872 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[Dec. 28, 



confine rhc.r growing season to DM lammert-taj from the 

 middle of May to the end of August. Sunhopeas are say 

 bloomer* in the han.'sof some cultivators, but with others they 

 flower regularly. Young plants of them are more difficult to 

 tower than established ones, because they are more susceptible 

 of being influenced by changes of temperature or moisture. At 

 this stage they may be made to grow in any montu in the year. 

 They will al*o endure more hardships than any other or the 

 tribe, and are therefore fit subjects for experiment. From the 

 end of September tn the beginning of May give no water at tne 

 roots, and from the end of November to the middle of *e br,iar 7 

 85° is the proper temperature. The atmosphere should not be 

 drier than that for a collection of stove plants, therefore the 

 coldest end of a stove is a good place to winter them in. Early 

 in March remove them to a warmer place— under the shade in 

 an early Vinery kept from 60° to 75°, or a Cucumber-house wil 

 do : but constant shade is necessary, as the leaves are excited 

 with the moisture of the atmosphere, while the material about 

 the roots is so dry that no atmospheric moisture can have any 

 effect on it. Some plants, however, will be apt to grow at this 

 etage, particularly in the first season ; these must be kept in a 

 drier atmosphere, or in the driest end of the house ; "0 to 75 

 should be the temperature for April. Every bud now will be 

 swollen and the success of the plan depends in some measure 

 on the length of t.me the buds can be kept in this state. As 

 soon as they open into shoots plunge the roots in water till all 

 the material about them is well soaked ; after this, abundance 

 of air, and as much light as the leaves will endure and a tem- 

 perature of from 70° to 80° are essentials till their growth is 

 nearh finished ; under any mode of culture the young shoots 

 mmt'be preserved from too much moisture lodging in the 

 centre till they are ripe enough to endure it. The rationale of 

 some of the points in this course is not so obvious as one 

 could wish, but In every instance which I have tried the result 

 has been favourable. 



Conservatory.— Next to Luculia, Gtsnera 2ebnna if the best 

 conserv ry plant we have in November and December ; if the 

 terminal spikes of flowers of this plant are cutoff when they are 

 three parts blown, and the plant returned to the stove for a 

 little time, a host of lateral spikes will come up and last some 

 time. A regular stove is far too hot for this plant when in 

 flower, though the stove culture assists it at other times; but 

 to flower it in summer a greenhouse treatment is necessary 

 from the beginning, as has been already noticed. 



House Plants in General.— The surface soil in pots soon gets 

 exhausted by repeated watering, and repotting is not applicable 

 in winter; therefore surfacing from time to time with a little 

 fresh soil is all that can be done at present. After discarding 

 the present soil on the surface of the pots, loosen the next 

 layer down to the roots with a pointed stick, mixing a portion 



" carry the 



essen- 



fresh compost with it. and the next watering will cai 

 ire sandy parts down among the roots, which will be of 



of 



tial service to the plants. A'porous surface, whether in a pot 

 or in the field, is a point in cultivation which cannot be over- 

 rated.—!). B. 



II.-FLOWER-GARDEN AND SHRUBBERIES 



Out-door Department. 

 During the continuance of the present frosty weather, but 

 little can be done in the regular work of this department; but 

 where alterations and improvements are contemplated, such as 

 making new walks, making new flower-beds, or reinstating 

 the soil of eld ones where necessary, hard weather rather ac- 

 celerates than retards such operations. Holes for planting 

 choice or new shrubs or trees may also be prepared, by re- 

 moving the bad soil and replacing: it by a compost suitable to 

 the plants, and even where trees are planted, and not growins: 

 so well as could be desired, the soil may be carefully removed 

 from the outer roots and replaced by proper soil. Should the 

 weather send the men in doors, plenty of work may be found 

 for them in cutting pegs, making brooms, cleaning old, making 

 new, and painting flower sticks, repairing rustic baskets, paint- 

 ing wire trellises, garden chairs, water pots, &c. ; in fact any- 

 thing ought to be done rather than let a poor man lose a day's 

 work : lor even splendid gardens and finely grown plants lose, 

 to a sensitive mind, the greater part of their attraction, when 

 it is known they are produced by hardly- worked and badly 

 paid men. My own experience with labourers is in favour of 

 steadv well paid men, and I would rather, at any time, have 

 five men at 18*. or 18*., than six at 12*. per week, as they will 

 not only do more work, but, being satisfied with their position, 

 will do it in a more efficient manner. 



Pits and Frames.— Plants in these structures, if not artificially 

 heated, will sustain no injury in frosty weather if they are left 

 covered for weeks together; and, in truth, should they become 

 frozen, it will be much better that they should remain covered 

 and be allowed to thaw gradually, than be suddenly exposed to 

 a heated atmosphere. In nature we see that plants sustain 

 no injury under a covering of snow, even though it be a yard 

 thick and continue for months ; and why is this ? not because, 

 as some suppose, the snow is light-coloured, though that is 

 yery favourable to preventing the escape of terrestrial heat, but 

 because the snow keeps the surface of the earth at an equal 

 temperature, which is sufficient to prevent the plants from 

 sustaining injury from a low temperature, and yet not suffi- 

 cient to admit of their growth ; therefore if we can keep 

 the plants from growing, they will not sustain any injury by 

 being for a time without light.— IT. P. A. 



of the day, to strengthen the buds after they are perceived to 



Strawberries.— Let a quantity of these be brought in, accord- 

 in- to the demands Ukdy to be made upon you. Place them 

 on* the shelf of a Peach-house or Vinery just bediming to be 

 forced, as near the glass and ventilators as possible. It is 

 better when practicable to force them in pits where the tem- 

 perature can be regulated to suit them, as they require more air 

 than either Vines or Peaches till the fruit is set.— G. F. 

 V.-HARDY FRUIT AND KITCHEN-GARDEN. 

 Pea* and Beans.— As soon as the weather will permit, ma*e 

 another sowing of Prince Albert Pea and early Mazagan Bean 

 on the breast of wide ridges, as previously recommended ; and, 

 lest the ground should afterwards be frozen hard so as to impede 

 their germination or cut them off when above the soil, have 

 plenty of long litter or spruce branches in readiness to scatter 

 along the ridges. As the Prince Albert, though the earliest, is 

 by no means a great bearer, nor yet a fine-flavoured Pea, sow 

 for succession greater breadths of .the early Warwick, Frame, 

 Bishop's Dwarf, and Shilling's early Grotto, and follow the 

 Mazagan Beans with the best varieties of the Longpod and 



Windsor. ,„ . 



Asparagus, Sea-kale, Rhubarb, Chicory, §■<?.— Keep a regular 



supply of all these. Where a family is constantly resident, it is 

 in general bad policy to commence forcing earlier than your 

 stock will enable you to meet the demand, until they can be got 

 from the open garden. Forcing.— Fresh beds of dung and leaves 

 will require to be put in operation for Radishes, Horn Carrots, 

 Potatoes, and early Cucumbers. Take care to make your beds 

 large enough for the latter, if you wish to avoid trouble and 

 annoyance afterwards. Of course, all these objects can be 

 effected much easier in pits heated by hot water. Mushrooms. 

 —Those beds out of doors will require to be carefully covered 

 with litter, and mats, &c. To those who are fond of this veget- 

 able (and in many families it is deemed as essential to good 

 cookery as the Onion tribe), I would urge the importance of 

 appropriating a house or back nhed to the purpose, to be heated 

 by hot water. A good supply will thus be easily obtained, and 

 a great deal of pleasure enjoyed in witnessing their growth. A 

 bed completely covered is a beautiful sight at this season of the 

 year. With respect to the method of cultivation,! do not think 

 I can add much to what has been stated in former Calendars. 

 There is an able Paper on the subject from Mr. Hankin in last 

 Chronicle, but there is nothing new in the system of using turf 

 instead of loam. I have no doubt it would answer admirably 

 in such circumstances as Mr. Hankin describes. He places 

 '•light" as the second requisite for growing Mushrooms, 

 while I think they are better, and more appreciated by cooks 

 r their whiteness when produced in comparative darkness. 

 Routine.— See that Cauliflower, in all its stages, Lettuce, 

 Endive, stored roots, fruit, &c. are secured from frost; do not 

 waste time in attempting to trench and thus bury frozen 

 ground, but rather forward in-door operations, such as making 

 stakes, tallies, straw covers, wattling hurdles with spruce 

 branches for the protection of Peas, Potatoes, &c. Prune and 

 nail in fine days after breakfast, everything except Peaches, 

 Figs, Vines, and Raspberries, the doing of which had better be 

 deferred six weeks longer; wheel dung, drive soil, turn com- 

 posts, aria" exercise judgment and forethought in regulating 

 your operations according to the state of the weather, and 

 recollect that if you wish to see your men energetic, able, and 

 willing to push through labour in any emergency, you must 

 study their health and comfort, by providing suitable labour in 

 unpropitious weather. In Conclusion.— To my young friends 

 1 would say, as a general maxim, you may take the advice of 

 an Edinburgh nurseryman, and " sow thick and keep friends 

 with the cook," but do not attempt the latter object, by in- 

 ducing him or her to connive at or conceal your deficiencies, 

 or you may soon find that you have trusted to a bruised reed, 

 but attain that object by securing to yourself the honourable 

 position of comparative independence, by the faithful and 

 diligent discharge of your duties— by keeping an abundant 

 supply — and by rendering it imperative on the man who serves 

 the house, to keep a regular account of all the garden produce, 

 a memorandum, the knowledge of the existence of which will 

 save you from many petty causes of annoyance.— It. F. 



up the vent holes when they are most wanted, lu hot weather 

 shading, or a hole large enough to admit a common-sized 

 cork open at the top of the hive is quite sufficient. If 

 that precaution is taken the rest may be left to the 

 bees themselves. However neat the appearance wooden 

 hives may have over that of straw, still the latter have the 

 advantage of resisting both heat and cold better, straw being 

 a much worse conductor of heat than wood. It you choose 

 straw hives on the Story ring plan, let them be about 9 inches 

 In depth, and 1 foot in diameter, and flat on the top. for the 

 capes to rest upon. You might try the "Bar-hive," which 

 is highly recommended by Dr. Bevan and Mr. Golding; but 

 if you purchase fine novel hives, with various appendages, 

 at 51. each, you must not expect " a return for a given outlay " 

 equal to the Rev. W. C. Cotton's statement, viz., that "bee- 

 boxes will pay what they cost in the first year, and leave 

 some profit besides." Such profit cannot be had from bees 

 in this country, nor yet in Wales or ScoMand, where they can 



frequent the blooming Heather. J. Wighton. A Subscriber, 



—In order to protect your hives from the attacks of mice, 

 make the hole so small that they cannot get in ; that is the 

 only effectual way. 



Camkllias.— T. A. N.— Nothing bears the knife better. Prune 

 them when they are breaking their leaf-buds in the spring. 



Cucumbers.— 3/Wonia.— Syon House, and Allen's Victory of 

 Suffolk, are good kinds. X 



Foreign Fruits.— Inquirer asks if any one will give him 

 some good method for packing exotic fruits and vegetables, 

 such as the Guava, Custard Apple, &c, so that they will 

 keep well during a voyage of two or three weeks. He asks 

 whether they should be packed up when ripe, or in an unripe 



state? 

 Hkating. — G. N.— Brick flues answer ill for bottom-heat, and 



are a nuisance ; for there is no getting at them to clean 



them when choked with soot, as they soon will be. They 



will dry the soil as well as heat it. We should think it quite 



hopeless to expect to grow Orchidacese by such means. If 



your master will not use hot water for heating such a place 



as you describe, it would be better to advise him to go back 



to a bark-bed for his Orchidacese, and a wooden stage for his 



greenhouse plants. If any one, in your knowledge, " has 



done for hot water," as you say, he must be a very unskilful 



person, and quite unfit for an example. 



Insects.— A. T. will find the information he requires in the his- 

 tory of the Earwig, given in vol. i. p. 580, ot this Journal. R. 

 An anxious Lady's Scales are the Coccus Testudo. R. 



KinNEV Beans.— A Young Beginner.— They will do well enough 

 where they are. If, however, you can get them nearer the 

 light it will be better. We doubt whether the book you 

 name will prove worth having. We shall know better in a 

 month or two. Wait a little. 



Manure.—/. Moon.— Parings of hoofs form a very durable 

 and excellent manure; but it acts slowly. It will, we pre- 

 sume suit Orange trees. Sickly trees of that sort can only be 

 recovered by repotting in very rich soil, cutting close^in^and 

 plunging in a good bottom-heat in the spring.- ° v "* 



8. E. Turn- 



State of the Weather near London forthe week ending Dec.26» 1844, ai 



observed atthe Horticultural Garden, Chiswick. 



Barometer. 



Dec. 



Frid. 



Sat- 



Sun. 



Mon. 



Tuea. 



Wed, 



SO 



21 



SS 



23 



24 

 25 



Thurs. 26 



Moon's 



Age. 



10 

 11 

 13 

 13 



O 

 15 

 16 



Thermomrtbr. 



Average 





Max. 



30.288 

 30.462 

 30.239 



30.238 

 30.270 

 30.260 

 30.116 



Min. 



30.260 

 30.295 

 30.176 

 30.095 

 30.245 

 30-194 

 30.072 



. 



30.267 ' 30.191 



Max. 



Mm. 



38 



28 



87 



SO 



35 



27 



3* 



28 



34 



31 



35 



31 



89 



30 



3*.0 



29.3 



Mean. 

 33.0 

 33.5 

 31.0 

 31.0 

 32.5 

 33 

 34.5 



Wind- Rain. 



32 6 



N.E. 

 N.E. 

 N. E. 

 N.E. 



E. 



E. 

 S.E. 



.00 



Dec. SsO— Overcast ; clear, cold, and dry ; cloudy; rather boiaterou*. 



— 21— Cold and dry ; overcast ; <-old with brisk wind. 



— 22— Cold and dry, with brisk N.E. wind; overcast. 



— 23— Cloudy; dry and frosty; uniformly overcast- 



— 24— Dry cold haze ; thickly overcast. 

 25 — Densely overcast throughout. 



— 26— Foggy ; hazy ; thick fog at night. 



Mean temperature of the week 7i deg. below the average. 



hull.— We are not aware that any very extraordinary effect is 

 producible bv two parts of carbonate of soda and one of 

 sulphate of soda. If you wish to try the experiment, use them 

 at the rate of H lb. to a rod of ground. 



Melovs.— Theta.— The Sirdar Melon proved to be the same as 

 the Cabul. I exhibited fruit of it at Chiswick, in June last; 

 some of the fruit were excellent. If Theta will send his 

 address to the office of this Paper, he can have seeds of it. U. 



Fleming. W.J.B.— Cuthill's Early Cantaloup, and the Im- 



•proved green-fleshed, are two good early green and scarlet- 

 fleshed varieties for immediate sowing.* Melonia.— 



Cuthill's Early Cantaloup.* _ 



MisLETOE.-3/r. Oldham, of Mansfield, is so ■ obliging as to off* 

 to give seeds of this plant to any one who will apply to mm 



nImb^o 1 ?' Fruits.-TT. D. F.-The Forme de Marie Louise 

 has been fully ascertained to be the same as the Mare 



^^fk^Tw.W-l, Jasmiuum ,»cU., S. Her- 

 nta incana iU|«*^ js t00 t for tur f, in 



v^x^l^-A B -You can maintain a steady bottom- 



Na 

 man 



heat 



pipes in a 



whole bed. H 

 Sea-Kale.— Subscriber.- 



sively, but you should 



good autumn growth. 



November and February. 

 The Rose Garden.-T. A. N—Yes 



IV.— PINERIES, VINERIES, &c. 

 Pineries. — In January of the present year I potted some Pine 

 plants on the one-shift system, nsing green turf chopped into 

 pieces about two inches square, fresh droppings, and pieces of 

 charcoal. The pots were then plunged over the rim in tan, 

 above hot- water tanks, and have required nothing to be done 

 to them since, except sprinkling the foliage occasionally with 

 the syringe or watering pot ; the latter only in very hot weather. 

 The plants have grown amazingly, throwing up leaves of a 

 remarkable breadth and firmness of texture, while the lumps of 

 turf are completely matted with fibres. Some of the plants are 

 now in fruit, while others appear as if they would grow for 

 some time yet. I intend to have a pit treated in the same way 

 next year, but will use the dust from the charcoal pits as a 

 plunging material instead of tan. I have reason to think that 

 charcoal-dust used in this way acts in a beneficial manner on 

 the plants, by impregnating the atmosphere with carbon. It 

 is impossible to convey an adequate idea of the change produced 

 in a few weeks on the foliage of a house of plants where this 

 material had been used, every plant in the house, whether 

 plunged or placed on the shelves, assuming the most dark and 

 healthy hue possible. 



Fineries.— The borders of the late Vineries should be slightly 

 forked, as soon as the frost will admit of it. 1 prefer not 

 putting on any top-dressing at this season, as the frost will be 

 of more service to the border than manure. Top-dressing does 

 more good in the growing season, as it nourishes the Vines and 

 keeps the roots in a more uniform state of temperature and 

 humidity. Let the roots of the Vines now forcing have every 

 attention. The keeping of the roots warm is, perhaps, the most 

 important point to be attended to, next to the avoidance of over- 

 cropping. 



Peach- houses.— The last few days have been very unfavour- 

 able to Peach-trees now setting their fruit. Be careful to avoid 

 too high a temperature at night, and take every opportunity of 

 giving air till all the fruit is set, after which the temperature 

 raav be raised to 60° by night and 70° or "2° by day. Keep a 

 Yery moist atmosphere, and thin out the young shoots, leaving 

 always the top and bottom ones remaining on each of last 



year's shoots. 



Cherry- house.— Be careful not to keep too high a tempera- 

 tare, particularly during this cold weather j 45° by night will 

 be quite sufficient until the buds are about expanding, when it | 

 may be raised to 50°. Air must be admitted during a portion 



State of the Weather at Chiswick during the last 19 years, for the ensuing 



Week ending Jan. 4, 1845. 



Dec. 



Aver. Aver, jvfean 



Highest' Lowest TmnD 



Temp.! Temp. xe F 



Sun. 



29 



41-3 



Mon. 



30 



46.5 



Tue«. 



31 



43.3 



Wed. 



1 



4: 



Thur 



. fl 



41.7 



Fri. 



3 



42.2 



Sat. 



4 



41.2 





37.1 



89.2 

 30.9 



30.7 



80.0 



30.1 

 31.6 





39.2 

 42.3 

 3;.6 

 36.8 

 36.8 

 36.1 

 36.4 



No. of 

 Years in 

 which it 

 Rained. 



7 



7 



6 



7 



7 



10 



5 



Greatest 



quantity 

 of Rain. 



0.1* in. 



0.16 



0.24 



0.70 



021 



0.30 



0.35 



1 Prevailing Winds. 





a 



^ 



00 





m 



1 

 1 



3 

 1 

 1 

 3 



2 

 2 

 3 



1 

 1 

 1 

 3 



r 



1 

 2 



1 



8 

 3 



2 



1 

 2 

 1 

 1 



2 



• 



T. 





2 



3 



3 



3 



a 



1 



2 

 5 



6 

 3 

 3 

 4 

 4 



6 



6 

 4 

 4 

 3 

 3 

 2 



?< 



3 



1 



2 



3 



5 



4 



2 



The highest temperature during the above period occurred on the 31st, 

 1834— therm. 53°; and the lowest on the 3d, 1827, and 1st 1337— therm. 12°. 



•You may force it two years succes- 

 r,ot do so unless it lias made a very 

 Plant a new bed any time between 



do whenever the weather will allow you. ^ ecel ^ D 

 than January, January than February, and so on ' 



a it tv _-Wp are not aware of any instance 

 MiscEi.LANE0us.~H.7f.iV.-We are doc fruit, and 



of a Golden Pippm tree invariably bearing a Uy 



nothing else; if there be 8 »^ » *f e f ^ t op?odnce double 

 surprised to find that scions from it : failed *° P fi t ca8e „* 

 Apples also. There is no accounting for tne he first is , 



the second would be more » n \ ntelll ^,S !-An advertise- 

 however, not without a P^teL— F/a \ 11 ?Lb. will see the 

 ment is the only course we **e ?ware o^ lg Hydro . 



advertisement in this dayjs paper 

 cotylifolia. 



W. S.-We never saw the plan of pouring 

 boiling water on^Rose bushes tried, forthe purpose of kUhng 



'Notices to Correspondents. 



The Reprint of Mr. PAXTON'S COTTAGERS' CALENDAR 

 is now ready, price 3d. each Copy. An Index has been added 

 to this present Edition. Parties wishing to have copies for 

 distribution among their tenantry can have them at the rate 



of 25 for 5*. 

 BKKS.—Apiarius.— Wooden hives ought to be made of good 

 deal about 1 or 14 inch thick. The collateral hive is, per- 

 haps, the best, being three square boxes about 12 inches in 

 depth, and 1 foot in width. The centre box should be stocked 

 with a strong early swarm, and the hive should be placed in 

 a sheltered situation, open to the south or south-east. If the 

 hive is well defended from the weather, and shaded a little 

 from the winter's sun, it need not be removed to other quar- 

 ters. The bees will survive the winter, provided they have 

 plenty of store, say from 15 to 20lbs of honey, but as to quan- 

 tity, much depends on the weather. The Polish hive is of 

 simple construction, and, at your request, I shall notice it in 

 a future paper. As regards the " temperature most suitable 

 for the breeding and storing compartments," I would men- 

 tion that that of the first is of much importance If hives 

 were kept warm in spring by extra covering (and feeding if 

 wanted), that would insure plenty of early brood, on which 

 success depends. Much has been said concerning cooling 

 the store departments in beehives, and various plans have 

 been tried with but little success ; for the bees always seal 



the larva, of the green-fly. ^^^t%T^ S with 

 green-fly is readily destroyed or Roses by sj g g g 

 weak gas-water. There is no P*»°* ca ^ p ° recommend, 

 as vou mention, which we should 1 ike to ^ 



blished before the opera ion ^%^%^ in last week's 

 will find a receipt for k Hhng ^ t .X e ^ rd ^ r was received- 



!flx: fc Z-Re~a"{[y wT cannot answer sueh questions. 



Inquire at the coach-office. —«*<? 



VERY FEW CORRESPONDENT NOW KfMAIN *H0^ 





FOR SUCH AS 



WB 



CORDIALLY 1NV TE ALLT KUELOV^u ^ 



TO CONTINUE^IM INTER- 



OPERATION IN 1HL lLkA&AiNJ. *^ 



COMMUNICATION. 





U. is. per sunce. 



