JO0KNAL OF HORTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEK. 



January S, 186*. 



FLOWKB HARDEN. ' 



The plantingf of shrubs and choice trees may stiU be 

 earned on. These operations should be prosecuted vigor- 

 ously as long: as open weather lasts, and brought to a close 

 as speedily as possible. Dahlia roots should be occasionally 

 exaniineil, iu order to counteract the effects of damp. 11' 

 nnfayourable weather should occur much incidental work 

 relating to the flower garden may bo forwarded, such as the 

 pieparation of nails, shi'eds, and ties for training climbing- 

 plants, stakes for supporting the stems of such as rcquii-e 

 them, labels of all kinds and sizes, the construction of covers 

 for protecting pm-poses, repairing rustic baskets t^nd tubs, 

 mixing composts, cleaning pots, and the breaking up and 

 preparation of materiiils for the drainage of pot plants. 



GREENHOtrSE AND CONSEEVATOBT. 



As severe weather may now at any time be e.xpected, a 

 good supply of dry Utter, fern, or other such materials, 

 should be in readiness for extra covering when requu-ed. 

 If not already done, lose no time in getting under cover a 

 supply of the various loams, peat, &c., requu-ed for spring 

 potting. Keep the conservatory at a temperature of about 

 45 by night, raising it to 55° in the day, -n'ith plenty of aii- 

 at^ every favourable opportunity, and the house may have 

 60° or 65° by sun heat without injury. Keep the atmosphere 

 moderately moist, as much for the preservation of the 

 flowers as for the comfort of the visitors. Stove plants will 

 take no injm-y for a few days in this temperature ; but hard- 

 wooded plants, such as Heaths, should not remain more 

 than a lew days at a time in such a temperature. The 

 greenhouse in the generality of places is a mixed affaii- where 

 hardwooded and softwooded plants ai-e obliged to be toge- 

 ther. In such places a compromise must be made iu the treat- 

 ment by keeping the au- a few degrees warmer than Heaths 

 and other Cape plants require, and yet sufficiently warm for 

 Pelargoniums, herbaceous Calceolarias, &c. Ai-range the 

 plants in gi-oups, so that aii- may be admitted to the Heaths 

 at times when it would be injudicious to admit it to soft- 

 wooded plants. Camellias will now be swelling then- buds, 

 neglect in supplying water must be avoided, and attention 

 should be given so that it is applied in proportion to the 

 actmty of the gro-ivth of the plants. 



STOVE. 



The season is not yet advanced sufficiently to allow an 

 increase of temperature. A stea<ly heat, ranging between 

 60 and do' may be sustained, if the weather continues open. 

 The occiu:renee of frost will demand a reduction of tempera- 

 ture. AUow the thermometer to sink at night. Artificial 

 heat without light, as has often been explained, is injurious 

 to vegetation. liecoUect always, that stove plants, as well 

 as others, require fresh aii-. The stove may still be gay 

 with the beautiful Gesnera zebrina. Euphorbias, Begonias, 

 Ac. Some few Orchids will now be in active growth. Those 

 must be supplied with moisture as opportunities allow. 

 Keep Ixoi-aa close to the glass and at the cool end of the 

 house. 



FORCING-PIT. 



Bemove the plants from here to the conservatory as fast 

 aa the flowers expand, and introduce others fiom the reserve 

 for succession, placing them fu-st at the cool end of the pit 

 BO as to excite them gradually. A few Pinks and Sweet 

 VS illiams may be started, and plenty of Lily of the Valley, 

 Sweet Briar, &c. Gardenias must also be started, and as 

 Stephanotis is a great favourite witli the ludies, a plant or 

 two should be placed at the warmest end of the pit. Main- 

 **'2 t ^"r^^' Ki"owing, moist temperature ol from 00" to 05°, 

 ot 70° with sun heat, and give air, warmed before it gets to 

 the plants, at eveiy favourable opportunity. Syringe early 

 on sunny days, and keep a moist atmosphere, unless the 

 weather is very dulL 



PITS AND riCAUBS. 



Ah long as the temperature here can be kept from yi° to 

 -35° little harm will ensue by keeping them covered. It is a 

 goo<l practice to tilt tlie b.ick and front alternately when- 

 ever the glass rises above '-i'Z" out of doors. By tliese means 

 the accumulating damp is dispelled, and the plants receive 

 as much light as will prevent etiolation. Take care that the 

 roof is weU protected, using a mat near the glass and then a 

 coat of dry litter, the thicknoss of the coat to depend upon 

 the state of the weather.— W. Kbaki. 



DOINGS OP THE LAST WEEK. 



Ice-collccthiJi. — Keeping Monday as a holiday, we set to 

 work on the Tuesday and Wednesday to collect what ice we 

 could, but had to be content with less than the usual 

 quantity, owing to the scarcity of water as yet in this 

 neighbourhood. The ice was in capital order, li inch in 

 thickness, and the roads, clean and dry, made the job a 

 comfortable one ior men and horses. A lieavy fall of snow, 

 or a good rain, woidd be of great benefit in this neighbour- 

 hood. Large jjonds, that used to be full to overflowing at 

 this season of the year, had scarcely enough in a small 

 corner to meet the demands of the cattle ; and taking what 

 little ice there was, in such circumstances, was not to be 

 thought of, the necessities rightly coming before the luxuries 

 of existence. We feel wo are now secure for at least one 

 year and a hall', and if we can collect a little more from a 

 future frost, we will be pretty secure for tvro years. Our ice- 

 well is an old-fashioned egg-shaped one, with single wall, 

 and a long passage. We think the ice goes a little more 

 quickly than it used to do, owing to the cutting down of the 

 Spruce and other trees which surrounded it, and to birds 

 and rabbits scraping away the earth, and burrowing in the 

 oai-th-covered arch. If we can get at it, wo would like to 

 put a cover of a foot of earth all over the dome, and plant 

 with Laurels and other evergreens. A few Spruce Firs, just 

 thin enough to enable then- branches to cover the ground, 

 would also be an advantage, and so would their habit of 

 sending their roots along the surface, and thus keeijiug free 

 of the brickwork. Trees that send their roots deep dovra 

 would be unsuitable, as we have found even cement walls 

 penetrated and cracked by such roots. We once saw a 

 seemingly sound wall topped over by the roots of Oak 

 and Elm loosening and throwing up the foundations. Tlus 

 was even less to bo wondered at than noticing, in .another 

 case, heavy flagstones raised out of their place by a crop of 

 Mushrooms. Some sjiawn must have been present in the 

 soil used for levelling. The massive solidity of the stone 

 had to give way before the vital forces of such an humble 

 agency as a Mushroom. 



Holidays. — AUuding to Monday as a holiday, shall we 

 offend by saying a word on the subject? We will not ad- 

 vocate the importance of working men having a few of such 

 holidtiys in the year, we will assume that is freely granted. 

 We will also assume that the employers who generously 

 give such days as Christmas and Good Friday, &o., and pay 

 the usual wages, will lose nothing by such generosity. The 

 man is hardly worth having who will not more than make up, 

 by extra exertion and attention, for such proofs of kindness. 

 To constrain a man to bo idle on such days, and then mulct 

 him of that -n'hich keeps the loaf in the cupboard for his 

 little ones, will be about as effectual for imparting pleasure 

 as forced prayers would be for securing a blessing. What 

 we wish pointedly to allude to, is tho desirability that such 

 holidays as the 2fith ultimo, should be general in a district. 

 We saw numbers of farmers' carts and w.aggons loaded on 

 the highway, and latei- in the afternoon than they are gene- 

 rally seen on other days. We believe that the thus keeping 

 the horses and men employed proceeded not from any want 

 of kindly feeling, but from something like a desire to show 

 an independent singularity. We arrive at such a conclusion 

 because when it so pleases such employers, and nobody else 

 is thinking of such a thing, tliey will give their men a holiday, 

 a dinner, a cricket match, &c. We must not conceal, how- 

 ever, our conviction, that such kindness is strongly seasoned 

 by vanity, and tho desire for notoriety. Such an unwonted 

 holiday, however seldom given, will be the talk of the neigh- 

 bourhood at the time, and most likely will be recorded in 

 the columns of some local newspaper. All such notoriety 

 would have been lost, if the holiday luad been given at the 

 game time with that of tho generality of the neighbours. 

 The fact that even the humblest labourer sees through the 

 whole affair, may help to lessen tho prevalence of this 

 ambitious singulai-ity. If not, then a regard for their own 

 self-interest, aa well as the interests of others, may liavo 

 some force. The sullen, wearied, if not morose ijhysiognomy 

 of coi-tora and waggoners, told at once they felt somewhat 

 aggrieved at being forced to labour when their neighbours 

 were enjoying themselves with their friends. Such men 

 would, no doubt, do theii- day's work then and afterwards j 



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