THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
283 
January 30.] 
summer , and three times in winter; but they ought also to have at both 
seasons a little boiled potatoes, turnips, cabbages, &c., and other kitchen 
refuse. 
Rain in 1850.—It. Denison, Esq., has favoured us with the following 
table of the quantity of rain that fell at Middleton, near Beverley, in the 
year 1850:—January, 3.39 in.; February, 1.25 in.; March, 0.80 in.; 
April, 2.59 in.; May, 1.40 in.; June, 2.04 in. ; July, 3.42 in.; August, 
1.48 in.; September, 1.67 in.; October, 4.03 in.; November, 2 .07 in.; 
December, 0.85 in. Total, 24.99 in. In 1847, 28.04 in., fell; in 1848, 
38.11 in.; and in 1849, 29.61 in. 
Succession of Brocoi.i ( A Subscriber from the First). —You will 
find a very good article on this subject in The Cottage Gardeners' Dic¬ 
tionary. We have had no difficulty in obtaining a supply from October 
to May, by sowing as follows :— Early Purple Cape and Granges Early 
Cauliflower Brocoli, the second week in April and the first week in 
June; they will yield heads during October and until mid-December. 
Green-close-headed, first week in April, to produce heads from November 
to the end of January. Dwarf Brown , second week in April, for heading 
from February to end of April. Sulphur and Spring White, in second 
week of April, for production in April and May following. 
{ Clubbing in Brocoli [Ibid). —This you will also find fully discussed 
in The Cottage Gardeners' Dictionary , under the head Am bury. Re¬ 
peated watering certainly docs not cause it, but rather tends to check it. 
Sprinkling soot thickly, or gas lime thinly over the seed-beds, and on 
the surface among the plants when finally set out, are*good preventives. 
These prevent the fly depositing her eggs in the young underground part 
of the stem. Those eggs produce grubs which are the cause of the 
disease. 
Peas (J. S. G.). —You have only room for three sowings, and you ask 
; us to name the varieties and times for sowing. As your space is so 
limited it is useless to think of growing either the very early varieties, 
I which are all comparatively unproductive and tasteless ; or the very tail 
1 late peas. We should select one productive variety, and grow no other. 
The Scimetar is as good as any for your purpose; sow at intervals of 
three weeks in March, April, and May. 
Sulphur Fumigator {An Early Subscriber ).—There is a machine 
for dusting with sulphur, but none for fumigating. As you have no hot- 
water pipes in your house, support a saucepan of boiling water on 
bricks so high as to admit a small oil lamp underneath to keep it hot; 
put a piece of tin or zinc over the mouth of the saucepan, and sprinkle 
some flowers of sulphur on this. 
Heracleum giganteum.— Tastes vary as to this plant. The editor 
of the Durham Advei'tiser says :—“ This is the proper season for sowing 
the seeds of that magnificent herbaceous plant, Heracleum gigantcum, 
introduced by Messrs. Hardy and Son, of Maldon, and which has been so 
highly recommended by Mrs. Loudon, and also by Mr. Thomas Moore, 
the distinguished botanist, Curator of the Chelsea Botanic Garden, and 
one of the editors of the Gardener's Magazine of Botany. For bold 
scenery this is one of the finest plants that can be grown, and in a moist 
situation in a garden its appearance is described as magnificent. We 
had a plant sent in the spring from a friend in the south, and though only 
a small seedling, it made leaves during the summer measuring eighteen 
inches in diameter. We have no doubt, from what we have seen of the 
plant, that everything said of its beauty will be fully realized when grown 
| properly ; and as it may be procured for a few pence, we think it a very 
desirable plant to be grown in ornamental places, and also in small 
gardens, where many suitable places for it may be found.” 
Creeper, Red-leaved in Autumn {A Subsci'iber). —This, which 
you saw against houses in various places during your October tour, 
j must have been the Virginian Creeper {Ampelopsis hederacea). 
Earliest Bee-flower (S. J. B .).—The plant you enclosed as being 
• that from which “bees get their first harvests in W’oody situations,” is 
j the Dog’s Mercury {Mercurialis perennis ). It is poisonous to men and 
quadrupeds. 
CALENDAR FOR FEBRUARY. 
ORCHID HOUSE. 
Air, give a small portion during the middle of sunny days. Baskets - ) 
plants in, may now have a good steeping, by taking them down and 
dipping them in tepid water, just up to the pseudo bulbs, and whilst they 
are in the water look out for wood-lice and other insects, which the water 
will force up to the surface, and may then be easily destroyed. Let the 
plants remain in the water till the compost is completely and thoroughly 
soaked. Heat: the temperature of the houses may now be considerably 
increased, as numbers of the plants will be growing. The warmer house 
during the day may be kept up to 7< )0 , and the cooler, or Mexican, house 
may be allowed to rise to 60 °. Potting, continue to all such as may be 
starting into growth. Water, give moderately to growing plants in the 
fore part of the day. Steam, cause by wetting the pipes or flues 
morning and evening. Syringe blocks every morning, and keep the 
walks wetted in the Indian house when the sun shines. T. Appleby. 
PLANT STOVE. 
Air may now be given freely in mild or sunny weather, taking care that 
the cold draught does not blow directly over the plants. Many plants will 
now require Potting ; take care to have the several composts brought in 
to dry and air; have also a quantity of broken pots of various sizes ready. 
In removing the plants to pot, do not expose them to the cold air out of 
doors. Heat may now be increased five degrees, and more water given 
to the plants that are growing. Pot another batch of Achimencs , Gesneras, 
and Gloxinias. Prepare a pit for ginger , if required in quantity. Also 
pot the earlier flowering kinds of Amaryllids. Put to rest Amaryllis 
uulica , and Gesnera zebrina. Water, give freely to fast-growing plants, 
and apply it in the shape of moisture in the air during sunny weather. 
Let the stages, walls, walks, and glass, be all thoroughly cleaned whilst 
the potting is going on, so that the plants may have a sweet clean habi¬ 
tation to come into after they have had a regular good potting, and 
cleansing themselves. Prepare a hotbed for cuttings, seedlings , Ixoras, 
Gardenias , and other hard wooded plants that require a stimulus to grow 
them freely early in spring. T. Appleby. 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
Auriculas and Polyanthuses will now begin to grow again, and 
should have a little more water given them, but as much air as possible, 
to counteract damp. Protect them from sudden frosts. Carnations 
and Picotees will also require freely watering, to keep them in good 
health and vigour. If kept too dry the roots will perish. Dahlia roots 
examine, and clear away all dead ones. Towards the end of the month 
a few of the newest may be potted and placed in heat to grow, in 
order to obtain cuttings from. Older kinds may remain in quietness till 
early next month, unless they are very scarce. Pansies to flower in pots 
may now be potted for that purpose, and kept under glass in a cold frame 
or pit. Ranunculuses, plant in the early part of the month ; shelter 
continue to bulbs in beds, protecting them from cutting winds, frost, 
and heavy showers of snow or rain. Roses may yet be planted. 
T. Appleby. 
GREENHOUSE. 
Air, admit freely among hard-wooded plants, such as Ericas, Epacris, 
Diosrna, &c., when the atmosphere is clear, and the outside temperature 
from 35° to 40°. In damp, foggy, or frosty weather, it is better to use 
little firing, and keep the house more close, unless you have the means of 
heating, and so far drying, the air before it is admitted—the drying, of 
course, to take place only when the air is loaded with moisture. When 
the fog gets into the house, light a little fire and give air, and it will soon 
be dispersed. All these plants will now want more water, but do not give 
it in dribblets; after doing it thoroughly, wait patiently until the soil is 
getting dry. Azaleas and Camellias, place those swelling and burst¬ 
ing their buds in the warmest end of the house, and you may remove 
them to the coldest end when in bloom. Supply such rather liberally 
with water. Those to be retarded, keep as cool as possible, and not so 
moist. Bulbs, Cinerarias, and Primulas, in flower, assist with 
manure-water; the double Chinese Primula give a warm corner, as it is , 
(especially the white) a splendid object when well grown. Forsythia viri - 
dissima , Deutzia scabra , and Weigelia rosea , will yield their blossoms 
during this and the following month if slightly forced. Forced hardy shrubs 
keep at the warmest end of the house at first. Begoniu ubliqua makes a 
fine conservatory plant in winter, if the night temperature is seldom 
below 45°. Calceolarias and Geraniums, keep at the best place for 
light and heat. All these soft-wooded plants require more heat than the 
hard-w'ooded ones ; the former shift as necessary. The forwardest of the 
latter, stopped and shifted before Christmas, tie out and train. Place in 
flowering-pots those stopped some time ago, and now breaking ; and 
stop more young plants for succession, to be shifted when the buds have 
broken again. Franciscea latifolia, and uniflora , do well in a conservatory 
at this season, if they had previously received alittle extra heat, after being 
allowed to become deciduous in the beginning of winter, the wood being 
well-perfected previously. Fuchsias, start some favourite kinds, if you 
can, in a nice sweet hotbed, as at this season they stand heat well. Cut 
them well down, and thin the shoots afterwards to as many stems as you 
may require. The young shoots taken off, treated as cuttings in the 
hotbed, under a hand-light, or shaded, will make choice summer and 
autumn plants. Repot those for the greenhouse by the end of the month, 
and prune back freely ; those intended for cottage windows, had better 
remain in their winter quarters for another month, keeping them rather 
dry, and as cool as possible, so that more room at present may be afforded 
to other plants. The same Hotbed would do for seeds, cuttings, &e. ; 
and also for starting some Achimenes, Gesneras, and Gloxinias —the two 
former either in the pots in which they grew, or by removing the tubers, 
aud placing them in pans with light earth, until they grow a little; the 
latter either in their late pots before they spring, or, what will do as well, 
in fresh pots and soil, so that, whenever they start, they take hold of the 
fresh material. For Fires, Protection, Dressing, and Cleaning, 
see last month. Insects will now begin to be busy, and the best antidotes 
are sulphur vapour and tobacco fumigation, but, above all, cleanliness and 
good cultivation. R, Fish, 
FLOWER-GARDEN. 
Anemones, sow; finish planting, b. and e. Annuals (Tender), sow 
in hotbed ; admit air to daily ; water slightly ; cover with mats the glasses 
at night; sow seeds of blue and white Campanula carpatica in heat, for 
autumn-flowering, e.; pot old plants of each, and put in heat for cuttings, 
b. ; sow Nemophila, and other Californian annuals, to flower after ■ 
autumn sown ones ; (Hardy), sow in borders, e ; for early blowing, sow in 
pots in a hothouse. Auriculas, dress, and attend carefully those under 
glass, as the buds appear. Biennials (Hardy), sow, e. Bulbs, finish 
planting. Carnations, plant, and shelter from cold winds. Dahlias, | 
sow, and place tubers in hotbed, to break buds for slipping. Dress ! 
borders generally. Edgings of Box, &c., may be planted and repaired. 
(See January.) Cut round the roots of evergreens to remove about next 
July. Evergreens removed last autumn may have liquid manure in fine I 
weather. Evergreens, plant in mild weather, c. Grass, roll and i 
sweep weekly. Gravel, roll, and weed in dry weather, weekly, and try 
the concrete system. Hedges (Deciduous), plant, b.; (Evergreen), I 
plant, e. Hyacinths, shelter, for they begin to appear. Migno- j 
nette, sow in pots, and place in hotbed, or hothouse, and greenhouse, 
for succession. Neatness, attend to every where. Perennials | 
