508 



JOUBSAL OF HOETICULTUEE AXD COTTAGE GAEDEiTEB. 



[ Jane 2j, IsTi- 



colonr of their blossoms and their freeness in producing them ' daily list sent to the mansion, ic is well that the lady and 

 will always obtain for these plants a place as nsefal ornamental gentleman should occasionally see the vegetables and fmit that 

 subjects. The soil in which they delight is one consisting of | go ia daily, and that it should he Itnown that they do lee them. 

 equal portions of fibrous loam and heath soil, with an addition This latter fact will do wonders, and every gardener should 

 of charcoal, gritty sand, and rubbly stones. If good heath . try that it should be acted on. It is thoroughly repellant 

 sou cannot be easily obtained, make use of half-decayed, open, to our nature to be suspicious. We have sometimes snfiered 

 rough, healthy leaves with the loam, pressing it aU together a little from being too trustful, but after all we have found the 

 pretty firmly when potting them ; after this is done set them ■ grand truth of the words of Eliza Cook — 

 for a time in a shady situation in a cold pit, or some place " It is better to trast and be decetred 



where they do not become sunburnt, and regulate the sturdi- ] Than nerer to trust at aU." 



ness and shape of each plant by stopping or pinehing-back the , jt is well that what a gardener grows and prides himself in 

 growing shoots indue season. Occasionally apply clear diluted j growing should go to his employers' table, and to secure this, 

 manure water to such plants only as have an abundance of , jf i^s situation is at all problematical, one or other of the two 

 healthy roots and are in the middle of their growing period, courses alluded to above are necessary, and in self-defence 

 Among comparatively modem plants Sericographis Ghies- , ought to be acted on. We have stated repeatedly that we have 

 breghtiana is well suited for the decoration of the conservatory i ^o faith in a narrow, contracted, concealed mode of acting, but 

 in winter, as also the blue Conolinium ; and the singular Thyr- ' every faith in an honest, straightforward, and true course, 

 sacanthns rutilans is ereellent for a rather warm house, but is i^^g gardener ought to look on his fellow servants in that light 

 not found to answer for winter use in the conservatory. The nntil he is forced to see differently. Independence and straight- 

 atmosphere of plant houses can hardly be kept too moist at forwardness are the weapons a man should prefer using, 

 this season, but it is very easy to err in the opposite direction ; Some day we may enter more prominently into the whole 

 therefore sprinkle every available surface frequently, and ; qnestion; meanwhile we say to our con/rer<a. Act in a straight- 

 syringe growing stock lightly twice a-day. During bright | forward manner ; be courteous, but avoid manfully anything 



weather avoid a too free use of the shading, and ventilate 

 ■well in order to sccitre compact growth. 



STOVE. 



The fine weatherwill render the use of the syringe frequently 

 necessary. Atmospheric humidity may be sustained by fre- 

 ■quently damping the house. If the regular and continuous 

 admission of air is given it will be found usefuL Let a supply 

 of turfy peat be kept at hand to make-up the baskets of Orchids 

 and feed vigorous plants. — ^W. Kease. 



DOrSGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



like trimming, falsehood, and mere subserviency. 



Betuming now to Broccoli and CauliSowers. When we have 

 acted as judge, sometimes that judgment has been questioned. 

 It is unpleasant to be called on to give your reasons for this 

 and that in a crowded hall or tent. We recollect being taken 

 to task because we passed over some large Cauliflowers, but 

 rather open, and gave the prize to heads crisp, close, but scarcely 

 more than half the size, exhibited by a gentleman's gardener, 

 and then in the cottagers" class we gave the prize to the largest 

 well-formed heads. Some may still say we were wrong, but 

 we acted on this principle, that for a gentleman's table quality 

 should have precedence over quantity, whilst for a working 

 miiTi with a family the fill-month and the fiH-dish principle 

 ought to coiae in as a matter of the first importance. Thus in 



KITCHEX GiKDZS. 



CauUflmcers. — ^We lately boasted of these, but for two or 

 three days there were none fit to cut, for the heads would not ! judging the productions of gentlemen's gardens we make quaUty 

 swell a bit, and though we hke them to go to the dining-room the first consideration ; in judging the produce of cottage 

 rather small and compact, we could not get them large enough gardens we hold in a great measure to size, 

 to suit our purpose. The fine weather of two or three days I Besides securing successions and thinning Onions and Car- 

 at the end of the week has given them a start, and most Ukely rots, we have been hoeing to keep down weeds. One sunny day 

 the servants will have plenty of them, as Cauliflowers, how^ | Vi1l<: them when cut up smaU. It is a great waste of time to 

 ever desirable, will not keep crisp and close long. We mention j aUow weeds to become so large that you must rake them off. 

 this because, though we had some fine early heads, the cold | Use the hoe in time, and so far as weeds are concerned the 

 damp weather interrupted the continuance of the supply. rake may be kept locked up. 



We said something lately about some huge yet close Broccoli, ! Cucumbers. — We have several inquiries whether we stUl find 

 and we have had several letters, the purport of which is simply \ that curbing the roots is conducive to the abundant production 

 this : " Do you approve of sending such large-swelled heads to l of fruit. In all confined places, as a narrow pit or common 

 jonr master's table ?" We do not. We would sooner send three j frame, there can be no question of the results as regards fer- 

 small compact heads than one huge one, though that huge one tility. Our frames, where the plants have yielded freely, are 

 might be firm and bright-coloured ; our chief reason for this | 6 feet wide, and the width of earth in the centre is 2 feet, 

 is, that good as the large head may be, it is rarely that it equals | banked off with boards back and front, and we have proved 

 in flavour a compact head of a third of its diameter. Still, ^ over and over again that with such an arrangement we have 

 mere bulk goes such a way with some people that we would , smaller foliage but much more fruit than when we had a bed 

 advise young gardeners now and then to send in a huge head of earth 6 feet in width. We had only four lights of frames, 

 of Broccoli or Cauliflower to the dining-room. We have known | and after gathering freely there was such a supply from our 

 of several cases where ladies and gentlemen, seeing large heads i small narrow pit that we' rather neglected these frames, and 

 of Broccoli and Cauliflower in the market, thou^t their gar- some green fly attacked them, and therefore, to avoid smoking, 

 dener was not using them well, because he sent them always , Ac-, we pulled the plants out, turned over the bed, added a 

 such small heads to table. He, poor man, was all along study- ; httle fresh dung beneath, made the trench as before, and 

 ing what would be the best for them. A few days' longer , turned out strong plants. If those in the pit show a little 

 time and a fresh dose of liquid manure would have changed the I distress we can now fall back on the plants in the frames, 

 compact sweet little heads into huge ones ; and though a firm I Growing Cucumbers in pots first suggested to us the import- 

 Cauliflower, however large, is sweet, we never found a head i ance of curbing the roots, and we are glad to say that hundreds 

 1 foot in diameter equal in flavour to one of -5 or 6 inches. As ! now adopt the plan with great advantage. The owner of a two- 

 a general rule it will be found that the very best vegetables are ' Ught frame told us the other day, that by merely having six 

 confined to small dimensions, and on the whole the medium- ; pots 1-5 inches in diameter, and a plant in each, he cut three 

 sized are the best. Even a medium-sized kidney Potato is ■ times the quantity of fruit he ever did before. In our small 

 generally better flavoured than a huge monstrosity. Other j narrow pit, where the plants are in pots, we top-dress fre- 

 things being equal, we do like a large rotmded head or shoot of quently, covering the pots and all, but still the roots are 

 .Asparagus. A first-rate judge told us years ago, that though i curbed, and we obtain a large quantity of fruit, and com- 

 huge green heads were the best to look at, they were not equal paratively small healthy foliage. As we stated lately, such care 

 in flavour to medium-sized heads, and that though 1 inch was is not necessary where there is plenty of room in a lofty 

 all he could use of the white blanched Asparagus in Paris, he | Cucumber house, 

 could Tue i inches of ours, and draw the juice out of an inch fetht gaedes. 



or two more. We have received some letters of thanks as to watering trees 



We do not like the idea of being set down as an authority, but ' in pots and borders. Simple though the matter is, much mis- 

 as the matter comes frequently before us we do not hesitate to i chief is caused because people will not examine for themselves 

 say that in the ease of all servants it is well that every tub the state of the eoU and roots. Bead last week's notice as to 

 should stand on its own bottom, and well also to use a'little , this. A damp stirface and dryness beneath are ruinous, 

 prudence to see that that is the case. If there is not a regular I There are two simple things which we find it next to impossible 



