26 
THE ELOBIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ Fbbruary, 
■worked -without difficulty at any season of the year, is of great consequence in a. 
kitchen garden, as then good vegetables can be easily gro-wn -with ordinary 
attention and labour; but -when the soil is either very light and shallo-w, or of a 
strong retentive nature, great attention and labour are required at all seasons to 
obtain good crops. Strong retentive soils should be improved by the admixture 
of sand, ashes, and such substances as -will alter their mechanical condition, -while 
light, shallow soils should be improved by the addition, in winter, of clay and other 
substances to the surface, and by trenching deeper every time the soil is turned. 
The improvement of bad soils is a slow and tedious task, but it should be perse¬ 
vered in, otherwise the production of good vegetables can only be accomplished by 
the greatest care, anxiety, and labour. A few early Potatos may now be planted 
on a warm border or at the foot of a south wall. Lettuces^ out of frames, may 
also be planted on warm, sheltered borders. Cauliflowers in frames may bo 
planted under hand-glasses ; cauliflower plants that were put into small pots in 
the autumn and have been kept in frames, should now be shifted into 32 or 24- 
sized pots, using a compost of loam and rotten dung; if put back into the frame 
and encouraged to grow, they -will make grand plants for putting out in a warm 
border next month, and will head nearly as soon as those planted out under hand¬ 
glasses. I find this an excellent plan in our northern climate. Jerusalem Arti¬ 
chokes may be planted in some out-of-the-way place. Horse-radish should be 
planted on a piece of trenched ground, in rows about 20 inches apart. Garlic 
and Shallots may be planted, in rows 10 inches apart, and about 6 inches in the 
row. The Seakale and Phuharb that were covered last month should be looked 
over, and additional covering put on if required; some more plants should be 
covered for successional crops; fresh plantations may now be made. All 
vacancies among Cabbages should be filled up, and the ground between the rows 
stirred ; a fresh plantation may also be made. A little soil should be drawn up 
to the early crops of Peas and Beans. Cucumbers and Melons sown last month 
should be potted off singly and returned to the hot-bed. 
Sow: Peas and beans t-wice dni’ing the month—^the first of early sorts, and the second 
of second-early sorts, for successional crops; Round Spinach, Turnips, and Early Horn 
Carrot at the end of the month ; Radishes and Lettuces on a -warm border ; a rovr or t-wo of 
Parsley ; some Savoys and Brussels Sprouts,—it is necessary both to so-w and to plant these out 
early, in order to have them fine and in good time in the autumn. 
Foecinq Houses. — Pines: If these have a nice steady bottom-heat of from 
80'^ to 85°, and a night temperature—the fruiting plants of from 65° to 70°, 
and the succession plants of from 60° to 65°, with an increase of 8° or 10° 
during the day by sun-heat—they will go on very safely through this month. A 
little air should be given whenever the state of the weather permits, and the 
fruiting plants should have water whenever they require it.— Vines: As soon 
as the grapes in the early house are set, thinning should be commenced without 
delay, before the berries drop down ; it is a bad practice to allow the berries 
to drop down and to swell to the size of small peas before thinning is commenced. 
