April 13, 1871. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOETICTJLTUBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



277 



spoiled In cooliing, or presented in infiuitessimal quantity when 

 mora than enough was sent. 



Sea-kale and Asparagus are in our opinion the best of spring 

 Tegetableg, but in a small garden considerable room must be 

 allotted to them when the gathering is to be continuous day by 

 day. We are no advocates for huge walled-in gardens, but 

 there are comparatively few establishments where the ground 

 allowed for kitchen cropping is ample enough ; and one great 

 source of mutual dissatisfaction and discomfort is, that the 

 proprietors of a kitchen garden of an acre or two in extent 

 expect their table to be nearly as amply supplied as that of 

 their neighbour, who gives double or four times the ground for 

 the production of vegetables, and working power in proportion. 



We sowed a portion of the Kale, Broccoli, and Savoy seed 

 intended to yield a supply for winter and spring use ; also Cauli- 

 flowers and Cabbages for succession in summer and autumn, as 

 well as Beet, Salaafy, and Soorzonera for the main supply, and 

 Onions and Carrots to be drawn when young. Early-sown 

 Onions, Cirrots, Latiuoes, &c., are growing strongly, and we 

 hope we shall have no frost to interfere with them. Early 

 Potatoes that were peeping through the soil have had a little 

 earth thrown 07er them to keep them from the frost. Potatoes, 

 Eadishes, and Carrots under protection were watered with water 

 a little warmed, and first crops of Kidney Beans and successions 

 of Turnips were sown. Of the latter Veitch's Bed Globe is a 

 very sweet Turnip, white inside, and stands long before it runs 

 to seed. Very early Turnips are much better of a little protec- 

 tion from frost, as when the young plants are much frosted the 

 check given greatly predisposes them to throw up their seed- 

 stalks, and then the tubers are worthless for the table. It is a 

 common remark that such and such a thing is no better than 

 a Turnip, but a sweet juicy young Turnip is not to be sneezed 

 at. Where wanted very early Turnips should have the protec- 

 tion of glass, and for this purpose the Early Dutch and Snow- 

 ball are rather the best. When sown in rows there may be 

 rows between of the White Turnip Badish, as for a time it 

 will serve many of the purposes of early small Turnips. 



FEUIT GAEDEN. 



Vineries and Peach houses required a good deal of moisture 

 on the floors, shelves, &o., to counteract the dry cold air when 

 not actually warmed by the sun. Air given early at the top of 

 the house, reducing fire heat as the sun heat increases, and this 

 damping of floors, &c., are better in every way than large 

 openings for air in such weather and much fire heat to make 

 it suitable. Economy and healthy growth greatly depend on 

 the simple circumstance of allowing the heating medium to 

 become cool as the sun gains force and brightness. When 

 much fire heat is used the best mode for supplying the requi- 

 site amount of vapour is by having evaporating pans cast on 

 the pipes. In very bright days that would not be so available, 

 as the pipes would be comparatively cool, and therefore damp- 

 ing floors and stages come in as very desirable and useful. 

 There can be no worse plan for giving vapour than sprinkling 

 very hot pipes or flues. The danger will be in exact ratio to 

 the high temperature of the pipes and flnes, and the nearness 

 of the plants to the hot vapour thus thrown ofi. We have used 

 such means in emergencies, but when freely resorted to there 

 is a danger of scorching and scalding, and of weakly instead of 

 robust growth. 



The sunny days have been very favourable for giving flavour 

 to Strawberries. In previous volumes we have described vari- 

 ous modes of standing the pots so as to get rid of saucers, and 

 the water standing in them. Where the watering can be well 

 attended to we believe there is no plan better than keeping the 

 roots entirely ineide the pot, and setting the pot on a hard 

 substance, as a shelf of deal, slate, &o. The plants thrive well 

 and produce good fruit under such treatment, but in bright 

 weather they need watering oftener. 



In the orchard houses the shutting-up has kept all safe, 

 though the ice was rather thick on the front of the glass. This 

 was assisted, too, by the dryness inside, as, after cleaning and 

 giving the requisite watering, the surface was covered with 

 . fresh dry soil. Peaches, Apricots, &c., set best in a rather dry 

 atmosphere. Even here, however, extremes should be avoided, 

 as great continued dryness is apt to starve the delicate parts of 

 fructification, and therefore, in a continuance of such bright 

 sunny weather, though we would not water the dry soil placed 

 on the surface after securing the requisite amount of moisture 

 beneath, we would gently sprinkle it with a misty dew from 

 the syringe, which would soon rise as fine vapour. In some 

 extreme cases we would have no hesitation in gently dewing 

 the blooms in hright weather, but that requires a practised 



hand at the nozzle end of the syringe, the misty dewing being 

 a very different ailair from a forcible application of the syringe. 

 We have known early Peaches much injured from the latter cause 

 when the bloom was fully expanded, before setting had taken 

 place. A little will give strength to the pollen cases and the 

 point of the future young fruit, too much of it and too forcibly 

 given will injure both. The fruit is mostly set thickly in cur 

 earliest orchard house, and the bloom is fudy developed in the 

 second, but without being set. Out of doors Apricots are for 

 the most part set thickly, and will be secure, except from frost, 

 accompaijied by wet, as we have merely protected with laurel 

 twigs. Peaches, too, on walls are safe as yet, though not set 

 but setting. In borders neither Plums, Pears, nor Apples 

 are yet opening, though a very few blooms of Cherries have 

 done so. In lower warmer positions the bloom is, no doubt, 

 earlier. 



We find in the case of some bush fruit trees the truth of the 

 old adage, " Heavy crops of fruit one year, followed with wood 

 growth the next year." On the whole, the trees look well for 

 bloom, but some that bore very heavy crops last year, and 

 which were not thinned as they ought to have been, are show- 

 ing comparatively little blossom this year. Some good Plum 

 bushes in pots that bore too heavy crops last season in the 

 orchard house, showed so little bloom that we plunged them 

 out of doors. We have no doubt they will be well stored with 

 fruit buds next year. They will require but little trouble out 

 of doors in comparison with what they would do in-doors. We 

 have had to take out little in this way hitherto, and we could 

 spare them well, as the plants were becoming too crowded ; but 

 we mention the matter more particularly in order to advise 

 those who thus like to grow fruit trees in orchard houses to 

 have a few more than are actually wanted. For instance, it 

 they have room for a dozen, let them have thirteen or fourteen- 

 plants, so as to be able to select the best for inside treatment. 



0BNA3IENTAL DEPARTMENT. 



We proceeded with out-door work, and getting empty beds 

 turned over in this fine weather. We hope that there will be' 

 heavy warm April rains, otherwise we shall be in a sad plight 

 for water in this district. Means are being taken here to save 

 much more of what falls from the heavens. We continued 

 potting, cutting-making, and hardening-off ; we likewise planted 

 out Calceolarias in temporary beds with a little protection. 

 With us most plants which make fibrous roots are never potted ;. 

 they are struck and stand thickly in wooden boxes, and then 

 transferred to thes« temporary beds, and, when strong plants, 

 are taken up with balls. If we can obtain it, we work a little 

 rough leaf mould and sandy loam amongst the roots, and these 

 cling to the soil at planting time. The Geraniums put singly 

 in pieces of turf, as previously detailed, are now making a net- 

 work of fine roots outside the turf, and we fear will need 

 moving before planting-out time. Camellias done blooming we 

 shall endeavour to place under the shade of Vines for a time^. 

 to make growth and set their buds, as then they will bloom 

 early without any forcing. Azaleas we would treat the same,, 

 so as to secure early growth and early setting of the buds, as 

 then they force early with little trouble. For late blooming 

 they do not much require any such treatment, but for early 

 blooming this early growth is essential to success. 



These matters are apt to be overlooked by the owners of one 

 house, where the plants must be grown as well as bloomed. In 

 such a case all that can be done is to set plants in groups, and 

 by regulating moisture and air, make their, treatment some- 

 what different. It is very common to hear the complaint made, 

 " My conservatory is about the same size as that of Mr. H., but 

 mine is seldom so gay as his." The complainant chooses to 

 forget that his conservatory is his only plant house, and a bad 

 one too, whilst his friend H. has several little houses, whose 

 chief duty it is to provide for the conservatory. To expect 

 equal results under such circumstances is quite out of the 

 question. A house to be always gay must have supply houses 

 and pits for growing, blooming, taking out, and taking back. 

 Our gardening writers too much overlook such things, and 

 much unpleasantness is the consequence. We once, to our 

 mortification, heard a lady upbraid her gardener in a public 

 show-room, and repeatedly inquire why her plants were not of 

 so good kinds as those of a neighbour. The gardener, perhaps 

 prudently, pocketed the affront, merely stating there was no 

 secret as to the reason, and that night gave notice, and soon 

 had a place worthy of his talents. He might have told her 

 publicly, in reply to her frequent " Why is it ?" that she would 

 do nothing to make the tumble-down houses wind or rainproof ;. 

 and whilst the owner of the superior kinds of plants had 



