October 25, 1877. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



315 









WEEKLY CALENDAR. 















Day Day 



of of 



Month Week. 



OCTOBER 25—31, 1877. 



Average 



Temperature near 



London. 



Sun 

 Rises. 



Sun 



Seta. 



Moon 

 Kines. 



Moon 

 Sets. 



Moon's 

 Age. 



Clock 

 belore 

 Sun. 



Day 



of 

 Year. 











Day. 



Night. 



Mean. 



h. m. 



h. m. 



h. m. 











25 



Th 







55.9 



38.5 



47.2 



6 44 



4 45 



5 61 



10 47 



19 



15 50 



29S 



26 



F 







55.6 



36.5 



46.1 



6 45 



4 43 



6 45 



11 54 



20 



15 56 



299 



27 



8 



J. Strutt born, 





55.1 



38.4 



46.7 



6 47 



4 41 



7 55 



0a48 



21 



16 2 



300 



28 



Sun 



22 SONDAI AFTER TRINITY. 





54.5 



35-9 



45.2 



6 49 



4 39 



9 17 



1 26 



22 



16 7 



301 



29 



M 







51.0 



35.7 



44.S 



6 51 



4 37 



10 44 



1 54 



( 



16 11 



302 



30 



Tn 



Sale of Mi-. Ralli'a plants at Cleveland House, Clapham 



54.9 



38. 3 



46.8 



6 53 



4 35 



mora. 



2 15 



24 



16 14 



803 



81 



W 



Sale of Bulbs at Stevens's RoomB. 



[Park. 



54.0 



88.0 



46 



6 54 



4 33 



11 



2 81 



25 



16 17 



304 



From observations taken near London daring forty 



three years, the average day temperature 



of the week is 54.8° ; and 



its night 



temperature 



37.3". 











PREPABING FOE WINTER IN THE KITCHEN 

 GAEDEN. 



?mt%f/g? ANY owners of gardens, especially those of 

 *Jli?^5/l ^ e ama ' ;eU1 ' class, think that when the 

 mI \IOflS 6 kitchen-garden quarters are cleared of their 

 II mJ/w I summer crops it is not necessary to do any- 

 MlVvJflak thing to the ground until it is wanted again 

 for next year's crop. This is certainly the 

 easiest way of gardening, but it is not by 

 any means the best either for the ground 

 or what has to be put in it, nor those that 

 expect anything out of it. Turning over 

 the soil and leaving it as rough on the surface as possible 

 is the fir3t thing we do at this time of the year as the 

 ground is cleared of any kind of vegetable. The ground 

 is very firm on the surface after most crops have been 

 removed : if left like this during the winter neither frost 

 nor wind, both excellent fertilisers, would ever penetrate 

 beyond the surface. Heavy land especially is greatly 

 benefited by exposure to the atmosphere in winter, and 

 the lightest of soils is sweetened. "We do not dig-in any 

 manure now, as much of it would be decayed by cropping- 

 time. This is put in when the ground is again dug, im- 

 mediately before the crop is put in. 



Not a weed should be allowed to grow amongst any 

 winter vegetables, especially amongst low-growing crops, 

 such as Spinach, Turnips, Endive, Lettuce, &c, as the 

 more these are sheltered, drawn-up, or protected in any 

 way now, they will be the more tender in the colder 

 months to come. Plants are also much more liable to 

 damp and decay when closely surrounded by weeds than 

 when everything is clear about them. One good cleaning 

 now will keep them right for the winter. Weeds look 

 as untidy in the kitchen garden in winter as summer. 

 Those on the ground now will grow if left all winter, but 

 if they are cleared away now no more will spring up for 

 some months. 



We lifted all our Carrots the other day ; it is not wise 

 to leave them in the ground after the end of this month. 

 Clean the soil roughly off them as they are dug up, lay 

 them out thinly in an open shed for a few days to dry, 

 and then store them in a cool shed or cellar, putting 

 layer after layer amongst dry river sand. Beetroot is 

 stored in the same manner, but when it is lifted the 

 leaves are not cut off close to the crown like the Carrots, 

 but they are twisted off with the hand a few inches from 

 the crown to prevent bleeding. When cut close they 

 lose much of their juice. Parsnips we leave in the ground 

 all winter, only lifting a few when frost threatens. Sal- 

 safy is treated in the same way. Onions have been under 

 cover for some time ; most of them are strung and hung 

 up in a shed. This is the best way of keeping them. 



Young Cauliflower plants for early spring planting are 

 dibbed closely together in a two-light frame. The lights 

 are never put on unless in a continuance of rain or frost. 

 Sometimes we never cover them with glass at all, but 

 put a hurdle over the frame in hard weather and cover 

 it over with dry bracken. This reminds me that this is 

 No. 865.— Vol. XXXIII., Netv Series 



one of the very best covering materials. Wherever it 

 can be had, no time should be lost in cutting and laying 

 in a large rick of it. There are some hundreds of acres 

 in the deer park attached to the Castle here covered with 

 bracken, so we have no difficulty in getting what we want. 

 It is an excellent protector and not so littery as straw. We 

 not only use it for frames, but spread it lightly over 

 Lettuce, Endive, and such-like things when frost occurs, 

 and find it answer capitally. 



Small Lettuce, to stand the winter and plant-out for the 

 early spring supply, should never be protected excepting 

 when it is actually necessary. Ours remain in the bed 

 in a south border in which they were Bown until they 

 are finally planted. Many err in covering up these kind 

 of things now when there is no frost but only a little 

 cold at night ; this blanches them and makes them tender, 

 when they should be hardened to withstand the frost. 



Care should be taken not to over-earth Celery ; always 

 leave the centre above the soil, or the centre heart may 

 decay in the damp days in winter. In the time of snow 

 or frost bracken is an effectual covering for Celery. 



Begin blanching Endive some weeks before it is wanted. 

 In dry weather it is a good plan to tie the whole of the 

 leaves up in a bundle at the top. In wet weather the- 

 centre often rots when tied up. Previous to the middle 

 of October we tie them up ; after that time we lay thin 

 deal strips over each row, and blanch it in this way. 



As soon as Asparagus stems begin to wither they should 

 all be cut off, the bed cleared of weeds, and then covered 

 over to the depth of 2 or 3 inches with rich dung. We 

 shall begin lifting the roots for forcing the first week in 

 November, to have a good batch of it in by Christmas. 



Peas and Dwarf Kidney Beans are nearly over ; stakes 

 from these, if not rotten, may be stored away for mixing 

 amongst new ones next year. Our outside Dwarf Beans 

 are succeeded by those in deep frames, and seed will be 

 sown in pots about the end of this month to come in 

 about Christmas when the kitchen delicacies are scarce. 

 Ehubarb should be covered over like Asparagus. 



All kinds of Winter Greens should be gone over every 

 other week and all decayed leaves removed. By break- 

 ing and turning a few leaves over the heads of Broccoli 

 when they are beginning to show through the small 

 centre leaves, they keep for several weeks longer than 

 when left exposed to the weather. Cabbages to come in 

 about May next year may yet be planted. Dutch-hoe 

 frequently amongst those planted some weeks ago, and 

 as soon as they are tall enough draw a little soil to their 

 stems. 



Globe Artichokes should be cut down to about 1 foot 

 from, the ground, then pack some bracken or long litter 

 close round the sterns without covering the top. Jeru- 

 salem Artichokes we leave in the ground and lift as 

 required. 



Old plantations of Strawberries should be trenched 

 down 2 feet at once. Leave the soil rough on the surface 

 as in digging. I do not see many recommending it, but 

 we always fork-in a quantity of manure between our 

 Strawberry rows about this time. Strawberries which 

 No. 1617.— Vol. LVIII.,0ld Semes. 



