November 18, 1876. 1 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTtJEE AND COTDAQE GARDENER. 



449 



the produce will be greater accordingly. The above conditions 

 being duly provided, all that is necessary ia tlie application of 

 Bufficieut heat to start the crowns into growth. They are not 

 particular as to the place or how they are forced — whether it be 

 by a mixture of duug and leaves covered over pots ou the out- 

 door bed, or by the same heating medium applied to a frame, 

 and the roots taken up carefully from the ground and planted 

 compactly in a bed of soil, or by hot-water pipes iu a regularly 

 heated house. By any plan the Seakale must be kept in the 

 dark in order to blanch it properly for the table, but both Rhu- 

 barb and Aspai-agus have a better flavour if light is admitted : 

 this gives them more of their natural colour. 



With the exception of Asparagus, which I generally force in 

 a frame, the other two are taken up and put into a room where 

 we generally grow our Mushrooms ; not a regular Mushroom 

 house, but the heat ia kept iip by a heap of dung and leaves 

 thrown up in the middle of the room and refreshed as often as 

 required. There ia no difficulty in keeping the heat up to GO^ 

 all through the winter, which is quite high enough for Mush- 

 rooms, and allows the Seakale andBhubarb to come on steadily 

 for a fair produce. It will be seen that three important cropa 

 are going on at one time, and it is done with a small con- 

 sumption of heating material, which I am compelled to make 

 the most of. When grown in this way there is little danger of 

 overheating, but in a frame the sudden changes from mild 

 weather to cold cause more heat to be applied ; and when it 

 as suddenly changes the reverse way there is a danger of extreme 

 heat, so injurious to these things. The principal points to aim 

 at are a mild bottom heat and very regular, and the heated 

 atmosphere quite as regular in the house, room, or frame, as the 

 case may be. With manure the atmospht re will i)6 sure to be 

 moist enough, or with hot-water pipes it may l)e necessary to 

 apply a little water occasionally both at the roots as well as on 

 the floor of the house. 



In the month of December, when Endive is becoming scarce, 

 some roots of Chicory are forced by the same meana and planted 

 in the same manner, and blanched the aame way aa for Seakale, 

 and there is a regular crop of salads and choice vegetables grown 

 in one room. — Thomas Eecobd. 



DOINGS OP THE LAST AND WORK FOR 

 THE PRESENT "WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



This is the month that any alterations in the garden should 

 bo carried out, and all vacant ground be dug or trenched, but 

 latterly rain has been so prevalent aa almost to render digging 

 impracticable. Trenching is a very important operation in the 

 kitchen garden. A certain portion of ground should be trenched 

 over annually, and when manure can easily be obtained a layer 

 should always hi put into the bottom of the trenches. Nearly 

 all kinds of soil are improved by being trenched, but there can 

 be no rule laid down as to depth, which must be left to the in- 

 telligence of the gardener. It is not well, however, to trench 

 ground very deep that has not been moved more than a spit for 

 a generation or more. In a case of this kind we generally work 

 the ground two spits deep, and the following season take two 

 more spits, but shovelling the loose earth out after each. This 

 leaves a hard bottom, but a man with a fork digs this bottom 

 over, loosening it to the depth of say 9 inches, but not turning 

 the subsoil over. Although manure ia very expensive here, we 

 use a large quantity upon ground trenched in this manner for 

 moat vegetable crops. Peas especially are immensely benefited 

 by the manure being placed at the bottom of the trenches. Our 

 plan is to put iu two layers of manure, one at the bottom and 

 the other after a spit and the loose earth has been thrown over 

 it. Working the ground iu this way will cause it to produce 

 such a crop in dry seasons as it would not otherwise produce 

 without abundant supplies of water. Some gardens have the 

 water laid on, and an abundant supply is always at hand ; but 

 these are highly favoured, and as yet are the exception. Where 

 water has to be carried or carted a considerable distance at a 

 time when work is pressing, it does not require much calculation 

 to see that if this labour can be saved by deep trenching and 

 manuring in autumn and winter the time and money ought to 

 be given at the right time. 



Thia ia also a good time for relaying the Box edgings if such 

 work ia necessary. Blanks are made in the edgings from various 

 causes. Sometimes the soil is unsuitable, at others the crops 

 spread over the edging, which is a fruitful source of decay. A 

 little good can be done by filling up the gaps with fresh Box, 

 but occasionally it is necessary to replant the whole. The work 

 must not be hurried over, for it is intended to last for many 

 years ; and if the lines are crooked where they ought to be 

 straight, or the ground is not level where it ought to be, the 

 edgings will be a constant eyesore. First the gravel is cleared off 

 from the sides into the middle of the path ; the Box is then lifted 

 and laid in until the ground is ready. The ground must be dug 

 up, and iu doing so the soil that has grown the Box should be 



thrown ou to the border, and fresh material Le returned from 

 the border to supply its place. The ground ought to be trodden 

 down firmly with the feet, and be made quite level by beating it 

 with a spade after raking it previoualy to planting, and the line 

 that the Box is planted by must be drawn quite tight before the 

 space for the Box is marked off with the spade. The stalks of 

 Asparagus have been cut over, and the beds will be dressed with 

 manure when the ground is harder and more adapted for wheel- 

 ing upon. 



PEACH HOUSES. 



The trees must now be made ready for forcing, if an early 

 crop is desired. When writing on this subject in previous 

 numbers we ha\e always recommended keeping the iu.side 

 border moderately moist even at this dull period of the year 

 and when the trees are at rest. The same attention is required 

 here as in the vineries ; for the Peach has quite as many ene- 

 mies aa the Vine, if not more : aphis, thrips, spider, brown and 

 white scale lodge iu the branches of Peach trees at this season. 

 If scale is present it ought to be removed before washing the 

 branches with the aame mixture recommended to be used iu 

 the vineries. If the inside border has become very dry it ought 

 to be watered at once, but the house should not be shut up until 

 a week or so after ; still there is not much danger when the 

 blossom buda are not very far advanced. When Peaches are 

 forced early the utmost care is necessary to keep the roots as 

 well as the branches in a healthy condition. Anything that 

 might check growth would cause the blossoms to drop off at or 

 before the time of setting. When the houae ia started the 

 temperature must be very low at first, merely shutting up early 

 iu the afternoon, and keeping the ventilators a little close. 

 When fire heat is applied it must be with caution. 



MDSHKOOM HOUSE. 



This is a bad time for collecting material for the beds, as the 

 continued damp atmosphere prevents the manure from drying ; 

 but if it is spread out in an airy shed and turned over daily the 

 moisture will be thrown off when the weather ia favourable. 

 The late Mr. Fish recommended dry litter or straw to be cut up 

 'and mixed with the manure when it was very abort and damp. 

 We never tried this plan, but it would no doubt anawer very 

 well, and sufficient heat could be obtained from it. The whole 

 would have to be thrown together in a heap to ferment and to 

 throw off the rank steam. If beds in bearing become dry they 

 must be watered, after a gathering has been made, with water 

 about 83' ; the water should be applied through a fine rose gently, 

 so that it may soak into the beds equally, instead of running oil 

 and down the sides. Woodlice are very troublesome when the 

 bed shrinks from its becoming dry; they find an excellent 

 harbour between the wall and the dry manure. Boiling water 

 may be poured down the fissure, which will destroy them ; or it 

 they cannot be reached in this way, a few boiled potatoes wrapped 

 up iu dry hay and laid upon the surface of the beds will attract 

 them in large numbers, when they can be shaken out from the 

 hay and destroyed. If a bed should lose heat before the Mush- 

 rooms appear some dry straw or hay may be laid on the surface ; 

 this will retain heat and moisture, and frequently causes a crop 

 to appear which might otherwise have failed; the crop will also 

 be produced a few days earlier. 



Seakale and BInibarb. — A few pots of Seakale may now be 

 removed to the Mushroom house. It will be necessary either to 

 invert a pot over each, or else place the pots where the Seakale 

 will be iu a dark place. Bhubarb does not require so much 

 attention, the roots are merely lifted and placed together ou tho 

 floor of the house. The roots of both must be kept sufficiently 

 moist. 



CUCU5IBEB HOUSE. 



A large number of Cucumbers are not required from our house, 

 and we do not hurry the plants ; 05" at night or 60° is our aver- 

 age temperature. If the weather should be severe we would 

 rather let the temperature fall to the lowest figure than over- 

 heat the pipes to raise the temperature if it had fallen. A very 

 moist atmosphere at this season is not desirable, for it causes a 

 watery growth and thin leaves, which will not resist the effects 

 of cold and dull weather. — J. Douglas. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



John Harrison, North of England Boss Nurseries, Darling- 

 ton. — Cafaloijue o/ Select Roses. 



Messrs. Tuole & Co., 22, D'Olier Street, Dublin, and Tho 

 Nurseries, CuUenswood, Banelagh. — Catalogue of Forest and 

 Ornamental Trees, Evergreeit^s, Jioses, iQc. 



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

 the "Upton" Nurseries, Chester. — Catalogue of Moses and 

 Decorative Plants. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Books (A Subscriber), — Your query is very vague. "The Botanical Maga- 

 zine," published monthly, has coloured engravings of flowers, &c. {X. 0.}. — 

 Our " Vine Manual." You can have it free by post if you enclose thirty-two 

 postage stamps with your address. 



