270 



THE FLORAL WORLD AXD aAUDEN GUIDE. 



year after year on the same soil extract 

 the necessary aliment for that particular 

 genus, and consequently decrease in size 

 and vigour. It is also palpable tliat diseases 

 follow in the same ratio, Now a mere 

 excess or deficiency of proper aliment does 

 not produce disease; an over-fed animal 

 gets fat, an over-fed plant grows more 

 vigorously, while eitlier an animal or a 

 plant may die of starvation without show- 

 ing any undue symptoms of derangement. 

 If an animal takes with its food any dele- 

 terious matter such as is foreign to its 

 requirement, a derangement of the system 

 is the result. It is the same with a plant, 

 which having exhausted its proper aliment 

 takes up matter that is not suitable for 

 it — ill health is the consequence. I have 

 noticed that it is upon poor and exhausted 

 soils that plants are most subject to aphis, 

 canker, and club. It is well known that 

 plants of different genera require different 

 kinds of food ; that some plants will Bourisli 

 where others will not ; that soil which has 

 been exhausted by one crop is in condition 

 to produce one of another kind : hence t!ie 

 value of a rotation of crops, of more real 

 effect in agriculture than horticulture ; for 

 although it is really advisable to follow 

 a system of rotation in vegetable culture, 

 yet kitchen crops being so nearly alike 

 in texture and substance, no very extra- 

 ordinary results can be expected from it. 

 The farmer can alternate Leguminosae or_ 

 Graminea3, and I believe the latter would 

 act most beneficially as an alternative crop 

 in the kitchen garden, but there is no 

 plant of that order used as a culinary 

 vegetable, so that it is only by allowing 



grass or other indigenous plants to grow, 

 that anything differing largely from kitclicu 

 crops can be brought into play. I wotild 

 recommend those who find that their soil 

 does not produce really profitable crops, and 

 who complain of the prevalence of pests in 

 the shape of fungus and aniraalculre, grubs 

 and aphis, canker and diseased roots, to try 

 weeds for a year or two ; not as the Irish 

 potato grower does, who abandons his soil 

 to weeds, and neglects manuring alto- 

 gether. But let the ground be planted 

 with gooseberry and currant bushes, rasp- 

 berry canes and bush fruit-trees ; let tho 

 weeds grow -amongst them, mow them 

 sometimes to prevent their seeding, and 

 bury them annually under a good mulcli- 

 ing of dung; but do not dig except for the 

 purpose of root pruning, for these things 

 bear best if the fibres are allowed to run 

 near the surface. In a few years these 

 would be worn out, and the ground in 

 excellent condition for growing cabbages, 

 broccoli, etc. I am no advocate for allow- 

 ing weeds too free a scope amongst growing 

 crops, as this would be altogether incon- 

 sistent with good gardening ; but I believe 

 they have their uses, just as birds which 

 eat our peas and pull up our seeds but 

 destroy innumerable insects. What may 

 appear at first as impediments, may be in 

 reality assistants ; to scowl upon weeds 

 as troublesome pests, and wishing their 

 entire extermination, is wishing against 

 our own interests ; it is far better to value 

 them for their uses, and regard them as 

 harmonizing with the whole system of 

 Nature. F. Chitty. 



CULTUEE OP THE HYACINTH IN POTS. 



We repeatedlj' see examples of mismanage- 

 ment in the cultivation of this truly beauti- 

 ful plant; in nine cases out often which 

 come under our notice, the hyacinth is 

 not well grown, for most cultivators seem 

 to grow it too rapidly, and subject the 

 roots to a course of treatment the oppo- 

 site to which it should have. 



We pot early, as soon as possible after 

 the roots arrive. We especially avoid the 

 cheap market, for this reason, the most 

 noted growers in Holland have their regu- 

 lar customers whose orders they are certain 

 of receiving, and therefore do not take 

 up their roots until^they are 'thoroughly 

 matured. This is a highly important mat- 

 ter to the cultivator, and we therefore 

 caution amateurs not to think that by pur- 



chasing cheap priced bulbs that they are 

 getting the best. The soil we use is chopped 

 loamy sods and rotten manure in nearly 

 equal proportions, with a plentiful supply 

 of leaf-soil and sand, using no crocks. We 

 pot deep, allowing the crown to be level 

 with the soil, and pot very firm. They 

 are then well watered and placed under- 

 neath a greenhouse stage and are not 

 plunged. We object to plunging for this 

 reason, that it too often happens that the 

 roots are allowed to remain in the plunged 

 bed longer than they should, and have often 

 pushed a couple of inches of growth before 

 Ihey are removed. This produces weak- 

 ness of foliage at the collar, and instead of 

 the foliage being stiff and robust when the 

 growth is matured, it falls over the side 



