m 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY 
GENTLEMAN, November 29, 
1859. 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
Day Day 
o i of" 
M’uth Week. 
NOVEMBER 29—DECEMBER 5, 
1859. 
Weather 
Barometer. 
sear London in 1858. 
Thermora. Wind. , 111 
Inches. 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon 
Rise3 
and Sets 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
afterSun 
Day of 
Year. 
I 
29 
Tu 
Phyliea pinea. 
20.205—29.103 
52-42 
S. 
.01 
42 af 7 
54 af 3 
24 8 
5 
11 
30 
333 
30 
W 
St, Andrew. 
29.317—29.203 
40—39 
W. 
.02 
44 7 
53 3 
35 9 
6 
11 
15 
334 
i 
Tu 
Andersonia sprengcioidcs. 
29.749—29.033 
50-38 
W. 
.02 
45 7 
52 3 
40 a 10 
i 10 
53 
335 
2 
F 
Acacia armata. 
29.945—29.034 
50-25 
S.W. 
.02 
47 7 
52 3 
56 11 
10 
30 
336 
o 
o 
S 
Acacia junipevina. 
30.097—30.030 
50-43 
S.W. 
.01 
48 7 
52 3 
morn. 
9 
10 
0 
337 
4 
Sun 
2 Sunday in Advent. 
29.948—29.802 
50—35 
S.W. 
.01 
50 7 
51 3 
4 1 
10 
9 
42 
338 
5 
M 
Narcissus. 
30.149—29.905 
50—27 
N.W. 
.00 
51 7 
51 3 
15 2 
11 
1 9 
IS 
339 
Meteorology of the Week. —At Chiswick, from observations during the last thirly-two years, the average highest and lowest 
temperatures of these days are 47.6° and 3.i.2°, respectively. The greatest heat, 02 J , occurred on the 1st, in 1857 ; and the lowest cold, I t 3 , 
on the 30th, in 1850. During the period 114 days were fine, and on 110 rain fell. 
IN-DOOR GARDENING OPERATIONS EOR 
THE WEEK. 
GREEK HOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 
Every endeavour should now be made to keep these 
houses as gay as possible. Fire-heat to be applied occa¬ 
sionally during dull, dark, or rainy weather, taking care 
not to raise the temperature too high—say greenhouse 
from 50° to 55° by day and from 40° to 45° by night; 
conservatory 60° by day and 50° by night. Chrysanthe¬ 
mums to he removed as soon as they get shabby, to be 
succeeded by early Camellias. The Euphorbia jaeqaini- 
jiora is well worthy of attention now; it requires but a 
very moderate allowance of water at this season, as 
the least saturation or interference with the root action 
will cause the leaves to turn yellow while the plant is in 
flower. Poinsettia pulcherrima is also worthy of parti¬ 
cular attention as a noble ornamental flower at thi3 
season. The old Plumbago Capensis and rosea still 
retain their places amongst our best plants at this 
season. Acacias and Cytisuses, being yellow and showy, 
give, with the other flowers, a variety of colours to beau¬ 
tify the whole. Gesnera zebrina should not he forgotten; 
the elegant markings of the leaves contribute to enhance 
the beauty of this beautiful winter flower. 
Heaths. —As fire-heat is generally injurious to this 
tribe of plants it is advisable to he very cautious in its 
application. They can bear a good deal of cold and some 
degrees of frost without sustaining any very serious 
injury ; but they cannot hear the drying influence of 
fire-heat without serious damage to their foliage, and 
which is very frequently death to the plants. They will 
require hut very little water, especially the large speci¬ 
mens, which should be very particularly examined as to 
their state of drynes3 or otherwise, as a guide to the 
application or withholding of water. An abundance of 
air to be given on fine days, to keep the plants from 
growing. 
STOVE AND ORCHID-HOUSE. 
A cautious application of fire-heat to be still observed 
here. The temperature to be kept rather low than other¬ 
wise, for fear of exciting premature growth. A small 
portion of air to be admitted on fine days, to purify the 
atmosphere of the house. Keep the surface of the soil 
in the pots free from weeds, as also from moss and lichen ; 
hut wlieu doing so do not loosen the soil so as to injure 
the roots near the surface. Keep every plant free from 
dead leaves, and all climbing plants neatly tied up. 
The Achimenes, Clerodendrons, Erythrinas, Gloxinias, 
and the various bulbs will now be approaching a state of 
repose, and therefore will require but little or no water. 
To prevent confusion or mistakes it is advisable to place 
them on a shelf, or some other part of the house, by 
themselves. Although dormant, or nearly so, they re¬ 
quire a stove temperature to keep them safe and sound. 
FORCING-HOUSES. 
Asparagus and Sea-kale. —Make up beds as wanted. 
Mushrooms. —Keep a moist atmosphere in the house, 
No. 583.— Vol. XXIII. No. 9. 
and the temperature steadily at or near 00°. A fresh 
bed to be made and spawned every three or four weeks, 
to produce successional crops. 
Pines. —The fruit now swelling will require the tempe¬ 
rature and moisture of the house or pit to be kept up. 
Those intended for the main crop to he kept in a regular 
state, allowing them air at every favourable opportunity, 
with a day temperature from 70° to 75° and from 55° to 
GO° at night. Plants in bloom to receive careful attention. 
Keep the atmosphere dry with a brisk temperature, ad¬ 
mitting a little fresh air at favourable opportunities, to 
prevent them from being injured by damp. When the 
heat is kept up by dung linings, constant watching will 
be necessary to prevent any fluctuation of temperature, 
having materials at hand to assist in case of frost. 
Vines. —Where forcing has commenced attend to the 
breaking of the A T ines by the application of fermenting 
manure inside the house, as advised last week, which will 
be found the best means of keeping the atmosphere 
regularly moist; but if such cannot be used, the wood 
should be syringed frequently, and evaporating-pans, or 
troughs, kept full of water. The roots, if outside, to be 
protected, and afforded a steady, gentle warmth until the 
buds are fairly swelled. As it is advisable to proceed 
very slowly with early Vines, the temperature to range 
from 55° to 60° by day and from 45° to 50° by night, and 
even rather under than over the above scale. Late Grapes 
will require great care to preserve them from damp. Look 
over them frequently, and dry the house by fire during 
the day. William Keane. 
SPERGLLA PILIFERA. 
The adage “ Fortune favours the brave ” is not with¬ 
out exceptions : it only does so very often in the long 
run. It does not follow that a bold stroke for a fortune, 
or for a wife, is sure of success, even at the end of a long 
run; hut this that I am going to tell is as sure as that I 
am telling it. Nothing that ever I undertook to do had 
my whole soul and body in it in a greater degree, or more 
earnestly; and when you hear of the precautions I took 
to ensure success, it will appear as a miracle that Fortune 
should not attend so much diligence, foresight, perse¬ 
verance, and, above all, my patience and practice over 
the experiment. 
It struck me all at once, one day last July, that I 
should be too late with my Coleworts—that others would 
be like me—and that there would he a dearth of them, or 
of plants to make them, in the market. So I resolved 
to gain time; and not only so, but prove a tale of wonder 
in the long run. Went to Kingston, asked for the very 
earliest and best kind of seeds for Coleworts ; at the same 
time telling my tale to Miss Jackson, and making apology 
for not knowing the best kind myself—I never know the 
best of anything in the market till I first hear what the 
dealer has to say about it. Miss Jackson recommended 
Matchless, or else Shilling's Queen, as the best early kind 
of Cabbage-seeds to get the best Coleworts from ; and as 
she has had more practice in supplying the best kinds of 
