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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ January is, 1883. 
with the aid of these references the reader will he able to do this 
for himself. To anyone who wishes to keep himself abreast of 
the most recent developments of botanical science the work is 
indispensable. . 
HYACINTHS AND TULIPS FOR EXHIBITION. 
Hyacinths and Tulips that have been plunged under cocoa- 
nut fibre or ashes, and wanted for exhibition or to bloom from the 
middle to the end of March, will require removing now from the 
plunging material. As a rule I remove ours on the 20th of this 
month, and allow the small pots which cover the crowns to remain 
over them for a few days longer to gradually inure them to the 
light, or the foliage is liable to crack near the bulb ; besides, from 
a sudden transmission from the plunging material to a strong 
light the tips of both the leaves and truss are often permanently 
injured. For some little time they will not require water unless 
the soil is very dry, which is seldom the case after passing through 
a mild wet season like the present. When they require water it 
may be given copiously, and weak liquid manure will also greatly 
assist in giving strength and a green lustre to the foliage. A good 
Hyacinth should have a strong bold truss thrown well above the 
foliage, which should be dwarf and rigid.—J. W. Moorman. 
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WORK/outheWEEK. 
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\_By the most skilful Cultivators in the several Departments.'] 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
When the forcing of vegetables is commenced there should be 
no deficiencies in the supply until the outdoor crops are ready. A 
good supply of hotbed material is now required, and with plenty 
of this and a few frames and lights no one will find it very diffi¬ 
cult to raise vegetables ; but in forcing for the table a succession 
of small quantities is much better than having large batches 
coming in at long intervals. Sow successions of whatever is 
likely to be scarce. Admit abundance of light to all young 
plants. 
A few rows of early Carrots may be sown on a south border. 
The drills for the reception of the seed should not be more than 
2 inches deep, and if they are filled with river sand the young 
plants will progress better than if covered with cold soil. Spinach 
may now be sown ; a double row should be put in each space 
between the earliest-sown Pea rows. This is one of the quickest 
vegetables to gain maturity, and where other spring vegetables 
are scarce it should be sown in large quantities. More Radishes 
should be sown at the base of a wall ; extra firm ground causes 
them to bulb early. A pinch of Cabbage and Brussels Sprout 
seed may be sown in a sheltered corner. Our earliest seed is 
sown in rows, and as soon as the plants can be seen above 
ground a little bank of finely sifted ashes is placed along each 
side of the rows. This effectually prevents the slugs doing any 
injury, and it affords shelter from the wind as well. We advise 
the application of this to all tender young vegetables in the spring 
months. Where autumn-sown Onions are scarce or have failed, 
and their absence is likely to be felt in spring, seed must be sown 
at once. The variety should be one usually sown in spring, and a 
large number of plants may be raised in a few 6-inch pots in very 
gentle heat, but a cold frame is their proper place as soon as the 
plants are through the soil. By March they will be large plants, 
ready for placing in the open quarters, and they will be ready 
for use long before those sown out of doors. This is a good way 
of forwarding Onions to be shown throughout the season as 
“ spring-sown.” 
Early Cauliflowers and plants of this kind may be raised with 
advantage in this way. Young vegetable plants which have been 
wintered in frames and under handlights show signs of resuming 
growth, and air must be admitted on every favourable occasion ; 
keeping the atmosphere close about them, and covering them at 
night when such protection is not wanted is often the cause of 
failure. 
Where Asparagus roots were not mulched in autumn it should 
be done forthwith. If 4 lbs. of salt and 4 lbs. of guano are mixed 
to every hundredweight of dry ordinary manure and spread over 
the beds to the depth of 3 inches the benefit will be considerable. 
Mushroom beds should be formed whenever any material for 
making them can be had. Lately we have been most fortunate 
with beds in cool sheds. In preparing the manure more litter is 
left with the droppings than is generally the case, and this has 
proved to be a great advantage. The beds cannot be made too 
firm, as the longer they retain the heat the better. As soon as 
they are spawned and soiled a covering of hay about 1 foot in 
thickness is kept over them until bearing ceases, and changing 
this covering when it becomes too damp is the whole of the atten¬ 
tion they receive. 
Those who allow their vegetable gardens to remain in a semi- 
dormant state in winter should be stirring for a good and early 
start in spring. All seed lists of any importance have now been 
received for the present year, and orders should be made up and 
dispatched quickly. 
FRUIT-FORCING. 
Peaches and Nectarines. —In the house closed in November, and 
in which fire heat was commenced early in December, the flowers 
are now fully expanded, and in some instances the fruit set; but 
the temperature should still be kept at 50° at night and 55° by 
day, allowing an advance from sun heat to 65°, accompanied with 
free ventilation. Continue artificial fertilisation as the pollen 
becomes ripe ; and as the large-flowered varieties are frequently 
deficient of pollen as compared with the small-flowered sorts, it 
should be taken from the latter and applied to the stigmas of the 
former. Continue damping available surfaces in the house as they 
become dry, but until the fruit is set syringing the trees should 
not be practised. Disbudding must be commenced so soon as the 
shoots are sufficiently large to be rubbed off, which should be done 
gradually, so as not to give any check to the trees. It is necessary 
to have a growth on a level with or above the fruit, which, when 
it has made a leaf or two of growth, should be stopped, and another 
will need to be retained as near the base of the present bearing 
wood as possible to replace it for next year’s bearing. Provision 
will also be needed for trees extending, so as to originate growths 
at the proper distances for furnishing the trees— i.e., main shoots 
at 12 to 15 inches, and bearing shoots at 15 to 18 inches distance 
upon the main shoots of last year, so as to obtain a supply of 
bearing wood. 
The trees started at the beginning of the year are now swelling 
their buds fast, and if there be Strawberries or other plants in the 
house likely to harbour green fly, fumigate so as to destroy the 
pests before the flowers expand. Continue syringing the trees 
until the flowers expand. The temperature must be maintained 
at 50° by day, advancing to 60° or 65° from sun heat, with a free 
circulation of air, and for the present the night temperature should 
be kept at 40° to 45°, and gradually raised to 50° at night by when 
the flowers expand, with 5° more in the daytime. See that the 
inside borders are sufficiently moist. 
The house to which fire heat is to be applied early next month 
should now be closed, ventilating fully when the temperature ex¬ 
ceeds 50°. The inside borders should be thoroughly saturated 
with water, or, if the trees are weakly, liquid manure at a tempe¬ 
rature of 70° to 75°. Complete without delay cleansing late 
houses, pruning, dressing, and retying the trees ; and as the buds 
are already starting, ventilate fully in all but very severe weather. 
FLOWER GARDEN AND PLEASURE GROUND. 
Collecting Leaves. —Advantage should be taken of fine weather 
to collect as many leaves as possible. These will prove valuable 
for mixing with rough stable manure, as they will moderate the 
fermentation. Oak leaves will be found the best, next to these in 
point of duration being Beech and Chestnut leaves. Leaf soil is 
invaluable for mixing with other soils for potting purposes, and 
there are few flower gardens that would not be greatly benefited 
by a good dressing of it. For either purpose they may be collected 
and stored in a convenient uncovered corner, turning the heap 
once or more during the twelve months they are decomposing. 
In many cases the ordinary method of collecting has to be altered, 
as the frequent winds have cleared the parks and other com¬ 
paratively open spots, and the supply has to be drawn from the 
shrubberies. 
Thinning out and Arranging Shrubberies. —During mild dry 
weather the work of thinning crowded shrubberies should be 
proceeded with, the supernumeraries in this case being shifted 
to other quarters in order to allow those planted permanently to 
develope. This practice of planting thickly for immediate effect 
is worthy of adoption by intending planters, always, however, 
taking proper care to dispose the trees and shrubs with the view 
of eventually thinning them. Prior to planting, all the sites for 
the tall-growing shrubs, evergreen and deciduous trees, should be 
marked with tall stakes, shorter stakes being employed to denote 
