454 



JODBNAL OF HOKTIOULTUBE AND COTTAOE GAEDENER. 



[ November 19, 1874. 



the old plants of Mrs. Pollock, may be preserved two, three, or 

 even four in a pot of dry earth when only required for bedding ; 

 but if needed for specimens for pot-culture they mast have a 

 little more than the ordinary care bestowed upon them. — 

 Thomas Eecobd. 



DOIKQS OP THE LAST AND PRESENT WEEKS. 



KITCHEN G.UiDEN. 



The weather np to the middle of last week had been very 

 mild, which caused the fruit- buds on all trees to grow or plump- 

 up rather more than usual ; indeed, in mild weather all through 

 the winter months, Apple, Pear, Cherry, Plum, and other fruit 

 trees are making progressive movement. On Wednesday, the 

 11th, the thermometer registered 5' of frost, and on the even- 

 ing of Wednesday a stiff north-easter sprung up, with a few 

 degrees of frost and a dry bracing atmosphere, which continues 

 as we write. Of course as the alleys were quite hard, wheeling 

 manure and trenching were the order of the day. We had been 

 cutting the lawn early in the week, and up to that time had 

 been regularly cutting it. Some portions of our kitchen garden 

 had been made up at different times, and has therefore sunk in 

 places. An opportunity has been taken to fill these np with 

 soil excavated to enlarge a Vine border. 



Celery in our light soil is OKtremely liable to decay at the 

 heart ; but it would almost seem to be the atmospheric con- 

 ditions which have most to do with it. As eartbing-up with 

 some other material does not make very much difference to us, 

 cocoa-nut fibre refuse was tried fresh from the works, and in 

 this clean material, which had been found to answer in other 

 places, the result was even more unsatisfactory. A plan has 

 been tried by which a cord has been fixed above the row, raised, 

 say, a foot above the top of the ridge, some good wheat straw is 

 placed over it and bent at the middle, so that a light thatch is 

 made ; elevated as it is above the ground by the cord, very little 

 rain can get to the centre of the plants. 



We will, if possible, have the Baspherrij plants pruned, and 

 the ground between the rows dug with a steel fork this month. 

 The plants are trained in two ways, but preference must be 

 (.'iven to that by which the canes can be tied to a wire fixed in a 

 horizontal position about 3 feet above the surface of the ground. 

 When this method of training is adopted the plants are in rows 

 in inches apart, or for the strongest-growing sorts 2 feet are 

 allowed; the canes are then tied to the wire, allowing about 

 (1 inches between each ci:ne. The rows must be not less than 

 ■1 feet apart to allow of the fruit being gathered readily, and no 

 advantage would be gained if the rows were closer, as sun and 

 air would not be freely admitted to them. Fresh plantations 

 may be made now. 



If Currots, Beet, Farsnips, Sahnfi/, Scor-onera, and other 

 roots have not been stored, no time should be lost now if frost 

 will permit of its being done. Many persons have had their 

 roots stored weeks ago, but nothing is gained bj^ storing them 

 very early, as the quality does not improve after the roots are 

 tiiken out of the ground; indeed, in the case of Parsnips we 

 would not take them out of the ground at all, but when hard 

 frosts set-in it is troublesome to get at them, and altogether it is 

 most convenient when all are packed together in sand in a cool 

 shed. The person who has to cater for the kitchen supply of 

 vegetables will always approve of this arrangement. 



VINERIES. 



It was stated in a contemporary two years or more ago of 

 some Grapes which were cut with the branch, the end of this 

 inserted in a bottle of water in the usual way, and the whole 

 placed in a fruit-room in the manner so frequently practised 

 within the last few years, that during a severe frost the Grapes 

 were frozen, and even the water in the bottles had ice upon it, 

 and yet the fruit kept good for some time after — in fact, all the 

 better, it was said, for the freezing. Now that is contrary to all 

 the experience we have had with Grapes in the vineries. If the 

 thermometer falls to the freezing-point the fruit decays more 

 rapidly afterwards. It is therefore our endeavour to keep the 

 temperature up to -10" at night at present, removing all decay- 

 ing leaves and mouldy hemes ; the moisture evaporating from 

 leaves in the process of decay tends more to spoil the appear- 

 ance of the bunches than the atmospheric conditions existing 

 outside, bad as these are in the neighbourhood of Loudon, 

 Manchester, and other large cities. With care fogs may be 

 guarded against, but a little forethought is necessary. It is 

 no use getting-up a brisk fire in the morning and opening the 

 ventilators when King Fog holds sway. If any ventilators are 

 open the damp air will get in, and will continue to pour in 

 while the fog lasts. The best way is to keep doors, windows, 

 and ventilators closed, and only sufficient heat in the hot-water 

 pipes to maintain a proper temperature in the house. 



We have not yet started the early vinery, but those who have 

 must not maintain a high temperature at night; they should 

 shut-up early in the afternoon, and allow the pipes to become 

 just milk warm, unless it is a sharp frost, when the heating ap- 

 paratus must be warmed more, but not so as to have the house 

 up to a certain temperature at all hazards. 



In previous numbers we have recommended the use of some 

 fermenting material in vineries. In country gardens at this 

 season fallen leaves can be obtained in quantity, and if a good 

 bed of them can be made-up in the house they throw off a 

 sweet heat and sufficient moisture. Our own system is to save 

 the droppings from the stables, wheel-in a barrowload every 

 alternate morning, and this fresh material is mixed with that 

 which has become sweet by frequent turning, so that little danger 

 arises from an excess of rank steam. When preparing the 

 Vines for forcing at this early season the rods should be beht 

 down, so that the ends of the canes may be brought near the 

 front sashes. Unless this is done the buds nearest the top would 

 start first, and those at or near the base would start weakly. 



FLOWER GABDEN AND SHRUBBERY. 



We have run the mower over the lawn, we trust for the last time 

 this season. All the edgings were neatly clipped. The beds in- 

 tended to be planted with spring flowers should be filled with 

 them as soon as possible if it is not already done, and beds not 

 planted ought to be dug up, forked over, or neatly raked. Shrub- 

 beries may have the open spaces planted with bulbs or flowering 

 plants. Some of the different species of Lilies are well adapted 

 for this purpose, and nothing thrives better than the different 

 species of Convallaria. C. Polygonatum, or, as it is popularly 

 called, Solomon's Seal, grows more freely in certain positions 

 amongst shrubs than it does when more freely exposed. How 

 sweet also is the Lily of the Valley for such purposes ! Phloxes 

 do well if not shaded too much, but the ground for such gross 

 feeders must be rich, and the plants should be renewed every 

 second year. Another plant that is not seen so often in promi- 

 nent positions in such places is the Tree Pasony (Pseonia arborea). 

 There are now scores if not hundreds of distinct varieties, and 

 the different shades of colour in the noble flowers, from delicate 

 rose to deep red, are set off to great advantage by the deep green 

 of the background. A few of the best sorts should be cultivated 

 in all gardens. — J. Douglas. 



PROVINCIAL HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITIONS. 



[Secretaries will oblige us by informing ns of the dates ou 

 which exhibitions are to be held. Although we cannot report 

 them fully, we shall readily note anything especially excellent, 

 and we wish for information on such specialities to be sent 

 to us.] 



NOVEMBER. I 



01iolt6nham(ChrT8anUi.)..23aud 24 Birmingliam 

 Kojal Hort. Society of Ii-eland . . 2(j 



DEOEUBBR. York 



Manchester 1 aud 2 I 



DECEMBER. 



{Chrysanthemum ) 



1 and 2 

 1,2, aud !i 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

 ',* All coiTe>-pondence should he directed either to " The 

 Editors," or to "The Publisher." Letters addressed to 

 Mr. Johnson or Dr. Hogg often remain unopened unavoid- 

 ably. We request that no one will write privately to any 

 of our ctrrtspondents, as doing so subjeots them to un- 

 justifiable trouble and expense. 

 Correspondents should not mix up on the same sheet questions 

 relating to Gardening and those on Ponltry and Bee sub- 

 jeots, and should never send more than two or throe 

 questions at once. All articles intended for insertion 

 should be written on one side of the paper only. We 

 cannot reply to questions through the post. 

 Supplement {.4 Yotmii Subscriber]. — You did not count the number of 

 pages in each — there are four supplemental. 



Baspherkv Pi.antino (F. E. B.).— You may plant now and until early in 

 February. Tho following are superior :— Carter's Prolific, red ; Fastolf , pur- 

 plish red; October lied, Sweet Yellow Autwei-p, aud October Yellow. 



GoERNsEV Lilies (Q. D.).— Tho bulbs can be pui'chased of any of the 

 florists who advertise in our colunma. 



Grapes Scaldino (S. O.).— We think what yon so name most bo the 

 " spot." If BO, watering the roots with tepid very weak liquid manure during 

 the growing season would probably remove the evil. If you sent us two or 

 three berries in a box we could be sure of the disease required to be avoided. 



Spit Manure (D<j/il.— Any thoroughly-deccmposed manure that can be 

 du^' with the spade is so designated. 



Potatoes. — "I have grown Sutton's Hundredfold Flake this season, and 

 for table use find them white, mealy, and of good flavour. The circumstances 

 under which "D. W. W." has grown or cooked them may have had a great 

 deal to do with the waxy condition. — J. Knowles, Blacl-bitrn." 



" I am of the same opiniun as your correspondent, " D. VV. W.," respecting 

 the Hundredfold Fluke. Mine are waxy and rather strong to the taste, 

 though my soil is excellent for Potato-growing. It is a good cropper, also of 

 a good shape. I intend giving it another trial next year, and am inclined to 

 think they wUl be better if kept a while longer.— M. B." 



Replacino Vines— Border for Vines (B. B.).— Tho Lady Downe's 

 which jou wish to remove and replace with Black Ilamburghs would be best 

 cleared away, the soil renewed, and young canes planted between the present 

 time and your commencing to start the Vines. We should do this as soon as 

 possible. The Vines will not do any good with their roots under the paved 

 floor, and as you cannot have a border outside without grasping it we should 

 prefer the latter, Tho border should be 3 feet deep, well drained, and consist 



