THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, November 30, 1858. 
133 
winter. No, if you wished merely to preserve your 
f ilants in winter, at the least trouble, and just to be fit 
or use in May, and breaking but little until the days 
lengthened in April and March. To secure these objects, 
we should not care about getting fresh shoots protruded 
from the bare leafless stems now, but would rather give 
plenty of air—instead of shutting close—to prevent it; 
as the more growth that takes place before the dark days, 
the greater will be the trouble to keep that growth 
healthy, and going on through the winter. A frost that 
would easily injure these young growths—and through 
them the whole system of the plant—will have no effect 
on the dry stems of the plants deprived of all their leaves. 
Of course, a severe frost, not kept out, would destroy 
these stems, and their roots too ; but a few degrees would 
not hurt them, like succulent young shoots. Hence, the 
great secret of preserving old Scarlet Geraniums easily, 
in cellars, or haylofts, is, to remove the whole of the 
foliage, and the softest points of the plants, as those 
parts which perspire most freely ; and then, if the roots 
are moderately moist, the stems will absorb about as 
much as they perspire; and, if the place is cool enough, 
and dry enough, fresh growth will not be induced until 
the sun heats all our places in spring. Before that, light 
is no object of great importance. Whenever the young 
shoots begin to break, light must be given, or we obtain 
diseased and spindling growth. When, as in this case, a 
glass covering is provided, and a little extra care is not 
thought of much consequence,—provided nearly all the 
leaves are removed, the points of the smaller plants 
might be left, as that would carry on the growing 
process, and there would be less danger of damping at 
the cut parts. When such soft point parts are left, the 
frost must be more rigidly excluded. When these plants 
are to be kept by any of these methods, it is desirable to 
take them up before the frost injures them ; for when the 
stems are much affected at the points, the harder part 
always keeps the worse for it. 
Window Gardening. —The windows should now be 
well cleaned. Pots of Geraniums, Primulas, Chrysan¬ 
themums, Cyclamens, Boses, Bulbs, &c., scrupulously 
scrubbed, and fresh surfaced with new soil. Water given 
according to the requirements of the plant, with little or 
none left remaining in the pans. Air given at all favour¬ 
able opportunities. In close, cold weather, neutralise the 
dry aii’ from the fire in the room, by frequent sprinklings 
over the foliage. To give room, remove Myrtles to any 
place, where the frost will not be severe, and where there 
will still be a fair portion of light. Salvias, Fuchsias, &c., 
may be placed anywhere, free from frost and much 
moisture, and will need no light until fresh budding in 
spring. Aptness and contrivance will here do wonders. 
Without them all instructions will be unavailing. Pot 
gardening has conferred much happiness, but much more 
would be realised by our window and small gardeners— 
aye, and by all of us, could we be more apt, and banish 
the word cannot altogether from our vocabulary. I 
cannot do this, and I cannot find time for that, meet the 
men of progress at every turn. But— 
“ He can who thinks he can,”—self-confidence 
And self-reliance are twin and kin. 
Possessed of these, 
All things are possible; few difficult. 
Leave “can’t” for children, “try” ’s the word for men. 
B. Fish. 
FOBCING POTATOES FOB EABLY USE. 
Last week I described the mode whereby Potatoes, 
having some of the properties of young ones, might be 
had in the open ground during the winter, and, in fact, 
during a great part of the year, if thought well to try it 
so. I now endeavour to point out how young ones 
have all the characteristics of ordinary out-door grown 
ones of early summer, but at a period when many things 
more hardy than the Potatoe are unable to bear the cold; 
and as the article thus produced has more claim to the 
title of young Potatoes, both in the matter of growth and 
taste and appearance at table, it is accordingly awarded a 
higher place there. In fact, young Potatoes, like the 
first lamb of the season, or any other early and unaccus¬ 
tomed article, are generally welcomed by all, as the fore¬ 
runners of greater plenty in that way, and, it may be, 
the harbingers of finer weather, and other interesting 
things. As the means necessary to obtain this general 
favourite are far from costly, it is not necessary to pre¬ 
face the mode in which it is clone, any further than 
by saying, the means are generally in most people’s 
hands, who have a spare frame and a heap of leaves. 
Let us suppose a heap of tree leaves, collected together 
in the autumn to some well sheltered place, where the 
sun has free access in the whole of his range during 
winter. This heap, being composed of leaves of various 
kinds, generally yields a little mild heat, of an uniform 
and lasting kind. Let a box-frame, of the size required, 
be placed on the top of such leaves, its face sloping to the 
south ; inside of the frame put some fine mould, if fresh 
and moderately dry so much the better ; and in this plant 
the earliest and most useful short-topped kind of Potatoe 
that does well in that neighbourhood. Generally speak¬ 
ing, they are planted much closer in such places than in 
the open ground: rows eighteen inches apart, and the 
sets about eight inches from each other, is, however, 
quite close enough for all useful purposes. Kidneys of 
the Ash-leaved variety are often planted; but sometimes 
round ones do pretty well. The great thing is, to have a 
kind not addicted to run too much to useless top, and one 
that is esteemed by the family requiring it. About the 
ordinary amount of covering will do,—say, six inches of 
soil underneath the set, and somewhat less than that 
depth above it: of course, the lights must be at once put on, 
and every precaution taken to keep out frost at all times. 
The time most proper to put in such a crop depends on 
the means at hand. Generally, leaves are collected at 
the end of November : they heat very quickly, and may 
be planted on at once. As the Potatoes intended to 
plant are supposed to have been growing on some fa¬ 
voured early spot the past summer, and to have ripened 
and matured early in the season, by the end of October 
many such Potatoes will begin to shoot and show strong 
signs of a wish to be planted. Being planted, then, a 
few days after the earth has been put in the frame, and 
got a little warm, they will require but little care for 
some time, except to keep the frost away from them. For 
this purpose, covering up thickly with straw, or some 
other covering, will be necessary in very frosty weather, 
in the daytime as well as at night. But let them have all 
the light they can at other times; only, after the confine¬ 
ment of a week, or more, admit the light sparingly at 
first; and by degrees admit the air also, as the blanched 
and delicate character of the top prevents its enduring 
any chilly blasts at this time. 
Where leaves are not to be had, tan may sometimes be 
used with advantage; but the uncertainty of this article 
heating has of late years driven it much out of the forc¬ 
ing department. It is, however, a more compact article; 
and, being more in the manufacturing way, it is generally 
more easily obtained near a town than leaves ; and, if it 
heats gently, it will do very well. The remarks made in 
the former case, relative to planting, covering up, &c., 
are also applicable to this. One thing, however, it is 
proper to observe, that, although the best material 
generally produces the best result, in this case the best 
frames need not be planted with Potatoes, if other things 
be also wanted; as old or defective ones, with any hole 
or imperfection, stopped up in some homely way, are good .. 
enough for Potatoes. But there ought to be a fair pro 
portion of glass surface, for light; and cold rain and 
melted snow ought never to find their way inside. 
Although the progress of the Potatoe during the dull, 
cold days of winter is very slow, it is, nevertheless, in a 
