282 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, February 12, 1861. 
n ridges. A few lialf-rotten leaves were added. In moving the 
soil the depth gone to was two fair spits of the spade; but only 
a little of the lower spit was brought to the surface. This deep 
stirring we consider a great means of safety, whether the season 
be wet or dry. In the first place, the extra moisture can easily 
escape; in the second place, the moisture will easily rise from 
capillary attraction, if we do not keep it in the ground by surface 
stirring. To prevent too luxuriant growth, we keep all little 
manurial matter we can give near the surface. 
Filberts have been deprived of all suckers, and pruned to keep 
them open, leaving enough of rather slender twigs. Wall trees 
have been injured with soapsuds. Doing so before a frosty 
night helps to keep clear of vermin. A small piece of last- 
summer Cabbages that in common seasons produce a great 
amount of cuttings, were so injured that the sound were moved 
and the ground marked out for Celery-beds 4 feet wide and 
4 feet between. A spit was thrown out from the beds, and a 
row of Peas sown along the ridge. The kinds being—Sangster’s 
No. 1, Dickson’s Early Favourite (a first-class early Pea), 
Eclipse, and Veitch’s Perfection. Dry soil, mixed with soot and 
lime, was thrown over the Peas. A bed made chiefly with 
leaves for a tbree-liglit box was planted with Early Frame 
Potatoes, sprung an inch or so previously. Dry soil from a 
shed, and riddlings from beneath a potting-beneh being used for 
the purpose, placing the Potatoes in four inches of soil and 
covering with six inches more, and then sowing the surface of 
the bed, between the rows of Potatoes, with Lettuces, Cabbages, 
Cauliflowers, and a few Radishes; most of which will be out 
of the way of the Potatoes before they are fit to gather, or a few 
left between the row9. Plenty of air was given in the fine days 
to Radishes, Carrots, Cauliflowers, bedding plants, and plenty 
of top air especially to Pelargoniums, Camellias, &c., and water 
communicated as required. Cinerarias are kept airy, moist, and 
cool, and showed no vestige of insect. The same as respects 
Calceolarias. Pelargoniums a few degrees warmer. Small plants 
repotted in turfy sandy loam with a little leaf mould. Scarlet 
Geraniums of some size, or new kinds have been shaken out of 
their pots, repotted in smaller, and plunged in a pit, just 
securing a very gentle heat from tree leaves. Some variegated 
kinds have been taken from cutting-boxes, and potted singly in 
small pots, and will get the same advantage as the larger 
Scarlets for two or three weeks, when they must make way for 
others. 
When so much is to be done in little room, I often think that 
hut for the first expense plenty of conveniences would be the 
cheapest in the end, as the labour of such moving and trouble 
would be avoided; but, perhaps, we should just get all the more 
careless. Every man is all the better for his mind and invention 
being kept pretty well on the stretch. The good mechanic’s 
■wife might never have dreamed of breaking the bones of her 
butcher’s meat and making soup of them, if, when out of the 
materials for a dinner, her husband had not advised her to boil 
some stones among certain other ingredients. The washing of 
flint stones led her to think of trying the bones. Many clever 
contrivances are equally the result of the necessities of the cir¬ 
cumstances. This fine weather after the frost storm will fail to 
impart one of its chief lessons, if it does not give many of us a 
twinge of uneasiness for not giving this some, and that more, 
protection ; and, also, for impressing on many the importance 
of a glass covering, when tender fruit trees on the open walls 
are so subject to injury. But for the hints and lessons these 
hard hits give, it would be next to unbearable to look forward 
to the fine days of summer and think how we shall miss many 
an old favourite. No one will sympathise with us when the fine 
weather has come. The breathing of a sigh will at once consign 
us to the company of the morbid and the grumblers. All 
inculcate “keep a good look out a-head.” Regrets can have no 
influence on the past. 
Bulbs, such as Hyacinths, cover with a paper funnel, with a 
small hole at the top if the flower-stems are not rising freely. 
Those in forcing-bed should be set on the surface some days 
before moving to the window or the conservatory. Violets 
keep dry on the surface if in beds, and avoid too much water if 
in pots. Keep Mignonette in bloom free from drip. Fuchsias 
in small pots growing slowly all the winter, repotted and 
placed in Vine-pit at an average temperature of 55° at l ight ; 
potted into small pots cuttings struck late in autumn; rough- 
pruned those taken from flower-beds and kept in a shecl during 
winter; did the same with those growing in pots last sun mer, 
and placed them in the vinery in average of from 50° to 55°, 
in order that they may be induced to break a little before 
repotting; left the bulb in this shed to break more slowly for 
succession. Will not repot these until they have broken from 
half an inch to an inch ; will then, most likely, place them in 
reduced-sized pots at first. Turned up Gloxinias from lying in 
their pots on their broad sides that they might imbibe a little 
moisture; ditto with Achimenes, as I do not want either very 
early. Sowed a few more Cucumbers and also Melons, in an 
average temperature at night of from 60° to 65°. Sowed also a 
little dwarf Celery seed in a mild heat, of a stubby white sort. 
It is smaller than the old flat-stemmed Siberian, exceedingly 
sweet, crisp, and hardy. I am not sure what exact name it 
goes by; but I find a plant 15 inches high will have more fit 
for table than giant kinds of three times the size. The Tines in a 
pit some 65 feet wide have had the shoots twisted to make them 
break regularly, as there seemed to be a tendency of the strength 
of the plants finding an outlet at the extremities. A small 
vinery with buds slightly beginning to move, filled to overflow¬ 
ing with potted Geraniums, &c., temperature from 50° to 55°. 
Peach-house with blossoms beginning to open, average at night 
from 50° to 55°, with from 10° to 20° rise from sunshine. Black 
Prince Strawberries setting and the flowers dusted in fine days. 
The same will be done with Peaches, using a fine feather or a 
camel-hair brush for the purpose. Thinned flower-beds when 
very thick. Dahlias that were scarce have been put into a slight 
heat. The main stock will remain in their shed some time 
longer, as few things are more injured from being knocked 
about than Dahlias, if kept in pots very long, or browned, or 
stunted, before planting. Fine healthy plants, if small, will 
beat them. For the main supply, the floor of a vinery, shut up 
: in the middle of February or March, is as good a place as any; 
and where numbers are not wanted, dividing the roots so as to 
have a healthy shoot to each piece, is one of the best plans for 
securing fine growth and abundant bloom at little trouble. No 
chance has been lost in putting in cuttings of bedding plants as 
they could be obtained. Verbenas in pots have a frequent skiff 
from the syringe to keep them clean. Azaleas and other hard- 
wooded plants must not suffer from dryness now. 
Various reasons besides the frost storm prevented us getting 
up many tree leaves—our great stay for fermenting-heaps ; but 
these fine, dry days will enable us to get them together in good 
condition, and when dry they do not cost half so much for 
carting as when wet, and then they do so much better and 
longer service. I make it a point at this season to give our 
little woods a wide lerth. They have not only their own thick 
layer of leaves, but that is increased by what blows from the 
open park, and where at best they are comparatively thin. But 
then the quiet scratching of a rake might scare a rabbit, a hare, 
or even a pheasant! I have no love for the philosophy of the 
fox, which stigmatised the good things he could not get. I would 
avoid the cankering feelings of envious covetousness by simply 
turning my head the other way. Many a gardener frets out the 
happiness of his existence, because his employer cannot be 
induced to look upon a heap of tree leaves, and many a heap 
besides, with interest as he does. No servant can do the best he 
can, if interfered with by other servants. I can just believe it 
possible, that a gamekeeper may feel his nervous system as 
much deranged by a gardener starting a rabbit in one of his 
preserves, as the gardener would be annoyed when pheasants 
and hares left bare tracks behind them in his kitchen garden_ 
R. F. 
Packing Apples in Leaves.— A few years ago Mr. 
J. W. Coynton, of East Hartford, while gathering up the leaves 
under an Apple tree in the spring observed beneath them a fresh, 
unfrozen Apple. It suggested at once that dry leaves would 
answer well as packing material for fruit, and the next fall and 
every season since he lias used them for this purpose. We saw 
a few days ago some specimens thus preserved, seemingly as fresh 
and piquant in flavour as when first gathered. Yet lie assured 
us they were varieties that would have decayed months ago 
unprotected. His plan is to pick the Apples carefully at the 
proper time, but not to pack them until the forest leaves are 
perfectly dry, and the weather quite cool. Then the Apples and 
leaves are packed in alternate layers, and the last layer of leaves 
crowded in as close as possible by placing any convenient weight 
on the cover of the barrel. The leaves are of such elasticity that 
the whole may be compressed so tightly as to prevent the shuck¬ 
ing, &c., and yet not bruise the Apples in the slightest degree. 
