176 THE GARDENER. [April 



are seldom troubled with insects. The best varieties for the amateur are 

 Volunteer, Telegraph, and Munroe's Duke of Edinburgh; but everybody has 

 a certain favourite of his own. The more recently introduced varieties may be 

 better for exhibition, but those named are most prolific. 



Vegetable Marrows. — There are not many districts south of the Grampians 

 where crops of these may not be secured, if the young plants are nursed a little 

 after being planted. They may be sown in the same manner as Melons, and 

 placed in the same frame, although the heat will be rather too much for them, 

 and will cause them to be drawn. But as the amateur is not supposed to have 

 a choice of structures for different plants, he is often compelled to make com- 

 promises ; and as a greenhouse has just the opposite fault of being too cold, 

 they can be raised with the young Melons, and would place them more directly 

 in the way of the ventilation, and near the glass ; and with care there is little 

 fear of their being injuriously "drawn." An intermediate temperature is more 

 suitable. In the majority of instances it will be advisable to have a little 

 fermenting material ready by the time the plants are ready to put out. There 

 is no need for much trouble in the preparation of it. A pit should be thrown 

 out, in some warm sheltered corner in the full sun, to the depth of U foot- 

 A pit 6 feet by 4 feet is sufficiently large to grow three plants, supposing there 

 be a good space all round to allow of their extending. Fill the pit with fresh 

 manure, and cover over with some light rich earth. Choose warm weather for 

 planting — from the middle of May to the middle of June. Xurse the plants 

 with hand-lights ; and when they outgrow them, peg the shoots regularly over 

 the bed to prevent them being blown about and broken. Such a bed ought 

 to give a good barrow-load of fruit. For a Vegetable, Hibberd's Prolific, or 

 Moore's Vegetable Cream, are the best we have tried. 



T wiatoes. — Sow the seeds thinly in 6-inch pots in light soil. Cover lightly, 

 and when of sufficient size, prick out into small pots, and shift into 6-inch ones 

 by the time the small ones are rilled with roots. In cold districts they give 

 much better results if grown altogether under glass on the back walls of 

 vineries, greenhouses, or some similar situation where they will get sun and 

 air. In warm favoured districts, blank spaces on walls facing the sun will do 

 very well ; but it is only in very favourable places where they do well in the 

 open quarters. We have found that when planted against walls, if the soil 

 be poorish and wholly above the ground-level, and kept in its place with bricks 

 or boards, with broken stones for drainage, they are very materially for- 

 warded. Indeed, the lirst time we tried the plan, with one-half our plants, 

 those so treated yielded a large amount of fruit by the beginning of August ; 

 while those planted in the ordinary way were green at the beginning of Octo- 

 ber. They require severe pinching. Always pinch off the shoot beyond the 

 bunch; otherwise it will neither set nor swell its fruit well. The shoot which 

 springs from below the bunch can be trained out to furnish another bunch, 

 and so on. In no case, unless in pots under glass, use rich soil. The Conqueror 

 is excellent, but Orangerield dwarf is good, and so is Hathaway's Excelsior. 



A Gardener. 



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