May 0, 1876. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTIODLTUEB AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



3S1 



Then we have to guard against premature Bwelling of the 

 buds, as in a warm and moist autumn trees which have fruited 

 early and been at rest some time are liable to be excited even 

 when exposed. The best thing for retarding the growth is to 

 cover the house, in place of the lights, with straw shutters — 

 lath frames covered with straw, doting the house during the 

 day, but having top and front ventilation at night. This will 

 keep the trees cool and ward off the sun, which dormant 

 Peach trees cannot long endure without the buds swelling. 

 The straw shutters may be removed in dull weather, or remain 

 on until replaced by the lights. It ought also to be borne in 

 mind that the water in the pipes for heating will, if frost long 

 continue and be severe enough, freeze, and may crack the 

 pipes. Either they must be empty at such a time, or the 

 valves raised a little, so as to warm the water and prevent 

 freezing. I will conclude the introductory observations by 

 stating the border outside is to be covered with C inches of 

 fresh rather short stable litter and leaves ; the inside border 

 thoroughly watered when the lights are put on, and the house 

 closed. 



Period of Fobcing. — The time from closing the house to 

 the fruit being ripe somewhat varies as bright or dull weather 

 prevails. The period usually extends over five months, or 

 less if the season be propitious. A house closed at the middle 

 of November will have the fruit ripe at the close of April or 

 by the Ist of May with the old kinds ; but with the Early 

 Beatrice and Early Louise Peaches, the end of March or early 

 in April. Those kinds under the same conditions as Royal 

 George and others being rather more than a month earlier 

 than the eld kinds. The house closed the middle of December 

 the fruit is ripe at the end of May or early in .June ; at the 

 middle of January the crop is ripe at the end of Jane or early in 

 July; middle of February will give ripe fruit towards the close 

 of July and early in August, and these will be followed by 

 those on walls or in houses having no artificial heat, only to 

 secure the safety of the blossom and young fruit from frost, 

 and it may be the ripening of the crop and wood in an un- 

 favourable summer. 



Temperature. — After the lights are put on and the house 

 closed, no artificial heat is to be applied the first fortnight, so 

 that forcing proper will commence on the 1st of the month 

 ensuing that of the closing of the house ; but the temperature 

 ought not to be allowed to fall below 35' at night, nor must it 

 exceed 40' by artificial means. After or during January trees 

 previously forced will have the buds in a forward state; they 

 nevertheless are to be kept cool the first fortnight, admitting 

 no air until, by sun heat, 65' is registered ; but if so far 

 advanced as to be in flower, they must have the temperature 

 as hereafter specified. After the first fortnight the minimum 

 night temperature 35% maximum 40'; day minimum 45°, 

 maximum 50' by fire heat ; sun heat 05°. The application of 

 the fire heat should be gradual, those temperatures not being 

 attained until the close of a week after applying it, still gradu- 

 ally increasing, so as to have the temperature at the end of 

 another week, when the blossoms will have in part expanded. 

 Fire : day 55' maximum, 50° minimum; night 45° maximum, 

 40° minimum ; and sun C5'. These to be continued until the 

 fruit is set and begins to swell, when the day temperature from 

 fire heat is to be kept steady at 55', night 50°, morning 45'. 

 A short time only will elapse ere it will be seen what fruit is 

 going to remain on until the stoning process — some will swell 

 quickly to the size of horse beans, whilst others will remain the 

 size of peas, and grow no larger, but drop. The temperature 

 at this stage may be — fire : day maximum (30°, minimum 55° ; 

 night maximum 55°, minimum 50° ; suu 05°, to begin admit- 

 ting air, advancing to 75° or 80°, not exceeding the latter 

 without full ventilation, nor 75° without full top or back air. 

 We continue at the latter temperature until we see which 

 fruit is going to stone, and as some may cease swelling and 

 drop, know those remaining are undergoing that process, and 

 will remain, so far as swelling is concerned, almost stationary. 

 So soon as this is completed, which may be known by trying 

 a fruit with a knife, after a fortnight or three weeks of the 

 standstill state of the fruit, or when the fruit again commences 

 to swell, it may be taken for certain the stoning is completed, and 

 the temperature be gradually raised by fire heat— day C5'-G0°, 

 night GO°-55 , sun 75° to 80° or 90' ; and by the close of another 

 week fire heat by day 75'-70', night 05'-G0°, sun 75'-85°-90', 

 and continue until the fruit is ripe. 



After all the fruit is ripe the trees must not be exposed too 

 suddenly to a lower temperature, but it may be gradually 

 lowered as regards the ixight temperature, securing to them a 



minimum of 55° by artifioial means, until it is afforded by 

 natural heat. — G. Abbex. 



THE SPKING BULBS IN HYDE PAEK. 



Tnocon it is not in my power to write a very glowing de. 

 scription, a few plain notes may probably be of some little 

 interest. Mr. Luckhurst's notes show that bulbs in Sussex are 

 much earlier than here. Hyacinths can scarcely be said to 

 have arrived to their full beauty, while of Tulips but few kinds 

 are in flower. 



As in the case of summer bedding, the principal masses of 

 colour in Hyde Park are in the beds running parallel with Park 

 Lane, between Stanhope Gate and Grosvenor Gate. The beds 

 are on turf in a double line. The whole of the double line of 

 beds are planted alternately with blue, white, pink, or red 

 Hyacinths, varying, of course, in shades of colour; each bed 

 or each pair of beds being devoted entirely to one colour. All 

 are edged with Crocuses, now out of flower. On the whole, 

 these beds have a very pretty and pleasing effect, especially at 

 a short distance, as on closer inspection one discerns a few 

 faults in the way of gaps and unevenness in growth. 



The Tulips, which occupy the single line of beds, are alto- 

 gether wanting — at least at present, bjing backward, and are 

 much disfigured and crippled in foliage, the effects doubtless of 

 the long and severe cold. There are here only three varieties 

 well in flower — namely, Vermillion Brilliant (which is dwarf 

 and good in point of colour), Kejzers-Kroon, and White Potte- 

 bakker. Some little allowance of coarse must be made for the 

 times of flowering, as spaces will always intervene between 

 them more or less according to the selection. 



Adjoining the Albert Gate, where the Palms and semi-tropical 

 plants are usually placed, are some few beds of mixed Tulips, 

 very good, being well flowered, with fine, strong, healthy foliage ; 

 attributable, no doubt, to the somewhat more sheltered position. 



I shall not name the several kinds of Tulips which are not 

 in flower, but will give you the names of all the best Hyacinths. 

 These are^Bouquet Tendre ; Regulus, extra good ; Diebitz 

 Sabalskansky, good colour, uneven in growth ; Baron Van Tuyll, 

 fine spike; Grand Vainqueur, very good ; Robert Steiger, very 

 good; William I., very dark and good; Eclipse; L'Ami du C'ceur, 

 fine violet blue ; Crown Princess ; Charles Dickens, immensely 

 large spike ; Mimosa, deep blue or black ; Amy, pretty, but 

 rather small ; Grandeur ii Meiveille, extra good ; Uncle Tom, 

 very dark ; Queen Victoria, one of the best, and I think may 

 be fairly called the best of this batch ; La Candeur, dwarf and 

 good ; Bleu Mourant, good ; Anna Maria, double, almost if not 

 the only double, and well that it is so, as it will bear no com- 

 parison with single varieties of its colour. — C. M.\btell. 



PROTECTING POTATOES. 



Now that morning frosts are prevalent, and many tender 

 plants are in danger of being cut off, I would mention a simple 

 plan whereby I have more than once saved my early crop of 

 Potatoes. This is a crop of great value, and worthy of a little 

 extra trouble to secure it at the earliest possible date, and also 

 in profitable quantity. Frost not only throws the crop back- 

 ward, but lessens the bulk considerably. When first appearing 

 above ground the simplest plan, perhaps, is to draw the soil 

 over the leaves. Eventually they grow so high as to render this 

 impossible, and still they are endangered by late frosts. The 

 first crops are generally planted in short rows across south 

 borders, and are then easily protected by boards. A lath 

 stuck in the centre of the rows, one at each end, and two 

 boards set on edge, one on each side of the row and leaning 

 against the lath, forms a wooden roof under which the Potatoes 

 are safe from 10' of frost. It is a very simple old-fashioned 

 plan, but on that account is none the worse. Any sort of old 

 boards, 9 inches or more in width, will answer; but, it may be 

 added, the use does no harm to new boards, as they are only 

 required for a week or two. In the morning they are just 

 thrown one each way, and lay flat between the rows, or they 

 may be ridged on edge, which takes up a little more time. The 

 advantages are — the Potatoes are quickly covered and un- 

 covered, and are quite safe from any ordinary frost. I have 

 proved the plan effectual, and hence I recommend it. — Amateuk. 



THE BLACK POPLAR AND THE ASPEN. 

 Yon ("A. F." — a correspondent) have been correctly advised 

 to plant these as quick-growing trees, with light-coloured foliage 

 that will be effective in front of the dark-leaved Conifers in 



