DAN 



193 



DEC 



DAMPING OFF is a name applied 

 by gardeners to an ulceration of the 

 stems of seedlings, and other ten- 

 der plants. This ulceration arises 

 from the soil and air in which they are 

 vegetating being kept too moist or 

 damp. Flower seedlings are especially 

 liable to be thus affected; and, to pre- 

 vent this, one-third of the depth of the 

 pot should be filled with small pebbles, 

 and the soil employed, instead of being 

 sifted, allowed to retain all moderately 

 sized stones. The seeds should be 

 sown very thinly, pressed down, and a 

 little earth scattered over them. INIr. 

 Ayres has well suggested that a little 

 white sand be sprinkled over the sur- 

 face, because this is not easily disturbed 

 by watering, and is not a medium that 

 retains moisture to the neck of the 

 seedlings, where dampness most affects 

 them. He adds, that a pot of sand 

 should be kept hot upon a flue, and 

 whenever symptoms of the disease ap- 

 pear, a little, whilst hot, sprinkled on 

 the soil. 



DAN/EA alata. Stove fern. Divi- 

 sion. Peat and loam. 



D.\NCING-GIRLS. Mantisia sana- 

 toria. 



DAPHNE. Twenty-four species. 

 Chiefly hardy or green-house evergreen 

 shrubs, except Z). //n?/oZ/(j, which is a 

 stove evergreen. Grafts on the Spurge 

 Laurel. {D. laureola.) Peat. 



DARLINGTONIA. Two species. 

 Half-hardy herbaceous. Division or 

 cuttings. Peat and sand. 



DATE-PALM. I'lurnix. 



DATE-PLUM. Diospyros. 



DATISCA. Two species. Hardy 

 herbaceous. Division. Common soil. 



DATURA. Nine species. Hardy 

 annuals. Seeds. Common soil. 



DAUBENTONIA. Two species. 

 Stove evergreen shrubs. Cuttings. 

 Sandy loam. 



DAUBE.N'YA. Two species. Green- 

 house bulbs. Offsets. Sandy loam and 

 peat. 



DAUCUS. See Carrot. 



DAVALLIA. Seven species. Green- 

 house ferns. Division or seed. Peat 

 and loam. 



DAY I ESI A. Eighteen species. 

 Green-house evergreen shrubs. Cut- 

 tings. Loam, peat, and sand. 



DAY LILY. Ilemerorallis. 



DECEMBER is a month in which the 

 gardener is preparing chietlv for future 

 13 



events — storing his edible roots — pro- 

 tecting his tender plants, and wheeling 

 on stable manure to vacant ground. 



The following work requires attend- 

 ing to : 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Artichokes, dress. — Asparagus beds, 

 dress, b. ; plant to force ; attend that 

 in forcing. — Carrots, dig up and store, 

 b. — Cauliflowers, in frame, &c., attend 

 to. — Composts, prepare and turn over. 

 — Dung, prepare for hot-beds. — Earth- 

 ing-up, attend to. — Hot-beds, attend to. 

 — Kidney Beans, force, e. — Leaves, 

 fallen, remove. — Lettuces, plant in hot- 

 beds ; attend to those advancing. — 

 Mint, force. — Mushroom-beds, make ; 

 attend those in production. — Parsnips, 

 dig up and store, b. — Radishes, sow, b. 

 — Small Salading, sow in frames, &c. 

 — Spinach, clear of weeds. — Tansy, 

 force. — Tarragon, force. — Trench, 

 drain, S:c., vacant ground. 



ORCHARD. 



Apples, prune ; plant. — Apricots, 

 prune; plant. — Cherries, pranc ; plant. 

 — Composts and fresh earth apply to 

 poor or old borders. — Currants, prune ; 

 plant. — Figs, plant; protect from frost. 

 — Fork over and dress the compart- 

 ments generally. — Gooseberries, prune ; 

 plant. — Mulch round the roots and 

 stems of trees newly planted, to e.\- 

 clu.de frost. — Nectarines, prune; plant. 

 — Pears, prune; plant.' — Peaches, 

 prune; plant. — Plant all kinds of trees 

 in mild weather. — P/«;ns, prune; plant. 

 — Pruning may be continued generally. 

 (See November.) — Raspberries, prune ; 

 plant. — Trench and manure ground for 

 planting. — Stake lirmly trees newly 

 planted. — Standards, prune generally. 

 — Suckets, clear away ; plant for stocks. 

 — Vines, prune ; but last month is to be 

 preferred for this operation, if the foli- 

 age had completely decayed. 



FLOW'ER GARDEN. 



Anemones, defend in bad weather; 

 plant if mild. — Auriculas, defend in in- 

 clement weather. — Bulbs omitted may 

 be planted if the weather be mild. 

 (See November.) — Carnations, defend 

 in inclement weathcr.^Co/npos/s, pre- 

 pare. — Dig over borders and dress all 

 quarters generally. — Edgings, plant. — 

 Fibrous-roofed Perennials and Biennials 

 divide and plant. — Flou-crs (choice), 

 defend generally from inclement wea- 

 ther. — Crass, roll occasionally, if 



