January 31, 186i. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE aARDENEK. 



95 



These should be taken off the plants in May, or as soon as 

 the plants have done flowering, placing them under a hand- 

 glass in a compost similar to that recommended for potting, 

 with, however, in addition, a double quantity of loam. When 

 rooted they are to be potted and treated as advised above. 

 When offsets of any particular variety desired to be pro- 

 pagated cannot be obtained in May, a few may be taken off 

 and struck in August, when the old plants are potted. Great 

 care should, however, be taken that the plants be not too 

 much injured, as wounds upon them at this season are very 

 susceptible of damp, and are, consequently, apt to end in the 

 rot, so much so, indeed, that I would not advise any to 

 attempt the operation who can put it off for a season. 



In saving seeds great attention should be paid to selecting 

 good sorts only; by a judicious use of the alpine varieties 

 impregnated with some of our best old sorts, much may yet 

 be done with these quaint plants. No variation in the treat- 

 ment of the plants is necessary for saving seed. The latter 

 must be watched that it may be secured when ripe. 



There are two ways of sowing. The seeds sown about the 

 middle of August in boxes or pans of light earth, generaUy 

 remain tiU the spriug before germinating, and then come up 

 much earlier than those sown in the spring, and are much 

 stronger and sooner ready for potting. Seedlings are, how- 

 ever, readily raised by keeping the seeds in the pod until 

 February, when they may be sown as above, and placed iu a 

 moderately-heated frame, to be potted off when sufficiently 

 lai-ge to handle. 



Iu conclusion, taking into consideration the position in 

 which the Auricula grows naturally, the hill sides and moun- 

 tains of southern Europe, and Switzerland especially, where 

 during the whole of the colder winter months it is covered 

 with a thick coat of snow, we are in possession- of the facts 

 that it likes a cool, moist, even temperature, with but 

 moderate light in winter, a perfect drainage — as the hiUside 

 position shows — with a free supply of light and moisture, 

 when the retui-n of spring reinvigorates them. 



Wiien the plants are perfecting- their blooms, care should 

 be taken that wet or damp of any kind does not frequently 

 rest upon them in dull weather. — W. Eakley, Digsu-ell. 



THE CLIMBING- DEVONIEISrSIS EOSE. 



I HAVE to thank " D., Deal," in his valuable and interest- 

 ing article on new Eoses, for so kindly mentioning my name 

 in connection with the climbing Devoniensis. Though I 

 have had the pleasiu-e of introducing to the public this triily 

 noble climber, I must disclaim the credit of having fixed the 

 sport. I met w-ith it in the west of England, and imagine 

 its origin to be accidental. Apprehending its probable 

 merits as a climbing Kose I bought what I could of it, and 

 have been proving and, I trust, improving it for the last two 

 years in the rosery here, so that I can now with confidence 

 recommend it as the finest light climbing Eose in cultiva- 

 tion. 



From its strong growth of one-year-old wood it will be 

 found a most abundant and early bloomer. My pQlar speci- 

 mens iu the open air were so beautiful in the spring that 

 they half-verified dear old Dr. Watts — 



** Ho\v' fair is tlie Hose, what a beautiful flower I 

 Tile glory ol April and May !" 



for towards the end of May the pillars were clothed with 

 large flowers from top to bottom. Owing to this same 

 vigorous growth its flowers in the autumn are not so 

 numerous, though in this respect I am improving it, and 

 have had many hundreds of fine blooms this'year as l-ate as 

 November. When more known and more grown it will, I 

 believe, take precedence of all its fau- rivals in the ranks' of 

 climbing Eoses. — Henky Cuktis, Tcrqiiaij. 



Eablt King Potato.— I cannot answer your correspon- 

 dent of last week, about the Early King. I never grew it, 

 but it is a seedling from the Fluke, and I know it weU by 

 sight. " E. H." calls it " a round Potato," but in respect 

 to form, when taken from the soil, it must be judged of as 

 the chameliou is for colour. — Upwakds and Onwabds. 



WOEK FOE THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



The state of the weather prevents much being done in 

 the open garden. Asparagus, if a constant succession is 

 required, a bed should be made every fortnight till the end 

 of March, a slight heat only is necessary. Keep the firames 

 close and cover up well till the shoots make their appeai-- 

 ance, when they should have light and ah-. Capsicum, seeds 

 of the various sorts should now be sown in pots, which 

 should be placed in a hotbed. Cucnmhers, if a seed-bed is 

 made and the dung was previously well prepared, it -will be 

 ready to receive the seeds after having stood a few days to 

 let the rank steam pass off; a layer of light sifted soil may 

 then be placed on the surface to the depth of 3 or 4 inches, 

 sow the seed in shallow pans or in pots half filled with leaf 

 mould. After sowing lay a piece of glass on the top of the 

 pan or pot to prevent mice getting at them. Kidney Beans, 

 a crop now sown in small pots, and when of a suflicieut size 

 planted in a large pit where there is a command of heat, 

 will produce more abundantly than those in pots. The in- 

 troduction of the red spider into the forcing-house wOl also 

 be avoided by adopting this plan. Mushrooms, beds for early 

 crops should now be made. The horse-droppings must be 

 previously well worked to prevent them from attaining a 

 burning heat. Keep the dung well beaten down at the time 

 of making. Potatoes, if it is not convenient to prepare beds 

 for them immediately, plant some in smaU pots and place 

 them in any corner of the forcing-house, where they can 

 remain until they have made their appearance above ground. 

 They should then be planted out or be placed in a situation, 

 where they can receive a suiSciency of light. 



FKUIT GAKDEN. 



Where the means are at command, we would recommend 

 Peach and Nectarine trees to be dressed with the following 

 composition, as well as washing the walls against which they 

 are growing. Scotch snuff, fresh slaked lime, and sulphur 

 vivum, of each 1 lb., mix with soapsuds to the consistence 

 of paint, add sufiicient soot to make it of a grey colour, and 

 lay on with small paint-brushes. 



FLO^VEB GAEDEN. 



The planting of large shrubberies on lawns is one of the 

 principal obstacles in the way of beautiful specimens of 

 shrubs, as many choice specimens are planted in them, which 

 in a short time are hidden or kiUed by the luxuriant-grow- 

 ing sorts. If they are not completely killed they are but 

 skeletons of what they ought to be. To obviate this aoad 

 still retain the featui-e of a shrubbery, we would recommend 

 them to be planted singly on the grass at such a distance 

 from each other as to allow of their showing their proper 

 character. A hole may be dug and suitable soil put in for 

 each plant if necessary. The turf should then be laid down 

 nearly close to them, leaving only a small circle round each- 

 Thus effect may be given without disturbing the roots by 

 digging or crowding the shrubs so much as to mar the 

 beauty of each individual species. 



GKEENHOUSE AND CONSEKVATOBT. 



The continuance of wintry weather will not allow of any 

 essential variation of treatment here. The precautions 

 pre-viously recommended in regard to the necessity of allow- 

 ing exterior influences to govern, in a measure, the tempera- 

 ture within the houses must be insisted on. Should high- 

 winds prevail, little air need be admitted. Few of our glass 

 houses are so constructed as totaUy to exclude air ; aided by 

 the pressure of strong currents it will be insinuated through 

 every crack and crevice, and the necessity of admitting it 

 by other means obviated, at the same time more fire heat is 

 required to preserve the requisite temperature of 50°, which 

 is ample, while the thermometer indicates so low a degree of 

 cold outside. Cinerarias and Calceolarias will require a liberal 

 supply of water, and, possibly, increased pot room. Pelar- 

 goniums to be cautiously encouraged to activity. The mould 

 intended for greenhouse plants should be prepared and 

 sweetened by several turnings, and a sufficient supply for im- 

 mediate use should be stored in an open shed. In the con- 

 servatory, Kennedyas, &c., win be showing bloom, and what 

 training they require should be done at once, but the pruning- 

 of these should not take place until after blooming. When 

 Orange trees are gi-own to decorate the flower garden to 



