JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 13, 1882. ] 
reading off at once. These are, I may say, everlasting. The one I 
send has been in use for years. I make them myself. I merely 
send this in case it may be of any use to you, as I would prefer it 
to those you have illustrated.—F. J., Corli. 
MILD WINTERS. 
The past winter is likely to be as remarkable for mildness as 
the one preceding it was for continuous cold and snowstorms. Till 
this date there has been nothing like real wintry weather. It was 
recently stated by the Curator of the Edinburgh Botanic Garden 
that “ this was the most remarkable season he had ever had anything 
to do with ; ” it W’as, in fact, a year of continuous growth. In 
November there was almost a total absence of frost. In December 
the thermometer was at or below the freezing point on sixteen different 
occasions, but the frost was never so severe as seriously to check 
vegetation. Thus it happened that on November 30th it was reported 
from the banks of the Clyde that Gooseberries of a fair size had been 
plucked in sundry gardens, and from another district that birds were 
building their nests, Gooseberry bushes were in blossom, and the 
gardens were adorned with many-tinted flowers. On the last day of 
1881 a bouquet was gathered in the open air at East Linton, and two 
days later there were fifty varieties and species of plants in flower in 
the open air at the Botanic Garden. In the present case a mild winter 
has immediately followed one of unusual severity, and it might be 
worth while to inquire if there be any rule in this matter. A con¬ 
spicuous instance occurred in the cases of the years 1795 and 1796. 
The month of January, 1795, was very severe, and the rigour of the 
season altogether was unusual. It was predicted by Dr. Herschel 
that the frost which began in January would continue thirteen weeks, 
which it actually did. The maximum reading of the thermometer 
near London in January, 1796, was 55°, the minimum 38°, and the 
mean 47’5°, so that during the whole month the thermometer never 
came nearer the freezing point than 6°. It is related under date 
January 9th of that year that “ there is in an orchard belonging to 
Mr. Hodge, of the parish of Ashford, near Barnstaple, an Apple tree 
with blossoms in full perfection, and another tree with the Apples set.” 
In the middle of the same month a Pear tree, with fruit fully formed, 
was to be seen at Kirkintilloch, and a bird’s nest of the finch tribe 
was found in a hedge on the farm of Cornhill, with its full complement 
of eggs. New Potatoes, many of them 7 inches in circumference, were 
lifted in the middle of February from a garden near Whitehaven. 
They had been planted about the middle of November. That winter 
was like the present—conspicuous for violent gales, and from 
January 23rd to 29th was very stormy, with prodigious falls of rain, 
and a good deal of thunder and lightning. The year 1787 was 
remarkable for a mild winter and early spring. On February 2nd 
Primroses were in full bloom, and at Carlisle a Cherry tree was 
reported to be in blossom. Several of the buds had burst so early as 
the middle of January. On February 17th a linnet’s nest with three 
eggs was discovered at Limehouse Bay, a mile from Glasgow. At 
Hendersyde, in Roxburghshire, Cauliflowers planted in the open air 
were in full flower, and ready for use on February 24th. About the 
20th of the month a thermometer on a wall facing northwai d near the 
banks of the Tweed stood for days at 53°, and before the month closed 
it was at 55°. It was generally remarked that the mildness was 
unprecedented in the experience of any person then living. Spring 
corn was nearly all sown in the first week of March. On the 16th of 
the same month a tenant of Sir William Cunningham, of Livingstone, 
began to cut Clover and Ryegrass for his cattle, and the grass 
measured 18 inches long. Garden flowers were premature in their 
blooming, and all crops were early. On April 3rd a large dish of new 
Potatoes, grown without any artificial aid, was presented by the 
Deacon of the Gardeners at Glasgow to a friendly meeting of the 
Fourteen Incorporated Trades of that city. East winds in spring 
injured the fruit crop, but the crops of Wheat, Barley, and Oats all 
over the kingdom were among the best that anyone could recollect. 
The truth is, we live in a variable climate, and a wide range of observa¬ 
tion discloses many mild winters both in recent and more remote 
times. Of the year 1652 it is related that “ in England there was such 
abundance of white butterflies as was never heard of before. They 
destroyed all Cabbage, and divers cobbles coming from the sea could 
hardly see the land for them.” The uncommon heat “produced ripe 
wine-berries and Grapes, and abundance of Scotch Chestaries openly 
sauld at the mercat-cross of Edinburgh, and baken in pasties at 
banquets.” The same kind of weather continued during the later 
months of the year, so that fruit trees blossomed in November, and 
some of them bare fruit, “ albeit not in perfection.” “ The Furze and 
Broom bloomed again ; the Violet, not due till March, presented its 
modest head in November ; birds began to build their nests and lay 
eggs at or near Martinmas ; and salads and Sybows (young Onions) 
were cried and sold in Edinburgh on November 27th.” The year 1653 
seems to have been unexampled of its kind. From October till the 
following March the weather was so dry and warm as to seem like a 
second summer, and during all that time there were “ not more than 
six showers of weet or snow.” The following summer was exceedingly 
fine and early, with great abundance of food. Peas and Cherries were 
ripe in the beginning of June, the harvest was early, and so abundant 
that oatmeal sold at fourpence sterling a peck. Lambs and fowls were 
exceedingly cheap, and herrings on the west coast were sold at 
twopence a hundred. In the western counties the summer was rainy, 
309 
but on the east side of the island the drought was such that the wel t 
on which the city of Edinburgh depended for water ran dry, “ sae tha 
the inhabitants could not get sufficient for ordering their meat.”— 
(Scotsman.) 
V~|; 
WORKfortheWEEK.. 
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KITCHEN GARDEN. 
No time should be lost in sowing the main crops of the Brassica 
tribe—such as Borecoles, Savoys, and Broccolis, also Cabbage for 
autumn use. The principal crop of Carrots, Beet, Salsafy, and Scor- 
zonera, &c., must be also sown at an early period. If the ground is 
infested with slugs a good dressing of fresh slaked lime may be applied 
to the ground previous to drawing the drills. A good breadth of early 
Turnips may be sown to succeed those first sown, which seldom stand 
long at this early season. Successional sowings of Lettuce, Radishes* 
and Spinach must be made at intervals proportionate to the demand. 
According to the probable demand make sowings of Peas, which from 
this time forward in unfavourable soils—light and shallow—should be 
sown over trenches prepared similarly to those for Celery, but filled 
or nearly so. The manure and deeper soil assist in supplying the 
necessary degree of moisture at the roots in dry weather. Broad 
Beans should be sown according to the requirements of the establish¬ 
ment. 
If a warm south border is vacant it will be a suitable place for 
a sowing of Dwarf Kidney or French Beans, which should now be 
made; Osborn’s Forcing and Canadian Wonder are admirable varie¬ 
ties. As the rows of recently sown seeds, such as Onions, Carrots, 
Ac., become visible take advantage of the first favourable opportunity 
to hoe lightly between them, which will save much after trouble by 
destroying weeds which are scarcely visible. Crops in seed beds 
must be attended to frequently, and where slugs abound dust the 
plants in late evening or early morning with quicklime or dry wood 
ashes, which are equally effectual against the fly attacking seedling 
Turnips and the Brassica tribe generally. 
Certain kinds of hardy herbs are constantly in request in most 
establishments, and such as Thyme, Marjoram, Sage, Tarragon, &c., 
should now be divided, and planted in rows about 18 inches apart, 
choosing a moderately warm position; and a change of soil, it is 
needless to point out, is highly beneficial. Seeds of Thyme, Sage, 
Winter Savory, and Chervil should also be sown, and in a short time 
seed of Sweet Marjoram, Basil, and Summer Savory, also the seeds 
of other kinds of herbs which are not so generally cultivated should 
be sown now, and those which are increased by cuttings or division 
of the roots can be attended to if necessary. 
FRUIT HOUSES. 
reaches and Nectarines .— In the earliest house the fruit has stoned, 
and the early varieties are well advanced in their last swelling. If 
the crop is likely to be heavy give such a thinning as will insure the 
swelling of the fruit retained, and at the same time give the inside 
border a thorough supply of tepid water or weak liquid manure, 
attending to this regularly once a week until the fruit is ripening, 
when it should be kept somewhat drier, mulching the border if not 
already done with 2 or 3 inches thickness of short manure. Syringe 
the trees once or twice daily with clear rain water until ripening 
commences, then discontinue it, but maintain a genial atmosphere 
by damping the floor and border. The night temperature may be 
maintained at 65° to 70°, and 70° to 75° by day artificially, advancing 
to 80°, 85°, or 90° from sun heat; but unless the ripening is desired 
to be accelerated a cooler course of treatment will be better for the 
trees ; in fact although a high temperature and moist atmosphere 
will cause the fruit to swell to a large size, it is not nearly so good in 
flavour as that obtained by a less stimulating process. Keep the 
shoots tied in as necessary, and the laterals pinched to one leaf, re¬ 
moving all superfluous growths. Any not well placed on the shoots 
should be turned to the light and maintained there by laths placed 
