364 



JOUENAL OF HOETICDLTUBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ November 9, 1871. 



too late. Dry fern is an excellent material for covering the 

 stems, &c., of plants that require a slight protection in winter, 

 and is, doubtless, the least objectionable as regards colour of 

 anything at command ; but it is not easily procured in many 

 ■neighbourhoods, and, probably, the best substitute is straw that 

 has been exposed to the weather sufficiently long to darken its 

 colour. Choice sorts of Hollyhocks, of which there is not a 

 sufficient stock, should be taken up, potted, and placed under 

 glass. These cannot with safety be trusted to the rigours of a 

 severe winter, and plants taken up, potted now, and wintered 

 in a cool house will be exceedingly useful for furnishing cuttings, 

 .and these, if obtained early in spring, will make excellent 

 ^plants for nest season. When alterations are in hand, push 

 them forward with all possible dispatch while the weather con- 

 tinues favourable for out-door operations. Ba very careful to 

 .secure plants against wind, especially large plants, which 

 should never be left until they are properly staked or otherwise 

 jnade fast, for when this is put off it frequently happens that 

 the roots get injured through the tops being rocked about by 

 ■the wind. Get any projected alterations among the shrub- 

 beries or herbaceous borders done in readiness for cleaning 

 ap as soon as the leaves are down ; also let ground intended to 

 be planted with Dahlias and Hollyhocks next season be deeply 

 trenched and ridged up, so as to expose the soil as much as 

 possible to the weather, putting in plenty of rotten manure, 

 more especially where the Hollyhocks are to stand, for these 

 require a deep rich soil. It should be our constant aim to 

 make our gardens look as pretty and lively as possible, and 

 this can be done with comparatively little trouble or expense, 

 after the first outlay, by filling the beds at this season of the 

 jear with dwarf specimens of shrubs — that is, those beds 

 which are not planted with bulbs or sown with hardy annuals. 

 As many employers have an objection to see large masses of 

 beds lying bare six or seven mouths out of the twelve, I think 

 ■this objection could be easily removed by filling up the beds 

 .near the residence with Laurustinns, Aucuba japonica, green 

 .and variegated Holly, Arbutus, Berberis (evergreen), Ebododen- 

 jdron, and Box. Those at a greater distance might be filled 

 with Portugal and common Laurel, Arbor- Vita;, Pbillyrea, &c., 

 filling each bed with one distinct kind. In removing them 

 from their winter to their summer quarters, plant them in pre- 

 pared beds in the reserve garden, and by regularly pruning 

 Tjack the summer growth of some, and pinching off the ends 

 of shoots of others, compact dwarf shrubs will be obtained, 

 in readiness for another winter. 



GKEENHOnSE AND OONSEKVATOKT. 



The summer-flowering twiners, which usually get unsightly 

 at this season, should be cut back somewhat freely, as should 

 .any others that will bear that kind of treatment. The slight 

 ahade which they afford in the summer to plants underneath 

 them, it need scarcely be stated, is not now required. Give air 

 ireely on all favourable occasions, but guard against damp by 

 using gentle fires. Let pot specimens in bloom be frequently 

 le-arranged, so as to make the most of them, for the finest 

 ,plants become too familiar to be interesting when allowed to 

 remain too long in one place. 



COLD PITS. 



It not already done, get straw shutters, or whatever else it 

 zuay be intended to use for coverings for these, repaired and 

 put in readiness for use without delay. Straw shutters if well 

 made are somewhat expensive in the first instance, but they 

 are considered by many to be the most efficient of any kind of 

 covering in use, and, taking into consideration the time they 

 last, they are perhaps as cheap as any. Expose the stock here 

 freely to air on every favourable opportunity, so as to check 

 .growth and get the wood firm, in which state the plants will 

 he less liable to suffer from the confinement which may soon 

 be necessary than if kept close, with too much warmth and 

 moisture. Very little water will be required at the roots, but 

 look over the stock every few days. Withhold water until it is 

 absolutely necessary, and then give a moderate soaking, the 

 only sale method of watering at this season. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN G4EDEN. 



We have placed Ehubarb and Sea-kale in the Mushroom 

 house, where it will soon come on. Sea-kale out of doors we 

 have cleaned, and covered the crowns to keep them from vermin ; 

 a little salt sprinkled round but not on the crowns, will keep 

 slugs, &a., at bay. At this season and earlier we often place 



Sea-kale roots thickly in pots and boxes, instead of putting 

 them at once in a dark place in the Mushroom house. By 

 the former plan we can move the pots or boxes if they come in 

 irregularly. 



Globe Artichohes and Convolvulus. — Unfortunately the White 

 Bindweed has somehow sprung up, and every small portion of 

 root will grow if let alone. We have commenced forking over 

 the ground carefully, and taking out every visible piece of the 

 white roots before we dung the beds, preparatory to placing a 

 little litter round the stools. This we think necessary to make 

 all safe. They are hardy enough in common winters, but are 

 likely to be killed in a very severe one, when the heads may be 

 missed. As respects the Bindweed, frequent hoeing is neces- 

 sary to eradicate it, but this must be done before the shoots 

 are 2 inches long. By thus depriving the plant of its organs 

 of respiration and elaboration the root ceases to exist. We 

 found one of the best remedies for this was matting the ground 

 above it. A piece of ground used in spring sent up shoots 

 of the Bindweed by June, so we resolved to let it lie fallow for 

 two or three months. By the middle of July the ground was 

 covered with strong wreaths of the climber ; then the short 

 grass from the lawn was brought in every day and placed over 

 the ground until it was 5 or G inches in thickness. No shoots 

 ever came through it. The grass remained on the ground until 

 November, and then on digging over not a live root was to be 

 found. We fear the seeds often came from the rubbish heap 

 used as manure. There are so many accounts of the difficulty 

 of getting rid of it, that the above may be interesting. 



We took up our younger Carrots, Beetroot, and Salsafy ; the 

 older Carrots were housed more than a month ago. It is a 

 mistake to keep them in the ground until they begin to form 

 fresh fibres, and also to let them remain too long when worms 

 and other vermin disfigure them. We also took up some 

 Turnips to prevent their growing larger and spongy. We like- 

 wise stirred the ground amongst all growing crops. 



FKUIT DEPARTMENT. 



Had our Easpberries cleaned and tied ; the canes are strong, 

 but not so well ripened as we wish to see them. Eough-pruned 

 a number of bush trees, and went along the Strawberry rows, 

 packing some of the dressing previously applied close to the 

 plants and buds, and leaving a little ridge between. Even this 

 slight elevation does much to protect them from the most 

 cutting winds. Collected litter to throw over the pots of Straw- 

 berries out of doors if a sharp frosty night should come, as 

 roots in pots are much more easily injured than those in the 

 ground, or if the pots are plunged. 



OKNAMESTAL DEPAETMENT. 



No weather could be better for transplanting. Most plants 

 are still fresh, and carry plenty of bloom in the flower garden. 

 The Coleus ceased to be ornamental ten days ago; Iresine Lin- 

 deni has only begun to drop its leaves, and therefore for com- 

 bination purposes, owing to its hardiness, it will suit better 

 than the Coleus, and cost much less trouble, as it is of little 

 use turning out small plants of Coleus. We shall take up a 

 number of plants which we wish to keep before the frosty 

 nights come, and these we shall be sure to have before long. 



We generally pack a number of Geraniums and other plants 

 thickly together in a heap, and then cover them at night with 

 litter until we can find time to look them over. In answer to 

 some inquiries, we may say that we depend chiefly for Scarlet 

 Geraniums on small cuttings taken off in September, and kept 

 thickly in boxes all the winter, but we generally take up a few 

 of the strong old plants from the beds. These we usually treat 

 in three ways. First we pot some of the best plants separately, 

 using as small pots as the roots can be crammed into, take 

 nothing off the plants but some of the larger leaves, water, 

 and place the pots in a mild bottom heat, with the tops cool. 

 These soon become well-established plants. Others we deprive 

 of all the larger leaves and the rather soft points of the shoots, 

 and pack the roots rather thickly in boxes. The third plan is 

 to cut or enag-in the head all round C or 7 inches from the 

 ground, so that the head may resemble a double deer's antlers 

 in miniature — not a leaf is left. The cut ends are generally 

 dipped in powdered lime, and then the roots are packed as 

 firmly as they can be squeezed together in boxes or large pots, 

 the snagged stems only being exposed. The plants are well 

 watered, and when settled a surfacing of the driest earth is put 

 on, and the plants will be safe all the winter wherever frost 

 does not reach them. Light is of little importance until the 

 heads begin to break in spring. This is by far the best plan 

 for those who have little room and wish to make a flower 



