November 22, 1864. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



415 



much forcing. Fire heat should be applied principally by 

 day; the pit to be shut up early and night heat applied 

 very cautiously indeed at this season. Apply frequent but 

 very moderate fumigations of tobacco to destroy the green fly . 



GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 



Damp or insects do irreparable injury to softwooded plants 

 at this season, and these must be carefully attended to if 

 they are to be wintered in first-rate order. Pelargoniums 

 to be kept rather dry and cool, giving whatever water may 

 be necessary in the mornings of fine days, so that the super- 

 fluous moisture may be removed before the evening, avoiding 

 the use of fire heat except when necessary to prevent the 

 temperature falling below 40°, or to dispel damp. Every 

 decaying leaf to be instantly removed, and drip must be 

 studiously avoided in these houses. Herbaceous Calceolarias 

 require very similar treatment, except that they are very 

 subject to the attacks of thrips unless afforded a moist at- 

 mosphere ; they must, therefore, be narrowly watched and 

 smoked lightly two or three evenings successively if this 

 pest makes its appearance, keeping the atmosphere moist, 

 and giving air on every favourable opportunity to prevent 

 the foliage from flagging. Cinerarias for late blooming to 

 be kept cool and airy, and not be allowed to suffer for want 

 of pot room. These must not be trusted in cold pits after 

 this season, for they cannot endure much frost. Hardly 

 anything can be worse for the development of a healthy 

 vigorous habit in plants than subjecting them to a high 

 temperature at the present season, when light, so important 

 to the healthy action of vegetable life, cannot accompany it. 



PITS AND FRAMES. 



Abundance of air to be continued as long as possible, 

 avoiding, however, the least wet. As long as the weather 

 remains mild and the thermometer can be maintained above 

 32°, give air night as well as day. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Cauliflower. — Took up a few nice plants with balls from a 

 border, and placed them in seven-inch pots in the orchard- 

 house, with the hope of obtaining some early spring produce 

 from them, as however good Broccoli may be at that time, 

 it rarely equals the Cauliflower in delicacy of flavour. 



Shallots and Garlic. — Planted, digging the ground nicely, 

 levelling it, drawing drills a foot apart and about 1 inch 

 deep, then firming the little bulbs, from dividing the larger 

 ones, about 2 inches apart, and then scattering over them 

 some charred rubbish. If the ground is very stiff, it is best 

 to plant them still more shallow, for as soon as they begin 

 to root they will firm themselves sufficiently. Before that 

 time the charred rubbish and soot and lime will prevent the 

 worms taking them out of the ground, and will also help to 

 prevent the frost doing the same. One advantage of Oc- 

 tober planting is, that the plants are established before 

 winter. We have rarely known the hardest frost injure 

 these plants when well established. A few bulbs may be 

 left for planting in February or March. 



Onions. — Looked over the stored ones in a wet day, and 

 found more giving way than we should have expected after 

 such a dry season. Those roped are keeping much the best, 

 hardly one showing any sign of rottenness. Hoed amongst 

 the young crops in the open air, to keep the surface open 

 and rough. 



Digging and Trenching. — Of this we have been able as yet 

 to do little, but the sooner the ground is prepared for early 

 Peas and Beans, and for fresh plantations of Asparagus, 

 Rhubarb, and Sea-kale, the better will the plants succeed. 

 We now seldom sow Peas and Beans in the autumn, but the 

 results of many years' experience, convinced us that from 

 the 18th to the 25th of this month is soon enough to sow, as 

 if sown earlier they were less able to withstand the frosts 

 of winter and spring. In this respect there is often a great 

 difference as respects hardiness between the young of ve- 

 getables and the young of animals, the latter being so easily 

 injured, whilst the young seedlings of the former will stand 

 often much harder treatment than older plants. For years, 

 too, when our crop was sown on ground running from north 

 to south, as on a south border, we used to throw the ground 



into sloping banks 4 feet apart, and running from north- 

 east to south-west, and sow the Peas about the middle of 

 the sloping bank on the west side. The crest of the ridge, 

 and a row of evergreen branches on the north side, did 

 much to shelter the young crop. 



Asx>aragus. — The ground for this should be deeply drained, 

 or well broken up even into the subsoil. Where much As- 

 paragus is wanted for forcing, an old-fashioned plan has 

 never yet been improved upon. A large wide trench is dug 

 out in winter — say 5 or 6 feet in width, and some 3 feet in 

 depth, into this trench all prunings and hard rubbish are 

 thrown in spring to the depth of 18 inches or 2 feet. Upon 

 this, in May, some 18 inches of littery dung is placed to form 

 a slight hotbed beneath ; the soil is then used for growing 

 ridge Cucumbers and Vegetable Marrows in summer, and 

 when that crop is gone the ground and the dung are well 

 mixed and turned over in winter, and then on this raised 

 bed the Asparagus is planted as soon as it is 2 inches or so 

 in height. This mode is best suited for heavy soil. Another 

 good plan is to drain, or at least stir up and leave the sub- 

 soil ; trench well for 30 inches deep, mixing manure all 

 through, but keep the most and best decayed for the surface 

 spit ; turn that frequently, and finally turn up into little 

 ridges from 26 to 30 inches apart. Plant on the top of these 

 ridges, and give mulchings of rich manure during the sum- 

 mer. This is one of the simplest modes of producing good 

 Asparagus easily, and in some respects it is more suitable 

 for small gardens than beds. Asparagus may be planted at 

 any time, but it is always best to do so when the young tops 

 are about 2 inches above ground in spring, taking care that 

 the roots do not become dried. Plants from one to two 

 years old are better than older ones for planting. We have 

 made preparations, by a slight hotbed, for taking up some 

 Asparagus for forcing, but we have not done so as yet, as 

 we dipped rather deep into our Asparagus reserves last 

 season, and did not plant so much as we ought to have done. 

 Other vegetables much the same as last week, with the ex- 

 ception of taking up some Sea-kale and Rhubarb ready to 

 be placed in the Mushroom-house. Those who force these 

 out of doors, should cover the ground now with litter, leaves, 

 or clearings from the flower garden. A very thin covering 

 of tree leaves — say from 12 to 15 inches, will give an early 

 cutting of these vegetables if put on in time, so as to keep 

 the summer heat in the ground. The less rank dung is 

 used the better, as it always less or more injures the flavour, 

 and if not often examined it is apt to draw out and spindle 

 the heads, and then they have a lanky appearance at table. 



FRUIT garden. 

 Much the same as in previous weeks. Looked over stored 

 fruit, and nipped a few berries from late Grapes inclined to 

 damp in this muggy weather. Any root-pruning, replanting, 

 or planting of fruit trees, should now be set about in all 

 suitable weather. 



ORNAMENTAL DEPARTMENT. 



The rams having now come, all planting, replanting, 

 and moving of deciduous plants and evergreens may now 

 be proceeded with where water can be given. Where that 

 is still scarce and the soil remains dry, it will be a good 

 plan to open the holes and have the soil spread out round 

 them. It will thus be damped by some showers, and be in 

 a good state to go round the roots, so as to set them grow- 

 ing afresh at once without watering. In general at this 

 season the soil is wet enough ; but at a couple of inches or 

 so from the surface in this neighbourhood, it is still too dry 

 for successful planting without watering. 



Lawns and Flower-beds. — The summer beauty is now gone, 

 and what was once so pleasing is now becoming offensive 

 to sight and smell. The produce of the beds placed in a 

 large heap will yield a nice fermenting heap for many pur- 

 poses. Hollyhock stems we will most likely burn or char. 

 The lawns have been gone over with the scythe before brush- 

 ing them up, so as to clear them of leaves, at least in all places 

 where the leaves have fallen ; and where, as in the case of 

 the Oaks, these have not yet fallen or have left a good share 

 behind, the clearing-up has been mostly confined to the 

 walks. This work has met with some interruptions owing 

 to other jobs and the state of the weather, as it is unad- 

 visable to do such clearing-up when the wet would leave a 

 dirty earthy appearance on the green grass. One of these 



