THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLlfMAN, October 5, 1858. 
1 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
Day 
of 
Day 
of 
Weather near London in 1857. 
OCTOBER 5—11, 1858. 
Barometer. 
Thermo. 
Wind. 
Bain in 
Inches. 
Sun 
Sun 
Moon 
Moon’s 
Clock 
Day of 
Mth 
Week. 
Rises. 
Sets. 
R.andS. 
Age. 
afterSun 
Year. 
5 
Tu 
Balsamina latifolia alba. 
29.670—29.659 
65—34 
S.W. 
.08 
9 af 6 
28 af 5 
2 af 4 
28 
11 
32 
278 
6 
W 
Balsams. 
29.732—29.688 
60—32 
8.W. 
— 
10 
6 
26 5 
22 
5 
29 
11 
50 
279 
7 
To 
Bauera latifolia. 
29.415—29.077 
64—48 
S.E. 
.32 
12 
6 
24 5 
sets 
© 
12 
7 
280 
8 
F 
Blandfordia intermedia. 
29.103—28.781 
63—41 
s. 
.55 
14 
6 
22 5 
21 
5 
1 
12 
24 
281 
9 
s 
Browallias. 
29.553—29.248 
55—40 
W. 
.04 
15 
6 
20 5 
39 
5 
2 
12 
40 
282 
10 
Sun 
19 Sunday after Trinity. 
29.833—29.716 
64—46 
w. 
.20 
17 
6 
17 5 
3 
6 
3 
12 
56 
283 
11 
M 
Calceolarias. 
30.050—29.820 
68—54 
S.W. 
.02 
19 
6 
15 5 
35 
6 
4 
13 
11 
284 
Meteorology of the Week.— At Chiswick, from observations during the last thirty-one years, the average highest and lowest 
temperatures of these days are 69.3° and 43.0°, respectively. The greatest heat, 80 J , occurred on the 5th, in 1834 ; and the lowest cold, 
28’, on the 9th, in 1849. During the period 109 days were fine, and on 108 rain fell. 
GARDENING OPERATIONS FOR THE WEEK. 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Cleae off all crops that are done with, and get the 
ground manured, dug, and planted, or ridged up, if 
heavy, to expose it to the pulverising influence of the 
winter. 
Asparagus. —If the tops are decayed, cut them close 
to the ground; the beds to be then cleaned, and 
covered, about three inches deep, with rotten dung 
or leaves. The alleys to be left untouched, as a great 
portion of the roots of the Asparagus extend to them, 
and would be destroyed by digging. 
Broccoli. — To check luxuriant growth, which 
renders the plants most susceptible of injury from 
frost, it is advisable to dig them up, and to lay 
them in by their heels ; that is, in trenches, in nearly 
a horizontal position, covering the root and stem up 
to the leaves. 
Cabbage. —Plant out the main spring crop as soon 
as possible; and such as were planted in August for 
Coleworts, to be eartlied-up. finish pricking out the 
August sowing into beds. 
Endive. — Blanch a few full-grown plauts every 
week, and plant the last crop on a warm, dry, south 
border, or on a raised bank. 
Rhubarb. — Clear away the decayed leaves, and 
dress with a little good soil such plants as are intended 
for early forcing. 
Sea-kale. — Gather seed when ripe; and, where 
early forcing is intended, it is advisable to clear away 
the leaves as soon as they begin to decay. 
Turnips. —Thin the late sowing cautiously, as they 
will not require so much space apart as the spring and 
summer sowings. 
FLOWER GARDEN. 
No time should be lost in taking up all choice plants 
that are worthy of preservation, and of housing the 
plants which have been placed during the summer out 
of doors. Every pot to be examined, and if any of the 
plants are water-bound, or the soil in which they are 
growing is too heavy, or wet, they must be turned out, 
and the drainage corrected, or they must be fresh potted, 
if necessary. The casts on the surface of the soil will 
indicate the presence of worms, which are generally 
found when the ball is carefully turned out of the pot; 
but, if they should not be visible, a stick placed in the 
pot will direct attention to its frequent examination 
until they are picked out. 
Anemones. —Plant. Select fresh, plump roots of 
moderate size, in preference to large, overgrown ones, 
that are generally hollow in the centre, and often 
decayed. The preparation of the bed, and the dis¬ 
tance between the roots, to be the same as recom¬ 
mended for Ranunculuses. 
Bulbous Roots. — Plant without delay all the 
hardy sorts, such as Hyacinths, Jonquills, Narcissuses, 
Gladioluses, Crocuses, Snowdrops, Crown Imperials, 
No. 523. Vol. XXI. 
Fritillarias, Winter Aconites, bulbous and tuberous 
Irises, &c., in beds and borders. 
Dahlias. — Earth well above the crowns, that a 
sudden frost may not injure them. 
Polyanthuses. —Plant, and increase by carefully 
dividing the roots. 
Ranunculuses.- —Plant. The scarlet-turbaned is 
the most hardy, and produces a brilliant effect. The 
bed to be dug from eighteen inches to two feet deep, 
when a portion of rotten horsedung,or cowdung, should 
be mixed with the soil. The surface of the bed to be 
raked perfectly even and flat, and the roots planted, 
with their claws downwards, in shallow trenches, about 
I two inches deep, and from three to four inches apart. 
Having previously sprinkled some sand in the bottom 
of the trench, cover the roots with th.e same soil that 
was taken out, so that they may be as nearly as 
possible one inch and a half deep ; for, if more or less, 
a second root is formed, and a weakened growth, or 
bloom, is the result. 
Roses. —Use the knife, to produce a regular form, 
by removing dead wood and suckers, and by shorten¬ 
ing all stragglers or gross shoots. As a few fine 
flowers are preferable to a greater number of indifferent 
ones, it is advisable, at this tune, to reduce the num¬ 
ber of shoots, that the energies of the plant may be 
more concentrated for a future and better display. 
Tulips. —Plant offsets, and prepare the best beds, 
by frequently turning in dry weather, for planting 
about the end of the month. 
Advantage may be taken of favourable weather, to 
remove deciduous and evergreen trees aud shrubs, to 
make improvements in gardens and plantations, and 
to lay down turf or lawns. William Iauane. 
KEW GARDENS.— August 30, 1858. 
{Continued from page 859, Vol. XX.) 
The terrace, or Italian garden, in front of the large 
conservatory, is the best specimen of scientific group¬ 
ing I know of near London. There is a large middle 
or centre bed, from which the rest are worked in. This 
is planted with the variegated Mint and with Flower 
of the Fay Geranium,—the two best plants in England 
for the centre of such a group. The four corners, or 
end corners, the farthest from the centre, are in scarlet 
Geraniums. One must be wide awake to catch these 
four beds at one glance, from opposite the centre, and 
the effort to compass the strongest colour of the group 
in one view causes a deception of size. The size ap¬ 
pears, by the effort, to be much larger than it really is 
by measurement. The next four beds, on the outside 
and nearer the centre, are of Calceolaria amplexicaulis, 
which seem to soften the scarlet in the distance; and 
from the yellow the colours decrease in effect towards 
the centre, on the cross line through the centre of the 
group, and on the perpendicular section, along the 
middle, from end to end. But, instead of saying 
