52 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 17, 1884. 
Lettuces. Cauliflowers will bear a little more beat than these when 
young, hut it is quite a mistake to employ great heat for any of them, as 
it only draws them up weakly. A pinch of Veitch’s Autumn Giant variety 
and Webb’s Mammoth, which is a splendid main crop variety, may also be 
sown to form a succession to the first. Cauliflower plants in frames 
should have the lights drawn off them whenever the weather is favourable, 
as dwarfness and hardiness are very desirable characters for them to 
posses in spring. 
Carrots. —Sow Carters’ Early Scarlet Marrow in frames. Light hot¬ 
beds will assist and forward them greatly, but where materials to form these 
are wantine put the frames on the ground and sow the seed within. Plenty 
of sand, leaf soil or half-decayed manure is useful to produce clean tender 
young Carrots. 
Frame Potatoes. —These should now he planted largely, as quantities 
of young tubers will he much valued by Easter. Carter’s First Crop and 
Sharpe’s Victoria are two of the very best for planting at present. 
Forcing Vegetables. —Continue to pot successional batches of As¬ 
paragus, Seakale, and Ithubarb in to force. They may all he brought 
forward easily now with less heat than two months ago, and the produce 
now is finer in quantity and quality. The floors of early vineries and 
urider the stages of forcing pits may often be utilised for forcing at this 
time, and various kinds of salad piants, especially Mustard and Cress, 
may be grown in large quantities or inside Vine borders. Examine 
stored roots, and spread out early seed Potatoes that they may have 
plenty of light and air to make the young growths robust. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Peach Houses. — Earliest Forced House. —The trees in this struc¬ 
ture being in full blossom impregnation should be attended to carefully. 
It is necessary that the pollen be ripe, and it is also essential that it be 
dry. The night temperature must be kept at 50’, or a little higher if the 
weather be mild, and allow a fall to 45° in severe weather. The day 
temperature may he 55° artificially, 60° t > Go 0 from sun ; above 55° com¬ 
mence ventilating. Leave the ventilators open a little at night, as nothing 
is so injurious to Peach blossoms as a close atmosphere. Damp the borders 
and floors occasionally. Disbudding should be deferred somewhat later in 
early forced trees than those coming on at a later date, yet it should be 
attended to as soon as the fruit has Fairly begun swelling, and it should be 
done gradually. Leave a growth at the base of the present bearing wood 
to supplant it next season, and another on a level with or above the fruit 
to attract the sap to it, stopping it if not wanted for extension when a few 
leaves have been made. In young trees seek to secure main branches at 
18 inches distance, and shoots along them for bearing at a similar distance. 
Whenever water is necessary, give it at the same temperature as the 
house. 
House Started at the Few Year. —The buds are swelling fast, and 
syringing must cease when the flowers expand, still maintaining a good 
moisture in the house by damping the floors and borders in the morning 
and early afternoon on fine days. See that the borders are thoroughly 
watered. Keep the night temperature 40° to 45°, day 50° by artificial 
means, ventilating from 50°, and allow an advance of a few degrees from 
sun heat, or 5° to 10° with free ventilation. If the blossoms are very 
crowded on the wood, rub off those at the under side or at the back of the 
trellis by drawing the hand the reverse way of the growth; this will 
strengthen those remaining considerably. 
Succession Houses. —Whatever remains to be done in pruning, dressing 
the trees, and securing them to the trellis must be attended to without 
further delay, as the blossoms are swelling and will be in danger of dislo¬ 
cation. Ventilate fully, so as to retard the blossoms as much as possible. 
Pines. —To insure a good supply of fruit in what is known as the 
London season give every encouragement to the Queen plants, and at this 
season, when the bulk of the plants are about starting, keep them well 
supplied with heat and moisture. The temperature should be maintained 
at 70° at night when the air is mild outdoors, and 5° less when the weather 
19 cold ; 70° to 75° by day, and 80° to 90° under sun heat. Close the house 
for the day at 85°, damp the plants lightly overhead about twice a week. 
Fruiting plants require similar treatment. 
Succession Plants.—Kee p the temperature at 60° at night and 65° to 70° 
in the daytime, and 80° from sun heat. As the time is approaching when 
potting must be attended to, see that provision is made of soil and other 
requisites. 
Cucumbers. The Cucumber house must have a night temperature of 
65 ° t0 b . eing 8 uided as to the degree by the weather—75° by day and 
85 to 90° with sun heat. Afford air on all mild occasions, and close early 
in the afternoon between one and two o’clock, or earlier if necessary, as 
sun heat is worth far more than fire, and sprinkle the house at the same 
time with tepid water. Examine the plants frequently for the removal 
of young fruits not required for succession, doing this shortly after setting. 
All male flowers should be removed, or only a few retained for fertilisation, 
so that when the successions have set they can be removed. A good 
bottom heat is of importance to insure a good supply of fruit, keeping it 
at 80° to 90°. Give thorough supplies of tepid liquid manure, but only 
when required. If the plants are weakly apply water only until they 
begin growing, and lhen encourage surface roots by top-dressing. Keep 
the seedling plants intended for the early spring supply of fruit well up 
to the light, top-dressing as they need it, or transferring to larger pots, 
placing a small stick to each when they need support. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Soils. —These are of the greatest importance in the cultivation o' 
plants', and it is necessary that they be in a proper slate for u e 
when required. This can only be accomplished by keeping a good 
supply under cover during the winter and spring months. A large 
quantity will, in a very short time, be needed for potting, and every¬ 
thing should be done to forward that work rapidly. Loam and leaf 
soil, if left outside at this season until wanted, will be found in a very 
unfit state for potting purposes. A good supply of the former should not 
only be stacked inside, but if fibrv broken up ready for use, removing all 
the worms. Cow and sheep manures, if properly prepared, are the best 
that can be employed for many plants. If this has been outside place it 
in some position where it can be gradually dried, until it can with ease 
be rubbed through a fine sieve. When it is in this condition it may be 
stored in any cool dry shed. Peat should also be broken up and all the 
soil shaken from amongst the fibre, the former for Orchids, and the latter 
will be invaluable for small Ferns and for filling pots in which cuttings 
that require peat will soon need to be inserted. A good stock of sand 
should be in readiness, with bones, quarter-inch, and meal, as well as 
charcoal, which should be broken in various sizes ready for use. Some 
coarse moss should also be in readiness for placing over the drainage ; the 
refuse of the sphagnum required for Orchids, which must be picked in 
readiness, will be found useful for this purpose. In sorting this discard 
all the ends that have been nearest the ground and retain only that which 
is alive. The best beads should be selected for top-dressing, and placed 
in pans and watered freely until required for use. All empty pots must 
be washed ; in fact, this should be done from day to day as they become 
empty, and never allowed to accumulate. The crocks to be used for 
drainage should also be thoroughly washed, then broken and kept in 
different sizes. This is readily accomplished by passing them through 
different sieves. 
Cleaning Houses .—Before the season for potting arrives this woik 
should be pushed forward. Houses that were washed in autumn should 
be done again. No plants should be repotted if they are infested with 
insects until they are thoroughly cleaned. If this work and the cleaning 
of houses are delayed until the potting is done, the plants are often 
seriously checked while the operation is going on, instead of receiving 
every encouragement to make luxuriant growth. The woodwork and 
glass should be thoroughly washed with soft soap and hot water, and if 
mealy bug ba3 infested the bouse add one pint of paraffin io every 
four gallons of water used for this purpose, or paint the house with pure 
paraffin. The walls should be limewashed with hot lime, and if necessaiy 
add paraffin to this also. The pipes and staging, if ironwork, should be 
painted. Lamp black and boiled oil is very suitable for this purpose, 
but should be mixed very thin. The gravel or other material upon which 
the plants stand should also be washed or replaced with fresh. The 
stonework and paths, if flags, can be thoroughly cleaned by the appli¬ 
cation of a little chloride of lime. 
Begonias .—Plants of B. manicata and B. bydrocotylifolia that have 
been up to the present time in a night temperature of about 55° should 
be placed in one 10° higher. Select those that have their flower stems 
most forward, for by the time they can be had in flower they will be 
wanted both in the stove and in the conservatory. In the latter place 
they are most useful, and last in bloom nearly twice the length of 
time that they will do in a higher temperature. These are two of the 
finest Begonias that can be grown for conservatory decoration. When 
used liberally amongst other plants they have a very light and pleasing 
appearance, and when in association with Epacrises, and with a variety 
of dwarf flowering plants amongst them, it would be difficult to realise 
anything more striking or beautiful. After bringing them forward in 
the temperature indicated gradually harden them again to the conditions 
of a home 10° lower, and allow them to fully develope their flowers in 
the conservatory. By this means more highly coloured flowers are 
obtained, and they last longer than if fully developed in strong heat ; 
and there is no fear of the flowers falling through being checked, which 
often is the case if removed to a temperature 10° or 15° lower all at once. 
Cypripedium venusturn .—When the old but useful C. insigne is past 
its best, as is the case here this season, the plants flowering a little 
earlier than usual, the above useful variety comes in and fills its place 
well. This variety has fine dark foliage, which, independent of its 
flowers, is very effective in the conservatory. The flowers individually 
are not so noble and striking as those of C. insigne, but good pans are 
very effective at the present time. It is very free flowering, and can be 
grown well under the same conditions as C. insigne ; but we prefer to 
give it stove treatment, and keep the plants in a temperature of 60° 
during the winter, as by this means the plants will produce their flowers 
at a time when they are most wanted. If they are likely to come into 
flower too early the plants are retarded in a cooler place. They are 
never allowed to suffer from an insufficient supply of water at their 
roots while in the conservatory, and the lower temperature gives to 
them a short rest, by which they are much benefited. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN AND PLEASURE GROUNDS. 
Levelling Turf .—Where much work in the shape of levelling unequal 
lawns or the formation of tennis or cricket grounds is to be done, every 
advantage should be taken of dry mild weather, as it cannot be properly 
done during frosty weather. Novices in levelling are advised, where the 
ground is not particularly uneven, to first line and cut out the turf in 
strips about 10 inches wide and 1 yard lengths, these being thinly cut 
with a paring iron, rolled and stacked near where it will be again 
required. Then a number of pegs may be disposed over the ground 
about 4 feet apart each way, the first peg being fixed at the required 
height of the ground to be levelled, and from this peg Ibe others can be 
adjusted, either with the help of a straight edge and spirit level, or with 
