176 



THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 



CALENDAR OF OPERATIONS. 



Conservatory . 

 Givk air freely -when the state of the weather per- 

 mits, but be careful to guard against cold cutting 

 winds. Avoid using any more fire heat at present 

 than is absolutely necessary to keep out frost. Water 

 carefully. Camellias that are swelling their buds 

 will require attention. Chrysanthemums will now 

 be in full flower; and, if they are nice plants and are 

 tastefully arranged, they will give this house a gay 

 appearance for several weeks. Pick-off all dead 

 leaves and decaying flowers, and keep the foliage of 

 all plants as clean as possible, either by occasionally 

 syringing or by washing. 



Greenhouse. 

 All the plants should ere this be housed, arranged, 

 and in proper order for the coming winter. Take 

 advantage of bad weather to tie and train any plants 

 that may require it, and to clean plants that are 

 filthy. Ventilate freely in dry weather, avoiding cold 

 draughts. "Water carefully, especially in dull weather, 

 as but little will be wanted unless for plants that are 

 swelling their flower-buds. Keep the night tempe- 

 rature from 40° to 45°, and use no more fire heat than 

 is absolutely necessary. Fumigate for green fly, and 

 keep everything neat and clean. 



Stove. 



Tie-up Poinsettias, Euphorbias, Justicias, Begonias, 

 and other winter-flowering plants that they may look 

 as neat as possible. "When well done they give a 

 cheerful appearance to this house during the winter. 

 Keep all plants clean, and attend well to their wants. 

 See plants that are at rest are safe. Give air freely 

 in fine weather, and always in the forenoon, closing 

 up early in the afternoon. Fire heat will now be 

 necessary, as the night temperature should be kept 

 about 60°. 



Feower Gabeen. 

 Clear away all dead flower-stems, and clear and 

 dig over the beds and borders. Plant the beds with 

 dwarf evergreens, with bulbs and with spring-flower- 

 ng plants. Protect tender Roses, bulbs, and every- 

 thing that requires it. Clean and roll wa'iks. Plant 

 edgings, and push forward all groundwork whilst the 

 weather continues favourable. Attend carefully to 

 the stock of "bedding plants;" those in pits and 

 frames must have all the air possible, and should be 

 kept as dry as they safely can be. Cover up well at 

 nights to make safe against frost. Pleasure Grounds. 

 — Push forward alterations and planting with all the 

 despatch possible. It will now require daily labour 

 and attention to keep the walks and lawns clear of 

 the falling leaves. 



Forcing. 



Fruit.— Pine Apples.— Attend to the wants of fruit 

 now swelling. "Water when necessary. Keepamoist 

 atmosphere, and see they have a propersteady bottom 

 heat. Maintain a night temperature of 70°, and a 

 day one of 80° to 85°. Plants for starting early next 

 year must now be at rest. Keep the atmosphere 

 tolerably dry and give plenty of air, and be careful 

 the night temperature is never below 60°. The suc- 

 cession plants will demand considerable attention 

 now. All active growth of the plants should now 

 cease. They should have plenty of air and a dry 

 atmosphere, with a night temperature of about 60°. 

 They must have a steady bottom heat of about 85' 1 : 

 this is indispensable to success. The temperature by 

 day need not exceed 70°, unless by sun heat. If the 

 soil be tolerably moist they will not require any 

 water at present. Vines.— The early house started 

 last month will now require some attention. If the 

 wood was well ripened, and the roots are all right, 

 there will be no difficulty in getting them to break 

 freely and regularly. Maintain a moist atmosphere, 

 and a night temperature of about 50° until they 

 break; it should then be raised to 55°. The day 

 temperature should be 10° or 12° above the night 

 temperature. Water well the inside borders. See 

 there is a nice heat in the outside borders. Attend 

 to the fermenting materials used for this purpose. 



Towards the end of the month start a second hou 

 for succession; begin as with the early house with a 

 low temperature and moist atmosphere. Water in- 

 side borders and cover the outside ones with ferment- 

 ing materials. Late Grapes. — Keep as cool and dry 

 as possible. When fire heat is necessary, use it 

 during the day when plenty of air can be given. 

 Guard against an arid atmosphere, as this would 

 cause them to shrivel. Peaches and Nectarines. — 

 Take advantage of bad weather to dress the trees in 

 the early house with a mixture of soft soap, sulphur, 

 clay, lime, and tobacco water, made with water to 

 the consistency of paint. Tie all the shoots neatly to 

 the trellis. Have the houses thoroughly cleansed, 

 and see the heating apparatus is in proper order. 

 Give all the air possible in open weather. Figs. — 

 These should also be dressed with the mixture recom- 

 mended above for Peaches, and the shoots should be 

 tied-in in bad weather. Give an abundance of air, but 

 on no account let the wood get frozen. Cherries. — The 

 plants for early forcing should be got under cover 

 before severe weather sets in. They should have all 

 the air possible. Stratvberries.— These will now have 

 done growing, and should at once be placed in their 

 winter quarters. Put some in a cold pit, vinery, 

 or Peach-house for the first batch of forcing plants. 

 The principal point to be attended to in wintering 

 the plants is to keep the crowns and roots safe from 

 all injury from frost. Ridging is an excellent plan, 

 and for a large quantity is, perhaps, the easiest way 

 of wintering them, as the roots are perfectly safe if 

 the ridges are made sufficiently wide and are well 

 thatched on the top, and in frosty weather the plants 

 are easily protected. Oucvmbers.— Plants for winter 

 fruiting should be just now coming into bearing. 

 Let the plants have ail the light and air possible, and 

 water carefully when necessary. But above all 

 things pay the greatest attention to the bottom heat; 

 if that be right there will be little difficulty in getting 

 plenty of Cucumbers during the winter months. 

 Keep the shoot stopped and tied down. Maintain a 

 tolerably moist atmosphere. Keep the temperature 

 by night about 70°, and during the day about 80° 

 with an increase by sun heat. 



Hardy Fruit. 

 Frequently examine the fiuit in the fruit-room. 

 Plant fruit trees of all kinds in properly-made 

 borders. It is nothing less than a waste of time and 

 labour to plant in cold, wet, undrained soils. See to 

 the drainage of the borders in the first place, and then 

 add whatever will improve it. Proceed with pruning 

 when the leaves are off the trees ; it is much better 

 in every respect doing it now than leaving until the 

 spring. Where summer pruning has been properly 

 attended to there will not be much winter pruning. 

 Any standard trees that have been neglected should 

 be carefully gone over, and all the ill-placed branches 

 should be removed. Keep the centres of the trees 

 open. The majority of orchard trees in this country 

 are ruined for want of proper pruning. 



Kitchen Garden. 

 Remove all old crops, and manure and dig or ridge- 

 up all vacant ground. When tho tops of Asparagus 

 turn yellow, the whole should be cut and cleared 

 away, and the beds cleaned of weeds, and then dressed 

 with a good coating of rotten manure. Artichokes 

 should now be dressed and earthed-up. Earth-up 

 Celery when dry and the plants have grown suffi- 

 ciently. Tie-up Endive and Lettuces, and protect 

 from frosts. Cauliflowers, protect. Carrots, Pars- 

 nips, Beetroot, Salsafy, and Scorzo?iera, if not 

 already done, take-up and store away in dry sand. 

 Peas and Beans, make a sowing of Sangster's No. 1 

 Pea on a warm border, and of Early Mazagan BeaD. 

 Persevere In destroying weeds. It is rather difficult 

 to keep anything like a neat appearance at this 

 season, but every effort should be made to do so, by 

 removing all dead or decayed vegetables, and con- 

 stantly cleaning and sweeping. Plant Box-edging, 

 roll walks, and push forward alterations whilst the 

 weather continues favourable.— M.S. 



