36 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ January 13, 1876. 



by having a supply of dry light soil just to Bprinkle along the 

 drUla to oover-in the seeds. A few barrowloada will go a long 

 way. Soil from the potting shed, if it is sifted and reserved for 

 this purpose, is as good aa anything : it is often whteled out to 

 the vegetable-mould heap, or used in some way just to get rid 

 of it. Heavy soil is also greatly improved by trenching, but too 

 much of the subsoil must not be worked-up at onoe. In our 

 early days we had some training in a garden where the soil was 

 both deep and heavy. The gardener trenched deeply, but he 

 bad an opportunity to work-in any quantity of stable manure, 

 with occasional dressings from the vegetable-mould heap. When 

 the ground was dug in winter it was thrown up quite roughly 

 or ridged ; when this was forked over in the spring the surface 

 was quite loose and in the best possible condition for cropping. 

 The crops of vegetables grown in that garden were of the very 

 best. An effort was made to have all the trenching and winter 

 digging done as early in the season as possible. 



The early Peas were sown before the frost, which came upon 

 us rather suddenly on Wednesday night. The first crop of 

 Carrots, Early Horn, are sown under ground vineries : this 

 allows us to sow much earlier than it would be safe to sow in 

 the open ground. Between the rowa of Carrots Radishes are 

 sown. The Olive-shaped or French Breakfast Kadish is the 

 variety most approved, and it is sown also in the open ground 

 for successional gatherings. The Radishes are cleared off before 

 they do any injury to the Carrots. During open weather the 

 roots of Garlic and Eschallots may be planted out if they have 

 not been planted in November. The ground should be slightly 

 ridged, and the roots be planted on the ridges a foot between the 

 rows and about 9 inches between the plants. It is best to plant 

 on ground that has been well manured for the preceding crop. 

 Lettuce will also be sown under glass in a few days. Hicks's 

 Hardy White Cos is the best strain of Paris White Cos we have 

 ever had. This variety also stands well over the winter months. 

 The plants would not escape the sparrowa unless the rowa were 

 covered with Pea-protectors. 



PINE HOUSES. 



We have a house of Queens, a few of which are throwing-up, 

 and all of them will do so as soon as the bottom heat is increased. 

 At the same time the temperature of the house will be raised 

 to 65° at night, or even 70? in mild weather. The fruit will be 

 ripe early in June; that throwing-up now will be ripe in May. 

 Ventilation is carefully attended to even in dull weather, with 

 a low temperature out of doors. The top ventilators are open a 

 very little an hour before midday, and closed about 2 p.m. ; if 

 they are opened half an inch it will do the plants good. To 

 keep up the temperature it is necessary to heat the pipes con- 

 siderably ; and until the days are longer it is better not to have 

 the evaporating troughs filled with water — that is, if they are 

 cast on the pipes. If they are moveable troughs they may be 

 kept filled with water, as the heat does not act upon it sufficiently 

 to cause much vapour under ordinaiy circumstances. Suckers 

 have_ been kept cooler than we liked to have them thia winter ; 

 but it haa kept them back, and they will not be ready to be 

 placed in their fruiting pots for at least six weeks. The plants 

 look very well, and will now improve rapidly. 



CUCUITBEK HOUSE. 



Seeds were sown about two weeks ago, and the plants are 

 now ready for potting-off, the soil for potting them being well 

 warmed and moderately dried. The potting material at this 

 season is turfy loam three parts to one part of leaf mould. The 

 plants do best if they are placed on a shelf near the glass. When 

 well established in the 4S-Bized pots the plants are ready for 

 planting out. For winter Cucumbers the soil ought not to be 

 deep, certainly not more than a foot. There ought also to be 

 plenty of drainage underneath ; and before the compost, which 

 ought to be open, is placed over it, some turf with the grass side 

 down must be laid over the drainage to prevent the compost 

 from mixing with it. When the soil has been in the house a 

 week the plants may be put out. The trellis to which they are 

 trained should be a foot from the glass. Sometimes the trellis 

 is made of wood, but this causes it to be necessarily heavy, and 

 to exclude light. A light trellis of ironwork is much better. It 

 is a little more expensive at first, but much more convenient, to 

 have the trellis made moveable. 



STEAWEEBHIES. 



We have placed a second lot of Black Prince in an early vinery 

 with a temperature of 55°. We would rather that it had been 

 45" to begin with, but the temperature cannot be altered for a 

 few Strawberry plants. There is plenty of atmospheric moisture, 

 and as soon aa the plants are fairly started, which will be before 

 they are at all shaded by the Vines, the plants will be removed 

 to the Pine house. We still grow Black Prince for the earliest; 

 it is always sure to carry a crop, however early the plants may 

 be started. The next in succession is Keens' Seedling, followed 

 by President. Strawberries will stand a good deal of hard 

 forcing if the plants are placed near the glass. 



PLANT STOVE .IND ORCHID HOUSES. 



We frequently allude to temperature in the plant stove. Our 

 house has been kept thia winter at 60° for a minimum, with a 



rise of 5° by day, or IC if the days have been mild with a little 

 sunshine. The days and nights are now cold with cutting east 

 winds, and the lower temperature only has been kept up. In 

 our house are a few Orchids, such as Phalfenopsis and Cypri- 

 pediums, that require a winter temperature of 60° to 65°. Ne- 

 penthes Eafflesiana also requires a high winter temperature. 

 The bulk of the plants would be much better in a temperature 

 of 5.5?: they rest better, are more easily kept free from insect 

 pests, and start more strongly into growth when a higher tem- 

 perature is kept up from the 1st of March onwards. Poinsettiaa 

 that have finished flowering, or rather that have lost their floral 

 bracts, wiU be removed into a house with a lower temperature 

 and rather drier atmosphere. They have made a splendid show 

 for us this year. We had scores of heads with from thirty to 

 forty floral bracts to each, and that measured from a foot to 

 15 inches across. 



We commence repotting specimens of any hardwooded plants 

 that require it this month, and would already have done so if 

 the weather had not ohanged. If it is intended to make hand- 

 some specimens of the plants the potting must be done carefully, 

 and suitable compost must be used. Dipladenias, Eondeletias, 

 Passifloras, Euphorbias, and indeed the largest proportion of 

 hardwooded stove plants, thrive best in a compost of about two 

 parts turfy peat to one of turfy loam. Both the loam and peat 

 should be laid up about three months before using it. We find 

 Ixoras do best in turfy peat without any other ingredient, except, 

 of course, silver sand if it is required ; but there is sometimes 

 peat to be found that contains naturally a sufficient proportion 

 of sand. Francisoeas succeed well in turfy peat, a little leaf 

 mould, and sand. A very large proportion of the softwooded 

 plants do best with a little leaf mould added. All decaying 

 wood should be picked or sifted out of it. The roots should be 

 well watered if necessary a day before repotting, as the longer 

 the plants will stand without any water being applied to the 

 roots after repotting the better. 



Orchids require all the light it is possible to give them at 

 present. Some LffiUas and Cattleyas have just completed their 

 growth; others, such as Cattleya Warneri, C. gigas, &c., are 

 starting into growth. In either case light and an increased 

 temperature is necessary. The above have been placed in a 

 house with a night temperature of 60°. Cattleyas, Laelias, Den- 

 drobiums, &c., at rest are in a house from 50° to 55^ at night. 

 Cleanliness everywhere on plants, paths, and stages, aa weU aa 

 the glass and rafters, is all-important. 



FLOWEB O.UtDEN. 



The fine weather urged us to be attending to the borders of 

 herbaceous plants, some of which are now starting iuto growth, 

 and the young shoots in mild weather are a prey to slugs and 

 other depredators. We do not expect many flowers at this 

 aeason ; the Chrysanthemums have just been removed, but a 

 few Violets are to be found. The Christmas Rose is in full 

 beauty; Jasminum uudiflorum and Cbimonanthus fragrana on 

 walls should be in every garden. Roses, dwarfs and standards, 

 are safest with some nice rotted manure round the roots. The 

 buds are starting freely, but it is wisest not to prune until near 

 the end of February. Dahlia roots must be examined, as the 

 old stalks that have been left on sometimes decay and dei-.troy 

 the eyes at the base. We are preparing fermenting material 

 for a frame which will hold cuttings of Verbenas, Lobelias, 

 Ageratums, and other bedding plants. We have also been re- 

 potting zonal Pelargoniums, pricking Lobelias, &o., out in 

 bexes. They are better to have a little heat until established. 

 — J. Dot:GL.is. 



HOETICULTUEAL EXHIBITIONS. 

 Skokktakies will oblige us by informing us of the dates on 



which exhibitions are to bo held. 



Bristol (Spring .Show). March 22nd and 23rd. Mr. G. Webley, Holm 

 Wood, Westbury-upon-Trym, Hon. See. 



Royal C-^ledonian Horticultural .Society. Shows April 5th, July 5th, 

 and September 13th. 



Westminster Aquarium. April 12th and 13lb, May 10th and llth, May 

 SOth and Slst, July 6th and Cth, October 4th and 5th. 



Maidstone (Roses). Juno 2l3t. Mr. Hubert Bensted, Eockstow, Maid- 

 stone, Sec. 



Spalding. Jone 2l8t. Mr. G. Kingston, Sec. 



SoDTiipoKT. July 6th, 7th, and 8th. Mr. E. Martin, Sec. 



Helenskuroh (Hoses). July 12th and 18th. Mr. J. MitcheU, Soo. 



Brighodse. July 29th. Messis. C. Jessop 4 E. Rawnsley, Hon. Sees. 



Dundee (International). September 7th, 8th, and 9th. Mr. W. R. McKeWa, 

 2G, Euclid Crescent, See. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



Francis & Arthur Dickson & Sons, 106, Eastgate Street and 

 "Upton" Nurseries, Chester.— Ca/a/oi/HC of Vegetable and 

 Flower Seeds, tic. 



Hender & Sons, Vlymoxiih.— Illustrated [Catalogue of Vege- 

 table, Flower, and Agricultural Seeds. 



Thomas Bunyard & Sons, Maidstone. — Descriptive Catalogue 

 of Vegetable, Flower, and Agricultural Seeds. 



