194 



THE GARDENER. 



[April 



©bttuarg. 



We regret to have to record the sudden death of Mr Jabez J. Chater, of the 

 Gouville Nurseries, Cambridge, which occurred at three o'clock on Wednesday 

 morning, March 19, from heart-disease. The deceased was the fifth son of Mr 

 Wm. Chater, the celebrated raiser of prize Hollyhocks ; and it is not too much to 

 say, that to the deceased may be attributed a good deal of his father's success 

 with that grand flower. For the last ten years Mr Jabez J. Chater has been at 

 the Gonville Nurseries, Cambridge, where he has been the most successful 

 exhibitor at the various exhibitions in that and the adjoining counties, and as a 

 citizen has gained the universal esteem of all who knew him. The deceased 

 was a most diligent and ardent lover of floriculture, and had on many occasions 

 exhibited successfully at the great shows of the Horticultural Society in London 

 and the provinces. He was a successful hybridiser of Geraniums, his Forget- 

 me-not being one of the best of its class. He retired to bed on Tuesday night 

 at about half-past nine, and at about three o'clock in the morning passed away 

 without a struggle. He leaves a widow and five little children. 



©aUnftar* 



KITCHEN-GARDEN. 



It may be well to examine seed- 

 beds or seed-rows in which seed was 

 sown last month, as much of the 

 ground may be found empty, and the fail- 

 ure may be made good before the season 

 is too far advanced. In low-lying and 

 cold localities much damage has been 

 done by the incessant rains, and many 

 seeds have perished. For want of time 

 we have the past season been obliged 

 to dig over much of the ground un- 

 ridged, but where it has been done the 

 difference is very striking. Where the 

 ridges were forked down the land is 

 like powder, but it is the reverse where 

 it was turned over only. Young be- 

 ginners on their own account cannot 

 always adopt the same system advan- 

 tageously as they may have seen prac- 

 tised elsewhere, neither can the same 

 kinds of vegetables, fruits, and flowers 

 be grown to the same perfection in some 

 localities as in others ; difficulties are 

 also common in some places though un- 

 known in others. Shortness of means, 

 large demands in proportion to the ex- 

 tent of ground, shallow and poor land, 

 insufficient drainage, and scanty supplies 

 of water, are some of the worst dif- 

 ficulties gardeners have often to com- 

 bat with, so the young beginner has 

 to be cautious and use much fore- 

 thought ; neither must he be led away 



by reports, however favourable, from 

 certain quarters, as some things do ex- 

 cellent in some localities, and are worth- 

 less in others. We have often been 

 better advised by experienced growers 

 in our own locality than by reports 

 from different latitudes ; but this does 

 not mean that we are to underrate the 

 reports of experienced men. Succes- 

 sional sowings of Peas may be made at 

 least twice during the month ; earlier 

 and later kinds may be sown at same 

 time. Full crops of broad Beans may 

 now be sown. Keep up successions of 

 Turnips, Cauliflower, Lettuce, Parsley, 

 Radishes, Spinach; and small Salad- 

 mustard and Cress may be sown under 

 hand-lights, and a mat thrown over 

 when frost may show itself. We prefer 

 small quantities of most things sown 

 often to large quantities sown seldom. 

 Stake Peas before they fall over their 

 collars. Thin early-sown Turnips ; 

 they are best when thinned early, and 

 done at several times. Cauliflower, 

 Cabbage, and any other of the Brassica 

 tribe, may be jilanted out when ready. 

 No plants should remain in the seed-bed 

 till they draw up weakly. Keep sur- 

 faces well stirred among all early crops. 

 Thin Spinach. New Zealand Spinach 

 does well when grown under glass ; 

 but in most locaUties it does good ser- 



