IS52.] THE PHILADELPHIA FLORIST. 179 



^kept as cool as possible. By the end of the month most plants will^j 

 V^ require housing. Plants generally should be housed sooner than w 

 r they are — the practice of leaving them out till the first white frost V 

 appears, is reprehensible. Many plants will endure a degree of cold 

 which, however, I consider often stunts them. If insects are trou- 

 blesome, spare no pains to clean the plants before housing — "a stitch 

 in time saves nine." Oranges are so often unhealthy in windows and 

 gardens, that it would not be out of place to observe that where they 

 are so, it would be well to keep them pretty dry during the winter 

 till May, then prepare a rich border, in a partially shaded situation, 

 and turn them out, lift them in the fall, give them the same treatment 

 another season, and they will generally become restored. This prin- 

 ciple can be applied successfully to most unhealthy plants. 



Flower Garden, and Pleasure Ground. — Many prefer planting 

 their deciduous trees in the fall; where the roots can be protected 

 from frost it is the best plan ; where planting is to be done on an ex- 

 tensive scale early in spring will be preferred. Any unhealthy 

 branches on trees should be removed, tree pruning should be perform- 

 ed as soon after the fall of the leaf as possible — cut the branches 

 close back, and paint or tar the wound over. 



Vegetable Garden. — The main things to attend to in this de- 

 partment are to provide a stock for next season, and to store and pre- 

 pare fall crops for winter use. Cauliflower, cabbage, and lettuce have 

 been sown, and by this time will be ready for transplanting. The 

 strongest cabbage prants may be planted on the north side of ridges, 

 while lettuce (the Hammersmith), can be planted on the south. A 

 little loose straw thrown over them will protect them from very se- 

 vere frosts. Caulitlow T er can be planted in pits or frames where -they 

 are to remain. They love a rich, deep, moist soil, and abundance of 

 air. The Walcheren is hardier than the Dutch, but not so early. 

 Radishes may still be sown in frames. Where the hardier kinds of 

 Broccoli are grown, such as Portsmouth, Chappels cream, or Large 

 Sulphur, they must be protected from severe frost by digging away a 

 spit on the north side of them, bending them down and then covering 

 them entirely with earth. Cabbage can be lifted, and placed side by 

 side in any corner sheltered from the sun, and covered with straw 

 with a few old shutters throw T over to keep them dry. Preserve cele- 

 ry by standing the stalks in rows, covering with dry soil and banking 

 them up. T. J. 



Retrospective Criticism—By Brougham. 



National Botanic Garden. — We may now have some hopes of a 

 National Botanic Garden, as the Park undertaken at Washington may 

 ultimately become one. We do not agree with your contributor in 

 his remarks on large collections, as those very ones he mentions have 

 caused the introduction and distribution of some of our best and rarest 

 plants. 



European Gardening. — As far as large places are concerned, we 



cannot yet compete with England ; but there is no reason why we 



should not in cottage gardens. Our ladies have taste enough, but it is 



a deserved reproach of American ladies that they do not take out-of- 



V. door exercise to an extent equal to that so advantageously indulged in c 



^ by English ladies. < 



Is I 



