November 3, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



355 



severe weather, we have had as fine, or rather finer, heads than 

 when we laid them down, but with a little more trouble. As a 

 rule, if possible the head of the plant should be depressed to 

 the north, and if that does riot suit, then let it be laid to the 

 west — the directious in whieh it is less likely to be acted upon 

 by the morning sun, and therefore so far a security against 

 sudden changes. In laying, begin at one end of a row, take out 

 some earth a foot or so from the base of the plant, and a little, 

 but to a less depth, close to the stem, so as not to injure the 

 roots much ; press the bead of the plant down without break, 

 ing it, and then from the front of the next plant place earth 

 over the stem of the first plant, and so on until all are done. 

 Some dwarf sorts need no laying, and, as stated above, the 

 system is mora required in the north than in the south. The 

 leaves laid aslant greatly protect the young head or heart. 



Cauliflowers. — The late Cauliflowers, owing to the rain after 

 the sewage watering, have proved very fine this autumn, yield- 

 ing fine, large, symmetrical heads. Before much frost comes we 

 shall place a lot of young stuff in earth pits to receive pro- 

 tection. Where there is a dry shed, Cauliflower, though it will 

 not look so fresh as that cut from a pit with its green leaves, 

 will keep well and be serviceable for many purposes, if, whilst 

 the heads are still close and compact, the leaves are all stripped 

 off, and the stems cut off, say, 9 inches or more in length, and 

 stuck in earth and sand that is damp rather thau dry. The 

 position should be airy, when desirable, be kept free from frost, 

 and but little light should be admitted. 



We planted out young plants under hand-lights. It is well 

 that the ground should not be too rich at first, as plenty of 

 enriching matter can be added in spring. We shall try to make 

 use of an old frame or an earth pit for pricking out a lot to 

 stand the winter. For all such purposes we find after planting, 

 an open rough surface, such as sand, is of importance alike for 

 preventing damping and keeping off slugs, &e. Eough charcoal 

 dust, or rough small coal ashes, are also good. Fine ashes are 

 of little or no use in this respect. A lot of plants may now be 

 potted and placed where they may have a little protection. 

 Many are often saved in good condition if pricked out rather 

 thickly at the foot of a wall or fence, the one helping to protect 

 the other, and then when transplanted in spring they come in 

 for the second or third succession. 



Potatoes and Root Crops. — Great quantities of Potatoes have 

 been much injured this season by leaving them in the ground 

 so long as to let them have a second growth ; otherwise the 

 crops in general hive been fine — of good quality and great in 

 quantity. A little lime is very beneficial in all old gardens, 

 also in all stiff clay soils. Carrots, Beet, Scorzonera, &c, 

 will now be better out of the ground than in it. When scarce 

 of dry stuff and storage room, we have found no plan better in 

 a close shed than building them in layers, with dry small 

 faggot wood between them. It is of great importance to take 

 up all these things in dry weather, and to sort them for use 

 according to quality and size. Spruce and larch twigs dried are 

 good for this purpose. By no means use sawdust, as some 

 people recommend. Whatever kind of wood it comes from, and 

 however dry it may be, it is sure to taint the roots ; and then 

 by absorbing moisture from them the whole mass will heat, and 

 there may easily be, if not constantly examined, a mass of 

 rottenness instead of wholesome food. 



Celery. — The youngest is still growing in the?e showery days, 

 and the farthest advanced was made safe in dry weather. As 

 we had no ashes to fall back upon, we have used a heap of 

 burnt rubbish, burnt clay, &c, to put immediately round the 

 plants iu beds, filling up to the necessary height with the sur- 

 rounding earth, made fine by breaking and pulverising. This 

 thin casing, given as lately detailed, keeps the stems drier, and, 

 to a certain extent, keeps worms, snails, and slugs from mark- 

 ing them. In stiff ground, but for harbouring snails and slugs, 

 it would be advisable to finish the blanching process with moss, 

 clean litter, dry tree leaves, &a. Sometimes we have used 

 some of these, and just dusted them over with rough ashes. 

 Dry tree leaves put on not so thickly as to heat at all answer 

 admirably, they keep out frost so well, and even in a wide 

 bed they soon cake on the surface, so that when laid on with a 

 proper slope rain passes off them as if from the wing of a duck. 



Lettuces. — We took up a number of good plants and put 

 them in an earth pit, where they could be protected ; the earth 

 pit just being cleared of bedding plants, as they are removed to 

 the dormant fruiting houses, where they will be more safe for 

 a few months of the worst part of the year. Piicked-out Let- 

 tuces to give them a chance of standing, and sometimes they 

 do better ia the open ground than at the foot of fences or on 



the fides of raised banks. The young plants on sloping banks 

 are growing rather too freely since the showery weather came. 



Endive we covered with dry leaves, slates, &c, to bring it in 

 for use along with the Lettuces. Though most people like 

 Lettuces better, yet the Endive looks very nice in the salad 

 bowl. 



Rhubarb and Sea-kale. — There has been little time taken or 

 oeeded in preparing these for forcing this season, as the dry 

 weather of the summer caused thtir leaves to wither rather 

 prematurely, but the buds seem very fair, and will no doubt do- 

 good service when called upon. Asparagus is now fully iipe, 

 and will be cleared off as soon as we can find time. Some 

 correspondents have been inquiring as to giving salt to these 

 seaside vegetables now, and we would say that a little sprink- 

 ling would do no harm, and if kept from the buds of Sea-kale, 

 it would prevent slugs and even birds from touching them 

 much. There i-t no better deterrent to soft-skinned intruders 

 than salt where it can be applied with safety ; and we have 

 noticed that mice and bird6 have turned away from such things 

 as Sea-kale buds because they found the soil near them saline. 

 The chief time to apply salt is, however, after growth has 

 freely commenced; in fact, could we do it, we would liquid- 

 manure these plants in summer, and a little salt and mulching 

 then would answer well. The summer, especially such as the 

 last, forces us to let the above plants take their ehince, except 

 giving a sprinkling of salt, and we often notice how comfortably 

 moist the ground of the Asparagus and Sea-kale is, contrasted 

 with other crops, merely from the Bprinkling of salt given in 

 the middle of June. When a piece of Asparagus is to be raised 

 for forcing, it will pay well to gather little or nothing from 

 that piece in the preceding spring and summer. It will thus 

 ripen and rest earlier. Such may well be expected to do 

 better than an old exhausted bed ; done away with as the worst, 

 but " good enough" to be forced. Vegetables to be forced can- 

 not be too good of their kind if the gathered produce is to be 

 good in quality and quantity. 



We do not intend commencing forcing Asparagus and Sea- 

 kale just yet, having a regard to our stock, but frequently we 

 have had both in fair condition by the middle of November. 

 Bhubarb we have never had so early. Treat it as we may, that 

 is not good in proportion to the others. Contrary to either 

 Sea-kale or Bhubarb, Asparagus likes air and light to attain 

 colour, but we have frequently forced it in the dark, cut it 

 when 6 or 7 inches loDg, and set the bottoms in damp sand or 

 moss close to the glass in a warm greenhouse for two or three 

 days to give it a little colour. A great check in temperature 

 in forced Asparagus is apt to make it hard instead of sweet and 

 juicy. 



FRUIT DEPARTMENT. 



There are but few traces now of the dry season, but some 

 of its results, as the absence of our late Peas, are felt. Straw- 

 berry plants planted out and turned out of pots still present 

 a stunted appearance. We lost whole rows of some large 

 turned-out plants, even after they received one or two water- 

 ing', and were shaded with evergreen boughs when water could 

 not be given. Plants in pots were supplied with liquid of some 

 sort, as they could not do wiihout it, though even these Straw- 

 berry pots we had frequently to shade to save the watering we 

 could not give. These, however, partly owing to the sewage 

 given, are rather stronger than we like to see them. 



We have said so much of cleaning, &c, lately, that we will 

 just add one word on the keeping of late Grapes. In mild 

 weather it will be advisable to give a little fire heat every day, 

 and chiefly in the day, with air early given, or rather kept on 

 night and day when there is no frost. Drip must also be 

 avoided. Drip is easily got rid of in large-squared fixed-roof 

 houses. In old houses with the old form of r«f ers, even though 

 the glass and putty are sound, much drip often comes from the 

 rafter, first from the want of a deep plough-line in the centre 

 of the rest of the rafter for securing the sash ; and secondly, 

 from that line becoming choked-up in time from dirt and 

 dust. 



OKNAMEOTAL DEPAETMENT. 



Beferring to previous notices, we shall just allude to two 

 matters. First, to direct the attention of young gardeners to 

 diagram no. 3, page 301, as to the mode of making a perpen- 

 dicular cut for Box edgings. It is more easily made bevelled, 

 and is too often done so, and the consequence is the gravel 

 has more earth at the sides, and is more troubled with earth 

 heaps. 



The second matter is, we are now inserting in a cold pit our 

 Calceolaria cuttings for next season. The mode has frequently 



