THE CONSERVATORY 
4-11 
fruit trees or bushes should be planted on 
allotments : their shade is hurtful, and boys 
trespass after the fruit, and damage the crops. 
Strict supervision is indispensable ; but if it 
can be avoided, it is better not to delegate the 
charge to stewards : many of them are harsh 
and ill-natured to poor labourers : on the 
other hand, it is the distinguishing glory of 
our aristocracy in general, that they treat the 
poor with kindness. 
The scheme of Allotments I thus leave, 
strongly recommended as it has been in every 
page I have written It has been urged as a 
moral and social agent in reclaiming bad men ; 
as an excellent means for the relief of poverty ; 
and as the best school for the rising generation 
belonging to country labourers. Let it only 
be adopted, and I have the fullest hopes that 
the song of industry and virtue, now unhap- 
pily lost, may yet be heard throughout the 
Agricultural districts of England. 
Finally, I feel happy in thus having had an 
opportunity of recording the many blessings 
the system has been the means of conferring 
both on the holders, and on the families to 
which they belong ; yet I must add that I 
cannot state an instance in which success has 
not been the consequence of diligence and so- 
briety. Amongst industrious people, allot- 
ments will continue to do great things ; but 
they will not save the idler, so long as he 
continues as such, from the disgraceful situa- 
tion which awaits him in society. They will 
not interfere, I am happy to say, to feed and 
clothe the sluggard, or support the drunkard, 
or administer in any way to the immoral man. 
They will, it is true, offer them every advan- 
tage consequent upon a change of life ; but if 
the offer should not be closed with, they will 
assuredly throw out such men, casting them 
deeper in the mire than ever. Is it not 
enough that they come to the help of the man 
of industry, providing him with almost all 
that he need care for, and enabling him to 
close his labours in life amidst comfortable 
circumstances ? 
James Grigok, No/wick. 
GARDENING CALENDAR FOR OCTOBER. 
THE CONSERVATORY. 
During this month fires will probably be 
sometimes necessary, to a greater or less ex- 
tent, according to the state of the weather. 
Keep up an average temperature of 50 degs. ; 
it will, however, be considerably above this in 
the daytime, when there is sun. Ventilation 
must now be brought to the winter standard. 
When the weather is fine it may be indulged 
in pretty freely, choosing the mornings for 
opening the house, and shutting up early in 
the afternoon, so as to raise the heat a little, 
by enclosing some of the sun's rays. When 
the weather, on the contrary, is stormy or 
unfavourable, very little air — sometimes none 
— should be given, except just in the middle 
of the day. If this plan is followed out, it 
will do away with much of the necessity of 
commencing to employ fires too early, which 
is an evil. The atmosphere must be kept 
tolerably dry, by avoiding the use of too much 
moisture about the house. 
Watering. — The supply of water, both to 
the roots and to the atmosphere, must be 
diminished, though not to an extent that 
would subject the plants to injury from 
drought. No water should be applied to the 
plants at this season of the year, except during 
the morning, so that the extraneous moisture 
may dry up before night. Towards the end 
of the month this will probably become very 
important. 
Climbers. — Those intended for early flower- 
ing plants next year should be pruned, if it 
was not done in September. 
Tea-scented Jtoses. — The plants that have 
been preparing for removal here, should now 
be coming into flower, and will serve as very 
desirable objects of ornament for some time to 
come. Indeed, by retarding some of these 
plants, and attending to get the forced ones on 
early, the conservatory should not be without 
roses, till they are plentiful in the open air. 
Forced Flowers. — The plants that have 
been brought forward in the forcing-house 
will require to be very carefully managed, in 
consequence of their tender nature, and the 
season — every day becoming more unfavour- 
able for tender plants. In taking them from 
one house to the other, great care is necessary 
to avoid exposing them to the open air ; if 
they are moved openly it should only be when 
the air is mild ; at all other times they should 
be carried under cover or protection of some 
kind. A hand-barrow, or basket fitted with 
lightframe-work, and covered with transparent 
calico, would be very useful for this purpose, 
for some five or six months of the winter sea- 
son. Much of the gaiety of the conservatory, 
for the next three or four months, will depend 
on a good supply of (lowers, artificially pre- 
pared for this purpose. Some will have to be 
forced, such as the Dutch bulbs — Hyacinths, 
