Febrnarj 21, 1865. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTURE AKD COTTAGE GARDENEK. 



199 



WOEK FOE THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN OAEDEK. 



As soon as the ground becomes mellow let all the crops 

 cotQing on have a thorough hoeing or surface-stirring. This 

 is of the utmost importance at this period, but should not 

 be done until the ground is somewhat dry. Asparagus, in 

 mild weather, that in frames or pits should have abundance 

 of air after the shoots have made their appearance. Prepare 

 ground for permanent beds. If the soil works well, plenty 

 of good rotten stable manure should be used in their for- 

 mation. Carrots, a little seed of the Early Horn may now be 

 sown on a sheltered warm border when the soil is dry and 

 works freely. Those in frames should be thinned when an 

 inch or two high. Horseradish, prepare the ground for plant- 

 ing, dig it two spits deep. No manure should be dug in 

 unless the ground is very poor. Jerusalem Artichokes may 

 now be planted. Onions, plant those bulbs of last year which 

 begin to grow. This will be found very useful where there 

 is a scarcity of sound ones. They may also be planted for 

 seed. Parsley, a sowing should be made as soon as the 

 ground is in a fit state to receive the seed. Peas, make a 

 sowing of Knight's Dwarf Marrow ; at the same time, to keep 

 up a succession, two or three crops must be sown of those 

 sorts which come in for use quickly, to be ready before the 

 Marrows. Potatoes, plant some on a warm sheltered border 

 if the weather is mild and favourable. Spinach, a few rows 

 may be sown between the early Peas, if there is a scarcity 

 of the autumn- sown. 



FETTIT GAEDEN. 



Clear away the dead leaves from Strawberry plants, and 

 remove superfluous runners from the Alpine Strawberry. All 

 should not be removed, as the runners generally bear better 

 than the old plants. Look to the Fig trees, prune and train 

 those that require it, tying and bending the strong shoots 

 down, which will induce them to push out a number of very 

 short-jointed bearing shoots. 



FLOWEE GAKDEIf. 



Well-grown annuals contribute much to the gaiety of the 

 gai'den ; and although not quite so well adapted for masses 

 as some of our half-hardy plants, they are very eligible for 

 borders and mixed beds. They are frequently treated with 

 too much kindness, sown in soil of too rich a character, and, 

 of coitrse, run too much to leaf. We would advise all those 

 who have the means to devote two little frames to their 

 especial cultivation at this period, the one with bottom heat, 

 the other without it. That with bottom heat would be 

 better with a plunging material possessing a heat of 70', 

 the pots placed close to the clear glass roof, and matted up 

 atnight. The other frame, without bottom heat, should be 

 raised about a foot above the ground level, where water 

 cannot possibly stand, and should be filled to within a foot 

 of the glass with cinder ashes. They should both be well 

 watered with boiling water to destroy all insects previous to 

 placing the pots. The tender and half-hardy kinds must be 

 raised in the frame with heat, managing the sowings so as 

 to afford a succession according to the period at which they 

 are required to bloom. The hardy kinds, however, will 

 have to be removed to the cold frame as soon as an inch 

 high; they would then harden off in a couple of weeks, and 

 be ready for turning out in the borders. The tender annuals, 

 if drawing in the warm frame, might be removed to warm 

 and light shelves in the greenhouse or other structures. 

 The soil for hardy annuals should be chiefly plain loam; 

 this will be found to produce sturdier plants than rich 

 vegetable matters, and much blossom in proportion to the 

 amount of foliage. As soon as the frost is out of ground, 

 and the surface in a fit state to rake, the beds for planting 

 Ranunculuses must be brought to a perfect level. It is a very 

 important object to insure success in the cultivation of this 

 flower that the roots be placed no deeper than IJ inch. 

 Should they be either deeper or more shallow a new and 

 smaller root is formed at this depth, to the serious injury 

 of the plant. The distance between the rows should be 

 6 mches. A little rockwork, made to hide unsightly objects 

 or to harmonise with others, may be introduced with advan- 

 tage in many places, and planted with many of the common 

 hardy plants, such as Wallflowers, Indian Pinks, Aubrietia 

 purpurea, Alyssum saxatile, Gerastium tomeutosum. Perns, 

 Fragarias, Genm coooineum^some to be disposed iil tlt§ 



recesses, and others in the more prominent parts according 

 to their natural habits of growing in sunshine or shade. 



GEEENHOUSB AND CONSEKVATOET. 



Scarlet and other Pelargoniums that were taken up from 

 the beds in the autumn to be placed in heat to start them 

 into growth. Acacia, Mimosa, Gnidia, Diosma, Boronia, 

 Pulteuaea, Bpacris, and other such plants should be regularly 

 examined to clear them of all dirt, to scrape off any moss, 

 &o., that may have grown on the surface of the mould, and 

 to surface them with a little fresh soil ; and any plants that 

 have grown with a loose habit to be tied up. In severe 

 weather, such as we ai-e experiencing, when it is abso- 

 lutely necessary to keep fires both day and night, the soil 

 in the pots near the pipes or flues is soon dried up, and 

 frequent waterings are necessary ; the water to be kept in 

 the house during the night, and given to the plants in the 

 morning. Be careful not to let things in bloom suffer for 

 want of water, giving weak liquid manure to Salvias, Ca- 

 mellias, etc., and use every means to preserve the beauty of 

 specimens in bloom as long as possible. Let all the plants 

 be tied with the least possible delay; for it is difficult to 

 tie a plant so as not to look somewhat stiff, formal, and 

 therefore unnatural, and the sooner all this description of 

 work is done the better specimens will look when in bloom 

 late in the season. No time should be lost in arranging, 

 cleaning, and pruning the plants occupying the borders of 

 the conservatory. When the health, or habit, or other con- 

 siderations, render it desirable that the season of blooming 

 should be retarded, pruning may be performed later. Pot 

 Verbenas to supply cuttings ; Heliotropes may also be 

 placed in heat for the same purpose. Fuchsias should be 

 set to work, and cuttings obtained as soon as the shoots 

 are sufficiently forward. 



STOVE. 



Increase atmospheric moisture in proportion to heat and 

 light. Look sharp after insects ; the snails are very fond of 

 the young buds of Orchids, at this period undergoing a sort 

 of malting process. Some early Achimenes, Gloxinias, &c., 

 must be set to work. Some of the Ipomceas, Echites, Per- 

 gularias, the Stephanotis, &c., may be trimmed in, disrooted 

 if necessary, and plunged in a moderate bottom heat, using 

 but little water until root-action commences. Some of the 

 Echites are easily rooted in this way, and will endure a vast 

 amount of drought. A small hotbed, as advised last week, 

 is most useful to receive fresh-potted plants and to excite 

 others into growth from which it is desirable to obtain 

 cuttings ; it is also a very suitable place for striking cuttings 

 of Verbenas, &c. — W, Keane. 



DOINGS OP T.HE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAKDEN. 



Out of doors did nothing but trench and turn over ridged- 

 up ground, so as to sweeten it by exposure to the frost, the 

 best of aU pulverisers of stiff soil. The rougher this turning j^ 

 over ridges the better, in order that the frosty air may have 

 more surface on which to act, and thus far we agree with 

 our observing correspondent, "Wyeside," page 111. But 

 in trenching and ridging-uj) very stiff clayey soU for the 

 first time, we would, on the other hand, not care about 

 leaving it so rough when frost was expected. In these cir- 

 cumstances we have admired first-rate workmen, as we 

 used to feel a pride in doing in our younger days, turning 

 in the top spit in small spadesfuUs, or breaking it if in large 

 ones, and then placing the last and deepest spit as high and 

 angular-ridged as possible, both sides of the ridge shining in 

 the sun with the spade marks, and no attempt made to 

 pulverise or remove these. On these shining, smooth, 

 compact spadefuls or lumps, the frost exercised a penetrating 

 and crumbling power, which it could not have done if they 

 had been left in smaller, detached, and broken-up pieces. 

 Just so in the case of other materials, the more solid and 

 compact any body is left, the more in general will it be in- 

 fluenced by heat or by cold. 



Over and over again, we have noticed the same thing in 

 stiff land ploughed up early, and left to be acted on by the 

 frosts of winter. In many such cases the frost proved a 

 more efficient pulveriser than all the improved cultivators, 

 iind olgd-orushers. The whole matter wants ventilation,. 



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