THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, October 12, 1858. 17 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
Day 
of 
M’nth 
Day 
of 
Week, 
OCTOBER 12—18, 1858. 
Weather 
Barometer. 
NEAR LONI 
Thermom. 
on in 1857. 
| Rain in 
Wmd - ■ Inches. 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon 
R.andS. 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
afterSun 
Day of 
Year. 
12 
Tv 
Dvinia altissima. 
30.177—30.095 
69—45 
S.W. 
_ 
20 af 6 
13 af 
5 
18 af 7 
5 
13 
26 
285 
13 
w 
Disporum fulvum. 
30.189—30.176 
66—36 
s.w. 
— 
22 
6 
11 
5 
16 8 
6 
13 
41 
286 
14 
Th 
Dumasia pubeseens. 
30.149—30.027 
64—40 
E. 
— 
24 
6 
9 
5 
22 9 
7 
IS 
54 
287 
15 
F 
Dycliia altissima. 
30.016—30.020 
58—50 
N.E. 
_ 
25 
6 
G 
5 
35 19 
3 
14 
8 
288 
16 
S 
Eckeveria coccinea. 
30.012—29.947 
63—40 
E. 
— 
27 
6 
4 
5 
50 11 
9 
14 
21 
289 
17 
Sun 
20 Sunday after Trinity. 
29.897—29.780 
64—44 
S. 
.04 
29 
6 
2 
£ 
morn. 
10 
14 
33 
290 
18 
M 
St. Luke. 
30.048—29.445 
56—50 
E. 
.21 
31 
6 
0 
5 
7 1 
11 
14 
45 
291 
Meteorolooy of the Week.— At Chiswick, from observations during the last thirty-one years, the average highest and lowest 
temperatures of these days are 58.7° and 41.2°, respectively. The greatest heat, 7G J , occurred on the 14th, in 1845 ; and the lowest cold, 24*> 
on the 15th, in 1350. During the period 115 days were fine, and on 102 rain fell. 
GARDENING- OPERATIONS FOR THE WEEK. 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
The advantage of deep trencliing was never more 
perceptible than during the past season. The Asparagus, 
Sea-kale, and Rhubarb, intended for forcing, may be 
taken up, if tbe ground is intended for trenching, and 
put in by tbe Reels in any spare corner, taking care to 
protect the Asparagus crowns with litter. As the weather 
is still most favourable, and as there are few, if any, 
gardens but would be benefited by the operation, we 
would strongly advise a regular system to be adopted, 
until the whole of the garden is thoroughly trenched in 
succession. Whoever lias spare ground, when deeply 
dug, or trenched, should still continue to put out Cole- 
worts and Cabbage Plants; or if any strong plants of 
Savoys, or the varieties of Kale, should be left in the 
seed-beds, get them out as soon as possible. 
Cardoons. —Gather up the leaves carefully, and twist 
a hayband around them when dry; the earth to be 
broken fine, and banked up all round, to their full height, 
and beaten smooth, to throw off the rain. 
Cauliflowers, Lettuce, &c. — Finish planting, or 
securing, in their winter quarters. 
Celery. —Take advantage of the present fine weather 
to earth-up, being careful to keep the leaves together. 
Mushrooms. —The dung, if collected and prepared as 
advised in September, will now be fit for making into 
beds. The general width is from four to five feet at 
bottom, by three or four feet high, sloping from both sides 
and ends, in the form of the ridge of a barn. When the 
foundation is laid with the most littery portion of the dung, 
the rest should be built up, trod firmly during the 
operation, and frequently beaten solid with a three or 
four-tined fork, as success, in a great measure, depends 
upon its solidity. Watch-sticks to be stuck into it, and 
examined daily, until the heat has decreased to a moderate 
and mild degree, when the spawn may be inserted. 
Potatoes.—C ontinue to take up the main crops. 
FRUIT GARDEN. 
The root-pruning of luxuriant fruit trees is recom¬ 
mended, as an excellent system to establish an equi¬ 
librium between root and branch. A trench to be dug 
around the tree,—the distance must be proportioned to 
the size of the tree, and left to the judgment of the 
operator, as the object is to cut off the very large roots 
that supply the gross and over-luxuriant branches with a 
superabundance of sap, without destroying or injuring 
the fibrous and best roots. It would be an advantage 
when planting, and where the soil is poor, to mix with it 
some fresh maiden loam, to promote a healthy and fruit- 
bearing growth. Some progress should now be made in 
the formation of fruit-tree borders, where planting is 
intended. When the bottom is cold and clayey, a stratum, 
or layer, of stones, or bricks, should be firmly imbedded 
there, to prevent the descent of the roots, with drains in 
the front, to prevent a stagnation of water. 
Walnuts. —When gathered and sweated, to be packed 
in dry, unglazed earthen pans, covered with a piece of 
No. 524, Vol. XXI. 
dry canvass, or thick brown paper, and about an inch of 
dry sand over that; to be kept in a moderately dry place, 
and removed to a damper situation for a week or ten days, 
to freshen them ; and to be shaken in a sack, to brighten 
them before they are used. 
FLOWER GARDEN. 
Carnations and Picotees. — The late layers to be 
taken off the stools, and planted out, or potted, imme¬ 
diately. If postponed beyond the end of the month it 
is very probable that they will not be sufficiently esta¬ 
blished in their pots, or in the open ground, to withstand 
the vicissitudes of the winter. 
Composts. —All composts for potting purposes to be 
secured under cover, before the drenching rains, that may 
be shortly expected, will render them unfit for general use. 
Pits and Frames. —Old sashes, that have been stripped 
of their glasses, may be brought into use, by thatching 
them with a straw facing, to cover pits and frames, 
instead of mats. All pit and frame-glass to be washed 
clean, before the dull, dark weather of November sets 
in, for the admission of light,—one of the agents most 
beneficial for healthy vegetation. 
Tulips. —Lose no time in planting the offsets, and any 
of the main roots which do not appear in a healthy 
state. William Keane. 
HAMPTON COURT GARDENS. 
ARRANGEMENT OF COLOURS IN BEDDING. 
This season has been most trying to many good gar¬ 
deners, as much as to those at Hampton Court. I was 
there in July, when the flower-beds were much distressed 
for want of rain, and I put off my visit for the yearly 
report of the place, and progress of flower gardening, 
till the last moment on that account. 
Some kinds of Geraniums stood out well against the 
drought, and Tom Thumb the best. Magnum Ponum is 
not, therefore, as we thought, the best Scarlet Geranium 
for Hampton Court; but whether Punch is better or 
worse than Tom, for this garden, has not been proved, 
as at Kew, where the two had an equal chance, and 
where Punch beat Tom as surpassingly as ever he beat 
poor Judy. 
The Jloribunda variety of Calceolaria intcgrifolia ,— 
the kind which is most used at the Crystal Palace,—has 
done very well here, and better than all the others 
which they tried. Rrillante variegated Geranium was 
as white in the leaves as Flower of the Day, and as rich 
in scarlet bloom as Tom Thumb. It was here that the 
fact of Rrillante being a sport from Tom Thumb was first 
proved. 
There is an excellent plan here of naming every kind 
of plant which is bedded, by which all who can read 
may learn the names ; also, whether the bed be made of 
a species, or a variety, or a sport, according to the common 
meaning of those terms. There are two large beds of 
Lantana crocea, the best telling beds in the garden, after 
the scarlet Geraniums and yellow Calceolaria. The 
