THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, January 29, 186L 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
251 
Day 
Day 
JANUARY 29—FEBRUARY 4, 
1861. 
Weather near London in 1860. 
Moon 
Clock 
of 
M’nth 
of 
Week. 
Barometer. 
Thermom. 
Wind. 
Rain in 
Inches. 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Rises 
and Sets 
Moon’s 
Age. 
before 
Sun. 
Day of 
Year. 
- !A1 
29 
Tv 
Protea amplexicaulis. 
29.596-29.493 
deg. d g. 
47—23 
S.W. 
•03 
m. h. 
45 af 7 
m. h. 
42 af 4 
m. h. 
59 a 8 
18 
m. 
13 
s. 
28 
29 
30 
W 
Protea melli era. 
29.250 -28.896 
45-33 
S.W. 
•39 
44 
7 
44 
4 
24 10 
10 
13 
38 
30 
31 
Th 
Isopogon anethifolius. 
29.610—29.421 
42—20 
N. 
— 
42 
7 
45 
4 
50 11 
20 
13 
47 
31 
1 
F 
Mezereon. 
29.770 -29.714 
40-29 
N.W. 
— 
40 
7 
47 
4 
mo L'n. 
21 
13 
55 
32 
2 
S 
Purification'. Candlemas-day. 
30.020—29.916 
39-30 
N. 
— 
39 
7. 
49 
4 
15 
1 
( 
14 
2 
33 
3 
Son 
Sexagesima Sunday. 
30.257—30.186 
40—23 
N. 
•06 
38 
7 
51 
4 
37 
2 
23 
14 
9 
34 
4 
M 
Erica herbacea. 
30.235-30.160 
45-33 
S. 
— 
36 
7 
53 
4 
53 
3 
24 
14 
14 
35 
Meteorology of the Week.— At Chiswick, from observations during the last thirty-four years, the average highest and lowest 
temperatures of these days are 43.8° and 31.1° respectively. The greatest heat, 57°, occurred on the 3rd, in 1850 ; and the lowest cold, 8% 
on the 31st, in 1857. During the period 138 days were fine, and on 100 rain fell. 
WORE ROE THE WEEK. 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Capsicum seeds of the various sorts to be sown in pots, 
and placed in beat. Carrots, make a sowing of Early 
Horn on a slight hotbed, either to succeed the former 
sowing recommended, or to come in for a first crop. 
Where the soil is light and dry, a sowing may be made 
on a south border. Cucumbers, if a seed-bed is made, 
and the dung was previously well prepared, it will be 
ready to receive the seeds after a few days. When the 
rank steam has passed off, a layer of light sifted soil to 
be placed on the surface to the depth of three or four 
inches. Sow the seeds in shallow pans or in pots half 
filled with leaf mould. After sowing lay a piece of glass 
on the top of the pot or pan, to prevent mice getting at 
them. Onions, those who are short of old ones, or who 
wish to grow some to a large size, should now sow some 
of the White Spanish in a box, to be forwarded in heat. 
The Underground or Potato sort to be planted. Peas, 
sow in pots or boxes for planting out in March; also 
sow in the open ground in a dry warm situation. Cut 
and prepare Pea-sticks for use, lay them flatways in heaps, 
and lay some weighty logs upon them to press and keep 
them fiat and spreading. When the weather will permit, 
draw a little earth up to the rows of early Peas, which 
will now be on the move. When cold winds prevail they 
will be benefited by the shelter of a few spruce fir branches 
stuck on the sides. 
ELOWEE GAEDEN. 
Those who have alterations to make in planting and 
groundwork may begin as soon as the frost is out of the 
ground. When planting large shrubs the rakings of 
leaves, so frequently advised to be collected into heaps, 
if mixed with the soil will greatly assist them in making 
a vigorous 3tart. To produce a pleasing variety in the 
general outline of ornamental shrubberies it is necessary 
to look over them every two or three years, to remove 
every hedge-like line, and to form bold recesses where 
space will admit of them. Carnations and Pinks in pots 
to be attended to; remove all damp, and protect them 
from heavy rains. Auriculas and Polyanthuses to be 
kept tolerably dry at this season. Hyacinths may still 
be planted. Plant Ranunculuses and Anemones if the 
ground be in a dry state. If the soil in the bed be in a poor 
condition throw it out to the depth of one foot, place a 
layer six inches thick of well-rotted hotbed and cowdung, 
and fill up the bed with fresh maiden loam from a pasture. 
FRUIT GARDEN. 
Planting against walls and the open quarters may now 
be carried on when the ground is in a proper condition, 
and the weathei favourable. Mulch the newly planted 
trees, and stake at once those requiring it. When 
Filberts are kept dwarf, Kent fashion, which is the best 
system of cultivating them, let all suckers be removed, 
and some manure forked in around the trees ; shorten all 
the strong shoots of last year’s growth, but do not touch 
the smaller ones, as it is from those the nuts are princi¬ 
pally produced. 
No. 64L— Vol. XXY. No. 18. 
STOVE. 
Some of the plants will now begin to grow, such should 
be potted if they require it, and to be then placed in the 
warmest and lightest part of the house. Seeds of stove 
exotics may now be sown : some will require to be placed 
in a hotbed, particularly the seeds of any of the plants 
belonging to the Natural Order Leguminosse ; while others 
will do better in the stove where there is more air, and 
less heat. 
GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 
Pelargoniums intended to succeed the hardwooded 
plants after midsummer will require to be stopped. After 
they have made shoots half an inch long to be potted in 
turfy loam, with a little leaf mould, cowdung, and sand; 
the plants to be rather under than over-potted, to pro¬ 
duce a good head of bloom. Scarlet Pelargoniums for 
vases, baskets, or single specimens, to be shaken out of 
their pots, and repotted into fresh soil, aud to be supplied 
with a gentle bottom heat for a week or two until they 
make fresh roots ; to be then removed to a light airy 
part of the greenhouse, and about the middle of March to 
be shifted into large pots for a splendid supply of bloom. 
Cinerarias, if underpotted, or if they have been standing 
near the heating apparatus during the late severe weather, 
must be sharply looked after before they get infested 
with insects. The old plants of Fuchsias to be shaken 
out of their pots ; reduce the roots, and repot them ; to 
be introduced to a temperature of GO 5 , and when the 
cuttings are an inch long strike them, and grow them as 
rapidly as possible, to attain a good size before they show 
their bloom. 
PITS AND FRAMES. 
Plants from which cuttings are required must be placed 
either in a frame where there is heat, or in the stove, or 
some other warm place; the hotbed to be prepared with 
well-fermented dung, well sweetened. Put in cuttings of 
all half-hardy plants as they can be piwa..od. Look over 
the plants in these structures at every opportunity. Pick 
off all dead and decaying leaves. TV". Keane. 
DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 
The frost continued sharp in the first part of the week, but it 
moderated with slight skiffs of snow towards the end, and we 
had a slight thaw on Sunday, a fine west wind on Monday, a 
clear sky on Monday night, and a clear sky this day (Tuesday, 
the 22nd). In the first part of the week, young Cabbages were 
examined, and as the snow disappeared Laurel twigs were kid 
along the rows that the plants might thaw gradually. A very 
few may lose their growing-points. Most of the largo Savoys 
thus protected will come round nicely. All appearances seem 
to indicate that Peach trees out of doors, and other tender things 
—such as the tenderer Roses, will suffer considerably though 
slightly protected. The out-door work has chiefly been confined 
to rough pruning, wood splitting, pointing Pea-sticks, turning 
heaps of soil, breaking ice in tanks to prevent the walls being 
injured. The mornings and bad weather were taken up in 
whittling and straightening flower-stakes of all sizes and all 
kinds of wood obtainable—Ash aud Hazel being considered the 
