December 20, 1864. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



497 



and other evils. If the roots, by concreting or other means, 

 can be prevented going down at all into such cold damp 

 soils, the better will the trees flourish. The mounds also 

 give a better chance for root-pruning if that should be ne- 

 cessary, and richness and moisture near the surface may 

 easily be secured by top-dressing and mulching. In soil at 

 all moderately rich, we would mix no manure whatever with 

 it at planting time, but we would top-dress with leaf mould 

 or rotten dung every year as long as the plant required it. 

 Even if it became too strong and vigorous we would prefer 

 root-pruning or replanting rather than discontinuing this 

 surface-dressing, as the masses of mop or wig-like roots 

 near home are more serviceable for producing and feeding 

 plenty of fruit than lots of long naked roots going ever so 

 deep. In planting on mounds, supposing the mound to be 

 4 or 5 feet in diameter, the centre may well be from 12 to 

 15 or more inches higher than the surrounding level. 



Strawberries. — Nearly finished cleaning beds in the open 

 air ; removing all runners, thinning where too thick, but 

 leaving the old leaves on the plants to act as some protec- 

 tion ; then hoed or forked an inch or two in depth between 

 the rows, and placed on the snace a layer of rough, rotten, 

 hotbed manure. Watered plants in pots under protection 

 in orchard-house, as when now allowed to become too dry 

 the flower-bud is apt to perish. This is more necessary in 

 our case, as, owing to the drought of summer and little 

 water to give them, our plants are in smaller pots than 

 usual. Moved a lot of plants from a frame, where some 

 were sb»wing the buds, into a small pit where we have some 

 Vines, and which we will start slowly. We will keep the 

 pit rather close a few days, that the plants may sustain no 

 cheek in being removed from the damp frame at this season, 

 they having had a mild bottom heat from tree leaves. 

 Nothing is better than such a frame for starting such plants ; 

 but anything like a check afterwards, either from a dry heat 

 or a lower temperature, does harm to the Strawberry plants. 

 We have placed them thick in the brick pit, as by the time 

 they want more room we will be better prepared for thinning 

 them. They are placed on narrow boards, with just a sprink- 

 ling of leaf mould on them, and that we like better than 

 pans or flats at this season. We put a little hay and litter 

 over the pots of trees in orchard-house, in case we should 

 have a sudden frost; the wind from the north-east is cold 

 enough for anything. Will prune and wash here at the first 

 opportunity. 



Forcing Vines, Peaches, and Figs may now be commenced, to 

 have ripe fruit in June, beginning very slowly at first with 

 a moist atmosphere, and a temperature ranging from 45° 

 to 50°, raising it a few degrees each week until you approach 

 60°, above which the temperature should not rise by fire heat 

 until the buds of Vines are all broken, the flower-buds of 

 Peaches set, and the young Figs swelling. Where a. little 

 bottom heat can be given to early Vines it will be an advan- 

 tage. Where the roots are out of doors the ground should be 

 well, or, rather, early protected, to keep in the summer's heat. 

 It will always be advisable to have a little heat in the bor- 

 der before raising the temperature much above that which 

 is necessary to keep out frost in-doors. The mere excluding 

 of frost by keeping plants under the shelter of forcing-houses 

 does them no harm. But if such trees as Vines and Peaches, 

 have a little frost, but not enough to injure them, we think 

 it helps to keep them more free from insects. On the other 

 hand, it is right to state that we have seen Peach trees out 

 of doors, exposed to a frost that was quite as much as they 

 could stand uninjured, and yet be eaten up with insects 

 early next season ; whilst a few feet from them trees pro- 

 tected by glass, and frost just excluded, had not an insect 

 on them the following season. All general rules have their 

 exceptions. A few Figs out of doors we will give a little 

 protection to before the frost becomes severe; but after 

 having them in-doors in plenty, they~have become of less 

 use to us. 



ORNAMENTAI, DEPARTMENT. 



Our chief work has been collecting leaves and thoroughly 

 cleaning, and sweeping and rolling the pleasure grounds. 

 The leaves have come down so irregularly that this has been 

 along, trying job this season, and nothing in a fine day, 

 even to say nothing of a dull, foggy one, so much tends to 

 conjure up morbid and melancholy feelings, as lots of 

 leaves on walks and lawns, undergoing the first processes 



! of skeletonising. Our walks are so smooth that we are a 

 little in doubt as to rolling them after this last sweeping. 

 If-we do so our chief object will be to make them firmer, so 

 as to throw off the rains. A very smooth walk is not such a 

 luxury in winter as it is in summer ; and in fine weather in 

 summer, walks, except in show places, however nice, are 

 scarcely ever used. Who would tramp on gravel when he 

 could use the carpet lawn ? Where much walking is ne- 

 cessary in winter, the lawn will generally be too damp, and 

 except for the thin goloshes of ladies, a roughish walk that 

 will leave nothing on the soles of the boots, will be quite as 

 pleasant as a smooth walk, if it leaves marks of the foot- 

 steps. It is not easy to obtain both advantages. For 

 smoothness we use a slight sprinkling of fine sittings every 

 year. For roughness in winter all the large stones, and all 

 the fine sandy siftings should alike be excluded. But for 

 the first expense, walks in small places would be cheapest in 

 the end, if formed of stone or pavement, or even of thick 

 asphalt, but then they, too, would be too smooth, and 

 sometimes dangerous in winter. 



Worm Heaps o~,i Lawns. — These are great eyesores, when a 

 bright level expanse of green is the great object aimed at. 

 In small plots the best and most effectual remedy is to roll 

 the lawn, and then in a day or two when the holes are open 

 to water it over well with clear lime water that is made by 

 placing a good spadeful — say half a peck or more of quick- 

 lime in a hogshead of water, stirring it well and using it 

 when clear. This will also banish them from the sides of 

 walks. Salt would be more effectual for the latter purpose, 

 but then it would also soften the walk. In large lawns it is 

 almost impossible to use lime water all over, but a few 

 places may be done near the mansion. The remedy for large 

 lawns, however, must chiefly be the roller. A wooden one 

 such as a boy can draw is best, and as the worm heaps 

 encrust it, the earth must be scraped from it. A large space 

 of lawn may thus be gone over quickly. A handy wooden 

 roller may be 10 or 12 inches in diameter, and 3^ to * feet 

 in length, furnished with a light wooden handle to pull by. 

 Such a roller is as useful for a lawn in winter, as a daisy- 

 knife is in summer. Sweeping worm heaps, unless in very 

 dry weather, is an unsatisfactory process. The roller leaves 

 a better appearance behind it with a tithe of the labour. 

 Besides, the worm dislikes the sound of the roller, and 

 departs to his deeper fastnesses for protection. 



Besides attending to plants in general, we have put Roses, 

 Dielytras, Deutzias, and other shrubs in frames and beds 

 where they can have a mild bottom heat, preparatory to 

 more forcing. Planting of all kinds may be proceeded with, 

 and if tender Roses have not been taken up they should be 

 protected with fern, spruce branches, &e. Many things, as 

 Fuchsias, should have their roots protected with moss, ashes, 

 or sawdust; and Hollyhocks will be the better of having 

 mounds of such and charred rubbish placed over the roots ; 

 Dahlias we keep in dry earth in a shed, like Potatoes, and 

 have rarely lost a root. — R. F. 



COVENT GAEDEN MARKET.— Decehbeb 17. 



The market continues well supplied, out-door fruit and vegetables being 

 plentiful, while of Grapes and Pines there is sufficient for the demand. 

 Quinces are becoming scarce, and will soon be over. In forced vegetables 

 good Sea-kale and Kidney Peans may now be had, but Khubarb has not as 

 yet made its appearance. In Potatoes prices are fully maintained. Christmas 

 trees are now brought in large quantities, and the greengrocers are laying in 

 their stock of Holly and MisUetoe. The showy sc ad et-br acted Poinsettia 

 pulehemma is also plentiful. Other tiowers chiefly consist of Heaths, 

 Camellias, Azaleas, Chrysanthemums, Chinese Primroses, Mignonette, with 

 a sprinkling of Perpetual Roses. 













FRUIT. 















lb. 

 ....bush. 

 „i sieve 



.... dos. 



100 lbs. 

 do. 

 2 sieve 

 rghs lb. 



1 











14 















40 



70 







2 



5 



d. 























































s. 



02 

 

 



20 

 

 

 



60 



80 

 

 6 

 8 

 10 



d 





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



o 



Mulberries . . . 



punnet 



s. 

 1 

 

 

 5 

 

 5 

 1 

 5 

 

 

 4 

 

 14 



A. s. 

 6 to 4 

 

 

 10 

 

 10 

 3 

 8 

 

 G 1 

 6 

 

 20 



a 





 

 



















Pears (kitcben 



...bush. 



|> 



Fiss. .. 



n 





Pomegrauates . 



lb. 



$ sieve 

 , ...lb. 







Cobs 

 Gooseberries . 

 Grapes, Hambi 







» 





 

 



