THE FLORAL WOELD AND GARDEN GUIDE. -i' 



required during the first year will be to keep the space between the 

 plants free from weeds. 



Some diversity of opinion exists amongst practical men as to the 

 necessity of protection during the winter, but experience, extending 

 over a large number of years, has proved to me that the safest course 

 is to protect. In a mild winter, such as the one tlirough which we are 

 now passing, they will take no harm from being fully exposed to the 

 weather, but in severe winters, like that of 1806-07, they will be 

 cut down to the ground line, and probably killed outright. The 

 safest course is to apply the protection in November, and in doing 

 this cut off the old outside leaves to within about twelve inches of 

 the ground ; prick the surface over with a fork, and pack a good 

 thickness of dry leaves, short litter, or fern about the plants, in 

 such a manner as to leave the young leaves above the ground. 

 Let the protecting material extend to a distance of eighteen inches 

 from the base of tbe plant, then cover it with soil or coal-ashes to 

 keep it in its place. 



In severe weather place a quantity of long litter over the ex- 

 posed parts of the plants, and remove on the return of mild weather. 

 In March commence to uncover by drawing the protecting material 

 away from them, and in April it can be taken away altogether. 

 In a few days after this removal examine the plants, and if there 

 are more than three or four suckers to each, draw a little soil away 

 from the base, and take them off without injuring the parent. The 

 soil can then be returned to its proper place. The first year after 

 planting it will not be necessary to remove any of the suckers. 



The second year they will push up the heads freely, and these 

 should be removed as soon as full-grown, whether required for the 

 table or not, as they only weaken the plant and check the growth. 

 It is impossible to say exactly when the heads should be cut, but, 

 after a little observation, there will not be much difficulty in deter- 

 mining the point. As a rule, the right moment for cutting is when 

 they have attained about two-thirds of their usual size. They can 

 be kept in a fresh state for a considerable period after their removal 

 from the plant, if cut with about nine inches of stem, and the stem 

 inserted in wet sand. To keep them in the best possible condition, 

 lift them out of the sand every third day, and cut off about half an 

 inch of the stem. By this means the season may be prolonged 

 until far into December. 



The plants do not produce good crops after the fifth year, 

 and it will be found advantageous to destroy them, and make a new 

 plantation after they have borne four crops. To maintain a regular 

 supply, one-half of the plantation should be renewed every alternate 

 year, and, as far as practicable, fresh ground selected, for the chief 

 cause of their failing to produce good crops after a certain number 

 of years is the exhaustion of the soil. 



The Collection of Plants in the possession of H. L. Micholls, Esq., of South- 

 gate House, Southgate, and with which Mr. Baines, the able gardener, has achieved 

 such signal victories during the last few years, will be sold by auction towards the 

 end of April next by Mr. J. C. Stevens. 



February. 



