ; 

 but in regularly laid-out beds, as in geimetrical flower gardens, 

 the diiposition of colour should be carefully considered, as 

 there is an abundance of spring-flo«rering plants and bulbs to 

 form a rich and varied display, i( properly arranged and carried 

 out. Lawns will now require daily sweeping to keep them neat ; 

 roll constantly wherever the turf U hollow, to keep a firm 

 sward. Clean gravel walks for the winter, and afterwards 

 let them be well rolled, in order that the water may pass freely 

 o9 the surface. All operations of planting, relaying turf, and 

 border-making, should bo actively proceeded with. 



OBEENHOCSK ANn COSSEBVATOBT. 



It not nnfrequently happens in otherwise well-regulated 

 establishments, that the conservatory is during the winter 

 months crammed, without regard to order and neatness, with 

 a miscellaneous assemblage of old family favourites, in the 

 shape of large Myrtles, American Aloej, Orange trees, i:c., all, 

 perhaps, very useful in decorating certain and suitalde situa- 

 tions in the open air during the summer months, hut by no 

 means proper objects in a modern conservatory, more par- 

 ticularly it it form part of the family residence, with which all 

 good conservatories ought to be connected, and where, con- 

 sequently, the greatest order and neatness are absolutely ne- 

 cessary. Those who are anxious to preserve this ornamental 

 appeadage to a mansion in all the beauty and order which is 

 possible, will devise a variety of means for the preservation o( 

 plants during the winter months, provided room cannot be 

 found for them in the other horticultural structures of the 

 ••tablishment, and as such plants will endure much hardskip 

 without injury, there will bo no great difliculty in preserving 

 them throughout an ordinary winter in temporary structures 

 erected of any dry materiel, such as fern, heath, or furze, 

 which can be conveniently obtained, taking care to provide the 

 means of giving a portion of light and air on all favourable 

 occasions. Air should bo freely admitted to the conservatory 

 whenever the weather is favourable, but it should be regulated 

 so as to avoid draught!, which nndsr any circumstances are 

 injurious. Dry weather should likewise ba taken advantage of 

 to clean the surface soil of pot plants, and to wash the outsides 

 of the pots to promote free evaporation from the soil during 

 damp weather. Great attention should likewise be bestowed 

 in keeping the shelves, stages, and paths free from dirt, de- 

 cayed leaves, .feo. Thece little attentions give houses an agree- 

 able look at a season when flowering plants ere becoming 

 scarce. Conservatory and itove climbers trained under the 

 roof will require an additional cuttinp-in to allow more light to 

 pass to the plants underneath. Such as have done blooming 

 may be well thinned out at once, and the remaining shoots 

 tied somewhat more closely together. Hardtnbergias, Sen- 

 nedyas, and other early spring-flowering climbers should, how- 

 ever, not be disturbed at this season. Before placing Gloxinias, 

 Aehimenes, and similar plants to rest, let each be labelled, in 

 order that no confusion may arise when they are wanted in 

 spring. All the above keep much better in the pots in which 

 they grow than anywhere else, and should be wintered in a 

 room or >hed where there is no danger to be apprehended from 

 frost. — W. Kean-e. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 

 Rubbish Heaps.— As a continuation of what was referred to 

 last week, we may state that in places of considerable size, it is 

 advisable to have two or three rubbish heaps in the coiuse of the 



