THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, February 1, 1859. 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
273 
Day Day 
of of 
M’ntfi Week. 
FEBRUARY 1-7, 1859. 
Weather 
Barometer. 
near London in 1858. 
Thermonv Wind. £££ 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon | 
R.andS. 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
aftcrSun 
Day of 
Year. 
1 
r Tu 
Acacia urcinata. 
29.887—29.824 
38—22 
W. 
_ 
40 af 7 
47 af 4 
21 m 7 
28 
13 
51 
32 
2 
W 
Purification. Candlemas Day. 
29.846—29.735 
34—29 
E. 
— 
39 
7 
48 
4 
44 7 
29 
13 
59 
S3 
3 
Tk 
Acacia grandis. 
29.839—29.621 
51—43 
s.w. 
.30 
38 
7 
50 
4 
sets. 
© 
14 
6 
34 
4 
F 
Acacia Drummondi. 
29.764—29.509 
47—27 
s.w. 
.28 
37 
7 
52 
4 
36 af 6 
1 
14 
12 
35 
5 
Is 
Azalea exquisita. 
29.968—29.947 
54—32 
s.w. 
— 
35 
7 
54 
4 
48 7 
2 
14 
17 
36 
G 
Sun 
5 Sunday after Epiphany. 
30.031—29.991 
48—26 
S.E. 
— 
34 
7 
55 
4 
1 9 
3 
14 
21 
37 
7 
M 
Azalea triuinphans. 
29.993—29.904 
45—27 
E. 
32 
7 
57 
4 
16 10 
4 
14 
25 
38 
Meteorology gf tub Week. —At Chiswick, from observations during the last thirty-one years, the average highest and lowest 
temperatures of these days are 44.4* and 32.1°, respectively. The greatest heat, 57*, eccurred on the 3rd, in 1850 ; and the lowest cold, 4°, 
on the 2nd, in 1842. During the period 195 days were fine, and on 101 rain fell. 
GARDENING OPERATIONS FOR THE WEEK. 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Cabbage. —Sow a little Early York, or Early Hope, 
on a warm border, or slope. The old cabbage-ground, 
which has been under sprouts since August, should be 
trenched and well manured, and succeeded by crops of 
Peas and Beans. 
Cauliflowers.— Sow a little in a box, to be placed in 
a gentle heat. Pot singly, in small pots, the plants that 
may require thinning out, and that have stood during 
the winter in cold frames, or under hand-glasses. By 
suoh treatment, they will produce an abundance of healthy 
roots, and can be transplanted to the open ground in due 
season, without causing a check to their growth. 
Cucumbers.— As soon as the plants are turned out, 
thrust a stick into each hill, and examine it frequently : 
if there is any approach to a burning heat, draw as much 
soil from the bottom of the hills, next the turf, as you 
can, without disturbing the plants. Afterwards give the 
centre of the bed a good watering, which will act as a 
temporary preventive of burning, until the heat declines. 
Sow a little more seed, either for a succession crop, or to 
replace those that are turned out, if an accident should 
happen to them. 
Herbs. —Plant, of all hardy sorts. 
Onions. — Sow the White Spanish, or Portugal, in 
boxes, to be placed in a gentle heat, and afterwards trans¬ 
planted in well-manured ground. The same sorts may 
be sown on a warm border, with the probability of the 
weather being favourable for their germination. 
Parsley. —Sow. 
Peas and Beans, that have been sown in boxes, to be 
hardened by degrees in the cold frames, preparatory to 
transplanting. 
Potatoes. — Continue to plant the early sorts in a 
sheltered situation. If they have begun to grow, be 
careful not to break the yoiing shoots, as they are best. 
Breaking them may be avoided by planting sideways, 
instead of upright. 
Refuse stuff. —Allprunings of gooseberries, currants, 
raspberries, and bushes of any kind, and clay, weeds, saw¬ 
dust, or old tan, can be turned into a valuable manure, 
by charring, or roasting, them in a heap. 
Rhubarb. —When it cannot be taken up and placed in 
a warm situation, hand-glasses, placed over it, will protect 
and forward it. 
Stoked Roots. —Examine them, and remove decayed 
ones. 
FRUIT GARDEN. 
Fruit Trees. —Finish planting, pruning, and nailing, 
precedence being given to the more forward kinds. Fork 
up tho soil when trodden down in doing so, and mulch 
newly-planted trees. 
FLOWER GARDEN. 
All alterations should now be carried out without 
delay. Trench up and renew vacant and exhausted beds. 
Annuals (Hardy). —Sow the Californian sorts, in the 
open ground, if wanted early. 
No. 540. Vol. XXI. 
Auriculas. —Sow seed in well-drained pots of light 
soil, regularly over the surface, taking care to separate 
the seeds as much as possible. The seed to be gently 
pressed down—not covered with soil—with the bottom 
of a small garden-pan, which answers the purpose very 
well, and water very lightly through a fine rose. The 
pots should be placed in a cold frame, or under a hand¬ 
glass, and shaded from bright sun, with air occasionally 
in the early part of the day. If properly attended to, 
the seedlings will be up in five or six weeks. 
Azaleas and Rhododendrons. —If it is wished to in¬ 
crease any choice kinds, layer a few branches now, by 
pegging them down. 
Carnations and Picotees. —Give plenty of air, and 
protect them from heavy rains. 
Hardy Climbers.— Prune, nail, and tie up. 
Half-hardy and Tender Annuals. —Sow Thunbergia, 
Schizanthus, Phlox Drummondi, Egg Plant, Cockscomb, 
and other such things, in heat, either in pots, pans, or 
boxes. The depth of soil as a covering should generally 
correspond with the diameter of the seed ; and from such 
it may be inferred, that a very slight sprinkling of soil is 
sufficient. Depth of covering is too frequently the cause 
of seeds not vegetating. 
Pinks. —Stir the surface soil, if hard, and fasten the 
roots, if loose in the ground. 
Pits and Frames. —Examine the stock for bedding, 
and pot off all kinds that are in store pots, if there is heat 
and a proper place to put them in. . 
Roses. —Prune, but omit some, to be done later for late 
blooming, and apply a mulching of manure, or rich 
compost. 
Shrubs. —When the lines of plantations beside the 
walks have assumed a hedge-like form, it is advisable to 
break into them, and to form bold recesses, where space 
will admit of it, which will produce the pleasing effects 
of light, shade, and variety, without intricacy. 
Tulips. —Allow no moisture to lodge on the foliage. 
Protect them from frost, hail, and cutting winds. 
Verbenas should be planted in a gentle heat, after 
potting, until they have made fresh roots, and then to be 
hardened off by degrees. On a sunny afternoon, shut up 
early: this will accelerate growth, when no artificial 
means of heating are employed. William Keane. 
VINE BORDERS, &c. 
Some soils are so happily constituted, that Vines will 
succeed without any particular preparation; but the 
majority are not so. I remember, about twelve or fifteen 
years since, going through the extensive forcing establish¬ 
ment of the late Mr. Wilmot, of Isleworth; and, in the 
course of a long conversation about Vines, he affirmed 
that they then succeeded much better on the native soil 
without any preparation, than on made borders, which he 
at that time entirely repudiated. He showed me a border 
which had been made at a very considerable expense, and 
which had proved unsatisfactory, and pointed with exulta¬ 
tion to some Vines which had been stuck into the natural 
