November S, 1864. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



377 



Berberis, evergreen Rhododendrons, and Box; those at a 

 greater distance with Portugal and common Laurels, Arbor 

 Vitae, Phillyrea, &c, filling each bed with one distinct sort. 

 We have frequently seen shrubs kept in pots for this pur- 

 pose, but we consider this as unnecessary trouble. In re- 

 moving them from their winter to their summer quarters, 

 plant them in prepared beds in the reserve garden, and by 

 regularly pruning back the summer growth of some, and 

 pinching off the ends of shoots of others, a compact dwarf 

 shrub will be obtained, and thus be in readiness for another 

 year. 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



During the short dull days and long nights of this month, 

 great care must be taken with all plants that have finished 

 their growth to keep fhem free from all excitement, and 

 pretty dry at the roots. Chrysanthemums will now be de- 

 corative plants heae and will require attentive watering. 

 Although they are very showy plants, and to see them ar- 

 ranged as to colour, size, &c, to advantage, they would 

 require a house to themselves, nevertheless, it is necessary 

 to be cautious that they are not introduced to such an excess 

 as to overcrowd other and more valuable plants. All dead 

 leaves to be picked off. A gentle fire to be applied during the 

 day, which will allow of a free circulation of fresh air being 

 afforded, and, by closing up early in the afternoon, will produce 

 sufficient heat to resist the encroachments of ordinary frosts 

 at night. Even when severe frosts occur, night coverings, 

 if possible, should be applied in preference to fire heat. All 

 hardwooded New Holland plants, such as Eutaxias, Boronias, 

 Pimeleas, &c, are very susceptible of injury from cold drying 

 winds; therefore, if they are wintered in the same house 

 with the more hardy sorts of greenhouse plants, they should 

 be accommodated with a situation free from draughts, with 

 plenty of air from the top sashes in fine days. Choice Fuchsias 

 that have been trained with a handsome leader should be 

 preserved in the greenhouse, to be supplied with plenty of 

 air and light to keep the wood sound and healthy, in pre- 

 ference to storing them away under the stage, or any other 

 out-of-the-way place. Creepers to be closely tied that they 

 may not interfere to an injurious extent with the amount of 

 light in the house. 



PITS AND FRAMES. 



The cheapest and most effectual coverings for pits and 

 frames are wood frames the length and width of each light, 

 thatched 2 inches thick with wheaten straw. The frames 

 to be made of well-seasoned deal, the sides, ends, and centre 

 bar to be li inch thick by 2J wide, to be morticed and glued 

 together, and small bars 1 inch square to be let in at about 

 1 foot apart to support the straw. Any two handy men will 

 thatch one in a few minutes. A more temporary framework 

 may be formed of shingles such as are used for making sheep- 

 hurdles. Such coverings are neater, cleaner, cheaper, more 

 easily put on and taken off, and' more efficient than mats or 

 any other covering at present in use. Indiscriminate water- 

 ing must be avoided in the treatment of stock in pits and 

 frames. Well-matured plants with no stagnant water about 

 the roots, will resist such a low degree of frost as would be im- 

 mediate death to others of the same sort that are succulent, 

 of immature growth, and saturated with moisture. Hyacinths 

 may still be planted in pots or put into glasses, and those 

 which have been brought forward according to previous 

 directions, may be forwarded in heat if required for early 

 bloom. They can also be grown in pots of moss kept moist 

 — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OP THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Have done little here, being anxious to collect turf and 

 soil for future composts whilst the weather remains dry, as 

 that makes such a difference in the carriage. Preparing for 

 future planting, and especially opening holes for transplant- 

 ing good-sized Larches and other forest trees, as, the holes 

 being opened and the soil spread out, the latter will have 

 the advantage of the first rains that fall, so that moist 

 earth may go against the roots at least. The same should 

 be done as respects preparing to plant fruit trees. In our 

 circumstances it would be folly to plant anything until the 

 ground be more moistened, or there be plenty of water at 

 hand to supply the deficiency. In making the holes for 



forest trees we never saw such dryness, and to great depths. 

 Our prophecy in summer as to wells becoming dry in Novem- 

 ber is being too much verified from the accounts we receive 

 from many quarters ; and also, as we stated then, the taking 

 the water in August somewhat freely, and the using it with 

 great care and stint, have made little or no difference. Use 

 it, or not use it, the water in the well would sink to the 

 general level, and when dry we must either sink the well 

 deeper or wait until the water rises. 



The nearest running streams to us are 3|, 4, and 5 miles 

 distant, and we are from 250 to 300 feet above them. As 

 these streams sink so do our wells, as we presume none of 

 them are deep enough to go beyond the chalk formation. 

 Many of us rejoiced in the water we obtained by the last 

 rains, and we would just throw out the hint to those whose 

 wells are low or dry to use even the rain water with care and 

 economy, as if we have a wet winter, and get plenty of water 

 in our tanks and pools, the spring will have come before these 

 rains tell much on our wells. There is an old axiom, that 

 almost every housetop will catch enough of rainfall to meet 

 the wants of those who inhabit it ; but then how few bouses 

 have tanks or reservoirs sufficiently large to hold the whole 

 of the water that falls in the case of heavy rains. Even in 

 the last rains there were many thousands of gallons that went 

 from our walks and roads that would have been worth almost 

 anything in summer. Many summers like the last will 

 make us more careful of the water that falls from buildings 

 at least, and we know of several instances where all over- 

 flows from the soft-water tanks will not be allowed to escape 

 by the main drain as heretofore, mixed with all the house 

 sewage, but will have a separate drain for itself into a reser- 

 voir, that shall be filled with pure water only. Instances 

 also occur of parks and fields being so drained that the 

 water shall be first emptied into a reservoir before the over- 

 flow finds its way into ditches or other outlets. As an 

 instance of the scarcity of water this season, we may men- 

 tion that buildings stood still for want of water to make 

 mortar, or were continued at a ruinous cost to the contractor 

 from having to cart water from a distance of four miles, and 

 up and down steep hills. 



With all the dryness, however, the late rains have brought 

 up the Wheat beautifully, and vegetables are thriving well 

 when once established. As a measure of precaution, broke 

 some leaves over the heads of Cauliflowers to prevent a 

 slight frost injuring them. Hoed and cleaned among young 

 Onions, Spinach, Cabbages, &c. Looked over seed Potatoes, 

 took up Carrots, planted Shallots and Garlic, earthed-up 

 Celery, especially one bed of tall strong red, that requires 

 endless work in comparison with the Dwarf Incomparable. 

 Cut a good many of the Red Cabbage for pickling. Switched 

 the walks hard to prevent them becoming a harbour for 

 worms and slugs. 



ERUIT garden. 



Looked over gathered fruit, removing any that are 

 specked, just leaving a little air on the house, to prevent 

 too much clammy sweating. We lately said that Pears 

 ripened under glass were rather deficient in flavour, but 

 some forward specimens, Marie Louise and Glou Morceau, 

 were pronounced most excellent. We fear we overdid the 

 little trees with bearing. A small garden of dwarf trees 

 would be most interesting. Say a hard concrete bottom, 

 soil 20 inches deep, trees well pinched-in, planted 5 feet 

 apart, in rows 6 feet from each other, and a frame put over, 

 so as to permit of covering with frigi domo. Heavy crops, 

 summer pinching, and surface manuring, would keep these 

 healthy and fruitful with but little necessity for root-pruning 

 or frequent replanting. Pruned as we could find an oppor- 

 tunity, but wished we could do more, as it is more comfort- 

 able doing it now than in winter ; but where attention could 

 be given in summer, the pruning now will chiefly consist in 

 removing or shortening the late summer and autumn 

 growths. 



Here is just one of those cases in which the amateur or 

 the nurseryman who chiefly affects one department of gar- 

 dening, should, and so often does, beat the gentleman's gar- 

 dener. In the one case, everything may be done at the right 

 time ; in the other, one sort of work must often wait for 

 another, unless in those extraordinary cases where labour 

 is very plentiful, and one man, or set of men, may be set to 

 attend to one department. Even a little extra work or job 



