February 1, 1883. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 99 
Peas may be brought forward under glass if sown in strips of 
turf or small pots, but to secure any advantage in this way they 
must be kept very near the glass and in an airy atmosphere. A 
pinch of early Celery seed should be sown in a pot or box, and 
kept in the forcing pit until the plants are half an inch high, when 
more air and less heat will benefit them. 
The general stock of seed Potatoes must now be examined. 
Where they have been heaped together in rather a close place 
many of the lowest will have made long growths, which are of 
no use, and it is with the object of removing these and spread¬ 
ing the whole out thinly that they should be looked over. Only 
the 6hort stubby growths should be allowed to remain, and if they 
can all be spread out in a single layer exposed to light and air 
they will be found to be in excellent order at planting time. 
FRUIT-FORCING. 
Strawberries in Pots .— Plants in flower should be watered on 
the mornings of fine days, keeping the leaves and flowers raised 
by one hand, and also to keep the crown from being saturated, 
the latter being often injured by the constant application of water 
over it. The air of the house should be dry for a couple of hours 
each day, so as to secure a favourable condition for fertilising the 
blooms, which is expeditiously done with a feather duster daily, 
until there is a good crop set, after which all superfluous flowers 
and deformed fruit should be removed. Introduce more plants 
to a Peach or other houses about to be started so as to maintain 
the succession of fruit after it once comes in, and see that those 
advancing for flowering are free from aphides, which sometimes 
harbour in the crown ready to infest the rising leaves and 
trusses. 
Pines .—The fruit of Queens and other varieties for the summer 
supply of fruit will be emerging from the centre of the plants, 
and in order that these may be produced well above the foliage 
every encouragement should be given by prompt attention to 
watering, bottom heat, &c., with a night temperature of 65° to 70°, 
and about 75° in the daytime, by artificial means. In this and 
the fruiting department the heating apparatus must of necessity 
be almost always kept constantly hot, and on account of this 
aridity of the atmosphere results unless the ordinary means of 
syringing or sprinkling be pursued ; therefore take advantage of 
such times as the pipes are coolest to saturate the surroundings. 
In light structures the plants will need to be syringed more fre¬ 
quently than in damp ones, but the necessity for syringing may 
be ascertained by examining the base of the leaves ; if the axils 
contain moisture none need be given. Take advantage of suitable 
opportunities to have materials in hand for making up or renew¬ 
ing exhausted beds, and for potting purposes. 
Peaches and Nectarines .—Late varieties still in flower in the 
earliest house should have the flowers dusted with a camel’s-hair 
brush daily, keeping the house moderately dry with ventilation 
until the flowers show signs of falling and the skins are being cast, 
when gentle syringing with tepid water should be resorted to twice 
a day. Proceed cautiously with disbudding and shortening shoots 
that were left full length at pruning time. Remove the foreright 
shoots first, commencing on that part of the trees which are the 
most vigorous, and finish with the weakest or horizontal parts. 
Keep a sharp look-out for aphides, fumigating as soon as the pest 
appears, but be careful not to give an overdose, or there is danger 
of the tender foliage being injured, especially if it be moist. See 
that the roots are properly supplied with tepid water, or weakly 
trees with tepid liquid manure. Trees in succession houses 
approaching the flowering stage should be treated precisely as 
advised in former calendars for the earliest house, continuing to 
syringe well until flowers expand, and do not omit to fumigate 
before that when the trees are dry. Buds very thickly studded on 
the under side of the shoots should be removed before they 
expand. Where there are a number of houses another may now 
be started to give ripe fruit by the middle of July. Late houses 
should be kept as cool as possible by free ventilation. 
FLOWER GARDEN AND PLEASURE GROUND. 
Planting and Treatment of Hedges .—Should mild weather con¬ 
tinue the present is a good time to plant hedges of any plants 
except Hollies. The latter, which forms by far the best evergreen 
hedge, should not be planted till late in March or early in April. 
The next best for a hedge with regard to appearance is the 
common Yew, and this is particularly well adapted for formal 
hedges sometimes considered necessary for dividing purposes in 
the pleasure ground. Quick Thorn and Privet mixed will form a 
neat and fairly strong hedge, but the former alone would be the 
strongest, while Privet alone will offer little obstruction. For 
enclosing extensive pleasure grounds and plantations we prefer a 
mixture of Quick Thorn and Beech ; the latter retaining its 
foliage nearly the year round, and therefore serves as a screen 
or cover, grows freely, and is easily managed. Whatever may be 
employed it is imperative that the ground be both manured and 
deeply dug. Neglect this precaution and the probability is, in 
the majority of places, a good even hedge will never be secured. 
Carefully plant in double lines about 12 inches apart, and 12 inches 
asunder in the rows and angled. If strong plants of Yews are 
obtainable these may be planted at wider intervals, so that each 
plant touches its immediate neighbours. It is not absolutely 
necessary to cut back either Yews or Hollies in the earliest stages, 
both naturally forming good bottoms; but the other kinds, 
notably the Privets and Thorns, should at this time of year be cut 
down to within 5 inches of the ground the first season after plant¬ 
ing, repeating the operation with rather less severity the next two 
seasons. By this plan only will a substantial hedge with a suffi¬ 
ciently strong bottom be secured. To further induce vigorous 
growth the ground on each side of the young hedges must be 
annually lightly dug, kept perfectly free from weeds, and mulched 
if no manure was given prior to planting. When trimming well- 
established hedges, and which in the case only of Privet, Thorns, 
and Beech to be now completed, the Scotch plan of forming them 
wedge-shaped—that is to say, with a wide bottom and the top 
brought up to a point, insures strength where most required—viz., 
at the bottom, and is besides very neat in appearance. 
Early Cuttings of Bedding Plants. — Where a large number 
of bedding plants are required the stock of Verbenas, Lobelias, 
Ageratums, Heliotropes, Alyssums, and Abutilons may now be 
introduced into a warmer house than that they were wintered in. 
This will induce them to produce fresh shoots, which will be 
found to strike more readily and surely than the hard old growth. 
The common practice of striking most of the foregoing thickly in 
5-inch or 6-inch pots in the autumn, and wintering them in this 
condition is a mistake, as they soon become starved and produce 
fresh growth in less quantities and much inferior in quality to that 
obtained from more liberally treated plants. Verbenas especially 
ought to be wintered thinly in boxes and in a cool house, and if 
the cuttings when inserted were clean and healthy they will form 
vigorous plants. From these in the following spring can easily 
be obtained abundance of good plants, which will grow healthily 
and flower freely during the season. Cuttings struck from diseased 
insect-infested plants are useless, and will inevitably disappoint 
the grower. Any stock plants much root-bound will be greatly 
assisted by occasional supplies of liquid manure. 
Preparing Manure for Hotbeds.—A. heap of fermenting mate¬ 
rial should now be prepared for propagating and other purposes 
for which hotbeds and frames are largely employed. A mixture 
of leaves and stable manure gives a sufficiently powerful, and, at 
the same time, comparatively sweet heat. The latter this season, 
owing to the half-decayed state of the leaves, should, in order to 
remove rank heat; be well shaken out and thrown into a heap, 
allowed to remain a week or longer according to circumstances, 
then returned and again allowed to heat rapidly for a similar 
time prior to the leaves being mixed with it. The leaves will 
sweeten and moderate the heat and increase the bulk. The rough 
manure obtained from a cow yard, if slower in preparation, is 
powerful, and much sweeter than the horse yard manure. The 
roughest of the latter may well be spread in the cow yard for a 
time. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Forcing House .—If the principal heat in this house has been 
derived from fermenting material, and has cooled considerably, 
some fresh leaves and litter should be introduced, and the whole 
turned over and thoroughly mixed. The length of time leaves 
and litter supply heat entirely depends upon the condition of the 
material when the bed is made. If wet it heats violently for a 
time, but will not last long ; on the other hand, if moderately dry and 
properly prepared by frequent turning, the heat is very steady for 
a long period, and a few barrowfuls of fresh material soon revives 
it when declining. Avoid placing such plants as Spiraeas, Ghent 
Azaleas, and similar plants too soon on fermenting beds that have 
been re-made, for if the ammonia thrown off is strong the tender 
foliage will be injured. There will be no fear of this if the bed 
is properly made to start with, and renewed from time to time as 
indicated above. The moist genial heat derived from leaves, &c., 
is preferable for forcing plants into flower than dry heat from 
hot-water pipes. 
Introduce from time to time, according to requirements and 
demand, Lilacs, Deutzias, Prunuses, Dielytra spectabilis, and the 
many other plants suitable for forcing into flower early. Before 
placing the varieties of Azalea indica in heat examine them 
carefully, and if there is or has been any thrips upon them wash 
them thoroughly with a solution of tobacco water and soft soap, 
to which has been added a lump of common washing soda about 
