400 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. c October 28 , isso. 
in severe weather. Beet is impatient of frost, and should be taken 
up at once. In lifting and trimming be careful to avoid injuring the 
roots, otherwise the colour will be spoiled. To keep Beet fresh and 
sound until the next year’s supply comes into use it should be buried 
beneath the surface of the soil in a cool shaded place, being covered 
with a little straw and soil. That for winter use can be placed 
in damp sand in the root house. Roots of Carrots, Salsafy, Scor- 
zonera, and a portion of the Parsnips should be taken up and stored 
for winter use. Avoid trimming these too closely, placing them in 
narrow piles in moist sand. Take up Cauliflowers that have heads 
about the size of a breakfast cup, and lay them in moist soil or ashes 
in a frame or pit, and protect from frost, ventilating freely in 
favourable weather. They will afford a good supply of heads for 
cutting. 
Complete the planting-out of Lettuce and Cabbage as soon as 
possible, and finish pricking out Cauliflower plants from seed beds, 
planting or pricking out some at the base of a south wall, particularly 
of the Walcheren variety, which in an ordinary season withstand frost, 
and are well hardened for planting out early in spring. Remove all 
decayed leaves from Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, and winter greens, so 
as to expose and harden them as much as possible. 
Frame Ground .—While the weather continues open fully expose 
Cauliflowers, Lettuces, Endive, and Radishes in frames, withdrawing 
the lights when the temperature outside is above 35°. Lettuces and 
Endive should be protected from heavy rains by placing the lights 
on, but tilting them back and front. 
FRUIT HOUSES. 
Pines .—Afford fruiting plants the temperature and treatment indi¬ 
cated in our last calendar, but in adverse weather a reduction of 
about 5° should be made. The fruit now appearing will be ripe when 
other kinds of fruit are scarce ; such plants, therefore, should be 
afforded a good position in the fruiting department. During flower¬ 
ing the fruit should not be wetted. Queens do not, as a rule, start 
into fruit so readily as some varieties, but they may be assisted by 
resting the plants after they have made a growth for six or eight 
weeks. Plants intended to produce fruit early in the year must be 
treated accordingly, the temperature of the bed being allowed to 
gradually fall to 70°, and that of the house to 65° by day and 60° at 
night. Cease damping houses that are naturally moist, watering the 
plants only when absolutely necessary, which will not often be needed 
by tho^p in fermenting beds. Ventilate at 70°, doing so liberally above 
that degree. Keep the lights of all Pine structures free from whatever 
may obstruct light. 
Cucumbers .—The autumn-fruiting plants will now be in bearing, 
and should have a night temperature of 70°, falling to 65° in the 
morning, 75° by day, and 80° to 85° from sun heat. Admit a little air 
at the top of the house on every favourable opportunity ; but it must 
not be done with a view to lower the temperature, but to permit the 
escape of vitiated air, and secure a sweet healthy atmosphere. Avoid 
cold currents of air, counteracting the necessity for much ventilation 
on account of the sun by shutting off the top heat for a few hours in 
the middle of the day. Avoid also sudden fluctuations of tempera¬ 
ture, taking care that the water and soil applied to the roots are about 
the same temperature as the house. Cease syringing the foliage, or 
do it only in the early part of bright afternoons, keeping the evapo¬ 
ration troughs regularly charged with liquid manure. Damp the 
paths and walls morning and afternoon. If worms are troublesome 
dispel them by weak doses of lime or soot water, dusting the foliage 
with sulphur upon the first appearance of mildew. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Heaths .—Plants potted last month will now be rooting in the soil, 
as when in good health they root freely at this season. Care will be 
required in watering ; closely examine them before supplying it. 
Ventilate moderately day and night when there is no apprehension 
of frost. The plants should be kept as cool as possible without being 
subjected to frost, leaving the roof lights open so long as there is no 
danger of too great a depression of temperature. The plants can 
now be tied, commencing with the earliest-flowering kinds. The 
dead foliage must be removed from the wood, the plants being laid 
on their sides for that purpose, removing the old stakes carefully, 
and inserting the new stakes in the same holes, so as to damage as 
few of the roots as possible. In tying secure green leafy shoots down 
to the surface of the pots. Winter-flowering Heaths coming into 
bloom must have a light airy situation and not be overcrowded. 
Azaleas .—To have these plants flowering well and long during 
the spring months it is requisite that they be started into growth at 
different times. Plants intended for flowering late in the spring 
must not have their growth completed early in the autumn, or the 
consequence is they flower too early. Plants that have been latest 
in making their growth will not yet have their buds fully matured, 
and should be aided by a little fire heat, for whether Azaleas are 
early or late in starting into growth, they should always be kept in 
a moist warm temperature until the buds are prominent, large, and 
firm. The growth, from being arrested as soon as the buds are 
perceptible, is certain to have an effect upon the flowering, the plants 
never producing flowers half so well or so fine as plants which have 
had the bloom buds fully matured the previous season. Plants set apart 
for decorative or exhibition purposes should now be tied into form. 
A rounded cone is perhaps the best, with the height half as much 
more as the diameter of the plant at its base, which should always 
be the widest, as w 7 hen Azaleas reach a considerable size they do not 
bloom regularly all over but at the top first, which is a result of the 
base not being wide enough or the strongest shoots being trained to 
the top of the plant instead of being kept at the base. Specimens 
flowering irregularly must be untied and have the thickest branches 
brought w r ell down, leaving the weaker to form the head. The early- 
flowering Azalea vittata elegans, white w 7 ith red edgings, is but 
seldom met with, which is the more remarkable, as it commences 
flowering shortly in a temperature a little warmer than an ordinary 
greenhouse, flowering consecutively for several weeks. Started into 
growth and the buds set early it will flower in September. Some of 
the earliest varieties, if their growth has been well managed, can now 
be placed in gentle heat, and not being excited by a high temperature 
their flowers will be enhanced in value for cutting. Alba, amcena, 
Borsig, Fielder’s White, and Narcissiflora are the best for forcing. 
Roses of the Tea and China varieties that were cut back and potted 
in spring after flowering, and have since then been plunged outdoors, 
will now be full of flower buds, and if placed in a light house with a 
little heat they will open their flowers. If a number of plants be 
treated in this way it is not advisable to bring them all into flower 
at once; but a portion should be placed in a north house, or where 
they will be kept cool without being too much saturated by the 
autumn rains. Roses are at no time more acceptable than in autumn, 
and for affording them none are better than the neglected Chinas from 
their continuous flowering habit ; but to have these and Teas in 
condition to produce flowers in quantity at this time they must have 
had liberal treatment through the summer. When they have not 
been well supplied with liquid manure the blooms they will produce 
will be few; but being kept free from insects they will afford useful 
flowers for cutting until January. 
Calceolaria seedlings must not be allowed to become crowded in the 
seed pans, but should be pricked off as soon as they are large 
enough, and from the pans they can be transferred to small pots 
before they become drawn, keeping them in all stages near the light, 
and not where they will be exposed to a dry atmosphere. Three 
parts of turfy loam, one part of leaf soil, and one of thoroughly 
decayed dung with a little sand, is a suitable compost. 
Rochea falcata when out of flower should have the main stem cut 
back, and the leaves removed carefully with a sharp knife. Insert 
them singly in small pots, well drained and filled with sandy peat ; 
or they may be inserted round the sides of 5 or 6-inch pots, and 
afterwards be transferred when rooted singly to 3-inch pots. They 
may be placed on a shelf near the glass in a temperature of 50°, 
where they will soon root, the soil being kept just moist, for if kept 
wet the leaf cuttings will decay. It is one of the brightest of autumn¬ 
flowering plants, and is deserving of more general cultivation. 
Chrysanthemums should be under cover, it not being advisable to 
house them too early, as if the flowers are not well advanced before 
the plants are placed indoors they are liable to become drawn and 
affected with mildew. The flower buds should be thinned out when 
