436 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 



[ December 1, 1870, 



the roots of Asparagus with a good coat of the best rotten 

 manure. Hard frosts frequently do serious injury to this root 

 from want of such covering. The Celery ground, as before 

 observed, will answer well for a new plantation ; it should be 

 ridged to mellow as the crop is taken up. Cover Endive 

 plants with a slate or tile laid on each side, and cover the whole 

 with dry leaves, finishing with some stable litter ; in this way 

 they will blanch well and be fit for use throughout the winter. 

 The best policy with Lettuces intended for supply next spring 

 is to allow them to freeze tolerably firmly before covering them 

 np. A very light screen cf straw should be shaken over them 

 at first, and when this is frozen add a little more, the object 

 beiDgto keep them frozen as long as possible ; above all, do not 

 uncover them when a thaw arrives ; let them remain until 

 completely thawed. These remarks will bear equally on all 

 other vegetables of a tender character. On dry, well-drained 

 ground on a south aspect, a sowing of Peas may now be made. 

 'The Double-Blossomed Early Frame is the most profitable for 

 this purpose; Prince Albert is earlier, but is apt to suffer much 

 from cold winds and wet, and succeeds better when started in 

 heat and transplanted in February. Where there are not pits 

 adapted for forcing Sea-kale and Blmlarb, let a quantity of each 

 be covered over with pots or wooden boxes, or hooped over 

 with rods, and have fermenting material placed round them — 

 leaves are preferable to any other, and by covering them with 

 some long stable dung, they are prevented from being blown 

 about the garden. It i3 beneficial to water the soil in which 

 the plants to be forced are growing with water heated to 130°, 

 covering the ground immediately with leaves. 



FBUIT GARDEN. 



Fig trees must now have some dry Fern or Spruce boughs 

 nailed over them to prevent injury from severe frost, though 

 damage is less likely to occur this season, as, from the fine 

 warm summer we have had, the wood of every description of 

 tree is well ripened, and consequently will resist the effects of 

 severe weather with impunity, whereas, if ill-matured it would 

 suffer severely. If I dared to prophesy I should say that next 

 season would be more than usually abundant in fruit of all 

 sorts. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



The late slight frosts will have brought vegetation generally 

 to a state of inactivity, and finally destroyed the lingering floral 

 beauty of the declining year. Let, therefore, the clearing-off 

 of the decaying stems be at once proceeded with, as also the 

 general removal of the fallen leaves. In this uncertain climate 

 it is all-important to have a reserve of protecting material at 

 hand in case of need, but it is best not to apply it till there 

 be some indications of severe weather. If we protect carefully 

 and the season prove mild and growing we may do harm. Com- 

 plete all planting, and forward all alterations, particularly the 

 removal of objectionable trees, which, if cut down now, may be 

 taken away in frosty mornings without much damage to the 

 turf and walks. Now that the flowers have departed it will be 

 necessary to endeavour to compensate for their absence by the 

 perfect order and neatness of the surface of the garden, the 

 gravel, the turf, and the soil. It is advisable to beep all Car- 

 nations and Pinks which may have been potted during the past 

 month from the action of frost, as they are unable to withstand 

 it so well as those which have established themselves from 

 being potted earlier in the season. They should not, however, 

 be shut down when damp, for though extremely hardy, no 

 flower suffers so much from want of a free circulation of air as 

 the Carnation. Tulip beds, as a matter of course, have been 

 covered as previously directed. The lesson taught to florists 

 generally last Eeason will not soon be forgotten, and from the 

 loss then sustained I anticipate greater attention will be paid 

 to protection for the future. It is a good plan to place young 

 shoots of Gorse between the rows of Pinks where rabbits are 

 apt to come, and it will prevent cats from taking liberties with 

 the beds, independently of protecting the plants from the cut- 

 ting winds of the winter months. Look well to the turning of 

 compost heaps, &c. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



The Camellias will now be making a fine display in the con- 

 servatory ; they should receive careful attention as to watering 

 with very weak tepid liquid manure. Let them not, however, 

 receive a drop until they are really dry, and then supply them 

 liberally. If in such cases any air bubbles arise, continue to fill 

 np with water until they cease. Let not a drop of water be spilled 

 on the conservatory floorat this period, and keep on a very little 

 air at back all night in order to let atmospheric humidity pass off. 



Be very cautions in the use of fire heat, the less the better if 

 45° to 50° can be secured. In the greenhouse, see that the early- 

 flowering Cinerarias have the lightest place in the house, close 

 to the glass ; crowding is very prejudicial to this plant. Let 

 plants of Eranthemum pnlchellum coming in bloom have 

 abundance of water and a warm situation. The Veltheimias, 

 Tritonias, Stenorhynehus speciosus, Laehenalias, &o., are de- 

 lightful winter plants; see that they receive due attention. 

 Follow up the directions for the conservatory as to heat and 

 general management. 



TORCING PIT. 



This structure will now daily become of increasing interest. 

 Early-prepared forcing kinds of Geraniums should be at once 

 introduced into the most airy situation, or on shelves near the 

 glass. Plants of the beautiful kinds of Azalea indica in variety, 

 which h.tve also been well prepared, and have made early sturdy 

 growth, and formed abundance of strong, plump, well-set flower 

 buds, with Rhododendronsin variety, Ledums, Kalmias, Roses, 

 a few Pinks, Wallflowers, and bulbs in variety may be placed 

 in succession in a gentle kindly bottom heat, afforded either by 

 means of a tank or prepared fermented material, and moderate 

 syringings with tepid water applied on suitable occasions. Fire 

 heat should be principally applied by day, with a good portion 

 of air. The pit should be shut up early, and night heat applied 

 very cautiously indeed at this season, and still reduce its amount 

 as the solar light decreases. Apply frequent but very moderate 

 fumigations of tobacco smoke to destroy the aphis ; and slight 

 applications of sulphur vivum liquid to the heating apparatus 

 when nearly cold prevent the attacks of the red spider. Syringe 

 occasionally with well-prepared clarified liquid from chimney 

 soot, to be applied on the principle of "little and often." — W. 

 Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



In wet days looked over roots, as Potatoes, Carrots, &c, and 

 found all in good order. Shed room is of great importance, 

 especially for seedliDg Potatoes, that they may be spread out 

 thinly. Other roots may be built in banks, with dry soil or 

 small dry twigs between the layers. 



A few fine deep-coloured Beet leaves are useful for decorating 

 flower-vases. We are less likely to think of the fine purple 

 leaves being connected with the salad at this Eeason than in 

 the summer time. We have seen rows of deep crimson dwarf 

 Beet far more beautiful than Perilla or Amaranthus, or even 

 Iresine ; and where ground is scarce the double purpose of 

 decoration and utility may thus be served, though we confess 

 to a prejudice against using Beet, or the finest variegated Scotch 

 Kale or Borecole in the flower garden. One advantage of the 

 latter is that they lift well with good balls, and as they do not 

 show their colour thoroughly until late in the autumn, they are 

 thus better fitted for moving to make a show in prominent 

 places in the winter months. 



The mention of these variegated Kales leads us to notice a 

 prejudice against their use for culinary purposes, as several 

 friends have told us that they are more difficult to boil, are 

 harder when boiled than the green varieties, and that generally 

 when boiled they lose their distinctive colour and become of a 

 dirty sickly yellow. We cannot tell how this can be. In boil- 

 ing them ourselves we have never used anything but a little 

 carbonate of soda in the water, and in almost every case the 

 white, purple, and crimson variegated Kales keep their colour, 

 and are quite as sweet and tender as the best sprouts of the 

 dwarf Cabbaging Kale. We think all Kales and Cabbages boil 

 softest when put into boiling water. We have known fine 

 vegetables made neither pleasant to look at nor pleasant to eat 

 from being left to soak in merely warm water. Boiling in 

 cookery is but little understood among the humblest, who 

 ought to be best acquainted with it. We knew of a case some 

 time ago where some very strong mutton broth was desirable, 

 but considering the meat used the broth was very poor. The 

 meat was put in when the liquid was boiling furiously. H to 

 boil the meat and keep as much as possible of its good proper- 

 ties from going into the water, then the plan adopted was 

 correct, but quite the reverse when soup or broth was the chief 

 object. The very best vegetables are anything but attractive 

 when spoiled in the cooking. The variegated Kales, when they 

 keep their colour, make a nice variety on the table, and the 

 white-variegated we have often found as delicate and good as 

 Sea-kale. 



On a dry day we gathered Asparagus seed before clearing the 



