22 
THE FLOETST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ JANUAEY, 
quired. During tlie weather that now prevails, no fire-heat is required by day, 
but a little may be put on by night, and only enough to make the temperature 
agreeable,—a genial, temperate warmth of from 50° to 55°. Advantage may be 
taken of a sunny day to give a gentle syringing with tepid water, and plants 
must not be suffered to want for water ; at the same time, only what is abso¬ 
lutely necessary is really required, and as much as can be given. Green-fly will 
put in an appearance in both houses, and they are partial to the buds of Ctjcla- 
mens, and to Cinerarias, and the young points of &\\o'N-Pelarrjoniums. Fumigate 
the house with tobacco-smoke, or if the vermin are not in sufficient force, wash 
the few plants affected with Fowler’s gardeners’ insecticide, or soft-soap and 
sulphur dissolved in warm water. 
Frames: Many persons are found gallantly fighting against many difficulties 
in their desire to winter a few choice plants in a cold frame. Here also, as in 
the case of the cold greenhouse, the great enemy is damp. Too often the frame 
is set down in a low damp spot, where there is little or no natural drainage, and 
no attempt made to secure it. It is almost impossible that plants can do well, 
for while the frame may be covered to exclude frost, it will not exclude damp. 
The drier the soil is kept about the roots of the plants the better will be the 
chance of wintering them in safety ; and the more air that can be given in favour¬ 
able weather the better for the plants. If the soil be wet on which they are 
placed, it is a good plan to raise the pots above it by standing them on other pots 
inverted, or by raising them on bricks, pieces of timber, or anything else available 
for the purpose. All decaying leaves need removal, as damp hangs about them, 
and by this means spreads to others. 
Vegetable Garden: As soon as the weather breaks to drier times, all pieces 
of ground from which crops have been removed should be half-trenched or deeply 
dug over. It will be sufficient to simply dig light soil, going down to the depth 
of a good spit, bringing up the lowermost soil to the surface. In the case of re¬ 
tentive soils, trenching is to be recommended, and it should be set about by 
taking out a trench across the piece of ground at one end, either throwing it 
back or wheeling it to the other end, and then take out another trench three spits 
wide, throwing the surface-soil to the bottom of the trench first opened, and 
bringing up the second spit to the surface, going on thus till the ground is 
finished. The heavier the ground, the greater the necessity for laying it up 
rough in ridges, so that frost and wind can act upon it. If it has not been pre¬ 
viously worked, too much of the lower stratum should not be brought up at one 
time, but the bottom should be broken up and left in the trench. 
There are many small gardens, round London, for instance, in which yellow 
clay prevails to a great extent, and the London clay is a stubborn material to 
bring into subjection. Almost anything mixed with it makes it more open and 
workable. A good dressing of mortar-rubbish from an old building, decaying 
vegetable refuse of any kind, the ashes from burnt heaps of rubbish, and cinder- 
ashes, are all good. The contents of many an ash-hole would be of great value 
