392 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
October  23,  19C2. 
necessary.  Under  no  conditions  must  the  trees  be  allowed  to 
become  dry  at  the  roots. 
MIDSEASON  HOUSES. — The  trees  in  these  are  just  in  the 
right  condition  for  lifting.  It  should  be  done  with  dispatch  when 
it  is  decided  on,  having  all  the  materials  in  readiness.  It  is  not, 
however,  safe  to  operate  until  part  of  the  leaves  have  fallen, 
yet  not  wise  to  wait  till  the  green  leaves  on  the  laterals  mature, 
as  these  will  not  drop  for  some  time,  and  they  may  be  useful  in 
prompting  root  action  in  lifted  trees.  Provide  efficient  drainage, 
shortening  back  any  strong  roots,  and  bring  any  that  are  deep 
nearer  the  surface,  laying  all  in  the  top  foot  of  soil,  and  employ¬ 
ing  the  compost  compactly.  Good  loam,  rather  strong,  with 
a  sixth  of  old  mortar  rubbish  admixed,  will  grow  Peaches  and 
Nectarines  perfectly.  If  the  soil  be  light,  add  a  fourth  of  clayey 
marl,  dried  and  pounded,  and  if  very  strong  a  similar  quantity 
of  road  scrapings,  avoiding  manure  excepting  the  soil  be  poor, 
then  add  a  fifth  of  decayed  eowdung  to  light,  and  a"  similar 
quantity  of  horse  droppings  to  heavy  loam.  Give  a  good  water¬ 
ing  after  lifting  and  replanting,  and  the  trees  will  soon  get 
established  in  the  fresh  compost.  Trees  judiciously  treated  at 
the  roots  seldom  fail  to  set  and  stone  the  fruit  satisfactorily. 
Borders  containing  soil  in  a  soapy  mass,  where  it  is  not  possible 
to  remove  it,  may  have  a  dressing  of  air-slaked  lime — an  inch 
thick  is  not  too  much — mixing  it,  after  laying  a  few  days  with 
the  surface  soil  as  deeply  as  the  roots  will  allow  without  dis¬ 
turbance.  Nothing,  however,  is  so  effectual  as  lifting  and  reno¬ 
vating  the  border. 
LATEST  HOUSES. — Except  the  latest  varieties,  of  which 
.Golden  Eagle  is  one  of  the  best,  the  fruit  is  all  gathered.  Trees 
from  which  it  has  been  gathered  should  have  the  bearing  wood 
of  the  current  year  cut  out,  leaving  only  so  much  wood  of  the 
current  year’s  production  as  is  required  for  filling  vacant  space 
and  affording  fruit  next  year.  The  foliage  should  be  thoroughly 
cleansed  of  dust  or  insect  pests  by  a  few  good  washings  from 
the  syringe  or  garden  engine.  After  that  the  trees  will  not 
require  syringing,  dryness  with  thorough  exposure  of  the  wood 
to  light  and  air  being  essential  to  the  perfecting  of  the  wood 
and  buds.  Where  this  is  not  effected  the  house  may  be  kept 
rather  close  by  day,  so  as  to  secure  a  good  heat,  there  being,  of 
course,  enough  to  secure  a  free  circulation  of  air,  and  the  house 
should  be  fully  ventilated  at  night.  Any  trees  that  have  to 
grow  wood  should  have  a  trench  taken  out  as  deep  as  the  roots 
and  about  one-third  the  distance  from  the  stem,  leaving  it  open 
a  fortnight,  then  filling  it  firmly. 
Kitchen  Garden. 
CARROTS. — Root  crops,  including  Carrots  of  the  various 
types — Short  Horn,  Intermediate,  and  “  Long  ”  varieties — should 
all  be  lifted  before  the  weather  becomes  decidedly  wet.  Lifting 
the  roots  and  preparing  them  for  storing  is  much  pleasanter 
work  when  the  ground  is  dry  and  clean  to  tread  upon.  The 
roots  also  will  dry  quickly,  and  are  in  much  better  condition  for 
the  necessary  storing  than  when  wet  soil  adheres  to  them. 
Loosen  the  roots  carefully  with  a  fork,  when  they  will  readily 
withdraw.  Cut  off  the  foliage  within  an  inch  of  the  crown. 
Should  the  weather  conditions  be  favourable,  the  roots  will, 
after  lying  upon  the  surface  of  the  soil  for  a  day,  be  sufficiently 
dry  to  store  away.  The  method  of  storing  for  all  the  best-shaped 
roots  of  good  quality  is  to  place  them  in  a  cool  outhouse  on  a 
dry  bottom,  arranging  them  between  layers  of  drv  sand  or  ashes. 
The  less  shapely  and  important  roots  should  be  placed  in  a  heap 
m  a  dry  corner,  covering  with  straw  or  any  dry  material. 
BEETROOTS. — These  roots  are  better  out  of  the  ground  now 
that  gro \vt h  is  practically  ceasing  and  the  soil  is  becoming  very 
moist.  Accomplish  the  lifting  with  the  utmost  care,  so  as  not 
to  break  the  thicker  portion  of  the  tap  root,  which  causes  the 
roots  to  bleed  and  lose  colour.  This  can  readily  be  avoided  by 
gradually  easing  the  roots  in  lifting.  For  the  same  reason,  the 
leaves  must  not  be  removed  too  closely  to  the  crown,  and  instead 
of  cutting  off  the  leaves,  twist  them  off  well  above  the  crown. 
The  roots  will  keep  well  in  soil  or  sand  in  a  position  safe  from 
severe  frost. 
CELERY.— Where  there  is  a  brisk  demand  for  well-blanched 
roots  of  Celery  throughout  the  winter,  the  supply  cultivated 
must  be  ample,  including  a  good  breadth  of  late  plants.  The 
final  earthing  of  these  may  be  deferred  as  long  as  possible 
though  the  blanching  may  be  commenced  by  several  preliminary 
earthings,  applying  the  final  when  growth  is  finishing  and  the 
approach  of  frosts  inevitable.  Drawing  the  leaves  together 
and  lightly  securing  them  with  raffia  grass,  is  also  a  means  of 
slightly  blanching;  but  the  chief  purpose  of  tills  is  to  prevent 
loose  soil  reaching  the  hearts  of  the  plants  when  earthing.  The 
earthing  process  should  be  carried  out  in  fine  weather  when  the 
Celery  is  dry  and  the  soil  not  sticky.  Press  the  soil  firmly 
round  the  plants,  and,  except  when  finally  earthing,  do  not  carry 
the  soil  above  the  hearts.  Bank  the  sides  fairly  steep,  so  as  to 
carry  away  the  rain. 
Ml  SHROOMS. — A  succession  of  Mushroom  beds  made  in 
any  warm  outhouses  or  sheds  will  provide  some  profitable  crops 
over  a  considerable  period.  Fresh  horse  droppings  should  be 
collected  in  a  dry  shed,  preventing  them  heating  until  a  good 
heap  of  material  has  been  brought  together.  Then  form  into 
a  cone-shaped  heap,  and,  after  a  few  days’  fermenting,  turn 
the  manure,  placing  the  outside  inside;  and  vice  versa.  This 
must  be  continued  until  the  whole  of  the  rank  heat  has  been 
expelled,  when  the  beds  may  be  made  up.  Three  or  four  feet  is 
a  good  width ;  the  length  must  be  governed  by  the  space  and 
material,  but  the  depth  ought  not  to  be  less  than  a  foot  when 
the  materials  have  been  trodden  together,  or  otherwise  packed 
firmly.  The  spawning  must  be  regulated  by  the  heat  of  the 
bed.  If  the  temperature  should  rise  above  90deg.,  which  can 
be  ascertained  by  a  plunge  thermometer,  defer  the  spawning 
until  the  temperature  declines  to  85deg.  Good,  active  spawn 
should  be  used,  breaking  bricks  into  pieces  about  the  size  of 
eggs.  Make  holes  in  the  manure  9in  apart,  and  bury  them 
just  below  the  surface,  working  the  manure  firmly  round  and 
over  each  piece. 
Soiling  the  bed  is  the  next  process.  It  may  be  done  at  once 
or  deferred  for  a  few  days.  Employ  some  good  fresh  soil,  placing 
it  about  an  inch  and  a  half  thick.  Beat  it  down  firmly  with 
the  back  of  a  spade,  and  leave  the  surface  smooth. — East  Kent. 
*  **  All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should  be  directed 
to  “  The  Editor,”  12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers,  Fleet  Street, 
London.,  E.C.  It  is  requested  that  no  one  will  write  privately 
to  any  of  our  correspondents,  seeking  information  on  matters 
discussed  in  this  Journal,  as  doing  so  subjects  them  to  unjustifiable 
trouble  and  expense. 
BOOK  WANTED  (J.  Cleland). — A  book  giving  the  English 
and  Latin  names  of  plants  is  published  by  Collingridge  and  Co., 
entitled  an  “  Encyclopsedia  of  Gardening,”  which  was  published 
in  1895,  and  costs  3s.  or  4s.  You  should  write  to  the  publishers, 
at  148,  Aldersgate  Street,  London,  E.C. 
STEEPING  DUTCH  BULBS  IN  PARAFFIN  OIL  BEFORE 
PLANTING  (T.  J.  R.). — We  have  not  known  a  successful  trial  of 
the  procedure  you  name,  and  are  also  doubtful  as  to  its  not  in¬ 
juring  the  bulbs,  for  though  we  have  used  paraffin  for  moistening 
seeds  before  sowing  to  save  them  from  the  attack  of  mice  and 
other  predatory  pests,  finding  the  treatment  very  effectual  in 
the  case  of  Beans  and  Peas,  and  red  lead  for  coating  small  seeds, 
we  have  no  experience  of  treatment  of  bulbs  with  paraffin  oil, 
and  think  it  likely  to  get  between  the  scales  of  the  bulbs,  if  not 
into  the  crown,  there  injuring  the  living  tissues,  and  possibly 
outside  damaging  the  base  from  whence  the  roots  issue.  Red 
lead  might  act  to  some  extent  as  a  deterrent  of  the  rodents 
taking  the  bulbs,  but  even  of  this  we  have  no  experience,  for 
we  find  it  better  to  trap  the  animals,  commencing  baiting  and 
trapping  in  advance  of  planting.  It  is  likely  that  soaking  the 
bulbs  for  about  half  an  hour  in  a  solution  of  formalin,  one  part 
formalin  in  400  parts  soft  water,  would  probably  prevent  the 
mice,  Ac.,  from  taking  the  bulbs.  It  is  a  poison,  and  certainly 
useful  in  destroying  the  germs  of  fungoid  pests  ;  also  animal  ones, 
such  as  root-mites,  eelworms,  Ac. 
EXHIBITING  CHRYSANTHEMUMS  (De  War).— Next  week 
we  hope  to  furnish  a  rough  diagram  affording  an  illustration  of 
the  method  generally  adopted  for  conveying  specimen  Japanese 
Chrysanthemums  on  long  stems  to  the  place  of  exhibition.  It 
is  in  the  form  of  a  strong  deal  box,  which  can  be  painted  green 
or  slate-coloured  on  the  outside.  On  the  inside  two  wooden  rods 
are  placed  from  end  to  end,  one  at  a  higher  elevation  than  the 
other,  the  upper  one  high  enough  to  come  just  below  the  bloom 
fixed  to  it.  The  long  stem  should  rest  in  a  vessel  of  water,  and 
be  tied  to  the  cross-rods  in  two  places  ;  a  little  wadding  or  soft 
paper  being  wrapped  round  the  stem  where  the  tie  is  placed,  so 
as  not  to  cut  into  it  in  any  way.  This  is  the  method  generally 
employed  by  competitors  who  exhibit  in  the  large  vase  class  at 
the  Royal  Aquarium,  and  the  flowers  are  conveyed  in  this  way 
long  distances  without  taking  injury,  and  come  out  of  the  boxes 
quite  fresh.  As  we  did  not  see  the  Chrysanthemum  shows  at 
York  or  Edinburgh  in  the  autumn  of  last  year,  we  are  not  in  a 
position  to  draw  comparisons.  We  cannot  inform  you  regarding 
the  relative  positions  of  flowers  at  Ebor  and  “Edina”  (Edin¬ 
burgh  ?),  but  if  the  latter  is  referred  to,  then  certainly  the  quality 
is  of  the  very  highest. 
