THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 
Vases—continued. 
Vases may be procured in the greatest range of variety, 
and in shapes and sizes which suit all individual require- 
ments. It is unnecessary to describe the various kinds, 
but those known as Trumpet Vases or Glasses are amongst 
the best for cut flowers, In dinner-table decoration the 
Vases should be low in stature, or, if one or more Trumpet 
Glasses are used down the centre, so lightly arranged 
with flowers that nothing shall be caused in the way of 
an obstruction to the view from one side of the table 
to the other. 
VAUANTHES. A synonym of Grammanthes 
(which see). 
VAVANGA. A synonym of Vangueria (which see). 
VEGETABLE BUTTER. See Bassia butyracea. 
VEGETABLE EARTH, or VEGETABLE 
MOULD. Soil largely mixed with humus or decayed 
remains of plants (see Humus). It is usually very dark, 
but the colour varies with the proportion of humus, and 
of the other constituents of the soil. Good Vegetable 
Mould may contain from 3 to 25 per cent. of humus, 
and is usually very fertile. A higher percentage of 
plant-remains is unfavourable, as organic acids are apt 
to be formed and to accumulate in the soil, to the 
detriment of most plants, though some species of wild 
plants prefer such a soil, e.g., several prefer peat, which 
consists of little but humus. To render such soils as 
contain excess of humus fertile, it is necessary to add 
certain manures or other substances to them in order 
to hasten the decay of the vegetable remains, and to 
bring them into a condition fit for the nutrition of the 
plants for which the ground is to be prepared. See 
also Humus. 
VEGETABLE FIRE-CRACEER. A common 
name for Brodiwa coccinea (which see). 
VEGETABLE HAIR. A common name for Til- 
landsia usneoides (which see). 
VEGETABLE HORSEHAIR. 
Chamerop# humilis. 
VEGETABLE IVORY. 
macrocarpa. 
The ‘fibre ` of 
The nuts of Phytelephas 
Fie. 152. FRUITS OF VEGETABLE MARROW. 
VEGETABLE MARROW (Cucurbita Pepo ovifera). 
A balf-hardy, trailing annual, of very easy eulture, grown 
Vegetable Marrow—continued. 
in nearly every garden during summer for the fruits, which 
are chiefy used when about half-grown, or even in a 
younger state (see Fig. 152), for cooking in v ious 
ways. At these stages the flesh is exceedingly tender, 
but as the fruits get old it becomes drier. Cultivators 
sometimes allow a portion of their crop to ripen, for 
the purpose of converting the fleshy portion into jam, 
‘or the fruits may be kept in a dry place when ripe 
until midwinter for cooking. Seeds of Vegetable Marrows 
should be sown singly, or two in a 3in. pot, towards the 
end of April, and placed in a gentle heat. So soon as 
the plants have two rough leaves, they should be hardened 
by being plaéed in a situation where air can be admitted. 
Early in June, they may be planted out where they are 
intended to remain, and covered for a few days with 
hand-glasses until re-established, when the glasses may 
be removed. Old manure heaps are the best positions 
for the plants, as on these they grow and fruit abun- 
dantly. Plenty of water should be supplied throughout 
the summer whenever the weather is dry, and the fruit 
should be cut when large enough for cooking, unless 
required for ripening to produce seed or for using in one 
of the ways above mentioned. The growths need an 
occasional thinning during summer when they get too 
much crowded. . 
SORTS. 
The following are amongst the best sorts of 
cultivated Vegetable Marrows : EE 
Busi MARROW, of compact, bushy habit, not a trailer; free. ” 
CUSTARD, free-bearing and of good flavour. HIBBERD’s PRo- 
LIFIC, fruit small, cme tt LONG WHITE, fine cropper ` the 
best for general use, and when only one variety is grown. 
MOORE'S VEGETABLE CREAM, free-bearing, and of fine flavour. 
MUIR'S PROLIFIC. HYBRID, an oval-shaped, cream-coloured 
variety ; prolific. PEN-Y-BYD, fruit delicate creamy-white, nearly 
Kona with firm fiesh ; plant short-jointed and prolific; very 
istinct. 
VEGETABLE OYSTER. See Tragopogon porri- 
folius. 
VEGETABLE REFUSE. After being made up into 
a compost, and allowed to ferment for some time, Vege- 
table Refuse of all kinds can be most advantageously em- 
ployed as manure. This treatment is especially advisable 
when the Refuse contains a fair proportion of woody sub- 
stance, as the latter can scarcely serve as manure for 
plants until it has undergone chemical decomposition to 
some extent. When the proportion of woody substance is 
large, it is well to burn the Refuse slowly, in a covered 
heap, in which the fire is kept smouldering, but is never 
allowed to burst into flame. Other kinds of Refuse 
should be made riu layers of earth and quieklime. 
The latter destroys*the weeds, and hastens their decay. 
Another good method of forming a compost is to mix 
the Refuse with earth, and occasionally drench the heap 
with liquid manure. This promotes the formation of 
Ammonia; and gypsum should be mixed with the earth 
to form Sulphate of Ammonium, which prevents the loss 
of the alkali, and adds much to the value of the compost. 
Quicklime must not be mixed with r. as it sets . 
free Ammonia, which escapes as a gas into the atmosphere, 
and is lost. Both of these composts are excellent garden 
manures, 
VEGETABLE SCULPTURE. See Topiary 
Work. 
VEGETABLE TALLOW PLANT. A common 
name for Stillingia sebifera (which see). 
: VEINLET. One of the ultimate or smaller ramifica- 
tions of a vein or rib. 
VEINS. In general any ramifications or threads of 
fibro-vaseular tissue in a leaf or any flat organ (especially 
those which divide or branch) through which sap is carried 
into the parenchyma. ee 
