December SO, 1876. ) 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTrAGE GARDENER, 



585 



Camellias is by planting them out ; they are not very vigorous- 

 rooting plants, and they are better let alone after being properly 

 placed; and it is astonishing what a small place a plant requires 

 in regard to rooting space, but it must be abundantly supplied 

 with water — in fact, if the plants are rooting well they can 

 scarcely have too much iu the ordinary way of watering. It is 

 not often that a plant in vigorous health casts its buds — a cir- 

 cumstance so prevalent about here this season. 



The plan of turning the plants outdoors after the growth is 

 made is a matter that needs more care and attention than is 

 nsnally given. Wherever they are placed the pots ought to be 

 plunged or protected from the sun in some way. The roots 

 being so fleshy and so fond of moisture, any neglect in water- 

 ing with a fierce sun playing upon the pots does more injury 

 than many people imagine, and it is these sort of checks with 

 an irregular course of treatment that causes the buds to drop. 



Camellias are plants that require a very even temperature, 

 and at no time require much heat ; but during the time they 

 are making their growth — that is, after the bloom is over, they 

 require most, and not at that time more than (J0°. They like 

 moisture overhead at most times, and especially when making 

 new growths. After the growth is made particular care is neces- 

 Bary that the plants are not turned outdoors too soon, for this is 

 a most dangerous time, as the sudden transition from the even 

 temperature of the house to the variable temperature outdoors, 

 perhaps one hour cold and the other warm, does an amount 

 of mischief which cannot be remedied at no time during the 

 season, and is one of the principal causes of the Camellia falling 

 into bad health, and when that is so these are among the most 

 dilHctUt of plants to bring round. — Thomas Record. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST AND WOEK FOR 

 THE PRESENT WEEK. 



KITCHEN G.IRDEN. 



We have been digging vacant ground and borders for early 

 Peas and Potatoes. The borders for Peas ought to have been 

 dug in October or early in November; for it does not give the 

 Peas the best chance to flourish if sown in a week or so after 

 the ground has been dag, unless it should be dry, which is not 

 the case this season. When the ground is wet at the time of 

 drawing the drills there is usually some dry material that has 

 been turned out of the potting- shed, or, what is better, the sur- 

 face soil from inside Vine borders that has been removed to 

 allow of fresh dressing; this is used to fill up the drill instead 

 of the wet surface soil of the border. The Peas are sown in 

 drills across the border 3 feet apart, and we sow thicker at this 

 season than we do later, when the seed is not so liable to acci- 

 dents. Should the weather continue favourable the Peas will 

 be sown before this is in the hands of the printers. It is neces- 

 sary to tread as little upon the ground as possible when it is 

 wet. Rather than tread upon the ground we have a few boards 

 laid down to tread upon when drawing the drills. There is some 

 difference of opinion about manuring the ground for Peas. There 

 are some who grow fields of Peas in this neighbourhood for 

 market purposes, and they seldom apply manure for Peas, but 

 they are usually sown on ground that has been heavily manured 

 for the previous crop. Our ground is always manured for the first 

 crop, and we prefer to trench the mantire in. If this is not 

 done it is dug-in deeply. The varieties that are sown now for 

 the earliest crops never grow too much straw. We shall trust 

 entirely to the two early varieties of Mr. Laxton's— William I. 

 and Alpha; they are both blue Peas, the latter is a trifle later 

 than the other, and is a wrinkled Marrow. With the above will 

 be sown a few rows of Dr. Hogg for comparison. It was tried 

 last year with the later crops, and our impression is that this is 

 the best Pea that Mr. Laxton has yet sent out to the public. 



We shall also place single layers of the carl;/ Potatoes in 

 shallow boxes in the course of a few days, just covering the 

 tubers with cocoa-nut fibre refuse. They are now lying in a 

 dry loft and are sprouting. If they were left where they are for 

 a month or six weeks the sprouts would be drawn-up weakly, 

 and would have to be removed at the time of planting. We 

 shall place the boxes in the cool orchard house as near tho glass 

 as possible ; the tubers will in such a position sprout more 

 Blowly, and will be strong plants at the time they can be trans- 

 ferred to the border. Those who can command glass lights or 

 any of the numerous glass protectors are fortunate, and ought 

 to use them for their early Peas and Potatoes on the wall 

 borders. 



Cauliflower plants under handlights are doing very well this 

 season. The lights are removed every day while the weather 

 continues mild. Of course the plants are kept clean, and slu^s 

 are destroyed if there is any trace of them on the plants. We 

 have other plants under glass frames which will be planted out 

 early in March if the weather is favourable. In a cottager's 

 garden close to us may be seen a healthy lot of Cauliflower 

 plants, and the owner of them seldom fails to have Cauliflowers 

 in almost as early as we do, and at that time the heads com- 



mand a good price in the market. He has no glass, but pnta 

 his plants out under the shelter of a low bank facing south. He 

 has some short litter at hand to throw over them in severe 

 frost. The worst enemy to them seemed to be the slags, to 

 which the old bank and litter affords shelter. Sow Mustard 

 and Cress in boxes, to be placed in vineries or anywhere where 

 there is a little heat. 



PINE HOUSES. 



It does not seem to be universally believed that to grow Pinea 

 successfully there ought to be three compartments which can 

 be heated separately. We know a gentleman who thought that 

 in one house Vines and Pines, Cucumbers and Melons, could be 

 tolerably well grown. It would be possible for such a miscel- 

 laneous collection to exist together, but none of them would 

 give satisfaction, and those who wish to grow Pines well must 

 have three houses — the fruiting house for established plants, 

 which ought to be the largest ; next to it in size should be the 

 succession house for intermediate plants ; and a smaller house 

 or lean-to pit for crowns and suckers. The suckers which were 

 potted early in September last year are still at rest, and will 

 not be started for two or three weeks. The lean-to pit cannot 

 be heated above 50' in cold weather, but we can command 55" 

 except in very severe frost. The other houses are also at rest, 

 and the temperature is from 55° to 60'; at night, or it may be 

 1)5° when the weather is mild. The higher temperature will 

 not unduly excite the plants if the hot-water pipes are only 

 moderately warm. A number of fruits in the fruiting house are 

 swelling nicely with a low night temperature, say 55" to 60". 

 Smooth-leaved Cayennes that have thrown up early in December 

 have not been ripe until the following June, but the fruit has 

 been of good quality, and has carried off first prizes at the 

 London shows in that month. The temperature of the tan beds 

 is about 80" or 85". 



CUCUMBER HOUSE. 



The occupants of this structure will not continue in health if 

 considerable care is not taken both iu ventilating the house and 

 in applying the proper amount of heat and atmospheric mois- 

 ture. Fresh air must be admitted every day by opening the top 

 ventilators a little, unless the weather is unusually severe. Oar 

 houEe is kept at G5? at night, with an increase of from 5" to 10° 

 by day. Then as to atmospheric moisture, one cannot give in- 

 structions about this unless the heating power of the pipes is 

 taken into account. If it is necessary to heat the pipes very 

 much to raise the required temperature, then it will be necessary 

 to sprinkle water about very frequently ; when it is not necessary 

 to heat the apparatus so much, less moisture in the atmosphere 

 will be required. The growths ought not to be allowed to 

 become crowded. 



PEACH HOUSE. 



It is now a good time to start the early Peach house. 0! 

 course the trees have been pruned and the branches trained to 

 the wires. The inside borders should have a thorough watering. 

 In previous numbers it has been stated that the Peach-house 

 border should not be allowed to become dust-dry. The night 

 temperature should not be above 50" from artificial heat ; 15° 

 will be high enough at first. The trees in later houses that have 

 not yet received any attention should be pruned ; in doing so 

 save the moderately strong wood, cutting out entirely the moafc 

 vigorous shoots. All the young wood that is furnished with 

 single blossom buds will have a leaf bud at the end ; such must 

 not be cut back unless there should be a triple bud on the shoot, 

 the centre one of which ia sure to be a leaf bud, which will form 

 a leader to the branch for next year. 



PLANT STOVE AND ORCHID HOUSES. 



There is now a goodly display of flowering plants to be obtained 

 in the stove, although many that were in flower a mouth ago are 

 still iu beauty. The different varieties of Epiphyllum are very 

 showy and most distinct in character. Small plants struck from 

 cuttings, and potted in 60-sized pots, are arranged on the outer 

 edge of the stages, and very pretty they are with the richly- 

 coloured flowers clustering on the pendant growths which hang 

 over the sides of the pots. Standards 1, 2, or 3 feet high are 

 very effective when placed with the stems rising through an 

 undergrowth of the dwarfer species of exotic Ferns. A very 

 useful old plant which we also have in plenty at this season ia 

 the Thyrsacanthus rutilans. It is very easily grown from 

 cuttings, which make large flowering plants the first season. 

 The pendant panicles of red flowers have a very novel effect. 

 Very useful both for decorative purposes and for cut flowers is 

 the Euphorbia jacquinifcflora. It has also the merit of being 

 easily cultivated, and forms nice flowering plants in the winter 

 from cuttings of the previous spring. Eranthemum pulchellum 

 is also a very beautiful and distinct stove plant; its intense 

 blue flowers are closely arranged on short terminal spikes, and 

 are abundantly produced. It is one of the easiest cultivated 

 plants we have, and strikes freely from cuttings. 



We fumigate the houses frequently to destroy thrips. The 

 plants at this season will not be injured by as much smoke as 

 will kill the insects. Washing with strong soapy water is re- 

 commended to kill thrips. It will do this if the insect can be 



