1050 



STATISTICS OF GARDENING. 



Part IV. 



his profession when he enters on it ; and keep himself at the head of it, by taking care 

 to be informed of every improvement and invention in his line, as they are discovered 

 and made public. He must not only know all that is in books, but must be in advance 

 in knowledge ; not only ready to apply all the best practices, but fertile in expedients 

 on extraordinary occasions, and in cases of novelty, difficulty, or emergency. Necessi- 

 ties and difficulties, as they occur, excite the inventive faculty far beyond reflection or 

 study ; therefore we can afford little assistance here> except recommending the gardener 

 who is ambitious to excel in his profession, first to store his mind with all the resources 

 of gardening, and next to lay up in his memory as many ideas as he can on all other 

 subjects, but especially on art and science. Next to books on gardening and agricul- 

 ture, and the topographical surveys of every kind, he should have frequent recourse to 

 the best encyclopaedias of general knowledge, and observe the operations, and converse 

 much on professional subjects with mechanics and artificers of every description. Much 

 useful information is to be obtained from carpenters, millwrights, and smiths, and all 

 kinds of information may occasionally be applied to use in so varied and extensive an art 

 as gardening. 



7445. Some idea of the extent of the duties of a head gardener who fills a first-rate 

 situation, may be had from the chapter of monthly horticultural productions, the table of 

 floricultural productions, and arboriculture and landscape-gardening, as treated of in 

 this work ; and therefore all that we shall attempt here, in addition to what has just been 

 offered on the subject of the duties of gardeners holding inferior situations (7426. to 7442.), 

 is to enumerate a few of the expedients, some of them common and others uncommon, 

 which every description of gardener will have occasion to practise more or less ; but 

 which more particularly demand the attention of gardeners of the highest class, who, not 



emg limited in expense, are expected not to be deficient in producing all the comforts 

 and luxuries that a garden can afford. We shall arrange these hints under the four de- 

 partments of practical gardening. 



7446. Expedients and anomalous practices in the horticultural department. 



To have early crops of herbaceous vegetables in the open air. Sow 

 in pots early in spring, one seed in a pot of the smallest size, 

 place them in a gentle hot-bed, shift into larger pots as they 

 grow, and when all danger from frost is over, transplant 

 with the balls entire in the finely pulverised rich soil of 

 a warm border. Peas, beans, turnips, potatoes, carrots, 

 salading of all sorts, and spinage may be had very early in 

 this way 



Stable-dung is very scarce, and a great quantity is wanted for hot- 

 beds amt pits. Collect the spray of trees, copsewood, and 

 hedges ; cut it into lengths of three or four inches, with a 

 straw-cutter, and mix it with the dung. Add carpenters' 

 shavings, flax-dressers' refuse, leaves, reeds, rushes, peat, 

 moss, heath, or any substance capable of undergoing the pu- 

 trescent fermentation. 



Tanners' bark is scarce. Add spray, furze, or heath, chopped 

 with the straw-cutter to the length of the chips of bark, also 

 chopped shavings of wood, parings of leather, &c. 



Autumn-planted calilxiges and caidiflowers, and also spinage and 

 onions have failed Sow early in spring single seeds in small 

 pots on heat, shift often, and transplant in the warmest situ- 

 ation when all danger from frost is over. 



To forward early seedling crops. Sow in the usual way under 

 cold frames, and remove them when all danger from frost is 

 over. Peas, spinage, and turnips, may be had three weeks 

 earlier than usual by this practice. 



All your ground is cropped, and some crops not lik ly to be removed 

 in time to let those which are immediately to succeed them, be got 

 in in season. Forward the succeeding crop in pots, and as 

 soon as the preceding crop is removed, transplant with the 

 balls entire. 



The garden is too small for Vie culinary productions. Forward 

 the brassica tribe in pots, and only head or flower them in the 

 compartments. Instead of hot-beds, which occupy much hori- 

 zontal space, have cucumbers and melons on hot- walls cover- 

 ed with glass : train other creepers, as love-apples, New Zea- 

 land spinage, gourds, &c on upright trellis- work or pales, the 

 potatoe haulm to stakes ; stick all peas ; train gooseberries, 

 currants, and all dwarf trees as espaliers. 



Sorts of fruit not approved of. Engraft or inoculate other sorts. 



You liave some exellent sorts of peaclies or oilier soft tree fruits, 



which you wish some person to taste at a distance, too great or 

 too inconvenient to send the fruits themselves. Send some blos- 

 som-buds either in spring to be scollop-budded, when they 

 will produce their fruit the same year, or in the usual bud- 

 ding season. 



Trees old and not productive. Head down and renew the soil, 

 and see that the roots are not too deeply buried. 



To have late crojjs of hardy legumes and leaves. Plant the latest 

 crops in large pots or boxes ; keep them plunged in the open 

 air, and remove them when there is danger of frost to anv of 

 the forcing-houses not in operation. In damp weather, light 

 gentle fires in the daytime, but not at night; in frosty 

 weather, light gentle fires at night. In this way peas, beans, 

 kidneybeans, cauliflower, spinage, &c. may be had in a good 

 state till January or later. 



The furnaces or flues of a house in action are suddenly deranged 

 during a severe frost. Distribute pots of burning charcoal or 

 peat over the floor or paths of the house, and cover the glass 

 with mats. 



To lessen the danger of the sun scorching plants in hot-houses or hot. 

 beds. Fill them with clouds of steam, by pouring water on 

 the ground or otherwise. 



You have lately renewed your tan-bed, and the heat is too great for 

 the pines which are plunged in it. Begin at one end of the pit, 

 and take out a row across the pit ; then whelm hot saucers at 

 the bottom of each hole left by the pots ; lift the second row, 

 and set the pots on the saucers : they will thus be surrounded 

 by air instead of earth. When the tan cools replace them as 

 before. 



Grafts of fine fruits are received, for which you have no stocks, and 

 you do not wish to put them on old trees. Dig up some roots 

 of trees of the proper kind, and make stocks of them ; graft- 

 ing, and afterwards planting in Knight's manner. (2037.) 



Never forget that grafting and budding may be perform d at any 

 season of the year, (though best in certain seasons,) and on herba- 

 ceous as well as woody plants, on roots aiui tubers as well as on 

 stems, stalks, and ligneous shoots. 



Consider the sap of plants as a stream that you may direct and 

 modify almost at pleasure : that a great many plants may be 

 propagated from leaves alone, &c. 



7447. Expedients and anomalous practices in floriculture. 



The gravel-walks earthy and HI colored : a large parly is expected, 

 and you wish to give the rvalks a fresh and good appearance. 

 Water them with water impregnated with lime and yellow 

 or red ochre, according as the natural color of the gravel may 

 be yellow or brown. 



Tlie pleasure-ground is deficient in singing birds. Distribute 

 cages of Canary and other birds in song, hanging them on the 

 trees in unseen situations. 



Thi flower-garden and shrubbery deficient in odoriferous plants, to 

 produce an immediate remedy. Distribute pots of mignonette 

 (or Persian iris early in the season 1 , and also bottles of water, 

 containing the ends of sprigs of sweetbriar, birch, balsam- 

 poplar, balm of gilead, and other firs , place these so as not to 

 be conspicuous, . nd renew them as they decay. 



To diffuse odors in the atmosphere on particular occasions and 

 during dry weather. Sprinkle the odoriferous plants with the 

 water-engine 



A large party is expected at a particular time; to give freshness 

 and odor to the whole ,flower -garden. Sprinkle every part 

 with water, excepting the walks; if with rose-water, which 

 may be made at little expense where there is extensive shrub- 

 berries, and kept for sprinkling the hot-houses; so much 

 the better. 



You expect a large party to visit the plant hot-houses, and they 

 have been fumigated with tobacco the night before. In one 

 distribute sprigs of terebinthinate trees, as the spruce and 

 silver firs ; in another, sprigs of briar ; in another, birch, 

 verbena triphylla, mignonette, bruised leaves of acorus ca- 

 lamus, and so on : then sprinkle with pure water. Or 

 do not use plants, but merely water the whole with rose- 

 water ; or use a little musk, orange- water, or other artificial 

 odors. 



Some of your houses are very unsightly from accidents to plants, 

 insects, or other causes: but cmnpany is expected to go through 

 them at a particular hour. Contrive to have them filled with 

 sweet smells at that time. Distribute a few choice things in 

 pots near the eye; which, by attracting the attention of the 

 spectator, will help to divert his eye from defect or disease, 

 and to estimate what is concealed by what is seen. 



After a dry summer your lawn is covered wi h brown blotches, 

 on account of the shallowness of the soil, it is desired to give 

 a temporary green appearance. Water these places with 

 lime and water, mixed with green color, the lime serving 

 as a body 



A quantity of large green-house plants suddenly arrive, and ng 

 house is ready to put them into. Place poles' against a south 



