30 



JOUBNAL OF HOETICTJLTUEB AND COTTAaE GABDENER. 



[ January 10, 1S65. 



dressing of fresli soil, this should bo provided. Fresh soil 

 is, in most cases, preferable as a dressing for flower-beds to 

 manure, which is apt to cause too luxuriant a growth for a 

 first-rate display of flowers. On soils that are natr.-ally poor, 

 however, and where neither fresh mould nor decayed leaves 

 can be had, a moderate dressing of well-rotted fiumyard 

 manure will be useful ; but this should be well mixed with 

 the moidd to the full depth of the bed, and not cai-elessly 

 turned in, and left in lumps near the siu-face. for in this 

 case a gross habit of growth would be promoted early in the 

 season, and as the principal part of the roots would be near 

 the surface in the summer, the plants would soon feel the 

 effects of dry weather, whereas if the manure is well in- 

 corporated with the soil to the depth of about IS inches, no 

 ordinary amount of dry weather will injure the plants after 

 they are once fairly estabUslied. Pink and Pansy-beds 

 should be examined, and all plants that are loose cal-efully 

 fastened. The same remark applies to seedling Am-iculas 

 and Polyanthuses. With respect to Eanunculuses lose no 

 time in making what purchases may be necessary. Antici- 

 pating the approach of winter, with its usual inclement at- 

 tributes, cautions have been given and directions repeated, 

 for the protection of plants liable to be affected by frost. 

 The exercise of forethought is demanded of a gai-dener in 

 every operation he undertakes. To avert by precautiouai-y 

 measures the evil consequences that result fi-om unfavour- 

 able circumstances of cHmate, is a duty that our climate 

 renders imperative. 



GRBENHOCSE AXD CONSEEVATOET. 



While the weather continues fine and imld allow the 

 plants in these structui-es the full benefit of it, by the ad- 

 mission of abundance of air during the day. Fumigate on 

 the first appearance of green fly. See that the worms do 

 not remain in quiet possession of their pot lodgings, and 

 remedy any defects that exist in the di-ainage of plants in 

 pots. The principal object should be to guard against plants 

 commencing growth at this unfavourable time of the year, 

 and to keep in check damp and mildew, which the weather 

 we are now experiencing is likely to induce, more especially 

 in the case of plants that are at all delicate, and such a's 

 have imperfectly ripened their wood. To assist in promoting 

 a free circulation of air through plant-houses, some of the 

 inferior dupUcates might now be removed to spare vineries 

 or other quarters, for anything approaching a crowded state 

 among plants will be sure to cause at least a partial loss of 

 foliage. 



STOVE. 



A little advance in temperature may be permitted here at 

 present. Wait for an increase of light, without which all 

 applications of heat and moisture will be vain. Let CO" with- 

 out 8un be the maximum. Some of the Orchids — such as 

 the Lselias and Cattleyas will commence i-ooting, let them 

 have attention and encouragement. The Cymbidium sinense 

 ia a most useful plant for the drawing-room, the scent is 

 moat dehcious. A thorough baiting for snails and vermin 

 should take place previous to potting. 



FOECING-Prr. 



Keep up a regular succession throughout the season by 

 bringing forward stock as wanted. Eoses, both dwarf and 

 standard, Honeysuckles, hybrid Ehododendrons, and Aza- 

 leas, with a host of other things, in addition to the usual 

 occupants of the houses, will enable cultivators to make a 

 brilliant show. Hyacinths, Narcissus, Tulips, Lily of the 

 Valley, and other plants of the above class must be duly 

 forwarded aa wanted. A day heat of 60° or 65" will suffice 

 at present, sinking at night to 50" or 55'. Fumigate oc- 

 caaionally to keep down green fly. — W. K£Ane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEK GARDEN*. 



Trx weather has been very variable. Within a few honra 

 we have had froat, thaw, snow, and mild weather following 

 each oth<;r, and now, on Thuisday evening aa we write, with 

 a rising barometer, wo have one of the moat telling rains of 

 the Beason, which will rejoice many in this neiglibourhood. 

 Work woA regulated very much accordingly. Dung and 

 decomposed material from the rubbiah-heap, which we are 



forced by necessity to make the most of, were wheeled on 

 frosty mornings and one frosty day on quarters of the kitchen 

 garden and on to flower-beds, previously ridged up. Ground 

 was also tm-ned up and ridged, which we consider to be a 

 good plan with all ground that is at all stiff with a clay 

 bottom. This turning and loosening the subsoU, and just 

 getting up a little of it to mix with the surface soil, we con- 

 sider to be a fine thing for the generality of culinary and 

 flower-garden plants. By such means there is little chance 

 of exhausting the ground, or making it sick of cropping, if 

 rotation of crops is duly attended to. 



In trenthing or ridging care should be taken to move and 

 break all the soil, except that whicn forms the ridge, as the 

 frost and the influence of the atmosphere will generally do 

 that well enough. W e have known large lumps and widths 

 of soil tumbled into the bottom of a trench, and also good 

 spaces left In the middle untouched, just as if tbe object had 

 been to follow the lazy-bed system represented at page 6. 

 If the ground is turned up when dry, and also levelled down 

 again when dry, there wUl be no trouble fi-om excess of 

 moistm'e in deep regularly-stiiTed land, whilst the very 

 depth will also secure fr-om overdryness in drought. When 

 men dig, or trench, or ridge in slushy soil, or turn into a 

 trench with mattocks and levers great lumps and breadths 

 of frozen earth, it would be more economical policy to pay 

 them to let the work alone, if there were nothing else to do. 

 Just let any one turn down such fi-osted earth, and note 

 how long it is before the "heat of spring brings it to the 

 general temperature. If people will pick up such fr-osted 

 ground we would advise leaving the huge blocks on the 

 surface piled as openly as possible ; then the toughest soil 

 would be pulverised. The pulverising of such blocks, when 

 no better job can be obtained, is a very different thing from 

 turning frozen lumps into a trench, and placing unfrozen 

 soil over them. 



Clialk obtained fr'om sinking a well we had spread out, so 

 that the lumps might be well cracked by the frost, and then 

 threw it along the ground, ridged up, intended for Carrots 

 next season ; and if there is much more fr-ost the lumps of 

 chalk will be well powdered before sowing-time. For all 

 stiff land chalk or other calcareous material operates very 

 beneficially, and is especially valuable in old gardens for 

 Carrots and plants with similar roots. It makes such land 

 opener and ch-ier. In the case of light sandy soil the chalk 

 renders the land more retentive of moistm-e. Even in heavy 

 land it is amazing how soon chalk goes to the bottom of the 

 stirred soil. Many yeai's ago we dressed jjart of the garden 

 with chalk, but we lost all traces of it for a number of years, 

 until we trenched it up deeply, raising even a little of the 

 subsoil last year for Carrots, and from the bottom we re- 

 turned to the top some of the chalk applied long ago. It 

 is a great advantage when from sinking a pit or well the sub- 

 soil can be used to ameliorate the textui-e of the surface soil. 



Eoutine work has chiefly been confined to protecting and 

 uncovering Asparagus, Kadishes, and Cauliflower, the heads 

 of the latter coming in for use being much attacked by mice ; 

 sowing Peas in pots ; planting Potatoes in pots ; putting up 

 a dung-bed, but chiefly tree leaves, for raising young Cu- 

 cumbers, &c., to succeed those now in the pit ; planting 

 Kidney Beans, and soiling another piece of a Mushroom- 

 bed. Celi.ry has had the heads uncovered in fine days. Took 

 up also a little more Sea-kale and lihubarb for the Mush- 

 room-house. In wet weather cleaned pots, made and re- 

 paired straw covers, and cut up wood under cover for fur- 

 naces. 



rnUIT OAEDEN. 



Pruned and nailed in suitable weather. Protected tlie 

 roots of trees in pots from the frost, placing them close 

 together on purpose. Looked over Grapes, some of which 

 are now getting the worse for weai". Watered Strawberry- 

 pots in orchard-house, as, if the roots become too dry, the 

 bud is apt to suffer. Gave alsp a little water to pots in 

 small Vine-pit. Put some hot leaves on a part of a Vine- 

 border. Prepared lor washing trees in orchard-house, and 

 as soon as practicable will thin and prune trees in small 

 orchard. As soon as possible will wash low standards with 

 soot, lime, sulphur, and clay, to keep the birds from the 

 builH, and to smother all insects' eggs. 



The ground is now in capital order for planting. The 

 rains we have had will make it just moist enough; before it 



