THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, February 15, 1859. 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
Day Day 
of 1 of 
M’nth Week. 
FEBRUARY 15-21, 1859. 
Weatheb neae London in 1858. 
Barometer. Thermom. Wind, j^che^ 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon 
R.andS. 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
afterSun 
Day of 
Year. 
15 
To 
Erica rubra calyx. 
29.922—29.874 
40—30 
N.E. I — 
17 af 7 
12 af 5 
25 m 6 
12 
14 
25 
46 
16 
W 
Erica vernalis. 
30.005—29.936 
46—24 
N. — 
15 
7 
14 
5 
53 6 
13 
14 
22 
47 
17 
Th 
Gnidia imberbis. 
30.129—30.096 
45—24 
N.E. — 
13 
7 
15 
5 
rises. 
© 
14 
18 
48 
18 
F 
Hovca purpurea. 
30.103—30.080 
36—22 
N.E. — 
11 
7 
17 
5 
7a 7 
15 
14 
13 
49 
19 
S 
Pimelia decussata. 
30.020-29.934 
I 38—21 
E. i — 
9 
7 
19 
5 
33 8 
16 
14 
7 
50 
20 
Sun 
Septuagesima Sunday. 
30.936—29.820 
1 40—25 
S.E. 1 — 
7 
7 
21 
5 
57 9 
17 
14 
1 
51 
21 
M 
Sun’s declin. 10° 38's. 
29.887—29.883 
| 42—25 
E. — 
5 
7 
23 
5 
20 11 
18 
13 
54 
52 
MF.TEottoT.OGY of THE Week.— At Chiswick, from observations during the last thirty-two years, the average highest and lowest 
temperatures of these days are 45.8° and 81.1°, respectively. The greatest heat, 57°, occurred on the 17th, in 1847 ; and the lowest cold, 2°, 
on the 17th, in 1855. During the period 141 days were fine, and on 83 rain fell. 
GARDENING OPERATIONS FOR THE WEEK. 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Advantage sliould be taken of frosty mornings for 
forking overall ridged and trenched ground and compost 
heaps, both to ameliorate the soil and to destroy grubs, 
and other such vermin. 
Artichokes. —-If the weather continue mild, give 
them their spring dressing. 
Basil and Marjoram. —Sow in pans, or pots, in heat. 
Beans, Broad. —Draw earth to the early-sown crops; 
and, if auy were sown in pots, or boxes, place them 
where they can have an abundance of air night and day, 
to harden them off for planting out in the open ground. 
Cabbage. —Sow Shilling’s British Queen and a pinch 
of Bed Butch , on a warm border. 
Cauliflowers. — Sprinkle a little dry wood ashes, or 
dry sand, amongst them, to absorb moisture; and thin 
out where too thick, as they are very liable to damp off 
at this season. 
Cucumbers. —The present mild weather will permit 
the admission of fresh air daily, which will assist most 
materially to increase the strength of the plants. Close 
the frames early in the afternoon, and let them remain 
shut down until the evening, when a little air may be 
given during the night, with the end of a mat lapped 
over the opening, to allow the air to percolate through it. 
Lettuce. —Treat as advised for Cauliflowers. 
Onions. —Plant out the autumn-sown in a favourable 
situation. 
Parsnips. —Sow the Hollow Crown, in shallow drills 
fifteen inches apart, row from row. They succeed best in 
a deep, rich, and rather strong soil. Manure, if any be 
given, to be applied at the bottom. If time and other 
circumstances permit, we would advise, if the ground have 
been trenched, or deeply dug, to mark out the rows fifteen 
inches apart, and then to make holes with a thick iron 
bar, about fifteen or eighteen inches deep and about nine 
inches apart in the row; the holes to be filled up with 
fine, light soil, and a small pinch of seed sown on the 
top of each hole, and then covered. To be ultimately 
thinned to one plant in each hole, which generally be¬ 
comes a fine, straight, bulky root. 
Peas. —Sow Woodford’s Green Marrow, Flack’s Vic¬ 
tory, or Bedman’s Blue Imperial, for a succession-crop. 
Harden off those sown in pots, or boxes, as advised for 
Broad Beans. 
ERUIT GARDEN. 
Fig Trees. —Prune and train those that require it, 
tying or bending down the strong shoots, to induce them 
to produce a number of short-jointed, bearing shoots. 
Fruit Trees. —The pruning, tying, and training of 
espaliers, and all other fruit trees, should be brought to 
a conclusion. As the buds are now getting in a forward 
state, and, therefore, more liable to injury from frost, it 
is advisable to afford protection to early-blooming and 
trained fruit trees. The method most commonly adopted 
is that of tacking fir boughs over the blossom. 
Grafting. —Where there are inferior sorts of Apples 
and Pears, or too many of one sort, procure scions of 
No. 542. Vol. XXI. 
superior varieties, and keep them with their cut ends in 
damp soil, in a cool situation, until wanted for use in a 
week or two. 
Strawberries. — Clear away dead leaves from the 
plants, and all superfluous runners. 
FLOWER GARDEN. 
Annuals, Hardy. —Sow in circles, where the plants 
are intended to flower. They should be covered lightly, 
and thinned out in time. 
Auriculas. —Remove dead and decaying leaves, and 
give them a top-dressing of fresh compost. As they are 
now getting into more active growth, a gradual increase 
of water may be given. 
Bedding-out Plants.— Make a gentle hotbed, to re¬ 
ceive fresh-potted plants, and to forward such as are 
required to be excited for taking cuttings from. Give 
air, water, &c., and repot all plants that require it. 
Propagate by cuttings Ageratums, Anagallises, Gera- 
' niums, Lobelias, Nierembergias, Petunias, Salvias, and 
| Verbenas. 
Calceolarias. —Pot off all well-rooted cuttings, that 
were put in during the autumn. 
Carnations and Picotees. —The plants in pots to be 
kept clean and rather dry, and the surface of the soil to 
be lightly stirred up. 
Climbers. —Sow seed in heat, or propagate by cuttings, 
Calampelises, Cobceas, Loasas, Lophospermums, Mau- 
randyas, Bhodochiton, Tropceolum Lobbii, or T. Caroline. 
Dahlias. —Continue to strike cuttings in moist heat. 
Gravel Walks.—W eed, sweep, aud roll, in dry, open 
weather. 
Hedges, where wanted, may now be planted, while 
the weather continues favourable, of any sorts required 
for fences, shade, or shelter, of deciduous and evergreen 
kinds. 
Lawns or Grass Edgings. —Any irregularities of the 
surface may now be corrected ; beating it well down 
with a heavy wooden beater, closely and evenly, and then 
rolled. 
Ranunculuses. —Plant, if not already done, as directed 
last week, whenever the soil is sufficiently dry. 
William Keane. 
CYCLAMEN—DODECATHEON—AND 
EEITHRONIUM. 
The earliest and the gayest spring flowers were the 
Cyclamens; and the natural looks of them, and of the 
Dog’s-tooth Violet (Frithronium Bens-canis), and of the 
American Cowslip ( Bodecatheon ), came so near one 
another, that the three kinds might be put upon the 
same footing to advantage for three distinct reasons. 
The first reason is, that some people hardly know yet 
what a Cyclamen is, or is like ; others know less of the 
Dog’s-tooth Violet; and some, who know them both, but 
do not mind about the American Cowslip—or, if they do, 
they can only wonder how the American flower can be 
so different from the English flower of the same name. 
