THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, December 27, 1859. 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
187 
Weather near London in 1858. I 
_ __ ! Moon 
of of 
Yl’nth Week. 
DECEMBER 27, 1859.—JANUARY, 
2, I860. 
Barometer. 
Thermom. 
Wind ' Inched. 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Rises 
and Sets 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
bof. Sun 
Day of 
Year. 
27 
Tu 
St. John thf. Evangelist. 
29.424—29.353 
44-37 
W. .05 
8 af 8 
54 af 3 
19 7 
3 
1 
11 
361 
28 
W 
Innocents. 
29.707—29.G30 
44—28 
W. -02 
8 
8 
55 3 
30 8 
4 
1 
41 
362 
29 
Tn 
Lobelia erinus maxima. 
30.047—29.825 
43-24 
N.W. — 
9 
8 
56 3 
40 9 
5 
2 
10 
363 
30 
F 
Linum monogynum. 
30.124—30.049 
40—39 
W. .01 
9 
8 
57 3 
49 10 
6 
2 
39 
364 
31 
S 
Maurandya Barclavana. 
30.182—30.134 
42-40 
N.E. .01 
9 
8 
53 3 
58 11 
7 
3 
8 
305 
1 
Sun 
1 Sunday after Christmas. 
30.404—30.331 
43—30 
N.E. .03 
9 
8 
IV 
morn. 
8 
3 
37 
1 
2 
— 
M 
Primula vulgaris [Circumcision. 
30.566—30.554 
39—29 
9 
8 
0 4 
10 1 
9 
4 
5 
2 
Meteorology of the Week.— At Chiswick, from observations during the last thirty-two years, the average highest and lowest 
| temperatures of these days are 43’and 31.2 D , respectively. The greatest heat, 58°, occurred on the 28th, in 1855 ; and the lowest cold, 4°, 
on the 2nd, in 1851. During the period 150 days were fine, and on 74 rain fell. 
IN-DOOR GARDENING OPERATIONS EOR 
THE WEEK. 
GREENHOUSE AND CONSERVATORY. 
Now that we have winterly weather set in with some 
rigour it is advisable to be cautious in the application of 
heat, more especially at night. Erom 45° by night to 
50° by day will be sufficient for the conservatory, and 40° 
for the mixed greenhouse. To give a pleasing variety to 
the appearance of these houses it is advisable to re¬ 
arrange the plants occasionally ; those going out of flower 
to be removed, and a fresh supply introduced from the 
forcing-pit. All plants in these and other departments 
to be regularly looked over, removing the dead leaves 
and tying in straggling branches. The surface soil to be 
stirred a little, and some fresh added. As all compost- 
heaps are benefited by exposure to frosts, it is advisable 
to turn over the caked or frozen surface every morning, 
until the whole is turned over and penetrated by the 
frost, by which grubs and all such kinds of vermin are 
destroyed, and the soil considerably ameliorated. 
STOVE AND ORCHID-HOUSE. 
As it would be improper to attempt to maintain the 
same degree of heat in any structure, when the external 
temperature is below the freezing-point; as may be per¬ 
mitted if it were 10° or 15° above freezing, we would 
advise from 50° by night to C0° by day, for the stove and 
Orchid-house. As many plants, especially Orchids, suffer 
from drip at this season, a careful look-out should be 
kept, and either the cause remedied or the plants removed. 
The decoration of the hothouse would now depend in a 
great measure upon Begonias, Euphorbias, Luculias, &c. 
(Such plants should be carefully tied up and placed in 
the most conspicuous situations, or some of them may be 
removed to the conservatory so as to prolong their season 
of blooming. 
FORCING-nOUSES. 
Cucumbers. —No diminution of heat to be allowed 
after the plants are ridged out and in action. 
Peaches. —Continue the treatment as lately advised 
for the early houses. The trees in the late houses to 
receive whatever pruning is necessary, and to be cleansed 
of every particle of scale, and afterwards washed with a 
composition of soft soap and sulphur. All bast ties and 
insect-haunts to be carefully removed. 
Pines —During the continuance of the present severe 
weather, dry fern, straw, &c., will be necessary, in ad¬ 
dition to mats; such coverings will be of more service 
than maintaining strong fires to keep up the temperature. 
When a supply of fruit is required throughout the year, 
it is sometimes necessary, at this season, to subject some 
of the plants to a high temperature to start them into 
fruit. A few of such as are most likely to fruit soon, to 
be put into a pit, or house, by themselves, where a tem¬ 
perature of from 60° to 65° by night, and from 70° to 75° 
by day, with about 80° of bottom heat, will be the most 
certain treatment for starting them into fruit. The other 
plants can then be supplied with a moderate temperature 
No. 587.—You. XXIII. No. 13. 
until the beginning of February; by such treatment a 
succession of fruit will be prolonged. Do not suffer the 
linings of dung-beds to decline, keep up, if possible, a 
temperature of 50° at night, and 60° by day, with a little 
air at every favourable opportunity. 
Raspberries. —When a few early dishes would be 
considered a treat, if some canes are taken up and planted 
in any vacant spot in the Peach-house, they will be found 
to bear fruit abundantly with common care. It is a 
more certain method of obtaining fruit than by potting 
them. 
Vines. —Increase the temperature slightly when the 
buds are beginning to swell, or are starting a little. The 
syringe to be freely used to maintain a liberal supply of at¬ 
mospheric moisture, with a sufficient interval to allow the 
stems to become rather dry. The fermenting material in 
the house to be stirred up occasionally. This fermenting 
material should, if possible, consist of a large proportion 
of leaves mixed with the dung, to prevent the steam from 
the latter discolouring the rafters and sashes ; and if the 
vapour is likely to be too strong, a thin covering of saw¬ 
dust or old tan will prevent any injurious effects. If 
the roots are outside the house, and had been covered 
before the commencement of frost, as advised, some more 
dung and leaves should be added to keep up a genial heat 
in the border, the good effects of which will be soon 
evident in the progress of the Vines inside. When the 
Grapes are all cut in the late houses, the Vines to be 
pruned immediately, and the cuts to be covered with 
white lead. William Keane. 
RAISING TRITOMA UVARIA EROM SEED. 
How strange that, after dealing so largely in the article 
Tritoma for the last year or two, we should, all have over¬ 
looked the most essential part of the business at the last; 
but it will be seen, from the different items which I have 
to add to the Christmas bill, that many more of us 
besides D. Beaton have been nodding this time. 
Seeds of Tritoma uvaria have been advertised in The 
Cottage Gardener at Is. the packet, 2s. 6d. a larger 
packet, and 5s. for the largest sowing of it, and yet, both 
the Scotch and Yorkshiremenare, and have been, as much 
off the scent as the rest of us. I thought I was York¬ 
shire enough to have my eyes open in our own shop at 
all events, and that I could tell the private mark and 
market value of every article on our shelves ; also, that I 
could price it according to the styles of the customers, 
and that I was canny enough not to be taken in in a hard 
bargain. But seeds of Tritoma uvaria were advertised in 
these columns on November 8th, and no one seems to have 
been the wiser. There is no schooling, therefore, like 
experience ; and ours goes to show that it is really of little 
or no practical value to advertise anything once or twice, 
unless one has something good to give away, or wants a 
wife, wdio would be sure to scratch his head as bare as a 
pole in three weeks. Any other article for the market 
must be advertised, at least, seven times running, or not at 
all. There is no figure in enumeration more often referred 
