The Sun.
London, England, 1837-03-06 00:00:00

HORTICULTURAL HINTS

As the present is the season of preparation and promise
in horticultural matters, we extract the following notices
from an excellent new weekly paper, which has just started
with the professed object of devoting its pages to gardening,
in all its multifarious branches, as %yell as to scientific sub-
jects of a kindred nature. We have newspapers for all
classes—whether political, religious, or scandalous—but the
editor of the Gardener's Gazette has happily hit upon a
medium which may please all, without giving offence to any
party, by wisely leaving politics to all those who indulge in
flowers of rhetoric—the flowers he delights in being those of
loveliness or usefulness. Acting on this last principle, we
propose to give occasionally such extracts as we may find
room for ; but the Paper itself is well worthy of being in
the green-room of every horticultural amateur, and in the
hands of every gentleman's gardener—be he Whig, Tory,
or Radical.—ED. SUN.

(From the Gardener's Gazette of Saturday.)
OPERATIONS OF THE WEEK.

CUCUMBERS.—.When the plants begin to show fruit and run
out in lengthy branches, pin the branches down at the joints
with a hooked twig ; and where there is a female blossom with
the cucumber in miniature attached, take one of the male
blooms (which of course have no fruit) and carefully rub the
farina upon the stigma of the female blossom as soon as it is
fully expended. This is easily done by picking one of the
male, or as they have been called, the false flowers, taking
away the yellow petals and touching the stigma of the blossom,
which is on the embryo fruit, three or four times lightly, till
the yellow powder has covered it. This impregnation is as
necessary in the vegetable as the animal creation; but as the
season advances, the insects—bees in particular—do this office,
where it is necessary. Take especial care the heat of the bed
does not decline without being immediately raised again by
fresh linings of hot stable dun,°.
We have already observed, in effect at least, that if the
measures we recommend do not suit the convenience of the
reader, and he begins a month later, he must turn back to the
former numbers, to see if any thing be left undone. We have
directed nothing but those steps which we take ourselves. We
do not direct the commencement of any operation till it is
quite safe to do it for those who wish to take the very earliest
opportunity. Those therefore who have no object in being
thus early, may defer their first crops until other persons look
to their general crops. Many will not begin Cucumbers for a
week or two, perhaps a month from this time, but they will
then begin safely by turning back to our first directions, and
following them up to the time, for after-operations are guided
by the state of the plants.
TULIPS.—With a small wooden spud, an inch wide, dig
carefully between the rows, and break the entire surface of all
the beds, taking care not to go deeper than from an inch to
an inch and a half, and break all the lumps which the surface
forms when disturbed, and especially guarding against bruis-
ing the leaves, or allowing the mould to fall into the heart of
the plant. If there be any canker or damage in the foliage of
a flower, cut it carefully out with a short penknife, even if you
have to go down to the bulb.

AURICULAL—See that the pots in top-dressing are pretty
full of mould, arid that the bottom leaves are not buried ; they
are now rising for bloom, the slightest check with cold winds
or frost will set the bloom, while to keep them too close will
draw the blooms up weak, give air, therefore, whenever the
weather is fine ; and in watering after the bloom is forward,
the foliage must not be wetted ; above all things, see that the
drainage is free.

DAlTLlAS.—Amateurs who now begin to set their Dahlias
growing, may pot them, and put them to work upon a slight
hot bed. If they do not want a great number of plants, they
may delay it a little longer, for in all probability there will be
as many eyes as they may want plants, and in such case they
may divide the root, instead of taking off cuttings. Persons
whp are already forward with plants must give those which
have struck root good pot room, and plenty of air in mild
weather. It is a point very little attended to, but if once a
young dahlia becomes stunted and pot-bound, it is difficult to
bring the plant into healthy free growth, and this has disap-
pointed many who looked to late-planted Dahlias for a con-
tinuation of blooms, forgetting that the last month before
they were planted they had no room to grow, and they may
often observe that, for weeks after planting, they scarcely
move.

Hyacinths and other early bulbs in beds should be carefully
protected, as tulips are by hoops and network over the bed
to keep off vermin, and mats at night to keep away frost. If
hail-storms come on, it is of the most important consequence to
keep off any stone, for a whole bloom of hyacinths would be
destroyed in ten minutes by only bruising the beds, and a
bed of tulips ruined by only slightly bruising the foliage.
FRUIT ON WALLS.—Hang net (which can be purchased
cheap at the seed shops) or old bunting over all fruit trees in
bloom during frosty windy days, and always at night ; it will,
however, do much good to remove them in mild sunny wea-
ther, if it be only a few hoars. It is good to burn your old
weeds or mats, or other rubbish to windward of any wall or
trees at all infested with ♦ermin, the smoke will kill almost
every thing.
Prick Ot'T early ANNUALS of all kinds that were sown last
month. Sow, if not done already.
FORMER DIRECTIONS.—Look over our early papers, and do
whatever you have omitted. Begin now in the same way that
we directed them, Especially look to arrears in the work of
the kitchen-garden.
HEART'S-EASE.--Stir the mould between these as carefully
as you would tulip-beds ; and if you propose showing, water
only seldom between the rows, and, as the flowers advance,
with manure water. If there are any sorts you desire to pro-
pagate without hurting the old root, take off carefully any
small outside shoots which originate below the surface—they
will strike almost immediately under a hand-glass, in or out of
a pot.

ORANGE AND LEMON TREES may be pruned into shape, or
if they have grown very ugly and bare, head them down ; shift
such as require it into larger pots without disturbing the ball
of earth. If any are headed down altogether to make first
growth let them have six weeks in the stove.

CAMELLIAS require now plenty of water and to be kept at
an even temperature ; sudden changes of temperature will
make them throw their buds.

SEEDS OF GREENHOUSE PLANTS may be now sown, if not
done n hen they first ripened, which we in all cases recommend,
if there be the means of protecting them through winter.
Among other directions, we ought not to omit requesting
any of our Brethren of the Press, who may quote this article,
to inform the public it is from the Gardener's Gazette.

WEXFORD-FRIDAY.

(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)

The assizes for this county commenced here yesterday—the
Honourable Justice Crampton presided in the Criminal Court.
In his charge to the Grand Jury his Lordship congratulated
them on the' lightness of the Calendar, there being only eight
cases to be tried, none of them of a very serious character.
His Lordship then said, that from the general reputation of
this county, he did not anticipate any great exhibition of
crime ; and being a stranger, not having gone this circuit be-
fore, he could make no comparison between the present
peaceable condition of this part of the country, and its state
at periods not very remote. At the same time it struck him,
that in a part of Ireland in which there were many populous
and trading towns, and a thick population generally for its
extent, so small a number as eight prisoners to be tried, none
of them charged with the more atrocious crimes punishable by
law, was a circumstance which might be regarded with very
pleasurable feelings by every man who was interested for the
welfare of the county. He then proceeded to explain the
Grand Jury law as amended by the Act of Parliament passed
in the present Session ; and having explained, in a very lucid
and satisfactory way, the manner in which the Grand Juries
of Ireland were henceforward to discharge their duties under
their law, he proceeded to the examination of the county pre-
sentments.

A good deal of interest was created by Mr. Crampton's
coming here as Judge on this occasion, as he is the first liberal
functionary of the law, as the people think, that have for
many years visited this town invested with the ermine--and
though he has never been a hot politician, or distinguishable
for any thing more in the way of notoriety than being a Whig
of the Grey school—still his learning (he had been a Fellow
and Professor of Law and Rhetoric in the Dublin University),
and amiable suavity of manner have conciliated for him the
esteem of men of all parties. As a Judge, he has been called
the Justice Bailey of the Irish Bench, as he is considered to
resemble that worthy man in many respects; and since he
began to preside in the King's Beach, which he generally does
at Nisi Prins, as well as in Term time, that Court has be-
come a tribunal of increased interest and utility to the public.
Baron Foster presides in the Civil Court, in which there is
no case at this assizes, the particulars of which would be inte-
resting to the majority of your readers.
None of the Members for the County or the Borough are
at home, except Mr. Talbot, who has been ill of the influenza,
a very prevalent disease in this as well as in other parts of the
kingdom.

The Representative of this Borough, Mr. C. A. Walker,
has added to the laurels already entwining his brow, by his
speech on the Corporation question. It did not require that
excellent illustration of the real state of religious politics in
Ireland, however, to secure for him the suffrages of the elec-
tors of this town, as long as he chooses to represent them in
Parliament. It has been stated, and I believe with some truth,
that the Conservative party have been working here for some
time in favour of Mr. Wigram, who, laying aside his politics,
always stood well with the people of his native county. At
the last Registry they made a great effort, but it only served
to rouse the Liberals, and unite into one body many of them,
among whom some differences on political subjects previously
existed. I have ascertained from persons capable of knowing
the fact, that allowing Mr. Wigram, or any other candidate,
all the electors who could be purchased or influenced by any
means, there would still be a vast majority for the present
Member. In other respects this town is progressing steadily
in the cause of Reform and general improvement. It is agree-
able to discover everywhere, and among all classes of the com-
munity, visible manifestations of increasing wealth and know=
ledge. The position and policy of the Tory party, as disclosed
in the last great debate, seem to be as well understood here
as they are by Lord Melbourne's Cabinet. In fact, the people
begin to say they must give up the struggle, and no longer
impede the progress of improvement.

A man named Messilier was recently condemned by
the court of assiies for the Ain to twelve years' hard labour
for a highway robbery. After sentence had been pronounced
the culprit rose : the court was all attention, expecting some
disclosures, or at least a solemn asservation of innocence. The
prisoner, however, confined himself to a protestation against
the enormity of selling snuff in the prison where he had been
conaned, at the exorbitant rate of six soh per ounce 1

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY, MARCH 6, 1837