Novomboi- 19, 1874. ] 



JODBNAL OP HORTICULTUEB AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



453 



alvice has been acted upon, all plants which will be wanted 

 aijain have been pnt under protection. The last to he secured 

 are the Dahlias, Marvel of Peru, and Echeveriasecunda glauca, a 

 plant perhaps more generally used for edgings for flower gardens 

 than any other; but it is not quite hardy, and should therefore 

 be put in a place of safety at once. This need not be under glass, 

 but simply under a wall or in any other sheltered spot. Last 

 winter, which was a very mild one, many of my plants had no 

 protection ; but the season before that, and also at the present 

 time, I dug out a trench 4 feet wide and 1 foot in depth, and laid 

 ii or 4 inches of sandy soil at the bottom. The plants were 

 taken from the garden, put-in thickly, and covered with hoops 

 and mats at night ; and if the weather proved severe the usual 

 protection of rough fern was thrown on. Unless it froze the 

 whole day they were always uncovered, if only for an hour or 

 two. Dahlias and other similar-rooted things of the same degree 



I of tenderness were taken up and placed in a cool dry shed, with 

 their roots covered in dry earth. 



Take up bulbs of Gladiolus if not already done. The com- 

 monest sorts, such as Brenchleyensis, may have their bulba 

 packed in sand or dry earth ; and other sorts, such as the choice 

 named ones, should be wrapped in paper with the names at- 



' tached, and placed in the storeroom. Clear every bed and 

 border; dress the surface of the ground, and mark out all vacant 

 places, so that other subjects may be planted for spring-bloom- 



I ing without delay. 



Carnations in frames must be made secure from frost, and in 

 mild weather, or even when the thermometer is a few degrees 

 above the freezing point, give air freely; and when watering the 

 plants do it carefully, so as not to wet the foliage. Take care 

 also that the roots do not run through the bottom of the pot and 

 take hold of the soil. 



Fig. 12'J. — TUE FLOWEB GARDEN AT KNEEWOIiTII. 



Cinerarias that are to bloom in small pots should have the 

 side shoots picked off. If one flower stem only is left, and that 

 the centre or largest one, it will produce a very fine head of 

 bloom, and be more satisfactory than if there were more of 

 them. 



OEEE.NHOnSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



Fuchsias done blooming should have their most straggling 

 shoots shortened, and be gradually dried-off. Achimenes of sorts 

 should also be stowed away, but neither these nor Fuchsias will 

 need any water for three weeks, and if on a damp bottom not 

 for six weeks, or even longer. Solanum Capsicastrum will now 

 be very pretty with its scarlet berries, and should be set in 

 the most conspicuous places. Chrysanthemums, too, must not 

 have any water dashed over their flowers, for this will cause them 

 to rot. Primulas, the forwardest of which will now be coming 

 into flower, must stand where they can dry themselves freely 

 after beint: watered : it is the stagnation of water about their 

 necks which causes so many of them to damp-off. Adiantums 

 and Lyoopods, as well as many other of the tenderest greenhouse 

 plants, must be placed in the warmest end of the house ; and 

 slugs, which are exceedingly fond of the young fronds, must 

 be regularly looked after. They will be best found at night, as 

 they will then be at their work of destruction. Heaths of the 

 hyemalis type, as well as autumnalis and others, will now be 

 coming into bloom, and must be placed where there is a free 

 circulation of air ; a want of this provision often brings mildew, 

 which is so destructive to this class of plants and so very diffi- 

 cult to get rid of. Pelargoniums will also need careful tending 

 to guard against damp. There is a disease which appears on 



the leaf called the sjiot ; to prevent this they must have a dry 

 foliage when the sun shines on them. These and the Cinerarias 

 will need frequently fumigating with tobacco paper, but always 

 when the foliage is dry — a rule which should he observed on all 

 plants that have to undergo this process. Lachenalias of sorts 

 which are started well into growth should be brought near the 

 glass ; and the same may be said of Cyclamens, wbich are now 

 advancing, and must have air freely, but at no time a close damp 

 atmosphere. 



Gesnera zebrina and others are all handsome-foliaged plants. 

 If they do not flower in a cool greenhouse their foliage makes 

 them attractive objects on the dinner table aa well as for general 

 decoration ; but in a warm house, not a stove heat, they may be 

 expected to flower fairly. 



Some of the early Hyacinths potted some time ago will no 

 doubt be making a growth, if allowed to remain under the 

 covering much longer they will become injured ; so with early 

 Tulips : therefore take all such out, place them either in a 

 frame or under a stage out of the full ligbt for the present, and 

 cover them over in the daytime with pots of the same size, 

 taking these off at night. After a few days, when it is seen 

 that the growth is gradually becoming green, the pots may be 

 left off altogether. 



The variegated section of Pelargoniums, which includes gold 

 and silver-variegated, the bronze section, the gold-leaved, as 

 well as the ordinary variegated sorts — ^if any of these are in 

 frames they should be moved to drier quarters, if possible in the 

 greenhouse, so that their foliage may keep good, which it seldom 

 does thronghout the winter in damp cold frames. These, with 



