October 11, 1864. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



295 



WOEK FOE THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



The decline of the late crops of Peas, Beans, Cauliflowers, 

 &c, should he followed by their immediate removal, and no 

 decaying or useless vegetable should at this moment be 

 allowed to cumber the ground. If the vacant spaces be not 

 immediately required, they had better be rough dug or 

 ridged, for exposure to the ameliorating influence of frost 

 and thaw. The distribution of manure should be governed 

 by a due consideration of the late and future crops. For 

 instance, the Onion quarter has probably received manure 

 sufficient to carry a crop of Cabbage without further assist- 

 ance. Strong-growing Peas and Beans impoverish the 

 land ; quarters which have been thus occupied might be ap- 

 propriated to early Potatoes in due season. Asparagus, the 

 stems should be removed, and an adequate quantity of seed 

 collected for the yearly sowing. The out-door Cucumber- 

 bed, stirred over, will be suitable for August-sown Cauli- 

 flowers, which will require the protection of hand-glasses. 

 Some prefer keeping their Cauliflower plants in small pots 

 under glass. Lettuce, a good supply of the late sowings 

 should be planted in situations best calculated to afford 

 them protection in the winter. When the accommodation 

 of pits or frames can be afforded a quantity might be planted 

 within them to insure a regular supply, independent of the 

 weather. Remove the leaves from Rhubarb and Sea-tale 

 intended for forcing, and keep a look-out for slugs and weeds. 



EBTJIT GARDEN. 



The principal routine here will consist in gathering and 

 storing all the late varieties of Pears and Apples. The 

 present is the best time for lifting and transplanting very 

 vigorous unfruitful trees on the walls. Apricots, Peaches 

 and Nectarines, Pears, Plums, &c, may be so treated with 

 great advantage, and after the operation is completed 

 they should be well mulched up for the winter. Fill up all 

 the vacancies on the walls with young trees, never let this 

 be left undone till spring, if it can possibly be avoided. 

 Where root-pruning is considered necessary, now is the time 

 to see to it. 



FLOWER, GARDEN. 



Scarlet Geraniums, Fuchsias, &c, which it may be in- 

 tended to winter for use next season, to be taken up im- 

 mediately and placed in safe quarters. Variegated Gera- 

 niums will not bear much frost, and where the plants have 

 to be wintered in situations which are not very suitable for 

 them, they should be taken up before they are injured, as 

 they will be much more liable to damp off, and die back in 

 winter, if the wood is at all touched by frost. They should 

 not be cut back, but be kept over the winter just as they 

 are lifted from the beds. Cut them back early in spring 

 after starting them into growth, when the cuttings will 

 root very freely in heat. The autumn-rooted stock of Ver- 

 benas, &c, must be well attended to, keeping them per- 

 fectly clear of green fly, and exposing them freely to air on 

 every favourable opportunity, so as to prevent anything like 

 growth after this season, and tokeep the plants hard, in which 

 state they will be much less liable to fog off under confine - 

 ment for a week or two in winter, than if they were kept in a 

 soft growing state until overtaken by severe weather. Except 

 where alterations are in hand, the principal work in this 

 department for the present will be mowing and clearing 

 up, and if anything like neatness is to be maintained, 

 sweeping up leaves will soon require daily attention ; also, 

 see to getting gravel walks thoroughly cleared of weeds and 

 moss ; roll them frequently when wet to keep the surface 

 hard and smooth. Steps should also be taken to fill up the 

 beds as they are cleared, for the purpose of contributing to 

 the enjoyment of spring. A miscellaneous mixture of dwarf 

 early-blooming shrubs, perennial plants, Wallflowers, &c., 

 and bulbs are most commonly planted. 



Pursue a kindly course of treatment with the Euphorbias, 

 Gesneras, and such things for winter-flowering, these will 

 soon be of great service. A temperature of from 65° to 70° 

 by day, and 60° by night will suffice, still maintaining a 

 somewhat moist atmosphere in the afternoon and during the 

 night, with a free circulation of air, keeping also a quiet 



ventilation all night. As some of the Orchids become rtige, 

 such as the Catesetum family, the Cycnoches, Lycastes, &e.,, 

 they may be removed to a drier, and somewhat cooler at- 

 mosphere. The Phaius grandifolius, with the Stenorhynchus, 

 speciosus will soon begin to blossom, also Cypripedium in- 

 signe and venustum. Let them have plenty of heatand, 

 moisture. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



Whatever watering may be necessary in the conservatory 

 should be done early in the day, so as to allow of the super- 

 fluous moisture being dried up before right, for there is 

 much more danger from damp among plants in flower at 

 this season, than from a rather low temperature ; and on, 

 cold, dull, cloudy days it will be advisable to use a little fire 

 heat, with air during the day, so as to secure a moderately 

 dry state of the atmosphere before night. Use fire heat 

 very sparingly, however, and only when it may be necessary; 

 to prevent injury from damp, or to prevent the temperature 

 falling below 40°. Hyacinths and other Dutch bulbs, if not 

 already purchased, should be procured and potted without 

 delay. Summer-flowering twiners which usually become 

 unsightly by this time, should be cut back rather freely. 

 Shade can now well be dispensed with, therefore not a spray 

 that can be spared should be left to obstruct the light. Let 

 Azaleas be tied into form as soon as it can be done, in order 

 to give a neat appearance. Look carefully after red spider 

 on Bossiseas, Chorozemas, and anything else liable to that 

 pest. Red spider is destroyed by laying the affected plant 

 on its side and well washing the under sides of the leaveB 

 with the engine, applying the water with as much force as 

 the foliage will bear. Let Cyclamens, Lachenalias, Oxalis, 

 Centradenias, tree Violets, and such little winter favourites, 

 be kept on a warm front or end shelf entirely xmshaded. 

 Let pot specimens in bloom be frequently rearranged, so ass 

 to make the most of them, for the finest specimens become 

 too familiar to be interesting when allowed to remain too 

 long in one place. 



PITS AND FRAJHES. 



Regulate the general bedding stock, and get the majority 

 established in small pots. Give as much air as possible, 

 and restrict the supplies of water to mature the growth as 

 far as possible. All temporary pits for their accommodation 

 should be completed by this time, and glazing and other 

 repairs forthwith finished. Common mats afford scarcely 

 sufficient protection to the half-hardy plants in store pots ; 

 for such purposes a stock of straw or reed mats should be 

 made in wet weather. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



The weather is threatening to be again as dry as ever, 

 with frosty nights, bright sun, and keen east winds. So 

 long as the dryness continues we shall suffer but little from ' 

 frost. Part of the Carrot and Beet should be taken up 

 when nice and dry. Hunted after grubs that had begun on 

 our Lettuces, Endive, and young Cabbages. Go where we 

 will, and meet whom we will, the grubs are the prevailing cry. 

 In our neighbourhood it has made some fields of Turnips 

 that looked well in the end of July a desert. When withered, 

 just like our Cabbages, there would be one or two of these 

 fat leathery grubs at every root. Gas water, or a little gas- 

 tar sprinkled over the land, is a good thing for keeping- 

 them away. When once there, there is little remedy ex- 

 cept constantly looking after them whenever a plant flags. 

 We have sprinkled a little tar between our rows of Cabbages 

 from a straw brush, and we imagine it has helped to keep 

 the grub from the plants ; and in the ground so sprinkled the 

 plants do not suffer. Soot, lime, ashes, &e., which do some 

 good against slugs, snails, and worms, are quite inoperative 

 against the grub. " Catch and kill is the only cure," and 

 the smell of gas tar the best preventive against the fly 

 mothers, or daddy longlegs of some sort, inserting their 

 eggs. In digging or trenching for Cabbages, &c, a little 

 gas water or gas tar sprinkled on the soil as the work pro- 

 ceeds, will also cause those not killed to bolt from such 

 quarters. The craneflies or daddy longlegs will soon be 

 found on covered colonnades, fences, &c, and sometimes we 

 have swept a peck in a morning from a stone pavement. 



