34 
[ Junuary 18, 1887. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
for planting and sowing, bat this is a mistake. If a complete list of 
seeds is made out and the whole of the crops arranged bef ire they are 
put in, the most profitable results will follow. With regard to buying 
seeds, it will always be found that the best can only be had at a reason¬ 
able price. Cheap seeds ought always to be avoided where the best 
results are desired. 
Early Potatoes. —Quantities of frame Potatoes may now be 
planted. Use only the earliest sorts, and give preference to those varieties 
which do not produce much top-growth. All pits and frames may be 
filled with them. Place a good quantity of hotbed material underneath 
to create a gentle bottom heat; add rich soil on the top to the depth of 
1 foot, and then plant the sets. They should be kept 15 inches or 
18 inches apart, and be placed about 6 inches below the surface. Some 
may think that by planting 10 inches or 1 foot apart they will secure 
more tubers at digging time, but this will not be the case, as close plant¬ 
ing only results in a scanty crop of very small tubers. We have tried 
early Potatoes in pots and boxes, but never found them so satisfactory as 
those in frames. 
Early Carrots. —Small Carrots in April are more acceptable on 
the table than almost any vegetable we could name, and they are not 
difficult to grow. A good hotbed is the best means of forcing them. It 
must be made up very solid and a good depth, as it ought to retain the 
heat until the end of March. As soon as the bed is formed the frame 
should be placed upon it, and light sandy soil be placed inside to the 
depth of 10 inches or more. This should be trodden down firmly. The 
surface must be made smooth and the seed sown thinly broadcast. Cover 
it with half an inch depth of sandy soil beaten down with the back of 
the spade. The Early French Horn is the best of all Carrots f )r the 
first crop. When the hotbed slopes from the back to the front do not 
place the soil in this position, as when water is required it will be found 
almost impossible to supply the plants at the top. We always s iw on 
the level. 
Early Vegetables for Planting out.— At one time Cauli¬ 
flowers could only be secured very early in summer by sowing the seed in 
autumn and keeping the plants in frames over the winter, but now we 
have earlier varieties they can be sown in spring and grown to come in 
sooner than any of the autumn plants of the old kinds. If a little seed is 
sown in a shallow box now and placed in a gentle heat the plants will 
appear in ten days or less, and by keeping them near the glass and away 
from frost they will be in fine condition for planting out in March, and 
such plants will always be found more free in growth than the long half- 
starved ones which have been confined in the frames from October until 
March. A pinch of early Lettuce seed may also be sown, and where 
early Leeks are desired these may be sown. Where autumn-sown 
Cabbage plants have failed sow a batch in boxes to plant in March. We 
rear a great many young plants in this way in spting, and always find 
them most useful for early crops. 
Tomatoes. —Where cuttings were saved and are still in the store pots 
turn them out of these and give them more root room. Where three or 
four of them are together pot them singly in 3-ioch pots, and those grow¬ 
ing singly in the latter size should be transferred into 6-inch pots. Give 
them rather a rich soil, keep them near the glass, and in a temperature 
of 60° or 65°. Tomato seed may also be sown to produce plants for the 
earliest batch of plants. Draia a 6-inch pot well, nearly fill it with light 
soil, sprinkle a little seed on the surface, cover this slightly, and place in 
a temperature of 65° or 70°. When the plants show the rough leaf keep 
them near to the light, and as soon as they can be handle! place them 
singly into 2-inch or 3-inch pots. 
Parsley. —There are indications that this may be short in spring, 
especially if the present severe weather is experienced during the next 
three months, and as a deficiency in April or May will be as much felt as 
it would be now, two or three boxes of seed should be put in. It will 
not germinate so quickly as the seeds already m ntioned, but the plants 
will be ready for putting out by the end of March, and they will give a 
good supply in May and onwards. Give a little protection to old 
Parsley roots, and collect and dry the leaves which are decaying now, as 
they may be used in the kitchen for many purposes as a substitute for 
green Parsley. 
Globe Artichokes. —Sime winters these require little or no pro¬ 
tection, but that will not be the case this time, and if they are not 
thoroughly protected now add more litter. It should be well packed 
round their collars, as it is important that the crowns be not injured by 
frost. 
Forcing. —So far open air vegetables have been plentiful, but it is 
during the next eight or ten weeks that the greatest difficulty will be 
experienced in keeping up a varied supply, but the forced produce is ex¬ 
cellent for this. Cover more Rhubarb, give it plenty of warm manure, 
and let fresh air reach the young growths daily. Seakale may be forced 
with less air, as it is not so apt to damp as the Rhubarb. As yet our supply 
of this is cut from roots, lifted, and forced, but we are now covering the 
roots with pots and manure in their growing quarters. Much may be done 
with makeshift contrivances, such as old boxes, casks, &c., in forcing 
Rhubarb and Seakale, but these are never so satisfactory or convenient as 
pots made for the purpose. A fresh batch of Asparagus roots can be 
lifted and put in every twelve or fifteen days. Do not attempt to 
force roots that are not well developed. The first roots are now over, 
and are being cleared out to give place to another batch. The produce 
is said to be excellent. Kidney Beans are only growing slowly, and the 
batch about to form pods will not be very profitable, as the pods are not 
numerous at this season, but large quantities may now be sown for a 
supply in March, and they form a highly remunerative rop at that time. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Peaches and Nectarines. —Earliest House .—The flowershaving 
openei well and pollen being abundant, the set appears favourable not¬ 
withstanding that the weather has been and is dull an 1 cold. The chief 
aid to fertilisation is to raise the temperature in the morning to 50° if it 
has been lower, and to put on a little air so as to induce a circulation of 
air without causing a draught, and to maintain a genial condition pf the 
atmosphere by damping the path and borders occasionally— i.e., in the 
morning and early in the afternoon of fine day». By ventilating early 
with a suitable temperature the trees are kept in steady progress, the 
blossom becomes perfected, and impregnation is readily effected. It is 
easy to assist the distribution of the pollen by means of a feather, a plume 
of pampas grass, a rabbit’s tail mounted on a stick, or a camel’s hair brush. 
Any varieties deficient of pollen should have it collected from those that 
furnish it abundantly, as Royal George in Peaches, and Elruge in Nec¬ 
tarines, and have it carefully applied to the stigmas of the flowers of the 
trees deficient of pollen. The night temperature must now be 50° to 55" 
in mild weather, permitting a fall of 5° through the night in severe 
weather, 55° by day from fire heat, advancing to 65° from sun heat. In¬ 
crease the ventilation freely above 55°, but not so as to lower the tempe¬ 
rature, and close at 65°, a few degrees advance from sun heat being 
beneficial. Do not be in a hurry in disbuldiag, but any strong shoots of 
the previous year having a tendency to push growth in advance of the 
others may be commenced with first, removing the growth on the under 
and upper side of the shoots, ani then reducing the side ones to the 
number required— i.e, one from as near the bise as possible for to 
supplant that now fruiting, and another or more above or on a level with 
the fruit, and which should be pinched at a few inches of growth, or if 
the shoot be an extension leave growths at about every 15 or 18 inches to 
form the bearing shoots of next season, continuing those with the leader 
intact. Disbudding must, however, be commenced early and continued 
at short intervals until no more shoots are left than will be necessary for 
furnishing the wood of the ensuing season. See that the inside borders 
are duly supplied with water, ani that the ro ots outside are well pro¬ 
tected with litter or other dry material. After the fruits are set an occa¬ 
sional syringing will be useful in assisting the trees to cast the remains 
of the blossoms, but avoid heavy syringings, which have a tendency to 
weaken the trees, besides inducing an enfeebled growth in the shoots. 
Second Early House .—In the house intended to afford ripe fruit in 
late May or early June with the older varieties, but with such as Alex¬ 
ander a month earlier, and with H tie’s Early to follow—two of the very 
best early Peaehes for an early house, and which has been closed as 
ad rised, employ fire heat only to maintain a day temperature of 50°, 
raising it early, or by 8 to 8.30 A.M., to insure the development of the 
blossom with light and its due aerification by an increase of ventilation 
above 55°, avoiding cold currents and allowing an advance of 5° to 10° 
from sun heat and corresponding ventilation, closing early so as to 
husband the sun heat. A night temperature of 40° to 45° is sufficient 
until the blossoms are well advanced for expansion, when it should be 
gradually raised to 50°. Syringe the trees until the flowers show the 
anthers, when damping the paths, &e., will be sufficient, and a little air 
should be admitted constantly, with a gentle warmth in the pipes. 
When the pollen b 'comes rips artificial fertilisation may be resorted to. 
If water is wanted give thorough supply, affording liquid manure in a 
tepid state to weakly trees. Trees having a superabundance of flowers 
should have those on the under or back side of the trellis removed by 
drawing the hand downwards. 
Succession Houses. — Keep this house as cool as possible by free venti¬ 
lation, and any trees swelling their buds faster than desired should be 
shaded on fine days, but after tho buds are advanced so that the anthers 
are showing there is danger, and fire heat is necessary. The house to be 
started early in February may now be close 1, furnishing needful supplies 
of water, only employing fire heat to exclude frost, and not allowing the 
temperature to exceed 50° without full ventilation. All the trees in late 
succession houses must be completed pruning and dressing, the houses 
being thoroughly cleansed, the trees being secured to the trellis, venti¬ 
lating freely and keeping them as cool as practicable. If the borders re¬ 
quire renewing with fresh loam it may now be done, but is preferably 
performed just before the fall of the leaf. Remove the old soil from be¬ 
tween the large roots, being careful not to injure the fibres, and work the 
soil in amongst the roots, not covering them deeper than 3 or 4 inches 
with fresh loam, and if of a calcareous nature all the better, treading or 
ramming it firmly. If necessary give a supply of water, as dryness at 
the roots, even when the trees are at rest, will cause the buds to fall. 
PLANT HOUSE3. 
Dracccnas .—Plants that did duty in rooms and other positions early 
in the winter, and have since been kept dry at their roots to harden and 
ripen their stems, are in a fit state for cutting up for raising young stock. 
The root portion of the stem is best for this purpose, but if this part 
proves insufficient to insure the necessary stock, the ripest portion of that 
above ground may be employed. The stems may be cut into lengths 
about an inch long, and laid in light sandy soil in pans. Place the pans- 
in a night temperature of 65°, a temperature 6° lower will do, but the 
stems are longer starting into growth. It is a good plan to plunge the 
pans in cocoa-nut fibre refuse, where they will receive gentle bottom 
heat, and use no water until growth has started. Waen the stems are 
thoroughly ripened, so that every portion will produce a plant instead of 
decaying, they can be placed singly in small pots, and these plunged in 
boxes or in the fibre the same as the pans, covering the surface to prevent 
evaporation. Young plants in 2 and 3-incb pots may be given a smalL 
