KITCHEN GARDEN. 
441 
Cucumbers, and lining it from time to time, to 
keep up the necessary degree of temperature. 
In such a pit or frame as this, every kind of 
flower and plant that is not too large for it 
can be grown or forced during the winter ; 
and instead of giving any peculiar instructions 
as to the subjects to be placed there, we must 
content ourselves by referring to the stove 
directions, and this must be made the substi- 
tute. Pits, or common melon-frames, can be 
made to answer the purpose of a green-house, 
if the ordinary green-house is insufficient to 
accommodate the plants that want its protection. 
In this case, all that is required is to keep frost 
out, and not to give any heat. To do this 
effectually, it is best to build up a wall of turfs 
outside the wood-work, to prevent the natural 
warmth of the earth inside from escaping, as 
it would do, through the wood unprotected. 
In a pit, or frame, thus fortified, any plant 
that will do well in a green-house could be 
protected through the winter ; we mean such 
as Heaths, Epacrises, Camellias, Acacias, and 
such like ; for Geraniums ought to have such 
a pit to themselves ; because they, being suc- 
culent, are more susceptible of damage ; and 
.the confinement and general treatment that 
would be necessary for them, would injure 
the others, which, in fact, want nothing but 
protection against severe frosts, while Gera- 
niums will suffer from a single degree of frost, 
and therefore cannot be trusted a single night 
without sufficient protection. Such pits or 
frames are best adapted also for keeping all 
the struck and unstruck cuttings of Verbenas, 
Hydrangeas, Petunias, China Roses, Calceo- 
larias, Salvias, and other plants of the same 
nature, — far better, indeed, than the green- 
house ; for so long as the frost does not reach 
them, they cannot be too cool. Cuttings re- 
cently taken off, and not struck root, should, 
in addition to being in the pit, have bell- 
glasses over them, and those glasses should be 
wiped inside whenever the damp accumulates. 
In taking up plants of the tender kind from the 
open ground, it is better to cut them in close 
than to let them be potted the full size ; and 
therefore, on cutting them close, all the pieces 
that come off may as well be inserted in pots to 
chance their striking, late as it is ; there can 
be no doubt of being able to make them root, 
if the ordinary pains be taken ; but they may 
not be worth the trouble of doing more than 
placing them in pots with glasses over them. 
CONSERVATORY. 
This house will now be indebted, in a great 
measure, to the Chrysanthemums, which are 
now gaily flowering in all their varieties. 
Camellias, too, are throwing out straggling 
blooms, which, little as they bear in propor- 
tion to the plants, are all useful j remove, 
therefore, to the conservatory all the Camellia 
plants which are bursting their flowers ; and 
in large collections there are sure to be plenty 
to aid a good deal in producing the required 
floral mass to give effect. Late flowering 
annuals may be made useful ; the Cockscomb, 
the Egg plant, and late-flowering Stocks, all 
assist, while some green-house and stove plants 
perform their part well. The Corraa, in all 
its varieties, is now in flower, and the plant, 
well bloomed, forms a striking object, espe- 
cially the new kinds, which bloom abundantly, 
and comprise many colours, white, orange, 
rose, red, green, and varied. Plenty of 
Fuchsias still have flowers on them. The 
Datura arborea, or Brugmansia suaveolens, 
raised from eyes this spring, should now be 
showing their protracted blooms, although 
many plants flower as early as June. The stove 
orchideous department ought still to furnish a 
supply ; many of the rare and showy species 
are still in their prime, and in moderately 
conducted places are extremely useful at this 
period of the year. Cleanliness and neatness 
do much for the appearance of a conservatory, 
and must be attended to generally as before. 
Climbers which have done flowering are to be 
trimmed and tied, or fastened up, cutting 
away straggling branches out of place, and 
removing all decaying or falling leaves. Plants 
which are on the borders, regularly planted 
out, will here and there show extremely 
vigorous shoots ; these must be curtailed ; 
and such plants as are inclined to ramble and 
get out of form, must be pruned and kept in 
order. But such plants as set for bloom at 
the ends of all their branches, must be so 
pruned the instant they have done blooming, 
otherwise the bloom itself is lost by shorten- 
ing the branch ; look, for instance, at the 
Rhododendron, the Camellia Japonica, and 
hardy Azaleas, and such like plants ; they must 
be trimmed as soon as they decline blowing, 
and before they make their season's growth ; 
such pruning often makes a much more beau- 
tiful plant, and never should be neglected. 
Watering the plants is an operation to be 
carefully attended to, as they must not be 
kept too moist in autumn and winter. If 
the weather be fine, give plenty of air ; and if 
cold, cheerless, and winterly, have occasional 
fires in the middle of the day, and open the 
sashes a little, as it lets the damp out ; and 
when shut up again at night, there will be suf- 
ficient warmth in the house. 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Mushrooms, one of the luxuries of the 
kitchen garden, and produced with but little 
trouble and expense, are more neglected than 
almost any vegetable or fruit, which costs 
thrice the trouble, that is not thought so 
