ns 



JOTIENAL OF HOBTICULTITRE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Miirch 14, 1S6S. 



chiefly of leaves for more Cucumbers and Melons, and as the 

 plants will not be ready, will first fill the frame with Scarlet 

 and Tariegated Geraniums, either in pots or on pieces of 

 tnrf, to be moved as soon as fresh rooted. The beds will 

 then be forked over and a little addition made, as they ai-e 

 not quite high enough to last the season, and we will then 

 turn out the Cucumbere and Melons from pots in which 

 they will be weU established but not stunted. 



The weather here being still so cold, and the ground wet 

 and cold, moved the Peas sown on turves and placed between 

 the rows of Potatoes into a colder place, but where they 

 conld have a little protection. The slight check given to 

 the roots i-unning all through the turves will hasten rather 

 than otherwise the gathering period. No. time should be 

 lost in sowing successions in the open air ; and if this cold, 

 wet, snowy weather continue it will be advisable to sow 

 Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts, Borecole, and Savoys, in boxes 

 or pots under cover, and then prick out, so as to have them 

 forward for planting. 



Turnips and Carrots. — Will sow Turnips as soon as the 

 ^xiund is friable, and in a few days will sow a bed with 

 Radishes between, where they can be protected from much 

 frost, as a very little frost early in the season, though it 

 does not seem to hui't the plants much, will ever have a 

 tendency to cause them to run to seed, or make the Turnips 

 hard instead of crisp and juicy, as a young Turnip ought to 

 be, and then it is a delicacy. When wanted crisp and very 

 early much north of London they should have the advantage 

 of glass over them, and plenty of air given back and front. 

 Of course such Turnips could not be sold in competition with 

 those brought from Devonshire and Cornwall, but if people 

 in the north will have delicacies of their own growth they 

 mnst go to the requisite expense and labour. For such an 

 early crop, if the rows are a foot apart, they may be thinned 

 to not more than from 4 to 6 inches in the row, as the plants 

 will be pulled when of a small size, and the largest first, 

 which will give room to the rest. Gave plenty of air in fine 

 days to Carrots under glass. WUl sow a bed of Early Horn 

 out of doors shortly. We seldom sow Carrots for the main 

 crop until AprU, and then a piece about the middle of June, 

 and the end of July for young crisp Carrots, which, packed 

 in sand, are generally better than those sown late to stand 

 the winter. Small ones from the late sowing are generally 

 hard and stringy. 



Will sow Parsnips as soon as possible. They do not mind 

 the cold if they can bo sown when the gi-ound is nice and 

 mellow, and friable. For these. Carrots, Scorzonera, &c., 

 the ground should be jioor, deeply stm-ed, and what manure 

 is given should be deposited from 18 to 2i inches from the 

 surface. This will insure straight roots. Those who save 

 seed should now select the best specimens for that purpose. 

 Good varieties often become deteriorated by saving seed 

 from inferior specimens. We have seen fine Cucumbers 

 exhibited, and the seed from the variety have a good sale, 

 and but few specimens produced equal to the originals, 

 because everj- crooked, defoi-med Iruit that would seed waa 

 allowed to do so. The finest kinds of Cabbages and other 

 vegetables often deteriorate, not so much from the age of 

 the variety as from carelessness in saving the seed from 

 inferior plants. Seedsmen should look to this, or gardeners 

 at much inconvenience will have to try and save their own 

 seed. Nothing looks better than a quarter of Cabbage with 

 the plants all nniform and not a " rogue " among them ; 

 but how often does it happen that the rogues occupy a more 

 than desirable place in the quarter. As the ground is still 

 rather wet will plant another piece of Potatoes where protec- 

 tion can be given them, with Radishes, &c., between the rows. 



KRUIT GARDEN. 



Pmned trees when we could, and, a severe frost having 

 threatened, stnek some handfuls of rough hay and some 

 branches among the shoots of Apricots, though, as it turned 

 out, the frost was not Bevere enongh to injure the blossom- 

 bnds, rwelling fast. Moved Strawberry pots in Ijloom to the 

 best positions for light and air. Provided the temperature 

 is not too high, we do not consider the air question so im- 

 portant until the truss shows. Last year a great enthusiast 

 took na to try and explain why his Strawberry plants would 

 not show bloom. They had been brought from out of doors 

 into a close house of from 70" to 75°. If they had been a 

 little close for a time at 50", it would have done little harm, 



though it is safest, when practicable, to give air at all 

 times. Placed pots of this fruit in every suitable place in 

 vineries. Peach-house, &c., where heat, and light, and air 

 could be given them, bringing the fresh plants in every 

 instance from frames where there was just a little heat, so 

 that much of a check should not be given ; for a sudden 

 change from cold to heat is often as prejudicial as a sudden 

 change from heat to cold. In a sunny hour, waved a long 

 thin board, like a ian, over the Peach trees in bloom. In 

 these sUghtly frosty nights, left all the air possible on the 

 orchard-houses, alike to keep the trees back, and to give any 

 insects that may be left the benefit of the cold. We have 

 not yet been able to set out our second house, and we find 

 that we are behind in many things, owing to exti-a work 

 out ot doors, planting, &c., and the weather, which hindered 

 such work considerably. There must be sharp work to bring 

 up the leeway. In vinery thinned and regulated shoots, and 

 tied down, to keep bunches from being too close to the glass. 

 Cut the remaining fruit in late house ; pruned Vines, washed 

 the house and Vines, and painted them. We generally used 

 to tie them along the front of the house, but, to save time 

 in untying and tying up again, after washing them, or 

 painting them with clay, sulphur, soot, and softsoap, we 

 suspended them from 24 to 30 inches from the glass. Having 

 watered the back border with drainings from the farmyard, 

 reduced in strength with warm water, to make it from 

 70° to 80°, we fresh-sui'faced it with soil and a little soot, 

 and old powdered Ume, and filled a smaU. stage in the centre 

 with Pelargoniums, and the shelves against the back wall, 

 and the floor of the house, with bedding plants. Here it is 

 but right that we should record 



A misadventure from using dry soilj soot, and even old lime, 

 under such cu'cumstances. A little cowdung had been placed 

 on the border before watering, the border being very dry, as 

 we had no water to give it in the autumn, and did not wish 

 to have the house damp in winter. After the watering, and 

 tlie drying of the surface, and adding a little fresh soil, but 

 not so dry as we wished, wc applied the above dry sui-faoing 

 thinly, for the boxes and pots to stand upon, and as, for 

 the sake of the plants in them we wished the air to be 

 dry about them. Nothing suifered except some nice boxes 

 of Calceolaria amplexicaulis, which we found did not quite 

 like the rough treatment we gave to other Calceolarias in a 

 cold pit, and which, therefore, we kept, where it was possible 

 to give a little fire heat — in this late vinery, indeed. In 

 clearing the house they were removed to an earth-pit, and 

 protected for a couple of nights; but as we had several 

 times had them nibbled by mice in such circumstances, we 

 returned them into the house, placing the boxes on the 

 floor. In the morning many of the leaves looked as if they 

 had been sprinkled with hot water, or scalded, and we expect 

 that some of the plants will die. The ammonia from, the 

 manure water, and the soot together, had been too much 

 for them. The house had a rather strong smell in the 

 morning. Most likely, too, the little lime, which we thought 

 as mild as chalk, and used for its dryness, had some acridity 

 left, and probably, also, some of it was still quick. Among 

 the hundreds, or rather thousands, of other plants in the 

 house, nothing seemed to suffer in the least except these 

 Calceolarias. Even a few new sorts of other Calceolarias 

 suffered little or nothing. It is right to add tl-.at the 

 Amplexicaulis Calceolarias, from standing a long way from 

 the glass, and being a little shaded, were a little drawn and 

 tender, in fact wc intended topping them for cuttings. We 

 mention the circumstance as a caution, to bo careful of the 

 application of soot in confined places. The soot was very 

 fresh and good. We have not a doubt that the injury was 

 entirely owing to the .arauionia given off. One of our young 

 men states that he once saw a large frame of nice plants of 

 Perilla destroyed in a night from fresh soot having been 

 strewn slightly over the mild sweet hotbed in which they 

 %vere growing. It is well known that tlie fumes from manure 

 water in evaporating pans, and thofumes of sulphur frora hot- 

 wator pipes, that would not incommode Vines and I'eaches, 

 would soon curl up the fronds of the more tender Ferns. 



OBNAMENTAI, DEPARTMENT. ' 



Did little out of doors except routine. Will set to work 

 among lierboceous plants and shrubs as soon as possible. 

 Roses, pnine aa stated last week. Lately we noticed the 

 layeriTig anA p^ggvn^-down Moss and Provence lloses. This, 



