THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, October 16, 1860. 
WEEKLY CALENDAR: 
2 
Day 
of 
M’nth 
Day 
of 
Week. 
Weather near London in 1859. 
Moon 
OCTOBER 16-22, 1860. 
Barometer. 
Thermom. 
Wind. 
Rain in 
Inches. 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Rises 
and Sets 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
afterSun 
Day of 
Year. 
16 
Tv 
Arbutus unedo. 
29.490—29.417 
deg. deg. 
64-46 
S.W. 
•34 
m. h. 
28 af 6 
m. h. 
3 af 5 
m. 
25 
h. 
5 
2 
m. 
14 
s. 
27 
290 
17 
W 
Hedera lielix. 
29.838—29.578 
56-41 
S.W. 
•01 
30 
6 
1 5 
6 
6 
3 
14 
39 
291 
18 
Th 
St. Luke. 
29.938—29.892 
58-41 
E. 
— 
32 
6 
IV 
59 
6 
4 
14 
50 
292 
19 
F 
Hen chaffinches flock. 
29.916—29.753 
59-40 
W. 
•03 
33 
6 
57 4 
5 
8 
5 
15 
1 
293 
20 
S 
Coddy-moddy gull inland. 
29.588—29.294 
60—35 
W. 
•06 
35 
6 
55 4 
17 
9 
6 
15 
11 
294 
21 
Sun 
20 Sunday after Trinity. 
29.304—29.282 
45—23 
N. 
— 
37 
6 
53 4 
31 
10 
D 
15 
15 
20 
295 
22 
M 
Sun’s declin. 11° 15's. 
29.481—29.438 
53—21 
N.W. 
— 
39 
6 
51 4 
44 
11 
8 
29 
296 
Meteorology or the Week.— At Chiswick, from observations during the last thirty-four years, the average highest and lowest 
temperatures of these days are 58.6° and 41.2° respectively. The greatest heat, 73’, occurred on the 21st, in 1830 ; and the lowest cold, 20’, 
| on the 21st, in 1842. During the period 126 days were fine, and on 105 rain fell. 
WORK FOR THE WEEK. 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Advantage should be taken of fine weather for 
digging and trenching ground. Cardoons, tie up for 
blanching when the leaves are quite dry; haybands to 
be twisted round them that the earth may not come in 
contact with the leaves when earthed up. Cabbages, fill 
Tip all vacant places in the ground with them: they may 
now be planted very close in the row, and the rows about 
eighteen inches apart. Carrots, take them up as soon 
as the leaves change; for if they are allowed to re¬ 
main too long in the ground they are apt to get grub- 
eaten, especially in rich soils. Celery, take advantage 
of fine weather to earth it up; keep the whole of 
the leaves together. Chives should be taken up, and 
replanted every two or three years. Garlic, plant 
in a dry and rich soil in shallow drills, merely to fasten 
the roots in the ground, nine inches from drill to 
drill and about four inches apart in the drill. Onions, 
look over those that were gathered in last month, and 
clean them thoroughly ; in doing so handle them gently. 
Pot herbs, fill up and dress the beds for the winter. 
Horseradish, dig up and replant, reserving all the finest 
for winter use. It will keep fresh packed in sand. Small 
Salad, keep up a succession by sowing in boxes, and 
placing them in a gentle heat. 
FRUIT GARDEN. 
Prepare for planting all sorts of fruit trees when the 
leaves drop. The ground to be drained and trenched, 
and where the natural soil is not so good as could be 
wished, provide that which is proper to fill in around the 
roots at the time of planting. Cut out the dead wood 
from Raspberry stools, and tie the young cane3 to the 
stakes, to prevent injury from high winds. Strawberry 
plants not yet potted to be delayed no longer; when 
potted to be placed under some temporary shelter, to 
protect them from heavy rains and frost. 
FLOWER GARDEN. 
The Scarlet and Variegated varieties of Geraniums, 
and any other choice plants worth saving, and still in the 
open ground, to be taken up and potted; they will be 
useful for another season where there is room to keep 
them through the winter. The beds to be dug, and if 
the whole of the surface cannot he covered with bulbs, 
a few planted around the outsides, with a tasteful arrange¬ 
ment of colours, will give a pleasing effect to the out¬ 
lines of the beds. The beds, if sown with Californian 
and other hardy annuals, will be gay in the months of 
May and June. The following are recommended for the 
purpose:—Nemophila insignis, Clarkia pulchella, Silene 
pendula, Leptosiphon densiflora, Collinsia bicolor, Ery¬ 
simum Peroffskianum, Eschscholtzia crocea, and Iberis 
eoronaria. Dahlia roots to be taken up, and placed in a 
shed to dry for a few days before they are cut down ; 
when cut down to be placed bottom upwards, to allow 
the sap to drain away from the portion of the stems that 
is allowed to remain attached to the roots. Perennials, 
No. 629.— Vol. XXV. No. 3. 
if not already parted, to be now looked to ; if the mass 
is getting too large, or an increase of stock is wanted 
cut off portions with the spade on the side they can be 
best spared, and plant the detached pieces where they 
are most wanted. The main beds of Tulips may now be 
planted whilst the weather is fine and dry. Preparations 
should be made to receive Roses, which may be trans¬ 
planted with safety towards the end of the month. Hardy 
creepers to be examined, and all unnecessary spray to be 
removed, and their security from the blasts of winter 
insured. 
STOVE, PITS AND FRAMES. 
The same as last week. 
GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 
Continue to pick off all dead and decaying flowers ; to 
stop all luxuriant shoots in due time ; to keep down mil¬ 
dew, and all kinds of insects ; to apply water with care 
and moderation, as many plants are now requiring rest. 
A gentle fire heat, when required, to be given in the 
afternoons, and allowed to die out gradually towards 
night. Water to be given in the forepart of the day, 
that all superfluous dampness may be dried up before 
night. Fuchsias require to be kept rather dry when the 
flowering is over. When they lose mo3t of their leaves 
they may be then set aside in any corner free from frost 
during the winter. Let the Pelargoniums have an abun¬ 
dance of air, and to sink gradually down into a com¬ 
paratively dormant state, limiting the supply of water in 
proportion to the decrease of light. W. Keane. 
PAMPAS GRASS—BEGONIAS AND TACSONIAS. 
It would be interesting to register again the dimen¬ 
sions and number of spikes on the Pampas Grass, and 
to note the difference of the influence of the two last 
extreme summers on it. It is finer now on the grass at 
the Experimental than it has been yet, and nothing was 
done to it from first to last. Cooking is bad for it, cer¬ 
tain—I mean high feeding with all manner of rich things : 
hundreds of it which were thus pampassed for the last 
three summers have been killed round London last winter, 
while our plants of it have hardly lost a whole leaf; only 
parts of the tops of the outer leaves suffered. We have not 
had so many spikes as are spoken of elsewhere, and now 
we can only tell a few over forty spikes on the best plant; 
but the healthy looks of the Grass the whole year through 
make up for the difference. I wished to bathe it twice 
a-week with brown stout from the byre, or cowhouse, 
from May to September from the first, but the owner of 
the garden will not allow unsanitary measures in sight 
of the mansion; and now I see the difference, and will 
never recommend a friend to pamper a Pampas Grass 
again. All extra feeding tends to make tenderish plants 
more tender, and more liable to be frost-bitten. 
Now is the right time to look about and select the 
best varieties of Pampas Grass ; there are many degrees 
of fineness among them, and different tints, without adopt¬ 
ing the theory of male and female kinds. After one is 
