January 6, 1863. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



13 



60's, to be again repotted, and put them iti a frame to bring 

 them on a little, so that they can he fruited in pots under pro- 

 tection. Swept over Mushroom-beds, having great plenty of 

 all sires ; the chief complaint is that they are individually 

 rather thick. In the last earthed bed, the man who manages 

 the beds left a piece of the earthing rough and unbeaten. Alto- 

 gether the earth was rather too wet, and I was a little doubtful 

 about it, and on that account covered it with straw and hay, 

 which drew up the damp, and were removed as soon as dampish, 

 and dry substituted. The whole bed is now like a sheet ; but 

 the little fact I wish to chronicle is that the yard or so, with the 

 earth left loose and unbeaten, came the first iuto bearing, and very 

 strong, which the workman ascribed to the looseness of the soil, 

 and I to the fact that that part was close to a boiler which was 

 frequently used ; however, there may be a little in both reasons. 

 The chief object in beating these shallow beds firm, and beating 

 the one-and-a-half to two-inch covering of earth also firm, is 

 to secure strong short-legged Mushrooms, and for the ease with 

 which a bed can be swept with a hair broom when from cover- 

 ings or other causes the spawn would be inclined to run along 

 the bed instead of throwing-up the Mushrooms. From what I 

 have several times observed, however, did I want Mushrooms 

 in a hurry — say three weeks or four weeks after spawning, I 

 would cover with about an inch of soil, and leave it rather loose 

 and rough. I should not expect such a bed to last long, but it 

 would be earlier than one well beaten and deeply covered. From 

 sis to seven weeks I should expect to pass before I gathered 

 from the latter. 



SKT71T ffAEDEJf. 

 Here the work has been much the same as in previous weeks. 

 Damping the Tines in a small pit, temperature averaging So 3 ; 

 putting a few hot leaves on vinery-border, and the stubble that 

 was there before over them, making about 14 inches in all. 

 Looking over Grapes in late house, and find the Hamburghs 

 are just getting too ripe and beginning to go here and there. 

 West's St. Peter's and Muscats still very good and likely to 

 keep much longer than we can let them. There is a fine idea in 

 Mr. Thomson's book on the Vine with respect to such houses 

 in which it is desirable to keep Grapes late, and yet have them 

 moderately early, which, though not new to me, as I followed it 

 out twenty-five years ago in a large house from which Grapes 

 were cut froni une to Christmas, has yet been little referred to, 

 if at all, in any work on gardening — that is, to go over now the 

 shoots on which the bunches are hanging, and pick out all the 

 buds except those wanted to break next season for bearing- 

 shoots. By this means bunches may hang on the Tines — and 

 better there than anywhere else, so long as the house is kept 

 dry — until the sap begins to rise, and then, when the bunches are 

 cut, all the snags may remain until the fresh shoots from the 

 buds left are in leaf, when all may be cleared away without 

 bleeding or any other injury to the Tine. This will just meet 

 the difficulty of " Jutenis," who has some Black Grapes that 

 he thinks he could keep until the end of February, only he must 

 start the house by the end of February. He may prune now in 

 the regular way all wood where there is no fruit, and disbud 

 all the rest of the shoots, except those at the base of the shoots, 

 or where otherwise wanted. If plants requiring much water 

 must be put into such houses, the bunches should be put in 

 glazed bags loosely to exclude damp ; or the shoot with the 

 bunch may be cut off, the end inserted into a Beetroot, and the 

 bunches suspended in a dry room, as Mr. Thomson also recom- 

 mends. In looking over some Peach trees in pots found two 

 or three pretty well clustered with the black beetle, though the 

 plants had been moderately smoked with sulphur, and the trees 

 had been well syringed with soap water at about 170° : so it 

 shows how hard this gentleman is to kill. The worst of it 

 is they seem to deposit their eggs in the soil in myriads. The 

 trees already not so treated will be well scrubbed with soap 

 and water, and then painted with clay and sulphur and a little 

 Gishurst. Those so done a month ago give as yet no sign of 

 insects of any kinds, and when such painting is resorted to I 

 think it should be done a considerable time before the buds 

 begin to swell. Looked over Strawberries, and gave a little 

 water when necessary. It is of little use hurrying them on in 

 such weather unless when wanted early. 



CCrXSEBVATOBY. 

 Removed the most of the Chrysanthemums, placed the pots 

 in an earth-pit, covering thinly with tree leaves, where they may 

 remain until we want the pots, when they will be turned out. 



Those who want large plants next autumn should now be getting 

 their suckers in ; and the quickest way, if not for exhibiting 

 as single plants, is to put three suckers in a pot. Filled-up 

 with Geraniums, Calceolarias, Cinerarias, and formed edgings of 

 Tariegated Geraniums. All har.lwooded plants should now 

 have plenty of air, but if very moist or frosty it should not beat 

 on them directly. In watering, great care should be taken not 

 to overwater, and, what is of more consequence, not to pour 

 water on the collar of the plant, but rather near the sides of 

 the pot, allowing the water to flood the pot all over. The pour- 

 ing the water on the stem, so as to make a depression there, 

 more than anything causes gangrene in such stems, and sends 

 many a plant to its last resting-place in the rubbish-heap that 

 otherwise might have lived and been beautiful for years. Plants, 

 taken from forcing-pits and houses — as bulbs, Roses, Dielytras, 

 shrubs, &c. — should be hardened with more air and a cool stand- 

 ing-place before being taken to a greenhouse or a conservatory. 



PITS A>"D FK.U£ES. 



Examined all these again in this dull weather to remove ail 

 traee of damped leaves, which so soon taint the air at this season ; 

 and when the soil in cutting-boxes was at all damp, not only 

 stirred the surface with a stick, but threw a little very dry 

 soil over the surface. Of course small plants standing thickly 

 together will require more looking after than those that have a 

 little pot each to themselves. I am now getting soil nicely 

 dried over furnaces and in sheds to mix with what is already dry 

 enough ia stacks for potting-off great numbers of such things 

 as Tariegated Geraniums into the smallest pots, which by the 

 time the roots have filled the pots will be again emptied; the- 

 plants going into beds or boxes, to be protected when necessary 

 until the third week in May. The great difficulty now will be 

 to find room for and get forward the numbers that will be 

 required. A little carelessness abont the new year, either as 

 respects damp, watering, or insects, will often render abortive all 

 the care of young stock since September. Many fine batches of 

 Terbenas last year on Christmas-day could hardly be said to see 

 the 1st of February. Thrips and other evi!s did for them as 

 soon as the sun gained a little strength. — R. F. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



# * # We request that no one will write privately to the depart- 

 mental writers of the " Journal of Horticulture, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Country Gentleman." Jiy so doing they 

 are subjected to unjustifiable trouble and expense. All 

 communications should therefore be addressed solely to The 

 Editors of the "Journal of Horticulture, jre.," 182, Fleet 

 Street, London, B.C. 



We also request that correspondents will not mix up on the- 

 same sheet questions relating to Gardening and those on 

 Poultry and Bee subjects, if they expect to get them answered 

 promptly and conveniently, but write them on separate- 

 communications. Also never to send more than two or 

 three questions at onee. 



We cannot reply privately to any communication unless under 

 very special circumstances. 



Cocoa-nut Refuse (A Regular Subscriber). — The dust of the sample you 

 pent is the portion used in forming a compost, or as a manure. The fibres 

 must all be taken away, but they would ao instead of moss for covering the 

 drainage of your pots, and for the surface of Strawberry-beds. 



Liirs (An Ignoramus). — It absorbs carbonic acid gas from the air if long 

 exposed to it, and combining with the acid thus absorbed is converted iDto 

 chalk, or carbonate of lime. In very few instances can li:ce be of use in 

 garden soils. It may be mixed with advantage with peat or other soils 

 overcharged with vegetable remains. 



Azalea Leaves Falling (JRebecca).— It isas natural for the Azalea, un- 

 less kept extra warm in winter, to shed a few of its leaves, as ir is for an 

 Oak or a Beech to cast its leaves. This interferes little with the beauty 

 of the plant at flowering time, as, with the expanding of the flower-buds, 

 fresh foliage also comes. Yonr leaves have, however, something more 

 than age to make them discoloured, as, t'nough we found no thrips, we 

 found their signs in plenty. If the plants are larg;, the best remedy is to 

 smoke them with shag tobacco two or three times, at an interval of three 

 or four days; keen them rather shaded, and take the plants individually 

 onteide; lay each upon a cloth on its broadside, and syringe thoroughly round 

 and round with clear water at a temperature of 12.,°. Let as little of the 

 syringing as possible touch the soil in the pot. If the plants are small, 

 the most effectual mode would be to dip the head of the plant in size or 

 eum water, just strong enough when cool to show a little adhesiveness 

 between the thumb and finger. Keep in the shade two or three days, then 

 draw the fingers rapidly "through the leaves and shoots, and syringe 

 thoroughly with water at 130°. 



Booss os Botist {Subscriber at Wigan).— Henfrey's "Rudiments of- 

 Botany," and Smith's " Introduction to Botany," edited by Macgilivray. 



