THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
December 29. 
252 
order; slate edgings are the best, then box: either may be laid this 
month. If the soil is dry at the end of the month, plant some Gladioli, 
such as Psittacinus, Gundavensis, and their varieties, and continue in 
monthly succession to the end of April. Forget not to procure such 
stakes, rods , pegs, and tallies, as may be wanted next summer, in time, 
Destroy rats, mice, and other creatures destructive to seeds and roots. 
Again look at the protected plants, to see they are dry. Grass, keep it 
clean and well rolled. Hedges, evergreen and otherwise, may yet be 
planted and dressed. Layers of evergreens, or deciduous shrubs, may 
be made as the borders are cleaned. Manure, in composts, apply to 
such tlower-beds as may require assistance; and in a solid, rotten state 
to all roses. Mulcii all newly-planted trees, &c. Potted plants in 
reserve garden secure from frosts. Planting, push forward in mild 
weather. Privet, make cuttings of the young shoots for increase. 
Prune and regulate every tree or bush which requires it; be more sparing 
with evergreens. Ranunculuses, if the soil be dry, plant a lot for 
another succession. Roses, prune, plant, and dung, if not already 
done; protect Tea and young Bourbons; and wash them with strong 
lime and soot paint to kill moss and insects. Seedlings, and all young 
plants, protect according to their hardihood and strength. Suckers, 
pull up and destroy, unless wanted for increase, as those of some Roses, 
&c. Trench vacant ground. Walks, roll as soon as they are dry, 
after rains or frost, and keep them regularly cleaned. Weeds, destroy 
everywhere. Wheeling, reserve for frosty or very dry weather. Four 
times, within our memory, after unusual mild weather*to the middle of 
' January, we experienced severe frost and rough weather ; provide against 
another of these trials in time, and see that everything is ready for 
securing a supply of ice at the first opportunity. D. Beaton. 
be pruned and repotted. Geraniums and Cinerarias will, in all 
likelihood, want cleaning and fumigating. The first may now be 
repotted for late May and early June blooming, and the latter must be 
shifted and kept growing, so as to prevent them throwing up flower- 
stalks, if late bloom and large specimens are desired. Where room is 
limited, a fine display is obtained by successions, and using not larger 
than six-inch pots. Not a withered leaf, nor an aphis, should stand 
longer than when seen. When the fly covers a leaf in myriads, smoking 
with tobacco then is tantamount to labour and money thrown away. 
Roses in pots, for April and Mav and June blooming, in the greenhouse, 
finish pruning; wash with a paint of soot, sulphur, and clay; top-dress 
with rich compost; and plunge,. if possible, in a house or pit—sawdust 
will be a good material—and give at first a temperature of 40° to 45 ° at 
night, and from 45° to 55° during the day. Succulents, unless growing 
and showing flower, refrain from watering. Tropaeolurn Lobbianum , and 
Munettia bicolor, will be great ornaments now, in a warmish dry green¬ 
house. Water plants only when requisite, and perform the operation 
after breakfast, using water rather higher than the medium temperature 
of the house. Place a few Achimenes, Gesnera, and Gloxinia roots into 
heat for early blooming. In a conservatory or greenhouse, where no 
liard-wooded plants to speak of are grown, and where a medium heat of 
ft0° can be maintained—that is, 45° at night, and 55° during the day— 
Poinsettia pulcherrima , Euphorbia Jacquiniflora, &c., may be in¬ 
troduced from the stove. For the Poinsettia especially, if a little extra 
heat can be given in April, a close cold pit in summer, an average night 
temperature of 50° in October, and a medium of from 45° to 55 ° in winter, 
nothing can surpass the brilliancy of the large crimson floral leaves, for a 
couple of months, at this period, while the brilliancy remains longer in 
such a house than in a plant stove. (See Calendar of last month.) 0 
R. Fish. 
ORCHARD. 
Apples, cleanse from blight, moss, &c.; brine and soft soap are good 
for such purpose. Bush-fruit, plant, prune. Composts, procure and 
prepare. Cherries, plant, prune. Cuttings, plant of Gooseberries. 
Fruit-room, look over weekly ; be sparing in giving air; remove de¬ 
caying fruit, and keep the room dark. Filberts, plant. Fork, borders. 
Gooseberries, plant, prune. Layers, make. Loam, procure for 
stations. Mulching, perform. Mulberries, plant. Medlars, 
plant. Nails and Shi’eds, dress. Nectarines : See Peaches, Plums, 
plant, prune. Pears, plant; prune ordinary kinds. Peaches, plant, 
prune, train, and dress. Planting in general proceed with. Stations, 
make. Training in general proceed with. Trenching, carry on. 
Trees, stake. Vines, prune and train. Walnuts, plant. Wall- 
trees, in general, prune and regulate. Wash, the following, may he 
applied to walls : two-parts soot, two-parts sulphur, four-parts lime, 
applied with a bush into every crevice; urine or soap-suds, or both, may 
be employed to mix with. R. Errington. 
FORCING-HOUSE. 
Air: See Ventilation. Asparagus, get out succession-beds on mild 
heat. Apricots: See Peach. Bottom-heats, sustain and assist, 72° 
to 78°* Cucumbers, top, dress, train. Cherries: Sec Peach. 
Coverings, use where possible, to save fire-heat, and to protect from 
extremes. Figs: See Peach. Fires, use discreetly. Glass, wash all 
roofs. Grapes, ripe, use fires and air liberally, remove decaying berries. 
Insects, extirpate; use fumigation, the sponge, and soft soap. Kidney- 
beans, pot. and provide successions. Nectarines and Peaches, in 
bloom, air liberally, and shake to disperse the pollen. Mushrooms, 
protect well, if out doors ; in house, use much water on floors. Pinks. 
continue to sustain proper heat to, cover well in dung-pits, and remove 
linings. Peaches: See Nectarines. Roofs, protect in boxes, tubs, 
&c. Strawberries, give air and light, use liquid-manure where 
blossoming; introduce successions. Tarragon and other herbs , in¬ 
troduce to heat. Ventilate as freely as you dare. Vinery (Early), 
proceed steadily; keep a moist air; raise the heat at blooming-time; 
use sulphur against mildew. Water, always use in a tepid state. 
R. Errington. 
GREENHOUSE. 
I Air, admit at every favourable opportunity, whenever the temperature 
: outside is above 35°, except in windy or foggy weather, especially among 
Heaths, Epacrises, and Azaleas that you do not wish to bloom early. In 
foggy weather, though warm, it will be advisable to put on a little fire, 
to change the visible to ; nvisiblc vapour. If the fog was of short con • 
tinuance, and could be kept out of the house, air might be dispensed 
with, as well as fires, though it should not be forgotten that the motion 
given to the air by a little firing is a great security for the health of the 
plants in dull weather. Soft-wooded plants should be kept at one end of , 
the house. Bulbs and hardy Shrubs, such as Lilacs, Azaleas, and 1 
Roses, introduce from the forcing-house, placing them at the closest and 
warmest end of the house; Calceolarias, Cinerarias, Geraniums, and 
Chinese Primroses, clean, shift, and supply at times with manure-water, 
j Camellias and Cytisusks opening their buds, supply with manure- 
water. Climbers, prune in, if not already done, those that produce 
j their flowers on the young wood; others, such as Kennedyas, now 
flowering and growing, attend to; and especially train, every day, the 
Tropaeohons , if you wish to prevent confusion. No time should be lost 
in potting such kinds as Tricolorum, Jarrattii, Speciosa, Azurea, &c., 
if not already done. Fires, light in close, dull weather, to enable you 
to give a circulation of air. Beware of heating too much when frosty, 
as, without due precaution, the atmosphere will be too dry ; it is better 
; to use coverings for the glass. Fuchsias: the forwardest may now 
KITCHEN-GARDEN. 
Artichokes, attend to, shelter, &c. Asparagus, plant, in hotbed; 
attend to that forcing; temperature about 65°, and at night 50°. Beans, 
plant, b.; earth-stir among often ; advancing crops protect from frost ; 
plant in hotbed, if required. Beet (red), plantfor seed. Brocoli, protect 
' from frost. Cabbages, plant, c.; sow, e.; plant for seed. Cardoons, 
i attend to, shelter, 8cc. Carrots, how small crop ; plant for seed ; (early 
Horn) sow on gentle hotbeds, fill the frame up well with earth, so as to i 
bring the crop up close to the glass; attend to early thinning-out, anil j 
earth-stirring with a little pointed stick among all frame crops. Cauli- j 
flowers in frames, attend to protection from frost, and give all open i 
I air possible in open weather, by taking the lights entirely off; also, hand- i 
glass crops, clear away all decayed leaves and slugs, and earth-stir often ; I 
; if young plants are required, a pinch of seed may be sown in pans, and 
placed in any heated structure, but have a gentle hotbed made up ready 
to prick them out upon, keeping the young crop up close to the glass. 
I Celery, earth up, shelter, See. Composts, prepare and turn over. 
! Cucumbers, sow and prick out; temperature, by day, 70° to 75°, and at 
night 63°. Dung, for hotbeds, prepare in earnest; wheel on to vacant 
ground. Earth for hotbeds, prepare. Earth-stir, and fasten plants 
I disturbed by frost, &c. Endive, blanch, protect. Frost, protect 
plants from, by temporary covering. Ground, trench vacant. Horse¬ 
radish, plant at any time during the month in open weather. Hotbeds, 
make and attend to. Jerusalem Artichokes, take up and replant in 
open weather, at any time during the month. Kidney-beans, sow in 
j succession in hotbed, &c. Kale (Sea), attend to; force in succession. ; 
Lettuces, in frames, attend ; protect from frost; sow on warm border, 
e. Liquorice, plant, e., and dig up three-year-old. Melons, sow, for 
fruiting in May; day temperature 75°, night 05°. Mint, force, in hot- 
I bed. Mushroom Beds, make, and attend to those producing ; procure 1 
| horse-droppings for. Mustard and Cress, sow in hotbed. Onions, 
I clear from weeds ; examine stored ; sow a small crop, e. ; plant for seed. 
: Parsley, sow, e,; protect from frost. Parsnips, plant for seed. 
Peas, protect from birds by straining a single string of worsted along 
j over the row; attend to the early pea sowing as near the first of 
| the month as possible It is a good maxim to always have a 
, mouse trap or two set about the pea quarters. Sow ; earth-stir; 
shelter from frost; and prepare stick. This is a good season for 
making main sowings of early and second early peas where the soil 
works well and the weather is open. Potatoes, plant in slight hotbed ; 
and they may also be planted out in the open border, or quarters, in 
fine open weather, where the soil works well. Examine those in the store. 
Radishes, sow, in hotbed ; thin out as soon as the plants can be handled 
and sift a little dry earth among them ; sow in border, e. Rape (for 
salading), sow in hotbed ; (edible-rooted), sow. Rhubarb, attend to ; 
force, either in pots, to be planted in some heated structure, or covered 
up with pots or tubs and fermenting materials. Salading (Small), sow. 
Savoys, plant for seed. Spinach, keep clear from weeds and fallen 
leaves ; make a small sowing towards thc^end of the month. Tansey, plant 
in hotbed. Tarragon, plantin hotbed. Turnips, plant for seed; should 
the weather seem inclined to set in severe, store in a good supply, or heap 
them to cover them over with coal-ashes. Weeds, continually destroy, 
and do any work which will lessen that of the following busier months ; 
in particular, such as planting all the main out-door crops of Potatoes, 
wherever the soil will allow of it, and the weather is favourable. Wood- 
lice, destroy in the mushroom-house by trapping under dry hay, and 
scalding it in hot-water ; or by baiting small pots with boiled potatoes, 
or slices of potatoes under dry moss. T. Weaver. 
London: Printed by Harry Wooldridge, Winchester High-street, 
in the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published by William 
Somerville Orr, of Church Hill, Walthamstow, in the County of 
Essex, at the Office, No. 2, Amen Corner, in the Parish of Christ 
Church, City of London*-—December 29th, 1853. 
