January 3, 1865. ] 



JOTTENAL OF HORTICULTTTKE AND COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



13 



but it would merely be a day's work, a very diiferent thing 

 from the labour prompted by cheerfulness, and a sense of 

 kindness conferred. We have no hesitation in saying, that 

 before the week was out, tlie value of the Monday's work 

 was more than gone. Then, it is not only themselves such 

 sticklers for singtilarity hurt, their one own prominent 

 holiday becomes prejudicial to then- neighbours. It matters 

 not, though these neighboiu-s may give double or quadruple 

 the indtilgence that they do, when their one great hoKday of 

 their own choosing comes; with its due amount of trumpet- 

 ings for fame, the less or greater will be the unsettlement 

 of the workmen in the neighbourhood. They may have 

 three or four holidays instead of this one so trumpeted; 

 but this is all apt to be forgotten whilst the vision of others 

 enjoying themselveo, whilst they are working, is ever present 

 to their minds, and with what results, every superintendent 

 of labour that is paid by daily wages, pretty well knows. 

 The abettors of singularity, then, even if they choose to 

 forget the strong feelings for social intercourse, which prompt 

 people when they rejoice, to rejoice in company, may be so 

 influenced by theii' own self-interest, as well as the interest 

 of their neighbours, as to promote, instead of jjrevent, the 

 genei-al observance of our national holiday, unless when in- 

 terfered with by the claims of necessity and mercy. 



Protection. — The details as to the kitchen and fruit gaiden 

 would merely be a repetition of previous weeks. As respects 

 everything tender in vegetables, fruit, and flowers, we never 

 had an easier Christmas. The frost was so mild that little 

 covering was given where artificial heat could be applied ; 

 and yet it was severe enough, and the days dark enough, to 

 warrant us having all ovu- cold pits and frames, where plants 

 and vegetables were kept, shut up and covered up from 

 Friday, the 23rd, to Thursday, the 29th, when everything 

 was uncovered, as the frost was gone. As stated the other 

 week, provided such shut-up plants are cool enough not to 

 grow, it matters little at this season whether the daikness of 

 their night should be sixteen hours, or sixteen times twenty- 

 four hours in duration. If the heat enclosed is sufficient to 

 cause the plants to elongate and grow, the results would be 

 different ; where heat is applied light must also be given. 



SUNK PITS OK HOUSES. 



Thiee correspondents have inquu-ed if they may safely 

 follow out the plan indicated by " Isle of Wight," at 

 page 511. With every desire to be grateful for the good 

 idea suggested, we must, we feai-, answer decidedly in the 

 negative. Mind, if the preservation of roots, fruits, and 

 vegetables with a frost-proof roof were the objects, then we 

 would subscribe to almost everything that " Isle of Wisht" 

 holds out. Were the sinking of walls as much as possible 

 below the surface to secure these walls fr'om the variations in 

 our atmosphere, as respects heat and cold, then we so far 

 agree, and thus accept the proposition that such houses and 

 pits win require less heat than one with the waEs exposed, 

 and more especially if these sunk walls are insulated" from 

 the surrormding soil by enclosed air, or other non-conducting 

 material ; hence we find the importance of surrounding the 

 high exposed walls of pits in winter with straw, neatly 

 laid on. In oui- correspondent's sunk house or pit he would 

 receive the above advantage less or more from the sunk 

 walls, but then the glass roof, and the radiation of heat from 

 it, would, ere long, in a cold night, make the bottom of this 

 sis-feet-deep pit as cold, nearly, as the outside atmosphere. 

 This would, no doubt, be to a considerable extent neutralised 

 by the stretched covering beneath the glass,- and so it 

 would be by a double glass roof, but these are equal pre- 

 servatives in the case of pits partly or whoUy raised above 

 gi-ound. Besides all this there are two objections against 

 this deep sinking — the minor one, the diminution of light 

 just at the season when, owing to the oblique rays of the 

 sun, light is most valuable ; and the greater objection would 

 be the almost impossibility of keeping plants from damping 

 in such a deep-sunk place, without means being taken for 

 drainage, insulating the walls, and securing ventilation, that 

 would be more troublesome and expensive than a pit built, 

 protected, and heated in the usual way. Though we thus 

 express our opinion plainly, we are not the less thankful for 

 tie ideas presented, so suggestive of improvements. 



ORNAMENTAL DEPAB.TMENT. 



Pits exposed at the sides were covered neatly by an inch 



of wheaten straw tied on, which will make the entrance of 

 frost there next to an impossibility. Calceolarias had a 

 little litter thrown over the glass, and a few tree leaves 

 thrown over all. There is no better protection from ft-ost 

 than these leaves, if at all fresh and dry, the drawback is, 

 that they are apt to be blown about and make such a litter, 

 and, therefore, we only use them on an emergency; but 

 anything is better than letting the frost in. The disciples 

 of neatness in the extreme, must use fire heat in some 

 shape, or have ever so many thicknesses of mats or frigi 

 domo, to keep John Frost at bay. As fr-equently stated, 

 wooden covers, and a little straw or hay in very extreme 

 cases, are the best of protections ; but then many of us must 

 make the best of what we can get, and visible utility does 

 much to neutralise an ugly, rough appearance. 



A slight, neat covering, even of fr'igi domo, or a mat, will 

 be of much service in a cold night, even where fire heat is 

 used, as less drying heat will thus be necessary — a matter 

 of much moment in low houses and pits, where the amount 

 of air enclosed is but limited. The reason why plants often 

 flourish better in lofty, large houses, is just owing to the 

 abundance of air all round them, and the greater slowness 

 with which that air is changed in its properties and tem- 

 perature. Hence though Geraniums will flourish well 

 enough in a pit, with but a limited amount of aii' and 

 light falling chiefly above them, it is rarely they do so well 

 as in a loftier house on a stage, where afr and light per- 

 meate all through, below, and around, as well as above 

 them. Cold and heat tell also much more slowly and gra- 

 dually on such houses. 



The giving air, therefore, which must now be done with 

 care in all houses, must be attended to with extra care in 

 low houses and pits, just because they are so much easier 

 heated and easier cooled. Half an hour's bright sun, that 

 would do no harm in a large lofty house, but rather tend to 

 give an active motion to the enclosed atmosphere, might be 

 enough to injure very much the denizens of a small pit or 

 frame. A little air, and early, at the highest point, will be 

 the true safeguard ; and, provided that is given early, to 

 prevent accumulated moist heated afr, the gradual rise o± 

 the temperature by sunlight will do little harm. With the 

 above precaution, sun heat wiU scarcely be able to draw or 

 weaken a plant. The time — the early giving of afr — is of far 

 more consequence than its quantity. In such sunny days 

 as we have sometimes had lately, but the atmosphere cold 

 behind the sun, an inch of afr at the back of a frame, early, 

 as soon as the sun began to tell on the glass, and adding a 

 little more as the sun was at the meridian, reducing in the 

 same way, and shutting up by two or three o'clock, would 

 be far more agreeable to the plants than letting the house 

 or pit alone, and then giving 6 inches or a foot by ten or 

 eleven o'clock, thus giving the plants a vapour bath for one 

 part of the day, and for the other part a dry, cold, scorching 

 ail', to help to mummy them into skeletons. One-half, or 

 three parts, of the mishaps with so many of our amateur 

 brethren proceed from the carelessness as respects early 

 afr-giving. Even city men would not need to give so many 

 somewhat puzzling dfrections to Jane or Mary, as to thefr 

 pit or little house, if they would only themselves give a 

 little afr- at the top before they took thefr breakfast, and 

 started for business by rail or omnibus. A gradual rising 

 by sun heat after that, and as gradual a sinking to the 

 point of safety, would be much better than the sudden 

 changes effected by careless afr-giving. 



Even in dull muggy days a little afr should thus be given, 

 and, where fire heat can be afforded, that is better applied 

 during the day than at night, allowing the heat to get low 

 as the heat is taken away. Where a flue or pipe can be 

 used, the safest plan, at this season, would be to lieep always 

 a mild heat in the heating medium. This would provide 

 against a sudden frost at night, and, in a mUd muggy day, 

 would keep the atmosphere in motion, and allow of a little 

 air being given without too much lowering the temperature. 



In watering we have been careful to use as little as 

 possible by spilling it on stages or paths. In cold pits it is 

 best to take a dry plant out, water, and, when drained, 

 replace it. In stoves, where a high temperature is given, 

 moisture must be used for evaporation, to prevent the air 

 getting too dry ; and the keener the frost, and the stronger 

 the fires, the greater the quantity of moisture needed, to 



