836 



JOURNAIi OF HORTICULTtTEE AND COTTAGE GARDENEE. 



[ March 21, 1865. 



such oF the Tiaidwooded greenhouse planls as require it, so 

 as to aflbrd them every chance of making a vigorous growth. 

 Be careful, however, before potting to have tho ball in a 

 nice Moist state; and avoid giving large shifts to weatly 

 growers. Endeavour to keep the newly-potted specimens 

 together US much as possible, keeping thi "house rather more 

 close and moist than usual. See that softwooded plants, as 

 Pelargoniums, Cinerarias, &c., are allowed plenty of space 

 and kept perfectly free of insects. Give air freely on every 

 favouKible opportunity, but do not allow cold winds to blow 

 over -them and disfigure the foliage. Let the occupants of 

 the conservatory-beds and tubs receive that attention which 

 is demanded by all greenhouse plants at this season, espe- 

 cially in regard to the supply of iresh soil and other 

 necessary stimulants to active growth. Mandevilla suaveo- 

 lens, the Kennedyas, Passifloras, and Bignonias will require 

 regular supplies of water, and, possibly, further supplies of 

 rich mould. While the variable weather which usually 

 characterises iTarch continues, attention must be directed in 

 these structures to maintaining a uniform and moderate tem- 

 perature. The heavy showers and boisterous gales which 

 frequently occur at this season, succeeded by intervals of 

 mad weather and brilliant sunshine, render some manage- 

 ment necessary. Fii'es should be dispensed with as much 

 as possible. On still nights the houses may be damped and 

 the syringe used, avoiding the plants in flower. Soil con- 

 taining a considerable portion of decomposed vegetable fibre 

 must obviously be more suitable for dwarf-growing plants, 

 the natural habit of which leads us to suppose that such soil, 

 existing on the surface of the earth must form, from its 

 being readily available to -them, their congenial and natural 

 food. 



STOVE. 



Proceed with the repotting of such plants as require it, 

 and give all necessary attention to those in active growth. 

 To secure strong short-jointed wood, keep up a vigorous 

 root-action, and let the plants occupy a place as near to the 

 glass as possible. Ixoras, CleroJendroas, and AUamandas 

 that have become well rooted, will be greatly benefited by a 

 careful supply of clear manure water, but see that it is 

 given in a tepid state, and not over-strong. 



PITS AND FEA3IES. 



Keep a nice growing heat to the cutting frames, and if 

 the linings are becoming cold, turn them to the bottom and 

 add some well-fermented dung. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAEDBN. 



">' Watched for an opportunity and sowed a piece of Onions 

 and Parsnips, the rest of the ground not being sufficiently 

 mellow for fuller or more general sowing. The Onion-ground 

 was turned over, and when di-yish well trodden, then raked, 

 and shallow driUs di-awn about 12 inches apart, which were 

 covered with fine rich soU, trodden, and raked, and a little 

 soot and lime thrown all over. When the ground becomes 

 dry will run a roller over it. This compression is good for 

 the Onion at first, just to form the bulb and keep it near 

 the surface of the soil. As soon as the Onions are fairly up 

 the space between the rows will be kept slightly hoed with 

 a Dutch hoe to keep clear of weeds and to keep the ground 

 moiat, without much loosening except at the surface. The 

 depth to which the roots of Onions will penetrate in such 

 circumstances is quite amazing. 



Celery. — Ere long we shall take up with good roots the 

 most of our beds of Celery, and pack the heads closely 

 together with earth and ashes between them, that we may 

 prepare portions of the ground for more Onions and other 

 crops. Our Ked Celery, Cole's Manchester Red and some 

 other sorts, wants taking up, for if this is not done it will 

 soon go away of itself, the tops having suffered severely ; 

 whilst those of the Dwarf White Incomparable, that re- 

 ceived no more protection than the Red in time of frost, are 

 aa green and nice aa if there had been no snow and frost to 

 contend with. Sowed Celery in heat. For forward crops 

 it should have been in the soil at least six weeks ago ; but, 

 after all, more depends on never stunting the plants after 

 they are pricked off than in mere early sowing. 



Means and Room. — Where the room under glass is to be 



ibund for multitudes of things now, would puzzle thebrains 

 of a sage. It almost makes one envy those who have villages 

 of glass houses, and who can procure coal from head quarters 

 at BO small a cost, that the value of a few extra shovelfuls-, 

 need be no matter of consideration. Many of our great' 

 gardeners, and the proprietors of sweet little gardens, know 

 but little of the shifts, and the cogitations, and the worrys 

 that many clever men experience when they find that there 

 is never any boundary as to the expectations of extent and 

 variety of produce, but a very limited boundary indeed as 

 to means and room. We have known such cases as a man 

 being up the half of the night, and often too, ransacking 

 every possible place for wood, and cutting it up for his 

 furnaces, and then being coolly told that he must be incom- 

 petent because he could not keep up the requisite heat in 

 his houses, when there was no fuel to do it -with. It was 

 bad enough to be forced to make bricks without sti-aw ; but 

 what if tiiere had been no clay either ? Some of the pro- 

 prietors of small gardens may thus imitate those who ex- 

 pect very great results from the very smallest outlay ; but 

 in general they are alive to the fact that certain causes will 

 only produce certain effects. Some time ago, a gentleman 

 who had known what hard work was, when settling down in 

 his beautiful vUla, or box as he called it, wished us if possible 

 to solve a problem which was giving him a considerable 

 amount of uneasiness — namely. How it came about, that his 

 gardener seemed to work hard, to he always at work, and 

 ever and anon staying late to bring up his leeway ; whilst 

 the gardener in the next place, very similar to his own, and 

 with the same amount of glass, some frames, a pit, a green- 

 house proper, and a greenhouse vinery, seemed to be getting 

 over his work very easily .and quietly ? It requfred no magic 

 to find out the cause. Over the wall, the gai-dener was able 

 to keep everything in its proper place. There was not a bit 

 of cramming. The beds in the flower garden were few and 

 thinly planted, with plants all standing primly potted in the 

 houses, so as to fill the beds at some IS inches asunder. A 

 lady with a fair amount of crinoline could have passed 

 thi'ough the houses without inconvenience. Inourinqufrer's 

 garden, the greenhouse proper was clear as to its paths, 

 but crowded everywhere else. There were four times more 

 flower-beds to fill, and the gentleman liked to see his beds 

 full of good plants some 8 inches apart. The vinery was 

 crammed in consequence, floor, path, stage, suspended shelves 

 — wherever a ray of Ught could be obtained. Early vege- 

 tables — as Peas, Cauliflower, Radishes, Beans, ic, were also 

 brought forward in this house, so that generally, even as 

 respects these common matters, he could have them at his 

 table some weeks before his ueighboui'. In a dark place 

 below the stage where no plants could do any good, was a 

 Mushroom-bed that had furnished some nice pickings aU 

 the winter, protected from the di-ip fr'om the pots by a 

 piece of old waterproof-cloth. In watering, in moving, in 

 coaxing such a number of things to be healthy in such little 

 room, the gardener had actually more labour to perform than 

 if he had had another house or two in winter and spring ; 

 and the same increase of labour was continued in hardening- 

 off, planting, and tending such numbers of plants in beds, 

 that were so good that the proprietor owned that few else- 

 where, or anywhere, could beat them. He saw at once, that 

 the little room for producing such abundant, diversified 

 results, of itself did greatly increase the laboui-, and as he 

 had no desire to go backward and bo satisfied with less, 

 he settled the matter with his conscience by considerably 

 increasing the uncomplaining, hard-working, gardener's 

 wages, and giving extra help when most needed. 



I'eas and I'otaioes. — We ai-e so for glad to get out of the 

 glass-covered places to say that wo planted a piece more 

 of Potatoes where we can give them protection, and on a 

 piece of the best-afred ground we have we sowed Peas and 

 planted Potatoes, 'fho backwardness of tho season made 

 us take this ground which wo intended for aipBthor purpose ; 

 but if we do not obtain a first-rate crop of^toth Peas and 

 Potatoes wo shall be greatly disappointed. Last autumn it 

 produced a heavy crop of Parsnips, Carrots, ic. The rich 

 soil had previously been trenched down deep, and the poor 

 and fresher soil brought up with a little of the subsoil, 

 and this winter it was retrenched and ridged again, which 

 brought some of the richer soil from the bottom to the top, 

 and after being turned once or twice during frost in winter 



