78 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
November 8. 
called “ bunting.’' It is thin and open in tbe mesh, 
yet just close enough to prevent the rays of the sun 
striking through the glass, and injuring the flowers 
and leaves. We shall try to describe how it is ap 
plied. First, a pole about two inches in diameter, of 
the length of the house, or rather longer, is made of 
deal, and quite round. At one end a kind of wheel 
is fixed, of larger diameter than the pole (about one- 
third). On each side of this wheel a round board is 
nailed, projecting beyond it about three inches. 
These boards are about three-quarters of an inch 
thick, and are bevelled off from the inside. When 
this is done, it forms a groove. This is intended to 
receive the cord, it being nailed to the wheel. The 
canvass is then nailed to the long pole, it having 
first been sown together of the size of tlio house. 
Tbe pole, with the canvass attached to it, is then 
laid upon the house, a Hat piece of wood 2 £ inches 
Avide, and a quarter of an inch thick, is nailed to tbe 
highest point of the house, and the canvass is tightly 
stretched and nailed to the flat piece of Avood, using 
some narroAV woollen lists stretched along it previ- 
ouly to driving in the tacks. This prevents, in a 
great measure, the canvass from tearing off with the 
Avinds. Then taking hold of the cord now wrapped 
round the wheel and pulling at it, the wheel turns 
round, and, of course, the pole also; the canvass 
wraps round it, and, at last, is rolled up at the top; 
the cord is then fastened to a long kind of button, 
and there remains till shade is required. The cord 
is then unfolded, and the pole let gradually doAvn to 
the bottom, Avkere some pieces of wood stop it from 
going off the houses, or tearing away the canvass 
from the top. This is a simple, useful, and efficient 
mode of shading, and is used here, at Rine-aj)] de- 
place, to shade all the houses that require it. The 
only objection we can rIIoav to it is, that it soon 
Avears out, it lasting only two, or, at most, three 
years. It, however, may be made to last longer, by 
having weather boards fixed on the top of the house 
to receive the canvass when rolled up under it, thus 
sheltering it from the rain, which is the great cause 
of its decay. Care must be taken when it is rolled 
up that it is perfectly dry. With this moderate care, 
the shade, or blind, will last much longer. During 
the dark short days of winter, when the sun has not 
power to injure the plants, the blind may be with 
great propriety stored away in some dry shed or 
room till the days lengthen, and the sunshine be¬ 
comes dangerous to the Avell-being of the plants. 
There are one or two other necessary things to no¬ 
tice, but we must defer them to a future opportunity. 
Calendar for November. —There is but little of 
actual work required during the current month. 
Some orchids that will groAv must be potted. Should 
any baskets be quite rotted, let them be renewed, 
but give no water unless the plants are groAving, 
when they may have a very moderate quantity given 
them. We shall describe the mode of making baskets 
shortly. Watering .—Very little, if any, water is re¬ 
quired during this dull season. Syringe the blocks as 
directed last month on the mornings of sunny days, 
wetting the pipes at the same time to raise a gentle 
steam. On Avet dull days withhold both. Keep tbe 
lieat very moderate; 60° by day and 55° by night 
Avill be quite sufficient. 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
Tulips.—B etAveen this day and the middle of the 
month every bulb of these flowers ought, Avitliout fail, 
to be planted. If our instructions have been attended 
to the bed or beds will be in fine order to receive 
them. Bring out the bulbs some fine morning and 
set to work planting in good earnest. Some make 
boles Avitli a blunt dibble, having a mark made upon 
it to sIioav the proper depth to which the bulb ought 
to be put in. Our practice, however, is different. 
Wo judge that the dibble saddens the earth under 
the bulb too much, therefore avc stretch a line and 
draw a drill, three inches deep), all the length of the 
bed, doing this as much as possible without treading 
upon the bod. Then choose the tallest growers and 
plant this first row with them, pressing the bulbs 
doAvn gently to keep them firm and upright in their 
places. Unless you have larger numbers than you 
have room for let them be at least eight inches apart, 
but whatever number you may have do not plant 
them nearer than six inches to each other; if you do 
your fiowers will not be so fine, nor the bulbs so 
large for next season’s blooming. When the first 
roAV are all in their places cover them up with a fine¬ 
toothed rake, pressing the earth pretty firmly around 
and upon the bulbs; then remove the lines eight 
inches from the centre row, and place the next kinds 
as to height in it; cover it up, and then the bulbs 
Avill stand nine inches apart from row to row. Re¬ 
move the line to eight inches on the other side, and 
plant them in it in a similar manner; plant the other 
tAvo rows in the same Avay, and then level all Avith 
the rake, and the operation is complete. The bed 
will thus contain five toavs, which are quite'sufficient, 
and Avill allow the spectator to examine every flower 
comfortably without treading upon the bed, a tres¬ 
pass to be avoided at all times during the groAvth of 
the flowers. The bed may uoav be allowed to receive 
every gentle shower, but heaA r y long continued rains 
must be carefully guarded against. Have your 
coverings ready to be applied at all times when 
heavy shoAvers may be likely to fall, and shelter ac¬ 
cordingly. 
Pinks may uoav be planted out, if not already 
done, in the place Avlicre they are to bloom. This 
plant is more hardy than most other florists’ lloAvers, 
and, therefore, requires but little protection; still it 
is desirable to shelter it a little from very severe 
frosts. A sprinkling of common fern will answer this 
purpose well. The bed ought to be enriched, but 
not too much, with vegetable mould; too rich a bed 
Avill cause the colours to run, therefore be moderate 
with stimulating manures. Fasten the plants Avell 
by pressing the soil firmly about each plant; this 
Avill prevent the frost from drawing the plant out of 
the soil. Each pink plant ought to stand live or six 
inches from each other, and fully six inches betAveen 
the roAvs; they Avill then grow moderately and floAver 
finely, with large lloAvers and bright colours. 
T. Appleby. 
THE KITCHEN-GARDEN. 
Jerusalem Artichoke. —We have before stated 
that tbe tubers of this excellent vegetable are better 
left in the ground until required for use; for, unlike 
most other root vegetables, the frost, unless very 
severe, has no injurious effect upon the tubers. Our 
system is, as soon as the stalks are ripe, to cut them 
down on some dry day to Avitliin about ten inches of 
the surface of the ground; and if not Avanted at the 
time for thatching temporary sheds, or any other 
purpose, we tie them up in neat bundles and store 
them away until wanted, as they are sure to be, for 
protection of some kind during tire winter. We then 
