Eecemler 19,1872 ] 



JOUBNAL OP HOBTICOLTUBE AXD COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



497 



Ox the 11th inst. , at Newark, died Mr. W. H. Caparn, 



nurseryman and seedsman, aged 69. He had been parish clerk 

 and secretary to the savings-bank for nearly forty-five years. 



WORK FOE THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Broccolis will be advanced by the recent mild weather. Look 

 over and select the most forward for protection againsu the 

 return of frosty weather. Continue to remove all dead and 

 decaying leaves. Cabbage plants may still be planted or pricked- 

 out from seed-beds, and those planted in October should have a 

 little soil drawn to them. Provide for a successional supply of 

 Asparagus and Sea-hale in whatever way forcing is practised. 

 Proceed with trenching. The examination of old, or the form- 

 ation of new drains, if required, should on no account be for- 

 gotten. The importance of this matter is not sufficiently esti- 

 mated. Pot Mint and Sorrel for forcing. Shallots and Garlic 

 should also be planted. Sprinkle wood ashes or lime over the 

 early Peas as they appear above ground. The weather that 

 causes their appearance excites insects into activity. Set traps 

 regularly for mice. A bed of Radishes should be sown directly 

 on a warm slope. Potatoes may occupy the bed as the prin- 

 cipal crop ; the Eadishes may be removed in due time without 

 injury to the Potatoes, especially if sown in drills. We would 

 direct attention to the importance of some extra care in the 

 preservation of the seed. The Potato has undoubtedly been 

 blessed with a most singular hardihood of constitution, or by 

 this time it would have been extinct, or nearly so, for what 

 plant, or rather tuber, has endured so much abuse and for so 

 long a period ? By abuse I mean premature sprouting and the 

 exhaustion consequent upon this and the fermentation in pits. 

 The latter process is unknown to the plant in its native country. 

 Lancashire, it is well known, is famed for the production of ex- 

 cellent Potatoes, and a neighbouring district called Wallapy-in- 

 Wirrel has long been noted for very early Potatoes, which find 

 their way into the Liverpool and Manchester markets at a period 

 so early as would astonish folks in the southern parts of this island 

 ■who have a much superior climate to deal with. A considerable 

 tract of Potato ground is let out in small portions to industrious 

 cottagers. These for the most part keep their seed Potatoes in 

 their upper rooms, frequently spread beneath their bed, about 

 3 or 4 inches in thickness, fermentation being sedulously avoidid. 

 The Potatoes in this situation begin to sprout in December, 

 and in the course of January many of them are planted, great 

 care being taken not to rub off or injure the sprouts. When the 

 Potatoes are breaking the ground they are covered, as the market 

 gardeners cover their early Eadishes, with a soft, light kind of 

 grass which grows in the neighbourhood, and which is cut and 

 dried for the purpose. They are uncovered in fine days, and 

 covered-up in due time whilst the soil is warm. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



Prime and nail wall trees. Early attention to these important 

 and tedious operations cannot be too earnestly recommended. 

 ■Unless the weather be very favourable, planting deferred until 

 this time had better be delayed until February. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



A thorough cleaning should once more take place place in all 

 pleasure grounds, as by this time all the decayed leaves are 

 down. Eose stocks may now be procured and planted. They 

 will transplant safely at this period provided the roots are kept 

 damp. Fuchsias in beds or borders may be cut down and 

 mulched over. If it is desired to preserve any large specimens 

 with their tops on, a row of stakes may be driven round in a 

 circle and surrounded by a mat, the interior being stuffed loosely 

 with clean new straw. The top of this may be thatched to 

 exclude wet. Before enclosing, however, it will be well to pluck 

 off the leaves, as these encoivrage mouldiness. At this season of 

 the year the amateur's attention must be directed principally to 

 the effectual protection of his' plants, though it must be borne 

 in mind that I am very far from being an advocate of the 

 massing system which many florists adopt, the effect of which 

 is seen in Carnations with yellow and spotted foliage, Auriculas 

 and Polyanthuses which at their proper blooming season will 

 not bear a truss of flowers, Tulips not only cankered but very 

 iar in advance of the season, &c. The great secret is to keep 

 the plants secure in bad weather, but at all other periods to let 

 them be fully exposed to the action of the atmosphere, so that 

 they may grow-up stiff and strong, and be enabled to withstand 

 severe weather of an ordinary character. Nothing is more pre- 

 judicial to_ florists' flowers than cutting winds ; they will bear 

 frost with impunity when unaccompanied with the rude wintry 

 blast. Shelter is then indispensable, and those florists who have 

 a bed of Polyanthuses under a north-east hedge of Hornbeam 

 (this I prefer, as it retains its foliage through a great part of 

 the winter), will be able to bear testimony to its efficacy. Net 

 and cover Tulip-beds with bast mats, and if possible do not let 

 the surface be frozen. Dahlias, though most likely stored away, 

 will require occasional attention ; those placed under a green- 



house stage or in a similar situation will be safest, yet from the 

 wet autumn and the sudden frosts just previous to their removal,. 

 I fear that many will suffer. Turn compost heaps, and expose 

 them to the action of frost, &c, and when opportunity serves, 

 mend shades, glasses, paint flower-sticks, cut lead pegs for 

 layering Carnations; in fact, attend to all rninutia; in order to 

 insure success. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



Constant removal at this period will be necessary, for where a. 

 good reserve stock is kept nothing should be suffered to remain 

 which does not contribute to the gaiety of this house. This 

 change renders the whole more interesting, for in former days, 

 before the special cultivation of winter flowers was understood, 

 a most tiresome monotony prevailed; the Oranges, Myrtles, Ole- 

 anders, with huge American Aloes, appealed as if nailed to the 

 spot. The advantage of observing and maintaining strictly the 

 niceties of order and judicious arrangement in the distribution 

 of plants is not only repaid by the gratification afforded to the 

 eye, but will be acknowledged by the improved health of the 

 plants. As the practice is not unfrequent, the reconrmendation 

 that a very limited amount of artificial assistance in tempera- 

 ture is required by the admitted occupants of the greenhouse 

 may not be inappropriate. In houses unfavourably situated in 

 damp or shady situations, fires must be brought more frequently 

 into requisition, not so much to increase the temperature as to 

 allow of a constant and active circulation of air to counteract the 

 injurious effects of damp. Considerable injury is sometimes 

 done to plants by the regular use of impure and unwhole- 

 some water; rain water is naturally more suitable than any other 

 for plants. The decay and removal of Chrysanthemums and 

 other plants which share the protection of the conservatory 

 merely during their blooming season, will give place to the 

 forced flowers. 



FORCING PIT. 



The forcing pit should be regularly filled from this period, 

 with Eoses, Lilacs, Azaleas, &c. Fire heat should be applied 

 very moderately, more particularly at night or during dark 

 foggy days. Take advantage of a little extra application of fire 

 heat in the fore part of the day, more particularly on light and 

 sunny mornings. Plants in this structure, as soon as forward 

 enough in bud to open in the conservatory, should he removed. 

 W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Notwithstanding the dull weather, we have never had forced 

 Asparagus in a frame over a dung bed more beautifully green, 

 and that, with good -heads, is a great charm. Sea-kale in the 

 Mushroom house has been very useful, especially when cut 

 short and stubby. The last-spawned bed of Mushrooms but one 

 is coming in nicely. There is a piece to succeed it, earthed-up 

 three weeks ago, a piece that may be spawned on Monday, and 

 another piece, treated as stated at page 447, that most likely 

 may be spawned a fortnight hence. Three older pieces are still 

 bearing, though we do not expect much more from the first piece. 

 With limited space we depend much on frequent successions. 

 Our aim is just to have one piece at its very best at a time. For 

 all shelf beds we find they get a nice fillip from a successional 

 bed being made on the ground beneath the shelf bed. A little 

 steam, even if in moderation, does no harm. But, there, every- 

 body will say we have now had enough of Mushrooms for some 

 time to come. We had gravel driven on the one frosty morning, 

 but now in the evening of the 14th we have a soaking rain again 

 that interferes with all out-door work, except that of the 

 roughest kind, and even that can be but imperfectly done in 

 such weather. 



ORNAMENTAL DEPARTMENT. 



Violets — Somehow from our carelessness we have pretty 

 nearly lost our old favourite the Neapolitan Violet, but we must 

 take to it again, as large blooms under glass are very sweet- 

 scented. We mentioned last week that Violets out of doors 

 lose their scent when frosted, even though they preserve their 

 colour and apparent freshness. We found that what we had 

 under glass would by no means meet our demands if frosty 

 weather should set in. We had satisfied ourselves that covering 

 the plants out of doors with litter or mats injured them, and 

 the blooms thus obtained were of little worth. Having at 

 liberty a piece of a deep earth pit, with boards back and front, 

 on which we could lay some old sashes across, w T e filled the 

 bottom with warm tree leaves, placed on these 6 inches of 

 rotten dung, and on that enough of good soil to turn-in in rows 

 strong large plants, with good balls, of the Czar and Eussian 

 Violets, so that we might make sure of gatherings if we should 

 have severe weather in winter, and they will be all the cleaner 

 sweeter, and longer-stalked from having the glass over them 

 A little protection will keep out all but the severest frost. 



In many little gardens a one or two-light box that does much 

 work in spring and summer is allowed to stand idle all the 

 winter. Now closely filled, what nice posies of Violets might- 



