166 



JOtJENAL OF HOETICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GiEDESER. 



[ March 2, 1871. 



be made. Make new plantations of Artklwkes, and fill-up old 

 ones. Sow Mazagan Beajis in sheltered situations, and trans- 

 plant those in the forcing house. Beet may now be sown. 

 Sow Bed Cabbage for autumn use. Sow a crop of Carrots out 

 of doors, and thin-out those in frames. Sorseradish should 

 be planted, if there is not suiSoient in already. Sow Leeks for 

 the main crop. Sow Lettuces, and harden-ofi those in frames, 

 to be planted out as soon as it can be done with safety. Stick 

 ■early Peas, and sow several varieties for succession crops. 

 Early Potatoes should bo planted without delay. Sow Parsnips 

 in drills a foot apart for the main crop. Sow a little Savoy, 

 ■Green Kale, Bi-ussels Sprouts, Broccoli, Parsley, and Radishes; 

 and Small Salads must not be forgotten. Sow a few more rows 

 of Spinach and Early Dutch Turnips in a warm situation. 



FETJIT GAKDEN. 



Where circumstances have retarded the operations belonging 

 to the orchard and fruit trees generally, no further time should 

 be allowed to elapse. The application of fresh soil, pruning. 

 naUing, and cleaning should each be completed with all reason- 

 able dispatch. It is now time to look out for the opecing 

 blossom, and be ready on the first emergency to afford pro- 

 tection. Woollen netting, stout straw ropes stretched upon 

 poles, or light frames covered with oiled calico, are amongst 

 the available materials for the purpose. For the destruction 

 of the Gooseberry caterpillar, now is a good time to rake away 

 the earth from the stems of Gooseberry and Currant trees, and 

 to dress them with soot and wood ashes, returning the earth 

 as soon as that is performed. Prevention is better than cure, 

 and this will save much hand-picking by-and-by. 



FLOWEE GABDEN. 



The climate of England is, without doubt, the most favourable 

 ior the production of beautiful and verdant lawns, yet though we 

 are assisted by climate in beautifying our flower gardens with 

 a rich and verdant lawn, all efiiorts of ours will be comparatively 

 futile unless proper attention be paid to the preparation of the 

 {ground. Of the two modes pursued in the formation of grass 

 lawns, I am in favour of forming them by sowing a selection 

 of Grasses, choosing those v?hich are of a short and close 

 ■growth. Sowing is done more expeditiously and economically 

 than laying down turf, and in after years there will be no 

 annoyances in the shape of Daisies, Dandelion, Sorrel, Hawk- 

 weed, &o. This is a good time for preparing ground for the 

 purpose. Dig it carefully over, pick out all roots of perennial 

 ■weeds, rake the surface, and bring it to the level required. Give 

 it a good treading, and then roll it with a heavy roller to bring 

 the ground to a regular and uniform consistency. Having done 

 this, slightly stir the ground with the rake, sow the seed, and 

 finally pass the roller over the surface. For a selection of 

 ■Grasses suitable for this purpose, and the quantity necessary 

 for an acre, I would recommend the following sorts for light 

 soils : — Festuca tenuifolia, 2 pecks ; Poa pratensis, 2 peeks ; 

 Anthoxanthum odoratum, 3 pecks ; Lolium perenne tenup, 

 '2 pecks ; Agrostis stolonifera, 2 pecks ; White Dutch Glover, 

 1 peck. For very strong hea^vy soil — Poa trivialis, 2 pecks ; 

 Festuca duriuscula, 2 pecks ; F. ovina, 2 pecks ; Anthoxanthum 

 odoratum, 2 pecks ; Cynosnrus cristatus, 2 pecks ; Alopeeurus 

 pratensis, 2 pecks ; White Dutch Clover, 1 peck. When turf 

 is in a bad state and difficult to mow in summer, let it be 

 top-dressed with light soil, and some Clover seed sown upon 

 it. Proceed with all operations that involve the necessity of 

 wheeling or removing earth. Complete all planting, roll and 

 •sweep lawnF, cleanse and turn gravel walks. Where it is ne- 

 cessary to eradicate weeds there is nothing like hand labour. 

 In completing the arrangement of the flower garden, duplicate 

 herbaceous plants may, perhaps, be found ; these can be dis- 

 tributed about the pleasure grounds often with excellent effect. 

 Prick-over flower beds, and get them in a wholesome state to 

 receive the delicate plants intended for them. Prune Eoses 

 generally, and dress the beds with rotten dung. All trained 

 trees and plants should receive attention. March winds are 

 often destructive when the precaution of renewing old stakes 

 and strings, rotted by the damp of winter, is neglected. Have 

 soil and pots in readiness for potting Carnations, for which 

 mix three parts of good turfy loam, two parts of well-rolted 

 cow dung, and one part of rough sand and charcoal, and re- 

 move this compost into the potting-shed. The beds in which 

 the choice varieties of Tulips are growing should be protected 

 from heavy rains and frost ; mats or thick canvas are proper 

 materials for this purpose. The covering must be removed 

 as the weather permits, otherwise the foliage becomes weakly 

 and the stems drawn-up. By giving abundance of air the 

 pillars gain sufficient strength to support the flowers without 



the assistance of sticks. Eanunculns seed, which ought to be 

 sown now, should be carefully shaded from drenching rains. 

 If covered with clean damp moss it prevents the surface from 

 becoming dry and hastens the germination of the seed. Auricula 

 seed should be sown in pans, making small ridges transversely 

 on which the seed may be deposited. By watering between 

 these the risk of the young plants damping-ofi is to a great 

 extent avoided. 



GBEENHOnSE AND QONSBKVATOKT. 



All the specimen plants in these houses should be carefully 

 examined to see that the roots are in a proper state with regard 

 to moisture, and the drainage clear. If you have the slightest 

 suspicion that the interior of the ball of earth is in any case 

 dry probe it immediately with a sharp-pointed quarter-inch 

 iron rod, and give it a good soaking of water from the surface. 

 To make assurance doubly sure, place the pot in a large saucer 

 of water for twelve or twenty-four hours. After the severe 

 weather we have lately experienced, and the extra fire heat 

 used in consequence, many plants which will appear all right, 

 are, nevertheless, very dry, and if they are not looked to in 

 time the March winds will probably leave them ■'""I or "^ving, 

 when you little expect them to meet such a fate, ruuing green- 

 house plants should be commenced, not completed, at this time. 

 Plants supplied with food in proportion to their progress thrive 

 better than when over-potted. Ericas must be top-dressed or 

 repotted. Trof feolnms will require attention. Specimen plants 

 of Pelargoniums require to have plenty of room, in order that 

 the side branches may not touch each other. Push on Azaleas 

 for decorative purposes in a warm, moist atmosphere ; at this 

 season few plants are more useful. Epacrises started now, so 

 as to get their wood well ripened, may be had in full blossom in 

 November. Of Amaryllids and Deutzia spectabilis, there should 

 be a good supply ; both may be had in bloom early in the 

 season, and under good treatment they last long in beauty. 

 Many Cinerarias will now be in full blossom, and in warm 

 greenhouses will keep up a brilliant display for some time. 

 Seed may be saved from some of the best kinds, which, when 

 out of flower, may be set aside for that purpose. 



STOVE AND FOECING PIT. 



See that the plants in these structures receive no check. 

 Increase the temperature gradually, a degree or two every week, 

 and take care to shut up with 10° or 15° of sun heat on clear 

 days. Keep a moist, growing atmosphere, and look well to the 

 watering and potting of such plants as require it. 



PITS AND EEAIIES. 



Maintain a kindly heat in the cutting frame ; top cuttings 

 which have taken root, and are beginning to grow. Divide and 

 pot singly into 3-inch pots the old stools of herbaceous Lo- 

 belias. Fill several boxes with roots of Verbena venosa, and 

 place them in heat. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAKDEN. 



It has been a most favourable week for all out-door work. 

 Some of our neighbours have been soiciny their Onions and 

 Carrots ; our ground is not yet ready, and we have little desire 

 to sow twice over. The ground might now soon be put in good 

 order for sowing ; indeed, as stated last week, it never was 

 drier and sweeter at this season. Still, a press of other matters 

 has prevented our getting the ground exactly to our mind, and 

 we have a dread of sowing full crops of the above vegetables in 

 colli soils even at the end of February. Half a dozen times 

 in thirty years we have known Onions and Carrots fail from 

 early sowing. The ground in these eases was in good condition. 

 The seeds were good, as was proved by sowing earlier in heat, 

 and later in the open air, but still the early-sown crop was a 

 failure, and in some cases late sowing did not make up for it. 

 If we wore sure that such weather as we had up to the 23th 

 were to continue, then we should say. Sow Onions, and even 

 Carrots, and especially Parsnips ; but if we have a sharp frost 

 in the middle of March where would the tender chipped seed- 

 lings be ? There are many things hardy enough for their 

 seeds to stand a great amount of cold, and for the seedlings too 

 to resist a great degree of cold when they are fairly above 

 ground, that will at once give way just when the roots and stem 

 emerge from the seed. It is rather singular, and we cannot 

 account for it, though we have proved the fact over and over 

 again, that seeds of hardy plants sown in spring, after being 

 kept in comfortable bags or drawers all the winter, will be 

 injured in spring by frost after germination has taken place, 

 whilst seeds self-sown in autumn, or sown in autumn and re- 



