December 7, 1907. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
773 
The Flower Garden. 
At this time of the year it is somewhat 
difficult to keep going in the garden. We 
have not all got tree-lopping or other such 
heavy work to do. When winter has fairly 
gripped things, and nothing .remains in the 
garden but sundry bits 1 of rubbish, the small 
amateur is sorely tempted to let things go 
until the coming of the cuckoo warns him 
that it is time to think about gardening 
again. Of course, no reader of the “ G.W.” 
would think of adopting such a plan, but all 
the same the temptation is very great, especi¬ 
ally when there is a bright fire indoors. 
Gardening; in Winter. 
Generally speaking, men who work, or 
have business to attend to, find it impossible 
to cope with outdoor gardening during the 
short days. Great numbers never see their 
gardens by daylight except on Sundays. 
Nevertheless the garden is not forgotten. 
The goodwife pays periodical visits to the 
kitchen garden, while she also stokes the 
boiler fire, if there is a little greenhouse. 
In the meantime her noble lord draws up 
plans for the future, peruses catalogues and 
gardening books till he is steeped in gar¬ 
dening lore. If he is lion-hearted, he ven¬ 
tures forth on a bright moonlit night and 
puts in an hour or so at digging. The man 
who has Saturday afternoons is a fortunate 
individual, for he is better able to deal with 
any little job that may crop up. 
It is hardly necessary for me to say any¬ 
thing further on digging or trenching, for 
much has already been written on the sub¬ 
ject. 
Trimming Climbers. 
It is advisable to trim up hardy climbers, 
as they all, with the exception of the self- 
clinging sorts, have a tendency to become 
straggliing. The common Virginian Creeper 
; has a way of smothering window frames with 
its long, drooping shoots, and when this vine 
is growing on a house, I think it advisable 
to cut it back with the shears annually. Other 
! climbers that are carrying loose, straggling 
I growth should also be trimmed up. Where 
space is available many such growths may 
be nailed in. 
Feeding Wall Plants. 
Many people are apt to forget that wall 
plants need good feeding. A good coat of 
manure spread around the roots and forked 
in will greatly benefit the plants. Some pre¬ 
fer to stir up the soil first and lay on the 
manure as a mulch. Personally I do not 
consider manure mulches at all tidy, and I 
have always found birds a great nuisance. 
Protecting Tender Shrubs. 
The general run of gardens contain very 
few really tender shrubs, and I have never 
found it necessary to protect any save the 
shrubby Fuchsias. Even these do not get 
killed by hard frost, but it is safer to pro¬ 
tect them if they are expected to reach full 
size. I have found the Eucalyptus hardy, 
or at least It has lived through severe win¬ 
ters unprotected, but the chances are that 
a fter this tree has run up 8 feet or more a 
frost will kill it. In some parts of the 
United States it is a general custom to par¬ 
tially lift the^ more tender shrubs, so that 
they can be laid flat and protected by straw 
and earth. Climbing Roses are also treated 
in the same way. 
Violets in Frames. 
The dry weather of late has proved bene¬ 
ficial to the occupants of frames, and I can 
record very little loss. Violets are doing 
splendidly, and the lights 1 have been off 
practically every day. Keep all decaying 
leaves picked off, and I need hardly say all 
open flowers. The soil between the plants 
should be stirred up at intervals. Sprinkle 
a little soot over the surface at such times. 
Such treatment prevents the growth of moss, 
which will very quickly upset the health 
of the plants if allowed to remain. 
Christmas Roses. 
Christmas Roses are full of fat buds now, 
and it is always advisable to cover the plants 
with a hand-light, especially in dirty 
weather. Never allow decaying foliage to 
remain near the plants, as it may bring about 
the spot disease. So far as I am aware, 
there is no cure for this disease, which gene¬ 
rally spoils every flower. 
Planting Trees and Shrubs. 
Unless severe or wet weather prevents the 
work, such shrubs as Euonymuses, Laurels, 
Privets, Thorns, etc., may still be planted. 
Various trees, such as Poplars, Pines, Pru- 
nus, Laburnum, etc. will do well if planted 
now. Never plant standard trees too closely, 
unless it is intended to remove intermediate 
ones later on. It is the height of folly to 
plant Pines and Larch about four feet apart, 
and expect ornamental trees. 
Manuring Lawns. 
How many people ever think of manuring 
their lawns ? They mow and mow, taking 
away the clippings, and never think of giving 
something in return. If some well-rotted 
manure is scattered on the grass and fre¬ 
quently brushed and raked about during the 
winter, the greater part of it will have 
vanished before mowing time comes again. 
Never mind if it looks ugly in the mean¬ 
time. 
The Fruit Garden. 
Filberts. 
Nuts are not cultivated in small gardens 
to any extent, but a Filbert tree might well 
be given room. They take up but a small 
amount of space. In pruning Filberts, keep 
the bushes well open in the centres. The 
nuts are usually carried on the small twiggy 
growths. Wild-looking, unspurred growths 
should not be encouraged. 
Manuring Fruit Trees. 
Continue to give old established fruit trees 
good soakkugs with liquid manure. More 
especially does this apply to wall trees which- 
rarely get sufficient moisture during the 
growing season. 
Bush Fruits. 
Do not hesitate to pile on manure where 
bush fruits, such as Currants, Gooseberries, 
and Loganberries are growing. 
Pruning. 
While mild weather is the order of the day 
pruning may be pushed on with. Go care¬ 
fully with the work, for practically every 
fruit and every variety requires different 
handling. There is no hard and fast rule, 
and cannot be any. Weak, dead and dying 
wood should always be removed, however, 
while interlacing growths should also be 
cut out. Do not prune newly planted trees. 
The Kitchen Garden. 
Work here, as in other departments, is 
slack. Digging and manure carting are the 
chief items, and when it is possible, get the 
manure on the ground when it is frost-bound. 
There is a vast difference between pushing a 
barrow over soft and hard land. 
Clearing-up. 
Clear up all rubbish that remains stand¬ 
ing. Dead foliage round about the winter 
greens is by no means ornamental. Do not 
get amongst the greens in early morning, 
however, unless you are wearing top-boots. 
Horseradish. 
Horseradish should be lifted, in order to 
get the young thongs, if a new plantation is 
to be made. Plant the thongs straight away. 
Seakale. 
Seakale thongs should be kept moist by 
laying under ground. More old roots may 
be lifted if wanted for forcing indoors. 
Broccoli. 
Keep an eye on Broccoli that are turning 
in. Keep the flower well protected by bend¬ 
ing the leaves over them. 
Lettuce in Frames. 
Lettuce, etc., in frames must have plenty 
of fresh air. Remove decaying leaves as 
soon as seei|. 
Potato*. 
Make sure that Potatos are secure from 
frost. Do not encourage seed sets to grow 
just yet. 
Horti. 
The Amateur’s Greenhouse. 
Early Indian Azaleas. 
There are few things better adapted than 
the early Indian Azaleas for filling the tre¬ 
mendous gap in the greenhouse which the 
departure of the Chrysanthemums leaves. 
Fortunately, such sorts as Deutsche Perle, 
a beautiful double white, readily respond to 
heat and moisture, and a few plants with 
prominent buds may go into the warmest 
end of the house without delay. Stand them 
on inverted flower pots among other plants 
in order that water from the syringe will 
readily reach the undersides of the leaves, 
for unless well syringed thrips are almost 
sure to be troublesome. To get very early 
flowers, some growers pinch out all the shoots 
beyond the buds, but this considerably re¬ 
tards the crop of flowers another year, and 
is a doubtful advantage. These Azaleas need 
no manurial applications, but the soil should 
at all times be kept nicely moist and never 
allowed to become dry. 
Plants in Rooms. 
It is well during the winter months to 
change all plants in rooms as frequently as 
the resources of the greenhouse will admit. 
When fires commence in dwelling-rooms the 
air soon gets much too hot and dry to be 
beneficial to plants; smoke and dust, too, 
choke up the breathing pores of the leaves. 
In these circumstances a week is long enough 
in a room for most plants,, though some will 
endure much longer. As the plants are again 
returned to the greenhouse they should be 
well syringed and given a warm corner in 
which to recuperate. Aspidistras, Kentia 
forster.iana, Latania boxbonica, Asplenium 
bulbiferum, Pteris Wimsetti, P. cretica cris- 
tata, P. tremula, Aspidium falcatum, and 
the hardy fringed Hartstongues are among 
the best and most enduring winter room 
plants. Bulbs, too, are extremely useful, 
and should be taken in as soon as the flowers 
are half open, then they expand slowly and 
last a long while. 
Pandanuses and Drip. 
The beautiful Pandamus Veirtchii is de¬ 
servedly a prime favourite with amateurs, 
