58 THE GARDENER. [Feb. 



the drainage -boles ; and branches of Evergreens may also be used. 

 Neither, however, should be used to excess, and only when severe 

 frosts are anticipated. Liquid manure, applied when the heads are 

 forming, will materially assist them, and should be followed up if 

 large heads are required. Moulding up before the plants are large 

 serves to steady them, and also tends to preserve the moisture about 

 the roots. The weaker plants in the frames or boxes may, at the end 

 of March or early in April, be potted up, or transferred direct to the 

 garden, — planting half the batch, if possible, on a warm border, and 

 the remainder in the open, thereby prolonging the supply. If autumn- 

 sown plants are scarce, seed should at once be sown in pans or boxes, 

 and placed in gentle heat, (I prefer the shelves near the glass in a 

 newly-started vinery.) The soil should be light and fine, the seed sown 

 thinly ; and great care should be taken not to syringe the seedlings, as 

 their very brittle stems are easily broken — this being the cause of 

 whole batches damping off in an apparently unaccountable manner. 

 The seedlings should be potted, or be pricked either into boxes or a 

 frame, over a slight hotbed, — be grown as sturdy as possible, and 

 planted out before they become crowded. They will move out of a 

 tine, light, leafy soil better than a coarse soil. Such varieties as 

 Veitch's or Carter's "Extra Earlies," Dean's Snowball, and Dwarf 

 Erfurt Mammoth are suitable for the earliest crops ; and to follow 

 these, I can recommend Carter's Mont Blanc, Sutton's King of the 

 Cauliflowers, and Dickson's Eclipse, — which, if sown at the same time, 

 will " turn in " in the order named. By varying the sites, and plant- 

 ing frequently, a good supply may be maintained with one variety — 

 none in this respect being superior to Dean's Snowball. 



-Broad Beans. — Unless there is a demand for these, they are not 

 worthy of a place on a sheltered border. If wanted very early for a 

 particular purpose, they may be sown singly in 4-inch pots, and started 

 in a gentle heat. The young plants should be kept sturdy, and har- 

 dened off early ; they may then be planted out, on the first favour- 

 able occasion, 5 inches asunder, in lines 2 feet apart. Protect slightly 

 in the first instance, and stake up the heavy exhibition varieties, such 

 as the Seville Longpod and Carter's Leviathan. 



Onions. — Our earliest supply of Onions are usually autumn-sown, 

 the first fit for use being the Queen, and this is closely followed by the 

 Early White Naples. Those who may not have sown an early variety, 

 and fear a break in the supply, should at once sow seed of one or both 

 of these varieties in pans or boxes, using fine light soil, and place in 

 heat. Harden off before the plants become drawn, and transplant 

 thickly, either at the foot of a wall or on a south border. Fully a 

 month will be gained in this manner ; and by sowing more seed as early 

 as possible on the same border, the supply will be maintained. Even 

 the WJiite Spanish and other types may be forwarded considerably in 

 this manner ; and the smallest of seedlings transplant readily. They 



