December 2, 1869. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOETIGULTUllE AND COTTAGE GAKDENER. 



441 



one Bide in a wooden frame swinging on bolts, is eqnally 

 eligible for the same purposes. The cloche is very liable to 

 breakage, the thick coat of litter required to protect it in 

 winter becoming matted with frost and snow, and often making 

 the footsteps of the workman uncertain, so as to bring on a 

 dangerous stumble. The improved ground vinery may be 

 covered with frigi domo, felt, or double and treble small mats, 

 so as to be perfectly frostproof, without the slovenly litter of a 

 French kitchen garden. 



My double-cordon Peaches, Pears, and Apricots occupy the 

 centre of my improved ground vinery. This single row of 

 cordons in the centre leaves a valuable space on each side in 

 which, duiing the winter and early spring, fine Lettuces may 

 be gathered, or two rows of Strawberries in pots may be par- 

 tially plunged, so as to 

 give a good early crop be- 

 fore the cordon trees are 

 in full growth. The side 

 swinging on bolls, gives 

 an easy access to all 

 that is grown in these 

 nice structures without 

 moving them, or as is 

 the case with cloches, 

 lifting them off to attend 

 to the plants under their 

 cover. 



To make my statement 

 clear, we must revert to 

 the comparative coat of 

 cloches and ground vine- 

 ries. I have stated 



above that twenty cloches would be required to give, in round 

 numbers, 20 square feet of cultivable space, the cost of which 

 would be 30s. The cost of a 7-fe6t improved ground vinery, 

 3J feet wide, may be estimated at from 22s. 6d. to 24s. in 

 this is a most convenient cultivable space of 21 square feet, 

 and in this space from six to seven rows of winter Lettuces 

 may be grown, as they do not requite to be so thinly planted 

 as summer Lettuces. We thus have at a less cost a greater 

 number of plants more easily protected, and easily comeatable. 

 without lifting and without litter. I have taken Lettuces as 

 they are the great boast of those who write about cloches, merely 

 to show that even with them the improved ground vinery is a 

 forward step, leaving out the great advantage of a combined 

 culture — cordon trees or Vines in the summer, and Lettuces 

 and Strawberries in winter and spring. 



Our other rival to the cloche is Eendle's plant-protector 



formed with common kiln bricks,* and a row of grooved bricks, 

 in which is slipped the glass, placed on them. The mott 

 eligible width for this most useful and durable structure is 

 2 feet; a 7- feet length, with 21-oz. glass, fourths, costs about 

 two-thirds the price of the same length of the improved ground 

 vinery. For Lettuces or salads three courses of common bricks 

 at the back may be used, and two courses in front, and on 

 them a row of grooved bricks. No mortar, paint, or putty is 

 required, so that a length of 50 feet may be erected iu little 

 more than two hours. For Vines or cordon trees five courses 

 of cammon bricks are required for the back, and three courses 

 for the front, but the addition of a course of bricks is the work 

 of a very short time. The cultivable space in the plant-pro- 

 tector U less than that of the improved ground vinery, but as 



its walls are perpendicu- 

 lar every inch may be 

 used. In winter the walls 

 maybe closed; iu spring 

 and summer air may be 

 admitted by shifting the 

 common bricks so as to 

 form "pigeon holes " in 

 both walls. 



The plant-protector 

 may thus be made a 

 warm shelter in the win- 

 ter, for not only salads, 

 but bedding plants, and 

 may be made frostproof 

 with coarse woollen co- 

 vericgs. It will thus be 

 seen that this second 

 rival to the cloche has many advantages, for instead of a thin 

 bell-shaped covering of glass, very cold at night, and very 

 hot by day, the bricks retain and give out heat so as to 

 neutralise the effect of slight frosts, besides which, with- 

 out the employment of long stable manure — so offensive in 

 French gardens and so untidy, winter coverings for the pro- 

 tectors and the improved ground vineries will one day be 

 manufactured of shoddy or some other cheap woollen material. 

 In ten years or so the few cloches left in this country after 

 our freezing and thawing cloudy winters, will be looked upon 

 as relics of a bygone age, for English gardeners are now on the 

 alert, end much will yet be done to help our untoward climate. 

 We shall, doubtless, yet have inventions that will put us to 

 the blush when we think of the bell-glasses of French 

 gardens having been recommended to English gardeners. — 

 Vitis-Sator, 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



EITCBEK GASDEK. 



Those who are desirous of laying the foundation for a good 

 garden in the ensuing year, should now closely review the 

 routine of cropping for the past summer, and even that of the 

 preceding year. Various rotations are practised by gardeners, 

 many of them being based on no better foundation than the 

 convenience of the hour ; but when the kitchen garden is suffi- 

 ciently extensive, and where much produce is required, the 

 rotation of crops should be carefully studied. An opportunity 

 will now occur of covering the roots of Asparafiiis with a good 

 coat of the best rotten manure. Hard frosts frequently do 

 serious injury to the roots, owing to the want of such pro- 

 tection. Celery ground will answer well for a new plantation ; 

 it should be ridged to mellow as the stocks are taken up. The 

 great difficulty is to procure fresh ground for the Cabbage 

 tribe, so numerous are the kinds, as well as successions, in cul- 

 tivation. Broken-up plantations of Strawberries, Raspberries, 

 and other bush fruit, with Celery ground, should at all times 

 be set apart for some of the Cabbage tribe. The ground iu 

 which Celery has been grown, especially in the Scotch or bed 

 fashion, is also suitable for new Asparagus beds. Potatoes 

 prepare ground well for almost any crop. Deep or tap-rooted 

 crops should bo succeeded by shallow or fibrous-rooted ones. 

 Carrots and Onions in rich kitchen gardens, will be found a 

 much safer crop if grown on high-raised beds without any 

 manure. The best policy with Lettuces intended for the supply 

 nest spring, is to allow them to freeze tolerably firm before 

 covering them up. A very light screen of straw should be 

 shaken over them at first, and when thi-s is frozen add a little 

 more, the object being to keep them frozen as long as possible. 



Above all, do not uncover them when a thaw arrives ; let them 

 remain until completely thawed. When the course of cropping 

 has been decided upon for the ensuing year, and duly entered 

 with numbers in the garden book, the usual practice is to set 

 up laths opposite to the space appropriated for each crop, with 

 a number corresponding with the book, and the name of the 

 crop on one side, and on the other the name of the manure, if 

 any, and its quantity, with the mode of cultivation— digging or 

 trenching. This done, a labourer who can read the label can 

 set out or proceed with the work at any spare time. This, 

 therefore, is a matter which should receive attention. As 

 severe weather may be expected, everyone possessing a garden 

 should, as far as possible, protect anything tender. 



Fr.niT GARDEN. 



In all cases in which the leaves have fallen, proceed with 

 pruning and nailing. See that standard trees which have been 

 recently moved or root-pruned are firmly secured against 

 winds ; also finish any root-pruning or transplanting remainiEg 

 to be done. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



In most gardens leaves can be collected, and when properly 

 managed they form, perhaps, the most useful source of bottom 

 heat with which we are acquainted, except, of course, hot 

 water. If not already done, the leaves necessary for carrying 

 on the business of the ensuing year should be collected as early 

 as possible, and laid close together to heat. After fermenting 

 forthree weeks or a month, they will be in excellent order for 

 use; in this state they will both heat with more certainty and 



• Kilu bricts are more ri'Sulai' in their sliape than stock bricks. 



