94 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTUEE 'AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



January 31, 1865. 



summer, care should be taken to prevent their beginning to 

 grow previous to their removal to the open air, and more 

 especially if the trees are wintered in a dark -roofed house. 

 Turn all greenhouse plants frequently to prevent them 

 growing one-sided, and see that no decayed leaves are allowed 

 to lemain on them. 



STOVE. 



Give as little moisture here as possible, and do not aim 

 at high temperature, the colour and durability of flowers 

 vrill show how injurious both are in excess at this period. 

 When such plants as Aphelandras, Justicias, Poinsettias, 

 and other winter-flowering sorts have done blooming they 

 should be removed to a drier atmosphere, and water gra- 

 dually withheld to e-l'ect the proper ripening of their wood. 

 With stove climbers not required to bloom before the 

 autumn, pruning may be deferred for some time yet, which 

 for an earlier show should be done at once. Passion-Flowors, 

 Bignonias, and similar plants, which make long annual 

 shoots, should only have the wood thinned, and slightly 

 shortened, while some others, as Combretum. Beaumontia, 

 &c., may be spurred-in. Much depends on the space allowed 

 for their growth. A portion of the stock of Achimenos, 

 Gesneras, and Gloxinias, may now be potted in light mould, 

 and placed in gentle warmth. Some of the Gesnera zebrina 

 ■which were fii-st in flower, should soon be induced to rest 

 for early work next autumn. This is easily done by with- 

 holding water, and keeping their foliage still exposed to the 

 light. Such of the Orchids as are commencing growth, if 

 very dry, may have a little water applied to the roots, this 

 must be done cautiously. The best way is to apply it 

 round the sides of the pot, and by no means to saturate the 

 soil around the collar-. Lose not a moment in extermi- 

 nating insects. — W. Keane. 



DOrS'GS OP THE LAST WEEE. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



OuT-OF-DOOE work very much depended on the weather. 

 Wheeled chiefly from rubbish-heap in frosty days and morn- 

 ings. CoUeoted a little more ice to make more sm-e. Trenched 

 and turned over previously ridged ground, to give it the 

 benefit of the pulverising effect of a good frost, and protected 

 what needed protection ; but Nature has given us the best 

 of all protection in the shape of a good faU of snow, which, 

 besides keeping things safe in the meantime, wUl help greatly 

 when it molts to fill our pools and tanks for next season. 

 Eor the mode of collecting snow instead of ice see a previous 

 Number. In the Mushroom-house introduced more Ehubarb 

 and Sea-kale, and a number of Potatoes in small pots, to fill 

 the pots with roots before transplanting. Cleaned and ex- 

 amined Mushi-oom-beds, keeping the house cool, as we do 

 not wish for a great supply just now. To make the most of 

 a garden, and to allow the gardener to do the best with his 

 productions, he ought to know of all changes as to company 

 as Boon or even sooner than the cook and the housekeeper. 

 When gardeners are kept in the dark as to these matters, the 

 possessors of gardens must expect a glut of rarities when 

 they value them least, and a deficiency of them just when 

 they would value them most. 



Put up some beds for Potatoes, but the weather has pre- 

 vented us planting them. Gave light and air, except on 

 snowy days, to Radi.she8, Lettuces, and Cauliflowers. When 

 cold and dull, and especially when snowing, the plants will 

 sustain no injury if in darkness for several days and nights, 

 instead of one night only. The great rule of safety in such 

 cases is simply to make sure that the plants shut up are too 

 cold to pfrow, for growing even by extension in such con- 

 tinned darkness would be ruinous. 



We recollect being told of a case in point by the late Mr. 

 Weeks, sen., the great mechanist, to whom we are chiefly 

 indebted for most of the improvements in heating by hot 

 water. In his younger days be had been a practical gar- 

 dener, and about New-year's time he had a pit or frame of 

 fine Cucumbers, wo forget which now, but heated and banked 

 np with fermenting material. .Some neiglibouring gardeners 

 called on him on New-year's doy, ostensibly to see him, but 

 in reality to get " a wrinkle " about tliese Cucumbers. It 

 was a very cold, frOKty, snowy day, and the covering had 

 fjcen merely rolled down a little to let the visitors see the 



inside. Some of them stared, and better stared, and winked 

 at each other as they pointed to the covering, thinking that 

 in this they had discovered the secret ; and without asking 

 a single question as to the covering, went home to cover 

 their Cucumber plants into disease, insect harbours, and 

 ultimate death. We think we can see the old worthy before 

 us now as he chuckled and told the talc, always concluding 

 with the observation, " You know I would have been too 

 glad to tell them that such darkness in any amount of light 

 was an exceptional case, only warranted by the peculiar 

 circumstances ; but as they were too proud to do anything 

 but look, I also was proud enough to withhold any explan- 

 ation, merely because it was not asked for." Amid the 

 excitement of the present we ai-e apt to forget the worthies 

 and the original geniuses to whom we owe much. We thenca 

 learned the lesson never to refi-ain from politely making 

 inquiry on all suitable occasions ; and that, therefore, to 

 walk round a garden and do nothing more than look, and 

 thus flnd nothing on which to ground an inquiry or express 

 admiration, is not the plan to give pleasure to the gardener 

 visited, nor yet the means for gaining a jjersonal advantage 

 from the visit. As the result of some experience we confi- 

 dently state that the smallest garden visited may well 

 afibrii instruction, and in some cases even more than some 

 palatial residences, where we are apt to be overwhelmed 

 with the gorgeous and the brilliant. In no case will we be 

 likely to gain much if we are too stolid to observe, or, like 

 Mi\ Weeks's visitors, merely look, and wink, and say nothing. 



FEUIT GARDEN. 



Looked over fniit-room. Moved Strawberry plants in 

 bloom in the pit to the best part for light and air. Damped 

 Vines in early house in sunny days ; also gave a sprinkling 

 in such days to the early Peaches to soften the paint of clay 

 and Eulphui- in which the buds are encased. Those who 

 have Peaches in bloom just now in this dull weather must 

 use every means of getting the fruit set, such as giving 

 them the advantage of every ray of light, and either dust- 

 ing the pollen on the stigma by means of a camel-hair 

 brush, or by using a flat thin board i'or quickly moving 

 backwards and forwards near the trees in the way of a fan. 

 This we consider far preferable in such dull shifty weather 

 to making large fixes so as to heat the house sufliciently to 

 admit of great quantities of air. 



Air-giving is a matter of much moment in all cases of early 

 forcing, both as respects success and economy. There is 

 not only the expense of firing during the day, to permit of 

 free air-giving in severe cold weather, but there is the 

 danger of having an extra heat in the heating medium 

 increased by a sudden outburst of sun, and the two heats 

 combining with a dry, cold, parching air rob the young 

 growth of its moistui'C, and the evaporation is .apt to become 

 so gi-eat and rapid that the action of the roots is unable to 

 supply it. In such changeable weather it is better to give 

 only a little air at the top of the house early, and then to keep 

 up no more artificial heat than will just keep all going on 

 quietly, and then if tlie sun do come out a considerable rise 

 from sun heat will have none of the bad efl'ects which heat 

 from artificial sources would entail, unless counterbalanced 

 by this wasteful and dangerous free ah'-g.ving. Thus sup- 

 pose in such weather as this, stormy and frosty, a house of 

 Peaches setting and in bloom, wo would be satisfied with 

 from 50*' to 55° at night. If the morning augured a dull ■ 

 cold day, we would p<it on a small fire, so as to raise the H 

 temperature to about GO", with a very little air at the ■ 

 highest point of the roof, just to prevent stagnation in the 

 atmosphere. If the morning promised a sunny day, then 

 we would put on no fire, wait until the sun raised the heat 

 to from 00° to C5°, then give a little air at the top, and only 

 increase it when the heat from the sun rose above 75°. A 

 close heat at that degree and upwards would be dangerous, 

 but it would be relished from sun heat, and especially when 

 a little air was previously given to ])revent all danger of 

 scorching or scalding, and thus tLe danger on cold days 

 would be very much less than by admitting a great amount 

 of cold frosty air. Of course when the temperature outside 

 approaches what the inside temperature ought to be air 

 may be given very freely. We only wish it to be clearly 

 understood that for tender things, and in such changeable 

 weather, it will lie best every way only to give a little air at 

 the right time — that is, early, and then to regulate the 



