914 
The Flower Garden. 
While there may not be much doing in the 
flower garden at present, many little jobs 
may be done in houses and sheds in prepara¬ 
tion for the ensuing season. In many 
gardens large and small suitable stakes are 
often scarce just when they are wanted. Now 
is the time to put this matter right. All 
those in use the past summer should be over¬ 
hauled and put in sizes ; rotten ends should 
be cut off and the stakes repointed and 
painted. With this attention it will gene¬ 
rally be found that the number -of new stakes 
to be bought each season is very small, but if 
the whole lot be thrown into some odd comer 
and left till wanted, the loss will be appalling. 
The wire stakes often used for Carnations 
should be tightly tied up in straight bundles, 
because if left lying loosely about they aie 
sure to become twisted in a manner not 
desired. 
Cutting or seed boxes required for spring 
should be gone over now, making repairs 
where necessary, and storing all in a dry 
place away from snow and rain. Flower pots 
also which will be required for potting of 
many bedding plants in early springtime 
should be cleaned and stacked away under 
cover ready for use ; if left exposed to frost 
they will crack and be useless. 
Look over all cuttings now and at intervals 
throughout the winter, removing all dead 
leaves to prevent further decay, and keep all 
on the dry side while dull, cold weather pre¬ 
vails ; towards Christmas or early January 
water may be applied to such as Geraniums, 
but one good watering will last them for a 
week or two. 
During the long evenings of the next six 
Weeks or so it is well to look through any seed 
catalogues available and make notes of seeds 
wanted for sowing early in the year. Notes 
made during the past summer may also be 
revised and plans matured for execution as 
the time arrives. B- IV- J- 
The Kitchen Garden. 
Celery.— The final earthing should now be 
given to the latest plantings, and this will 
require to be done with more care than 
hitherto, as so much depends on its keeping 
qualities as to this, and especially so when 
one has to deal with a stiff, harsh kind of soil. 
To accomplish this successfully three pairs of 
hands should be employed, one on either side 
to break up and add the soil, and the third 
to hold together and press it firmly round the 
growths. This crop generally is in splendid 
condition this year ; the Celery fly, too, has 
been much less in evidence than it has been 
for the last few years. Protecting material 
of some kind or another should be had in 
readiness in case of severe frosts, but this 
should only be added when it is absolutely 
necessary and removed at once whenever the 
weather will -allow, or more harm will accrue 
from this than if left to take its chance. 1 
prefer bracken which has been collected 
during the autumn to anything else I have 
used, but long litter or straw will answer the 
purpose when bracken is not obtainable. It 
tub gardbnino world. 
is always a capital plan at this season of the 
year to get up a good supply and store m sand 
in a place of safety in case of hard weather, 
which means the saving of much labour. 
Tomatos. —Extreme care will now have to 
bo exercised with winter-fruiting plants. 
Maintain a temperature of from 55 degrees to 
60 degrees of heat. The house must not at 
any time be overcharged with moisture. 1 ne 
ventilators should be opened daily, if only a 
little. The soil must be kept on the dry side 
rather than wet, and each flower should be 
properly fertilised every day, as they open 
about the middle of the morning. Any fruits 
which have matured and are yet green on 
plants which have been fruiting away in cool 
houses during the autumn should be cut with 
as long a piece of stalk as possible and hung 
up near tiie glass in a warm house, when they 
will soon colour and ripen satisfactorily. 
Small plants should be nursed along carefully 
on shelves near the glass in the same kind 
of temperature ; unless absolutely necessary, 
it would be unwise to pot them on at this 
season. Now is a capital time to make a 
small sowing of some approved variety in 
heat. Carter’s new Sunrise, which lias been 
so highly spoken of this year, is worthy a 
place in any garden, large or small. Its 
splendid quality and prolific fruiting stamp 
it as one of the finest Tomatos yet raised. 
Sow in a gentle heat small quantities of 
Cauliflower and both Cos and Cabbage Lettuce. 
E. Beckett. 
Aldenham House Gardens, Elstree. 
Fruit Garden. 
Indoors. 
Pot Strawberries.— To gather ripe fruit 
early in March a start must so-on be made, as 
the quieter they are brought on the better the 
results. The first requirement is plants that 
have packed their pots with roots and having 
nice plump crowns, secondly an e-arly variety, 
and thirdly a convenient structure to place 
them in. There are two or three methods, all 
of which are satisfactory if carefully carried 
out, the identical place being a lean-to pit 
that has space for about 3 ft. of freshly-col¬ 
lected leaves from Beech, Oak, or Sweet 
Chestnuts, which would be better thrown into 
a conical heap for ten days or a fortnight and 
turned back once before placing them in fox 
any violent heat to escape. In filling the pit 
make firm by well treading, and bring the fer¬ 
menting bed up to within a foot ox* fifteen 
inches of the sashes, so that when the pots are 
placed in the crowns they are but a few inches 
off the -glass. Some plunge them to the rim, 
but a check is possible when lifting them out 
unless the greatest care be taken. Stand 
them pot thick at the start, and if the pit is 
heated with hot water a little may be turned 
on when frost- threatens, but do not use it 
unless really necessary ; covering with thick 
m-ats is much safer. See that the surface is 
cleaned over and the drainage hole free ; in 
this position very little water will be required 
for some few weeks ; the moisture from the 
leaves is usually enough, but do not let them 
suffer for the want -of it. Afford a little venti- 
December 2, 190t>. 
1-ation on bright days, a night temperature of 
45 degrees to 50 degrees sufficing. Many of 
us rely upon elevated shelves in Yinei'ies and 
Peach houses, the writer included, who 
always makes a point of inti'oducing about 
200 pots when closing the earliest Peach and 
Vine house the second week in December, 
thus forming a succession, those in the 
Vinery ripening nearly three weeks in advance 
of those in the Peachery. Wash the pots of 
these before placing on the shelves. 
Pot Vines. —See that a gentle bottom heat 
is maintained around the pots by adding new 
leaves if found necessary, avoiding much fire 
heat until the -buds expand, husbanding the 
sun heat at 2 p.m. sharp, and syringe the 
rods. Test the soil in the pots each day, 
only applying water when you are convinced 
it is required, which in bright weather is 
oftenei’ than when it is dull or wet. A night 
temperature of 55 degrees will be s-afe figures, 
especially during much frost, which is severe 
at the time of writing. 
Outdoors. 
Apples. —Last week’s calendar deal-t with 
stone fruits ; we now come to the fruit of the 
million, which can be used in a variety of 
ways to meet all tastes. A lengthy list is un- 
advis-able, as so many of them are usable at 
the same time, and, if kept long after their 
season, 1-ose much of their flavour. While 
appending a few of well-known merit, I would 
counsel intending planters to find out for 
thems-elves the varieties that ai'e a success 
locally -and plant accordingly. Devonshire 
Quarrenden, Allin-gton Pippin, King of 
Tompkins County, Cox’s Orange, V, yken and 
St-unner Pippins are all first-rate desseid 
fruit, and extend over a long season. Lord 
Suflield, Ecklinville, Lane’s Prince Albert, 
Beauty of Kent, Blenheim Pippin, Newton 
Wonder, Bramley’s Seedling, Annie Eliza¬ 
beth, and Alfriston are usually a sixccess. 
All crop well here either as standards, espa- 
liers, bushes, or pyramids. The last two 
forms of tree require 12 ft. to 15 ft. space; 
the former would do on the same principle for 
so-me. years, but eventually would inquire 
nearly double that space grown on the Crab. 
The bush form is most suitable for amateurs 
and small gardens. 
Pears.- —The varieties are not so numerous 
as tha-t of Apples, yet enough to give a good 
selection. Many catalogued require warm 
soils as well as warm walls to bring fruit to 
perfection, while others give every satisfac¬ 
tion grown as pyramids, espaliers, and many 
as orchard standards. Here, again, it is 
necessary to curtail the list-, and the follow¬ 
ing ai'e some of the very best desseit varieties 
grown : —Beurre d’Amanlis, Williams’ Bon 
Chretien, Fondant d’Automne, Souvenir du 
Congres, Louise Bonne of Jersey, Beurre 
Hardy; Marie Louise, Doyenne du Cornice, 
Thompson’s, Winter Nellis, Beurre Superfin. 
Glou Moiyeau, Easter Beurre, Josephine de 
Malines, Madame Millet, Olivier des Serres, 
and Passe Crassan-e, the latter only good on 
warm soils. Baking or stewing varieties are 
not numerous, but Catillac, Uvedale’s St. 
Germain, and Vicar of Winkfield are tine 
fruit, and usually bear Well as standards,, 
