102 
THE COTTAGE GAllDENER. 
[May 15. 
05° by night. When at rest, 60° by day and 55° by 
night. 
Time of Potting. —This should be done whenever the 
young shoots are observed beginning to appear at the 
base of the old pseudo bulbs. This generally happens 
i when the length and beat of the day increase in spring. 
Whenever this is observed, let them be potted imme¬ 
diately. As we remarked above, these plants are soon 
injured by excess of water lodging about the young 
shoots; to prevent this, in a great measure, let them be 
extra well drained. With the few additional points 
added, treat the Mormodes exactly in the manner de¬ 
scribed for Miltonias. T. Appleby. 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
Calceolarias.— These charming flowers will now be 
progressing rapidly. They require considerable attention 
to keep them healthy. In the morning give air if the 
weather is mild, and with a syringe wet the outside of 
the pots and the stages on which they stand; this 
prevents a too dry atmosphere, a state very injurious to 
these delicate plants. Such as are intended for exhibition 
in the latter part of June, should have sticks put to 
them to tie the rising flower stems to. They require a 
pretty liberal supply of water at the root. Allow them 
to become moderately dry, and then give a thorough 
good watering, so as to completely wet the whole of the 
soil in the pot. Look after the green fly, and as soon as 
three are observed alive, smoke the house, filling it so 
full of smoke as completely to hide the plants from the 
eye. Do this two nights in succession, which will quite 
extirpate this pest. Calceolarias to be exhibited towards 
the middle of July should not be permitted to send up 
their flower-stems till the third week in May. The 
plants must, however, be encouraged to keep growing 
by repotting them, and occasionally giving them a weak 
liquid manure. 
Cinerarias should now be in their greatest beauty, 
except such as are intended to be kept back to flower 
late. Seedlings should be marked and described in the 
garden book, so as to know which to keep and increase. 
Tulips should still be protected from cold winds by 
awnings. If the collection is large, a tent, the size of 
two beds, with a walk down the centre, forms a beautiful 
promenade, and shelters the flowers from cold, wet, and 
the colour-dispelling rays of the sun. T. Appleby. 
THE KITCHEN-GARDEN. 
Routine Work.—E ncourage the growth of the Globe 
Artichokes by liberal applications of liquid manure. 
Fork over the ridged ground between the Jerusalem 
Artichokes, and observe, when they are up in full row, 
that there are not too many shoots left to each plant; 
pull off the weak ones, and eradicate the self-planted or 
those that have been left in the ground. Encourage 
the growth of Asparagus in every stage at this season, 
and maintain a loose open surface; the general recom¬ 
mendation is to keep it clear from weeds, but our maxim 
and practice is—never at any season to give the weeds 
a chance of making their appearance among plants or 
crops of any kind. Those who are partial to weeds, or 
our native plants, had better devote a corner to their 
culture sepai-ately, and do justice to them by thinning 
out and preventing their encroachment on their neigh¬ 
bours, for there can be no doubt that everything is 
sent to be good for some purpose or the other; so we 
say by the rats, they may be pretty useful as scavengers, 
&c., but where allowed to go at large to any extent 
they take too many liberties with things wherein their 
interference could be very well dispensed with; those 
who are partial to such animals should, therefore, keep 
them within bounds, or under some kind of control. 
We find, in a large establishment, but little difficulty in 
these matters, and get quit of such company very readily. 
Hand hoe Onions, Carrots, Parsnips, Parsley, Beet, 
and every kind of drilled crop. The first thinning 
should be performed with a two or three-inch hoe, on 
the goose or crane-necked principle, one in each hand, 
cutting the surface of the soil shallow, and leaving the 
plants singly, cutting right and left, and leaving no 
doubles, clearing a good width quickly, and stepping out 
wide and lightly, so as not to trample every inch of the 
surface over; our system is to leave all the surface 
loose, without a footmark to be seen. Take care in 
filling up all vacancies to lift the plants carefully with 
all their roots. 
Framing. —This being a season with amateurs, &c., 
for putting out Melons to some extent, those who have 
lights to spare from cauliflowers, carrots, potatoes, 
radishes, &c., will find nothing more required than a 
slight hotbed of well-worked materials, and the frame 
wrapped up round the outside with rubbish of some 
kind. A good ridge of sweet, kindly-holding soil of 
some kind, without any manure, must also be added. 
We never add manure to the melon soil until the fruit 
is set, and we have always found the plan answer 
remarkably well; in the first place they do not get into 
a rank, luxuriant, unfruitful condition, but almost every 
variety that we have ever grown on this principle is 
of a short-jointed, fruitful habit. We are particular, 
whilst the fruit is setting, to keep the structure pretty 
dry, shutting up early, and giving some air early in the 
morning. As soon as the fruit is fairly set, we com¬ 
mence by applying weak tepid manure water, and in¬ 
crease its strength as the fruit swells larger, withholding 
it altogether as soon as the fruit is full grown, and airing 
very liberally both early and late. Upon this principle 
we always have immense crops of fine, well-swelled 
handsome, and fine flavoured fruit. James Barnes. 
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. 
OUR VILLAGERS. 
By the Authoress o 
It is very sad though salutary to observe the rapid 
progress to ruin which takes place when men forsake their 
duty to God, and go on in their own wickedness. We see, 
constantly, people whom we know are not really religious 
who yet keep up religious appearances; they observe the 
Sabbath and attend the public worship of God, and may go 
so far as to do “many things,” like Herod. These outward 
appearances do not deceive the Searcher of hearts; He 
knows what is in man, and He can see, though we cannot, 
the spring from which all actions flow. But there is a 
“ reward ” even to outward decency, although it extends not 
f “ My Flowers," &c. 
beyond the grave; there is a respectability in the eyes of 
man, and a measure of worldly prosperity, that is gratifying 
to the heart of the natural man, and is not always the 
portion of the real people of God, who, in many cases, 
suffer want, and make hut little show in outward things. It 
is striking to notice how immediately outward prosperity 
seems to wither, wdien even this “ eye service ” is set aside. 
The reward for which they have served is taken from them, 
and when they are stripped of their worldly treasure, there 
are no “ hags which wax not old ” laid up for them in j 
heaven. 
