324 



JOTTBNAL OP HORTIODLTUBB AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



[ Ooinber 8, 1874 



10 to 12 inches apart, flush to the surface, and 30 inches be- 

 tween the rows, and then well earthed-np like Potatoes. They 

 must be kept well earthed-up until the day one is ready to bud 

 them; then carefully unearth them, taking the soil well away 

 from the stock on each side close to the root. Clean the 

 stocks from earth or damp before budding. Bud low, and bind 

 the cotton wall round so as to cover up every part of the in- 

 cision made by the knife ; leave the cotton on for three weeks 

 before untying. Be very careful to keep the earth well away 

 from the bud so as to kuep the cotton dry, or the buds may 

 probably damp.off. Allow the Briars to remain until the 

 following spring, then cut-off to the eye the same as standards. 

 Good Briars are the most essential things you have to seek 

 after, and I think it is very doubtful if they can be purchased 

 at the low price mentioned.— J. Mayo, Corn Market Street, 

 Oxford. 



NOTES ON- VILLA .^nd SUBUKBAN GARDENING. 



Pekhaps out of the whole year there is not a month which 

 brings more important work with it than October. The garden 

 ought to be thoroughly overhauled, aud any alterations con- 

 templated must be now planned ; and in my opinion it is the 

 best of all seasons for planting and root-pruning fruit trees, and, 

 in fact, plants in general may now be safely transplanted. All 

 evergreen shrubs may also be removed, especially those of 

 large dimensions which have been previously prepared. It is 

 a very good plan, whore the soil is not well drained or is natu- 

 rally heavy and wet, to dig out the holes some time before 

 planting, and allow the soil to be exposed to the weather and 

 become somewhat sweetened. Some gardeners insist upon this 

 being done in every case, and as it is a step in the right direc- 

 tion good results may be expected from it. The holes should 

 also be dug up at the bottom fully a foot more in depth than 

 that at which the plant is to be placed, and in filling-in the soil 

 the sides of the hole should be broken down. The principal 

 advantage in this is that it allows the water to pass away, 

 instead of holding it there in the form of a basin to the great 

 injury to the plant; and again, when the roots reach the outside 

 of the hole proper, there is no check to their taking hold of the 

 fresh soil. 



It is time now to finish the planting of Winter Greens and 

 Coleworts ; and, in fact, everything that has yet a little season 

 before it, should be planted without delay. Earth-up the later 

 t-rops of Celery at every opportunity during the month in fine 

 weather, and take care in doing so that the earth is first broken 

 up fine, and at every earthing the first lot of earth should be 

 put round with the hand and pressed tightly, none being allowed 

 to go into the heart of the plant, otherwise it will most likely 

 cripple the latter, and by its holding moisture will cause decay. 

 While the weather is mild Celery may be expected to continue 

 growing, therefore do not throw the earth up too high, but at 

 the last earthing it will not matter so much. 



Take up the crops of Carrots, Beetroot, Salsafy, Scorzonera, 

 and some of the Parsnips. Do not trim any of the former too 

 closely at the crown, and with Beet the root should not be 

 broken, or both colour and flavour leave it in the cooking, 

 iisparagus beds must now be attended to by cutting ofi the 

 summer's growth. Clear the beds, cover the roots or crowns 

 with a little manure, and on the top of this put a little soil. Cut 

 down the sides, and let them remain for the winter. Lettuces — 

 plant-out as many as possible in every available corner, and means 

 must be taken to place a quantity of them in frames for early 

 spring planting; the same may be said of Cauliflowers, a few 

 protected in frames are very handy if the winter should prove 

 severe. List winter, the weather being so mild, they stood 

 remarkably well under walls without protection. Prepare places 

 to receive the earliest crops of Endive, which may be taken up 

 by the root with a little soil adhering to it and kept all the 

 winter. The roots of the Broad-leaved Batavian and of Friser's 

 Broad-leaved, if preserved in winter and planted again in dry 

 soil, throw up some fine, fresh, tender leaves, which, if blanched 

 the same as Chicory, are very nice, and come in useful when 

 the supply of salading is short. Gather the ripe fruit of 

 Tomatoes, and that which is just begun to change may also be 

 taken off, and if laid in the sun under cover for a few days it soon 

 ripens. The wet cracks the fruit if hanging out of doors too 

 long, and then it rots suddenly. 



It is time now that all fruit were housed, therefore gather 

 every sort, and in the most careful manner too, for the slightest 

 bruise at this time tells upon the fruit hereafter, and affects its 

 keeping properties. About here Apples are rather a short crop, 

 and therefore every care must be taken not to spoil them. This 

 mouth is the time when such tender trees as the Peach are 

 much benefited by the sun in so far as the ripening of the wood 

 goes; therefore any superfluous wood which will hinder the ripen- 

 ing process should be taken out, and that left to form the trees 

 should be assisted towards the above object. I presume that 

 since rain has fallen some of the trees are starting into growth 



again ; now this should be checked or removed, for it will do no 

 good whatever. 



Let us now look into the flower garden; and here I must re- 

 mind everyone that it is time to take up all plants required for 

 autumn decoration, and to have places prepared for the reception 

 of other stock when the time comes. I allude to such things eb 

 old plants of bedding Geraniums which it is desired to preserve, 

 and other things as well : all these may be potted-up with the view 

 of keeping them in as close quarters as possible. In order to be 

 safe with all sorts of pot plants that have been standing out of 

 doors, and the autumn-struck bedding plants also, they should 

 all be now placed under cover. When this is done let every 

 plant be cleaned and the pots washel. Afterwards allow them 

 plenty of air when the weather is favourable, and in order to 

 make sure of health iu the plants they should he fumigated with 

 tobacco within a fortnight after admission. As I presume that 

 all propagation except that of Calceolarias is finished, it will bo 

 lime to prepare a frame for these. I would advise that, first, the 

 frame have a foot of rough manure at the bottom pressed firmly, 

 then (J inches of common soil, and afterwards about the same of 

 soil finely sifted, and a good quantity of sand mixed with it. 

 Let the whole be thick enough to bring the soil up to within 

 8 or il inches of the glass; level it down, and beat it firm. In 

 this place the cuttings in rows '^ inches apart, water them after- 

 wards, and keep the lights close; and although the cuttings do 

 enjoy the light, they must on no account be allowed to flag from 

 the force of the sun ; the object should be to keep the cuttings 

 as fresh as possible, and therefore it will do them good to be 

 occasionally sprinkled with water. After they are rooted air 

 must be given freely ; for they ought not to grow much during 

 the dull days of winter. They must be protected from frost, and 

 therefore material for that purpose should be prepared. Doubt- 

 less before next month is out the frame will require to be pro- 

 tected round the sides by a lining of leaves or any other rough 

 rubbish to keep out the frost. Herbaceous Calceolarias aud 

 Cinerarias must be potted this month ; the latter will, no doubt, 

 take their blooming pots, but the former will require another 

 shift or two in November, as they grow very fast at this time of 

 year. Prepare soil for Hyacinths, Tulips, &c., of which next 

 week I will give a list of a few good varieties. — T. Record. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST AND PRESENT WEEKS. 



KITCHEN AND IRUIT OAKDEN. 



The season is now upon us when we are driven to our wits' 

 end to continue a supply of the choicer description of vegetables. 

 As usual the later-sown Peas did badly, and this can only be 

 accounted for by the nature of the soil. Light soil on a gravelly 

 subsoil does not suit any crops of vegetables, and Peas succumb 

 to the nature of the soil more readily than any other crop, with 

 the exception of Broccoli, which refuses to grow under any cir- 

 cumstances. It is almost enough to make one envious to see 

 the fine crops of Peas this month in Scotland; but then the soil 

 is rich, well worked, aud resting on a clay subsoil. A very little 

 mildew only was present on the plants. The varieties that 

 looked remarkably well were Veitch's Perfection and Bishop's 

 Dwarf. One would have thought that the last-named variety 

 would have been elbowed out of existence by the new introduc- 

 tions. Not so, however ; it still boldly held its own against 

 such a fine variety as Perfection. When sowing for the latest 

 crops it is always best to sow the early and late varieties at the 

 same time. It is likewise important to allow sufficient space 

 between the rows, not less than 1 feet — 1! feet would be better 

 — and let the rows run north and south. We remove Cauli- 

 flowers to a dark shed as they are ready for use. They will not 

 keep long in a condition for the table under any oircumstances. 

 We have stripped the outer leaves off, and cut the others close 

 over with the top of the head ; the stalks were left long enough 

 to be inserted to the depth of S or i inches in damp sand. The 

 other method, which is preferable, is to strip a few of the outer 

 leaves and hang up with the heads downwards. The heads not 

 yet sufficiently advanced to use have the leaves bent or broken 

 over them. 



We stUl under all favourable circumstances keep the hoe at 

 work amongst all growing crops, not only because the weeds 

 grow like magic, but because all vegetables are much benefited 

 by the ground being frequently stirred amongst them, even more 

 BO at this season than at any other. Forwarding digging and 

 trenching. It is well to let the ground be thrown up to expose 

 it to the action of the atmosphere ; and how much more tidy a 

 garden looks in the winter, when the quarters are all dug, than 

 when they are left as the crops were taken from them and also 

 partly covered with weeds ! 



GREENHOUSE AND C0N8ERVAT0UV. 



Removing Chrysanthemums into the house. Last year the 

 buds were touched with a rather sharp frost that we had in the 

 first week in October, and the result was a large proportion of 

 malformed flowers on the plants that were grown for exhibition, 

 and the outer petals of many of them were killed outright. 

 I Where it is intended to grow flowers for exhibition it is quite 



