192 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



[ March 10, 1863: 



transplanted for the first crop out of doors. Planted Garlic, 

 Shallots, and yonng Onions. The former are placed in drills 

 about half an inch deep and a foot apart, well firmed with the 

 fingers and thumb, and a little charred refuse thrown over 

 them ; the latter are fastened in the ground merely by the root9. 

 If a little of the neck is buried likewise, you have little chance 

 of good early bulbs. Sowed Spinach, Badishes, and Turnips 

 in the open air. Sowed also a few on the south side of a raised 

 bank to receive some protection, to have them early, being doubt- 

 ful if we can give them a slight hotbed this season. The white 

 Turnip Eadish is useful for early work. It serves in many 

 cases for soups, <tc, instead of early Turnips, and we have found 

 many clever people who did not know the difference on the 

 table, and they can be had several weeks before Turnips. 

 Generally sow a few White Dutch Turnip and Snowball for the 

 first, but always afterwards the American Red-top. Our chef 

 says they are often more delicious than a moderate Melon. 



Grave syringmga of clear soot water to Dwarf Kidney Beans in 

 pots, to keep away all trace of thrips and spider. Sowed more in 

 boxes for succession. Planted-out strong Cucumber plants in 

 the frame heated chiefly with leaves, which are now hot enough. 

 Was obliged to turn them over in several places and strew with 

 quicklime, to destroy a lot of disagreeable funguses that were 

 running among them. That is an evil to be avoided when 

 leaves are chiefly used. When mixed up with hot dung so as to 

 cause a strong burning heat before being used, there is little 

 danger of these funguses, as the spores are pretty well killed. 

 We have known Melons and Cucumbers on beds where a mild 

 heat was given by leaves much injured by these spawns getting 

 into and taking possession of the soil. We have planted 

 these Cucumbers in pure loam from the roadside without any 

 admixture whatever. I am very anxious to remove all trace 

 of the Cucumber disease, which has now troubled me several 

 years in pits, frames, and out of doors. Last Eeason we were 

 little troubled with it until Cucumbers became plentiful even 

 out of doors, as the early crops were everything that could be 

 wished. Vegetable Marrows were also similarly affected, whilst 

 as yet Melons have showed no trace. We have found no remedy 

 like fresh soil and frequent planting. 



Top-dressed and put small twigs to Tom Thumb Peas in pots, 

 and removed them from frame into a place where they can be 

 protected before it is convenient to move them to an orchard- 

 house. Stirred the soil about a row in front of an orchard- 

 house. 



MHV1T GABDSK. 



In addition to the routine of previous weeks, moved Straw- 

 berries from the back of a vinery, where they were too much 

 shaded, to the back of a pit, where they can have full light. We 

 always think the frait ripened in the shade is deficient in flavour. 

 Forked the ground among Strawberries out of doors — that is, 

 merely for an inch or two. Cleared away all the stubble, &c, 

 in which fruit trees had been packed in the orchard-house, and 

 will, if possible, defer settiDg them out for the summer until we 

 have a wet day. Sometimes we are apt to defer too long for 

 such weather ; but as we never like to see a man get wet, there 

 must be a little study of such matters. The early-pruned trees 

 on walls and in pots (Peaches) will want going over again, as there 

 is a greater deficiency of wood-buds this season than usual. 

 What we are pruning now will escape that, as the wood-buds are 

 now perceptible, so that there can be no mistake. Pretty well 

 finished pruning Peaches and Apricots out of doors. We find 

 that some trees that had nothing done to them in the winter 

 are more free from any traces of insects than those we washed 

 and took great pains with. Painted the trees where the blossoms 

 were not advanced enough to permit of its being done safely, 

 preferring the painting to be done before the buds begin to swell 

 much. 



A correspondent is in trouble about his Peach trees, as the 

 bricklayers some time ago had spattered tbem all with lime, 

 which he cannot remove, scrub as he wilL We presume it was 

 spattered on before the buds were far advanced, and in that case 

 would do good rather than harm ; it would become mild chalk in 

 a few days, would seal up what eggs of insects there might be, 

 and will scale off of its own accord during the summer. There is, 

 therefore, no need, but the reverse, for the attempts to remove it. 



As soon as the fruit seemed set in the Peach-house, before the 

 blossoms had dropped, we gave the trees a thorough drenching 

 with the syringe, as, besides a few black beetles, there are signs 

 of red spider on the young shoots, which we never noticed before 

 at this early season ; and this after the care bestowed in tho- 



roughly scrubbing and washing every part of the house, and 

 removing the surface soil. The watering over the surface of the 

 trees, shutting up early, and sulphur on the heating pipes, will, 

 we trust, soon remove all trace of this red-coated little gentleman. 



Moved all the Strawberry-pots from orchard-house, making a 

 bed of them in the open air, and if a sharp frost should come 

 will scatter some straw or rough hay over them. Tied-out 

 Vines in first house, temperature at night averaging 60°, in dull 

 days from 65° to 70° ; in bright days, 75° to 85°, with a little 

 air given early. In earliest small six-foot Vine-pit, the tempera- 

 ture is from 65° to 68° at night, and is raised in proportion 

 during the day. The whole of the outside walls of that pit being 

 thatched with straw, comparatively little fire heat is required. 



Figs are beginning to push in Fig-house. Pinched the terminal 

 bud, pushing, through the middle with finger and thumb, when it 

 was desirable to throw back the sap into the incipient fruit at 

 the joints ; when the shoots push again there will likely be several 

 instead of one, and the most suitable one can be retained. Have 

 still kept the laurel branches on the Figs out of doors, as we 

 may yet have a severe frost, and the shading at present prevents 

 the young fruit pushing so as to be injured. In that ease we 

 generally nip across the terminal bud when it swells, as there is 

 no chance of obtaining a second crop out of doors. This stopping 

 throws back the sap on the different joints of the shoots. When 

 long-jointed shoots are made, the tree should be lifted, the 

 roots cut, or the branches ringed. Some time ago I mentioned 

 an instance of Figs proving extra fruitful out of doors owing to 

 the stems being gnawed with mice. 



OBKAJEBNTAL DEPABT1EEKT. 



Scrubbed walks, rolled lawns, pruned Roses, planted edgings 

 of Cerastiums, &c. Find that fine edgings of the white Cam- 

 panula carpatica are pretty well done for, from the long-continued 

 damps of the winter ; wish we had lifted it, and set it in a dry 

 place above ground, as it is a beautiful compact plant. Find, 

 also, that the taller kinds of Lobelias left out have perished from 

 the same cause. Made preparations for sowing lots of seeds 

 prepared the other week. Filled the four lights with Calceolaria 

 cuttings from nipping-off the points of those struck in autumn. 

 Cannot perceive how "Asttpathy to Both" can find fault 

 with our mentioning that a piece of Aurea floribunda is not quite 

 so good as the restf of the Calceolarias, more especially as the 

 cause was also given — namely, the using of old effete soil for 

 putting the cuttings in. These might stop a little longer before 

 being moved; but the rest, even after stopping, must be put 

 out soon, or they will injure each other. The cuttings inserted 

 in the frame-beds will stand about li inch apart, and will remain 

 there until wanted ; but as soon as rooted the frames will be 

 lifted off for something else, and partial protection given to them. 



As soon as possible a bed or two in a similar manner will be 

 made ready for Verbenas cuttings j and generally these plants, 

 from such cuttings left in the bed until wanted, will thrive as 

 well, if not better, than those that have received ever so much 

 attention from separate potting, &c. 



Proceeded with potting all plants needing it. Brought soil 

 into sheds for the purpose of being dried and aired, and in all 

 earth-pits and temporary places for protecting bedding plants had 

 them cleared, made ready, and the soil turned over a few inches 

 to be heated and mellowed by the sun's rays. If we do not 

 plant-out until next week will likely turn these beds over several 

 times, so as to dig down or cover-in the soil acted upon by the 

 heat and light of the sunbeams. We do not mind a depth of from 

 3 to 6 inches for planting-out Calceolarias ; but we like a hard 

 bottom and a depth of only about 3 inches for Scarlet Geraniums, 

 as they lift better the more shallow they are planted. 



These minutiae are of little moment for those who have a 

 place for everything and know nothing of cramming, but they 

 may be useful to those who have little glass and yet aim at 

 making the most of it. — B. F. 



TEADE CATALOGUES EECEIVED. 



W. Bull, Kong's Road, Chelsea.— List of New and Bare 

 Plants. 1863. 



Downie, Laird & Laing, 17, South Frederick Street, Edinburgh, 

 and Stanstead Park, Forest Hill. — A Descriptive Catalogue of 

 Florists' Flowers, Sfc, S(c. 1863. 



Francis & Arthur Dickson & Sons, 106, Eastgate Street, 

 Chester. — Catalogue of Select Agricultural Seeds. 1862. 



G. W. Hay, Church Street, Worcester.— Spring Catalogue of 

 Kitchen Garden, Flower Garden, and Farm Seeds. 



