12 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ January 6, 1863. 



I have grown them in my present situation, and probably 

 taken more care of them than Bome folks, for I always protect 

 them, and, therefore, seldom lose any ; but in the year 1860 I 

 lost several plants notwithstanding the protection. 



Your correspondent, Mr. Henry Knight, in No. 89, page 716, 

 thinks if the plants are but one or two years old they will 

 stand the frost the better. Now, I have no faith in that ; for in 

 1860, when I lost mo6t plants, they were all young, and not one of 

 the old plants that perished ; but even these came up weakly, 

 and proved of little service. They all received the same pro- 

 tection, which was coal ashes heaped up round them from 

 9 inches to a foot deep. If you will be always safe I say, as 

 does your correspondent "J. H. M.," Protect them. — H. G., 

 Stroudwater, Gloucestershire. 



WOEK FOE THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAEDEN. 



■Wheeevee the soil will admit of being moved with advantage, 

 let every vacant piece of ground be trenched or deeply dug and 

 be left in ridges. Keep the Broccoli, Celery, and Spinach free 

 from dead leaves. Carrots, where young ones are wanted early, 

 prepare a slight hotbed for the purpose, cover it with leaf mould 

 to the depth of 6 or 8 inches, in which sow the seed. A little 

 Radish seed may be scattered on the bed at the same time, but the 

 ■roots must be drawn in a young state. Cucumbers, prepare dung 

 for the main early bed, making a small seed-bed for raising the 

 plants.^ Lettuce, where there is a scarcity of autumn-sown, sow 

 on a slight hotbed or in boxes in a forcing-house to be afterwards 

 pricked into a frame. Sea-hale, as that which was covered first 

 is cut, remove the pots to that portion which has hitherto had 

 no covering, so as to keep up a succession. The dung and leaves 

 which have been previously used will serve the purpose again if 

 a little fresh be added. 



ELOWEE GAEDEN. 

 The very common but bad practice of digging shrubberies is 

 generally one of the principal occupations at this season. It is 

 to be regretted that such is the case, as the operation is highly 

 injurious to the trees and Bhrubs, in consequence of destroying 

 a large portion of their most valuable roots. The digging of 

 shrubberies for two or three years after they are planted, where 

 there is no danger of touching the roots, is no doubt highly 

 beneficial to the plants, but after that time nothing should be 

 done to disturb the roots near the surface, as the health and 

 vigour of the plants in many cases depend almost entirely on 

 them. Where alterations are contemplated — such as making 

 new walks, new flower-beds, or renewing the soil in old ones, 

 these should be forwarded whenever the weather will permit. 

 Holes for planting choice or new shrubs or trees may also be 

 prepared, by removing the bad soil and replacing it by a compost 

 suitable to the plants ; and even when trees are planted and not 

 growing well, the soil may be carefully removed from the roots 

 and replaced by better material. 



EEUIT GAEDEN. 

 Proceed with pruning, and protect newly-planted trees by 

 mulching their roots. Strawberries in pots, put a quantity of 

 these in heat, according to the stock and demand, every fortnight. 

 Keep them near the glass, and begin with a temperature of 45° 

 to 50° at night, increasing it to 55° by the time they begin to 

 truss-up. In all stages of growth the Strawberry must be well 

 supplied with fresh air, and a damp stagnant air is certain ruin 

 thus early, when in bloom especially. 



STOVE. 



The temperature of this house should not exceed 60° now by 

 fire heat, and a fall of 10° may be allowed at night in very cold 

 weather. Although all plants now at rest should be kept com- 

 paratively dry, they will require to be looked over occasionally 

 to see that they do not suffer for want of water, especially those 

 nearest the pipes or flues. Orchids may be potted, tied up to 

 logs, or fitted into wire-baskets at a time when but little can be 

 done out of doors, but they need not be watered or induced to 

 grow for some time. 



GEEENHOUSE AND CONSEBVATOEY. 

 About 40° is a good temperature for these houses when not 

 attached to Bitting-rooms, and when only used for the purpose of 

 wintering large specimens without plants in blossom ; but where 

 a supply of stove plants in bloom is kept up from a forcing-pit, 

 ■which is necessary to every good conservatory in winter, the best 



heat is 45°. Cinerarias, which are great favourites, are thirsty 

 plants, and will require to be carefully attended to with water. If 

 Camellias are not regularly supplied with soft but not too cold 

 water the buds will drop ; if too much is given, frequently that 

 will cause them to drop too. Thin the flower-buds if crowded. 

 Never give heat to Heaths as long as frost can be kept out by 

 coverings. A few degrees of frost will never injure Cape Heaths, 

 whereas fires are their ruin. Let the air blow upon them on all 

 favourable occasions. So with the entire class of New Holland 

 plants. Chrysanthemums, now done blooming, protect from 

 severe frost. If the soil of any plant is sodden with water it 

 should be turned out of the pot and the drainage examined, and 

 no more to be given until it becomes dry. If a plant droops and 

 the soil on the surface is damp, by turning the ball out of the 

 pot it will be seen whether the whole or only a portion of the 

 soil is wet, as sometimes when wet soil is used and fresh potted, 

 it dries and shrinks from the sides of the pot, and when water is 

 applied it runs down and moistens the outside without pene- 

 trating the ball. 



POECING-PIT. 

 The plants here now require constant attention. Keep them 

 neatly tied-up as they grow, and once or twice a-day look over 

 them with the water-pot. Remove them as they open, and bring 

 in a succession. Neapolitan Violets may be brought in to force 

 now. Forcing Roses must be looked over frequently, or the 

 " worm i' the bud " will soon destroy the cultivator's hopes. 



PITS AND TEAMES. 



Keep the plants in these structures as hardy as possible by 

 fully exposing them in mild weather. Do not give them any 

 more water than is absolutely necessary, but when it is given all 

 the soil in the pot should be wetted. Clear the surface of the 

 soil from moss and weeds, remove all decaying leaves, and pre- 

 serve the atmosphere in as healthy a state as possible. 



W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAEDEN. 



Looked over Broccoli, and bent a few leaves over those head- 

 ing, to protect them alike from much wet and any sudden frost 

 that may come. Took-up a few rather forward, and put them 

 under a thatched Bhed ; find they will keep longer thus than if 

 planted in a pit with glass covering. Some years ago I detailed 

 how Mr. Crockett, gardener at Raith in Fifeshire, kept Cauli- 

 flowers all the winter on the floor of a shed with a small window 

 to the north, by merely cutting the heads when about half- 

 grown, with a foot or so of stem, removing all the leaves, and 

 fastening the stems firmly in light Bandy soil, so that the heads 

 did not .touch each other. I can vouch for thi3 being one of 

 the best and easiest modes for securing a winter supply. The 

 heads when cut were thrown into a pail of cold water for a few 

 hours before sending them to the kitchen. I meant to do 

 something of this kind with a bank of late Cauliflower, but 

 was unable; for, owing to the mildness of the weather late in 

 autumn, the whole plantation, from not being looked at for a 

 few days, got too forward for managing this way, and was, there- 

 fore, used for common purposes. It is no use toying this, or, 

 indeed, hardly any other method, of thus saving Broccoli and 

 Cauliflower, except the heads are firm and not too large. I 

 may mention, in the case of those coming on out of doors, that 

 in addition to bending a leaf or two over the head, it is advisable 

 to have a bundle of old hay or oat-straw, just to stick a small 

 handful over each head in a sudden frost. Stirred the ground 

 among young Lettuces, Cauliflowers, Cabbages, and Radishes in 

 frames, thinning the latter also to give them room to grow. 

 Among these a few Carrots and Lettuces were sown. Prepared 

 what little fermenting material could be had for beds of Carrots 

 and Potatoes ; a Carrot-bed being one of the most profitable things 

 when slightly forced that I know, and especially if left pretty 

 thick, so that the first gatherings act in the way of thinnings. 

 Sowed Cucumber seed in a sweet small hotbed almost wholly 

 of leaves, with a good dusting of lime on the surface layer to 

 settle worms and snails, sowing the seeds in large 60-pots, and 

 then placing the small pot in the bottom of a 32-pot, and a 

 square of glass over the latter, and a weight on the glasB to pre- 

 vent a mouse getting at the seeds. The glass will also permit 

 the plants to grow into the rough leaf before shifting, and after 

 that mice in general will not touch them. Sowed some Tom 

 Thumb Peas about six seeds in 24-sized pots, and also some in 



