October 12, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



333 



part of the winter the weather ia mild, there is a chance of 

 saving some to make np for any deficiency in previous crops. 

 Onions for pulling small should be thinned a little, but not so 

 much as they are for summer growth : all that is expeoted being 

 to procure sufficient for use in salads. Preparations must be 

 made for storing all salad crops which are advanced in growth, 

 for the mild weather will make the plants so tender that a 

 sudden froBt will cause them to decay ; a dry and airy plaoe 

 will suit them well if they are taken up with a little earth to 

 their roots and if they are not in any way injured by removal. 



Fruit Garden. — Let the ground where fruit trees are to he 

 planted this autumn be drained and trenched, and if necessary 

 have some fresh soil added ; then the trees can be planted 

 early, which is much better than deferring their planting till a 

 later period. By planting early the roots can make a little 

 progress this autumn, and the trees do the better for it during 

 next summer. Root-pruning may be commenced very soon 

 on all over-luxuriant or unfruitful trees ; they will then make 

 fresh roots to enable them to pass through the winter safely. 

 New plantations of CurrantB and Gooseberries may be made, as 

 well as Raspberries, as soon as ground can he made ready for 

 them. This Bhould be deeply trenched and well manured ; Goose- 

 berries and Raspberries require more manure than Currants to 

 grow them fine. Gather and Btore all kinds of fruit as the 

 weather will allow, and do it carefully, for though it is at all 

 times necessary for fruit of fine quality to be gently handled, 

 this year it is particularly so on account of its being soarce. 



Flower Garden. — Beds and borders will now need frequent 

 attention to keep them neat and clean, and a watch must be 

 kept for all plants that turn yellow so that their stems may be 

 out down, marking the places so that the roots may be found 

 when wanted. Hollyhocks must be cut down to within a few 

 inches of the ground, and if strong and more are wanted the 

 stools may be parted. They must be taken up and the earth 

 carefully shaken from their roots, and the plants cut-up with as 

 little mutilation as possible into as many pieces as are safe to 

 grow. There muBt be a good heart to each, and all be planted 

 in a store bed to attain strength before finally planting them 

 where they are to flower, and if there are any young shoots 

 cuttings may be now made of them and rooted one in a pot in 

 gentle heat. — Thomas Record. 



DOINGS" OF THE LAST AND WORK FOE 

 THE PRESENT WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Owing to the mild weather and recent rains weeds are grow- 

 ing apace. We have been digging vacant ground, and where 

 the weeds were small turning them down underneath the sur- 

 face. We have not yet lifted the crops of Carrots, Beet, Parsnips, 

 &c, the weather being as yet so mild that nearly all crops are 

 in full growth. The night temperature rangeB about 50°, rising 

 above 70° occasionally in the daytime. When frosts set in 

 the roots will be Btored during fine days. A good plan is to 

 place a layer of roots and sand alternately in a cool abed, where 

 the roots will keep well and are easily obtained in severe 

 weather. All roots must be lifted with care, for if they are 

 bruised or broken decay speedily begins. Some workmen are 

 very careless in taking up rootB, and are not careful to cut the 

 leaves off just at the right place. They ought to be cutoff close 

 to the hard subBtance at the crown, but not into it. 



In ordinary seasons now would be the time to lift and store 

 Potatoes for winter use, but the haulm made a second growth 

 after the drought ; and even before the rains came long root-like 

 growths were thrown out from the tubers, at the eDds of which 

 the second lot of roots were formed. This root-action was in- 

 creased tenfold after the rains, and the haulm grew amazingly. 

 This second lot of tubers are about the stage that the UBual 

 crop would have been in Ju'y or August, and the skin peels off 

 as it would from young unripe Potatoes. It is a question 

 whether anch Potatoes would do for planting. Some persons who 

 have had experience say they are good for the purpose, our own 

 experience is against them. A celebrated writer on thia very 

 subject nearly fifty years ago advocates using unripe tubers for 

 seed, aa Potatoea allowed to become fully ripe are, he says, more 

 Bubjeot to the disease called the curl, which is often very detri- 

 mental to the crops. Potatoes intended to keep late should also 

 be lifted with muoh care, as eaoh bruise will show a black mark 

 when the Potatoea are used in the spring. The usual, and 

 perhaps it is the best way to keep them through the winter, is 

 to put them into a pit, or " clamp," as it is called in Essex. A 

 shallow level basin is dug out of the ground, the Potatoes are 

 carefully placed in it, and they are piled-up in the form of a 

 cone or ridge ; a quantity of dry clean straw ia then laid over 

 them, and above all a thickish coating of dry earth. It is beat 

 to put the tubers away in a dry state. 



It is time to see that some of the earliest heads of Endive are 

 blanched. This may be done by bringing all the outer leaves 

 together over the centre of the plants and fastening them with 

 a Btrip of matting. We have alBO used slates, simply placing 



them flat down upon the plants. If any weeds grow up amongst 

 the plants it is best to pull them out by hand, aB the leaves of 

 Endive spread ao closely over the surface of the ground : and 

 even with the Dutch hoe, unless the workman is very careful, 

 particles of soil are introduced into the hearts of the plants. 

 We have found strong plants of Lettuce put out in frames at 

 this season come in very useful through the winter. The frames 

 were placed on a south border and some fine soil put in, in 

 which to plant the Lettuce. The plants were carefully lifted 

 and had a good Bupply of freBh air, the lights being drawn of? 

 when the weather was fine. 



MELONS AND CUCUMBERS. 



It is very good weather still for late Melons. The heat is 

 easily kept up in houses, and there is sufficient warmth, even 

 when the sun does not shine brightly, to allow plenty of ventila- 

 tion by day when the fruit is ripening. The ventilators should 

 be open a little, and other instructions be attended to as advised 

 two weeks ago. We have seen cases of disease amongst Melons 

 this year which might perhaps be accounted for by some pecu- 

 liarity of the season. The excessive heat which set in all at 

 once in July after a dull cold period seemed to have an un- 

 favourable effect both on Melons and Cucumbers. Sudden 

 changes tell upon the constitution of plants as well as on the 

 human frame; and thoae who have charge of glass houses, 

 especially those intended for forcing fruits, must be ever on the 

 alert to, as far as they possibly can, mitigate the effects of 

 sudden changes. When very hot weather has set in after a dull 

 period we have syringed the glass with whiting and water, 

 and thrown open all the ventilators, at the aame time keeping 

 up a good supply of atmospheric moisture. Then the houses 

 ought not to be shut up so early nor so close. It is a rule 

 with some gardeners to close the ventilators at certain hours, 

 and this is often done without due regard to the state of the 

 weather. 



After thoroughly cleaning the woodwork and glass of the Cu- 

 cumber house, and limewashing the walls, the plants have been 

 put out in good Boil, but not too rich. We would rather Burface- 

 dress the plants with rich dressings than overdo the soil with 

 manure at planting-out time. Cucumbera require more heat 

 than Melons. A low night temperature predisposes Cucumbers 

 to disease ; indeed, a celebrated grower told ub the other day 

 that he has held the terrible disease in check by simply keeping 

 up a high temperature and forcing the plants to grow out of the 

 malady. The disease was not destroyed, because as soon as the 

 temperature was allowed to fall the gummy matter began to- 

 ooze out from the stems. 



ORCHARD HOUSE. 



This has given ua employment during the last week, carrying 

 all the pot trees out of doors and taking the Chrysanthemums 

 inside. This is a work of no little difficulty, as the house is 

 roomy and lofty and the plants large in proportion. The fruit 

 trees will have their pota plunged out of doors in fresh cocoa- 

 nut fibre. This is the best material for plunging all sorts of 

 hardy plantB and treea which are exposed to the action of frost 

 during the winter months. We plunge the trees to the rim o£ 

 the pots at present, as they will probably require water for a 

 few weeks yet. When the frost sets in a few inches of fibre- 

 will be placed over the pots, and they will thus be secured from 

 injury until removed into the bouae early in January. At that 

 time the roots will be found in an aotive state and ramifying 

 abundantly into the fresh material. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



We do not care to have any hardwooded plants out of doors 

 after this time, but the weather ia so exceptionally mild that the 

 plants are much better outBide than under glass. However, 

 there are no plants out now but Azaleas amongst flowering 

 plants. These are always left out until the last, as we require 

 them to flower as late as possible in the year. They are kept 

 out to retard them, and no more artificial heat is applied than 

 ia absolutely necesBary during winter when they are in the 

 greenhouse. Red spider and thrips are equally destructive to 

 Azaleas. If the thrips attack the plants during winter it is best 

 to deatroy the insectB by f umigatin g with tobacco smoke. In the 

 summer and autumn, when the plants can be syringed daily, 

 these troublesome pests cannot do much injury. Some of the 

 Boronias, Pimeleas, Statices, &c, if not carefully watched are 

 sometimes irretrievably injured from the same cause. Plants 

 may sometimes be seen with their leaves dropping off, while 

 the puzzled cultivator wonders what can be the matter. Pimelea 

 spectabilis ia one of the most beautiful of the species, and it is 

 worthy of being placed in the moBt select collection of green- 

 house plantB. At one time it was very popular as an exhibition 

 plant, now it is seldom seen, though it is as easy of cultivation 

 as any other plant. The fact is red spider ia its desperate 

 enemy, and in hot weather the plant must be syringed daily to 

 destroy the insectB. Statice Holfordii and S. profusa are dis- 

 tinct and most valuable plants for decorative purpoBes and also 

 for exhibition. The last-named sort is the most free-flowering 

 greenhouse plant we have, and may be had in flower all the 

 year round ; bnt if thrips are in the house they will sorely find 



