Notember 4, 187B. ) 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



405 



faced with mannre, and in a short time Osmaston will be able 

 to produce Grapes worthy of itself. 



Other features of this garden, including the rockery, I will 

 notice in a future number.— J. W. 



NOTES ON VILLA and SUBUEBAN GARDENING. 



The summer bedding season may now be considered over, for 

 from the late frosts we have had, together with much wet, the 

 plants have become so shabby that no dressing and cleaning, if 

 ever so particularly done, will revive the general class of bed- 

 ding plants sufficiently to compensate for the labour bestowed 

 upon them. They should therefore be cleared away as soon as 

 possible, and more especially if it is required to fill the beds' 

 with other plants for winter and spring decoration. Spring 

 gardening is particularly suitable for small villa residences, 

 where, generally speaking, all surroundings are of an ornamental 

 character. Besides bulbs there is no lack of inexpensive plants 

 suitable for the purpose. They may not flower at the first 

 outset so satisfactorily, but then as spring weather improves the 

 plants improve also, so that at the least one may calculate upon 

 three months' good bloom in addition to that afforded by the 

 usual summer bedding plants. Surely this is worth trying for ; 

 and again, for the beds to be clothed in winter with foliage even 

 without flowers, are better to look upon than the bare earth. 

 Let me name a few plants that should be tried. In the first 

 place, however, the beds should be dug deeply and made level. 

 No manure need be added now, but leave this to be put on at 

 the summer digging. 



Sempervivum californicum, a perfectly hardy plant, makes 

 capital edgings for all beds, and the Pyrethrum Golden Feather 

 is also a good edging plant. For this to stand the winter well 

 the seed should be sown about the middle of July ; the plants 

 then produce good foliage by November, and stand the wet 

 without becoming unsightly, as do those from seed sown in 

 March. We have the Violas in three colours — blue, white, and 

 yellow, which make either edgings or good showy beds of them- 

 selves. Another useful plant is the Stachys lanata, which is a 

 dwarf grower with large silvery foliage ; it is a good edging 

 plant to either beds or borders. Wallflowers, too, ought to be 

 planted freely. There are some excellent colours from seed- 

 lings sown in June which bloom in early spring, and what can 

 be more enjoyable than the perfume of Wallflowers 1 If neces- 

 sary the plants are to be had in distinct colours, as dark red and 

 bright yellow. We have Polyanthuses, too, in almost endless 

 variety of colours, and they are all sure and profuse bloomers, 

 as are the double and single Primroses, which are great 

 favourites, and for spring gardening hold a prominent position. 

 Golden Thyme, too, must not be forgotten ; it comes a beautiful 

 bright colour in spring, but for summer bedding it loses its 

 colour and becomes green. There are also the red and white 

 Daisies, which can be had in any quantity, and will do well par- 

 ticularly in heavy soil. Forget-me-nots, both white and blue, 

 must be included, as well as Cheiranthus Marshalli, a dwarf, 

 yellow, dense-flowering plant, and one of the most useful plants 

 for spring decoration. Alyssum saxatile, Arabia albida, and 

 Aubrietia grandiflora are also deservedly admitted into this list. 



Euonymns radicans variegatus, a dwarf plant with white and 

 green foliage, and perfectly hardy and easy to propagate, is 

 effective in the winter and spring garden ; and the Silver-leaved 

 Grass, Dactylis glomerala elegantissima, which is quite hardy, 

 makes a good edging for both winter and summer decoration. 

 Next should bo mentioned Phlox subulata and subulata alba, 

 which produce a mass of rose and pure white flowers, having 

 also a dense mass of green foliage. All the plants mentioned 

 in the above list will bear moving and transplanting well. 



To the above list may be added several annuals raised from 

 seed, either by sowing in September or later on in cold frames, 

 and planted-out in spring. These consist of Silenes pendnla 

 and alba, Lasthenia californica, and purple and white Candy- 

 tuft. Nemophilas are, perhaps, not so safely to be trusted out- 

 doors, as frequently too much wet destroys them, but on dry 

 sandy soils they will withstand both frost and wet tolerably 

 well. To make safe they should either be sown where they can 

 be protected outdoors, or sown in boxes and placed in a frame 

 to be readily put out in the spring. Then there is the Sapo- 

 naria calabrica, one of the most lovely spring- flowering plants 

 known; Virginian Stock, Limnanthes Douglasii, Godetias, Vis- 

 carias, CoUinsias, Calandrinias, and many others of great beauty. 

 They should be planted thickly, keeping a few in reserve of 

 each sort to fill-up vacancies. — Thomas Recobd. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST AND WOEK FOR 

 THE PRESENT WEEK. 



KITCHEN OARDEN. 



It is now time to take up the usual root crops. Some sorts, 

 such as Parsnips, are perhaps as well in the ground during 

 winter ; but when all the roots, such as Carrots, Parsnips, Beet, 



Salsafy, Soorzonera, Turnips, &c., are stored together in a cellar 

 or cool shed it is much more convenient, especially as they are 

 frequently wanted in wet or frosty weather. A good plan is to 

 pack them closely in sand, and all the above-named roots will 

 keep well all through the winter. It is necessary to be very 

 careful at the time of lifting the roots so as to prevent them 

 being bruised ; the Beet is quite spoiled if the tap roots are 

 injured in lifting. The roots ought to be placed carefully in a 

 barrow or baskets by hand, and lifted out and stored with the 

 same care. 



We take the opportunity of every fine day to earth-up the 

 Celery. It is quite necessary that the leaves and soil be dry 

 when this is done. It is also a good plan to earth-up from both 

 sides of the rows or beds at the same time, for when one man is 

 earthing-up from one side only at a time he sometimes pushes 

 the plants to the opposite side, and this is very injurious. The 

 soil should be placed to the plants carefully, and not be allowed 

 to fall into the centres. A good plan is to tie the leaves lightly 

 together with a strip of matting before earthing-up. Artichokes 

 must now be covered up. The best protecting material are leaves 

 and stable litter : this should be placed round the plants to the 

 depth of a foot or 9 inches, bringing it up close to (he leaves, 

 but not so close as to cover the centre of the plants, which 

 should be open. The object of covering is to protect from frost, 

 and this thickness will effectually do so. Spent tan has been 

 recommended as a protective agent for Artichokes, but we have 

 not seen it used. 



We have just been able to place the Cauliflower plants in the 

 hand-glasses ; it is about two weeks later than they are usually 

 planted out. The remainder of the plants that are not required 

 for the handlights have been pricked-out in boxes ; the plants 

 are not over-large, and if sharp frosts do not set in there is 

 nothing lost by late planting. When the plants are strong and 

 are put out early many of the strongest are apt to button : this 

 is not the case with the late plants. Those who planted out 

 their plants two or three weeks ago must pay attention to them 

 during this dull wet weather. All the air possible must be 

 admitted, the soil between the plants be lightly forked over with 

 a pointed stick, and all decaying leaves to be removed. Lettuce 

 plants in frames should also be aired as freely as possible, the 

 soil to be pricked over, and the plants be treated as advised for 

 Cauliflowers. 



PINE HOUSES. 



At this period of the year the old growers used to turn over 

 their tan beds, adding either fresh tan or leaves to maintain a 

 bottom heat for the winter ; but they generally overdid it. The 

 beds were deep, containing a great body of tan or oak leaves, 

 and either of these when in quantity retained the heat for 

 months. The result used to be that all the active rootlets 

 perished during the winter months from the high temperature 

 at which the roots were kept. At present the fruiting Pines — 

 those intended to be started about the Ist of January — are kept 

 in a temperature of 60° at night. During cold weather the mini- 

 mum may be 55°. There is very little root action at this period, 

 and about IS" or 80° is as high as the temperature of the bed 

 ought to be ; and as the plants are comparatively dry at the 

 roots they will not throw up frnit until the house is started. 

 There is nothing to be gained by unduly exciting suckers and 

 succession Pines at this season. The suckers planted out or 

 potted in August are now well rooted ; but they are allowed to 

 rest at present, and will not be hurried until February, when a 

 good watering will be given them. The beds are turned over, 

 and when the plants are fairly started they are potted into their 

 fruiting pots. In the fruiting house there are a number of fruits 

 swelling, and some of them are yet in the early stages only. 

 With these it is necessary to keep the temperature up to C5°, or 

 in mild weather to 70° as a minimum, taking advantage of sun 

 heat to run it up to 85- or more. Fruit that is now ripe or 

 ripening will keep best if it is cut just before it ripens and is 

 removed to a cool room, and it seems to keep in good preserva- 

 tion longest if the room is rather close and dark. 



CUCUMBER HOUSE. 



The most difficult period for obtaining Cucumbers is now 

 drawing very near ; but if the plants that were put out about 

 the first week in September have not been cropped at all, or 

 at least but very lightly, they will now come into bearing ; 

 but a succession of Cucumbers will not be obtained if the plants 

 are not well treated. In the first place, the house must be 

 light and in a position to receive the full benefit of the sun. 

 It must also be well ventilated, for if fresh air is not judiciously 

 admitted daily the plants will soon show the effects of impure 

 air — the leaves will be wanting in substance, and the growths 

 be too weak to produce fruit. In fine weather both front and 

 top ventilators should be open at the same time for a few hours 

 in the middle of the day. The night temperature should be 

 G5°, with a proportionate rise in the daytime. Good substantial, 

 loam, to which has been added a fourth part of rotted stable 

 manure, is a capital compost in which to grow the plants. A 

 foot in depth of this is quite sufficient if it is placed over the 

 drainage, and a temperature of 80° or 6.5° kept up in the bed 



