378 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTUKB AND COTTAGE GAKDENER. 



[ November IS, 1873. 



green trees — the clean-clipt Yew hedges are a conspicuous 

 feature. It was too late in the year to see the effect of the 

 t'lstefal arrangement of the flowers to harmonise with, and not 

 ignore and disown, these old-world topiary triumphs, as also to 

 realise the success of a cordon Pear-wall, of which the abundant 

 frait had been gathered. Bat within the precincts of these 

 charming gardens every lawn and slope was rich with dainty 

 fiingologioal treasures. Here Mr. Berkeley quickly found Geo- 

 glossum glahrum, G. olivaceum, and G. difforme. Mr. Brooke 

 gathered Clavaria ourta under the Yew trees — the elegant little 

 Agaricus (Mycena) flavo-albus ; A. (Pleurotus) tremulus and 

 applicatus ; A. cuneifolius ; A. corticolor ; Anthina flammea; 

 Pistillaria quisquiliaris, &c. Mr. Vyse detected Puccinia strioli 

 growing on Carex ; and there were many other discoveries. The 

 mycological successes of the day, however, were a species of 

 Nolanea and Hygrophorus foruicatus, both new to Britain. The 

 Hygrophorus grew also on the Moccas Park law n. There should 

 have been a general hand-shaking here, but a shower of rain, 

 though it lessened not the joy and enthusiasm at finding these 

 treasures, dispersed the naturalists rather summarily ; not, 

 however, before a goodly number of them had inspected the 

 magnificent Oaks of the Park, the gigantic denizens of Price's 

 Walk, and the Holme Lacy Welliugtonia described by the Wool- 

 hope Commissioner in the Transactions of 1870. Several arbo- 

 ricultural curiosities — among them an American Scarlet Oak — 

 were noticed by the Club despite the rain, which somewhat 

 interfered with leisurely contemplation, but no member of the 

 party deemed his outing a failure. 



At the repast, inter alia, were served-up the Vegetable Beef- 

 steak (Fistulina hepatica) and the delicate Hygrophorus pratensis, 

 admirably cooked, and Dindoii aux truffles was one pi'ce tie re- 

 sist mice. 



TOMATOES. 



I HiVE read Jlr. Record's papers on the culture of the 

 Tomato with much interest. I do not agree with all he says, 

 so I offer these notes. 



I am well aware that Mr. Record can grow Tomatoes out of 

 doors, as I know his garden well. Living as I do in the north 

 of England. I cannot plant them out with any degree of cer- 

 tainty as to what crop I shall get, and as I recjuire a g)eat 

 many, I devote a house entirely to them. It is a span-roofed 

 house, aboiit 20 feet long by 1'2 feet wide, with a walk in the 

 centre, and a flat stage on either side, where I kept all my 

 bedding Geraniums duriog the winter. These I had removed 

 in March into a vinery, and on the stage I placed some stable 

 litter, quite dry, to keep the soil from falling through. I placed 

 it about a yard wide from one end of the stage to the other. 

 On this I put some good maiden loam with plenty of fibre. I 

 used no dung. There was a barrowful of loam to each Uglit ; 

 over this I scattered plenty of soot. The plants Uke soot. 

 That is all I used. I gave them at every alternate watering 

 liquid manure made from sheeps' droppings. Ou one side 

 I had tlie Trophy, on the other Oraugefield. Trophy came 

 in about ten days earlier than the Oraugefield. So pleased am 

 I with the former that I shall grow no other variety. With 

 me it is a splendid cropper, all that I can wish. I grew the 

 plants on a trellis, and one could almost see them grow. I 

 kept them well pinched back, and when the trellis was fur- 

 nished with robust short-jointed wood I gave them a check, 

 and liept them short of water for a time. I gave them plenty 

 of air. Very soon they were full of bloom and fruit. Unfortu- 

 nately I did not keep an account of the quantity produced, 

 but I had bushels of splendid fruit. 



What is prettier than a good house of Tomatoes ? I have to 

 fend them to table every day, and yet I gave away basketful 

 after basketful. Financially speaking, they can be grown and 

 made to pay, and are always saleable. The secret to grow them 

 is to give them plenty of soot, plenty of pinching, and when 

 they have made enough wood starve them a little. I have 

 heard the remark made, " How rank your Tomatoes are ! 

 they are all wood !" I find it an excellent maxim, " A stitch 

 in time." — F. P. Lhckhdest, Mill Bank Hull, near Warrington. 



I AGREE with Mr. Record that Hathaway's Excelsior is a fine 

 variety. I have grown several sorts, and in 1ST2 had the Lnrge 

 Red very good. This season I have had Hathaway's Excelsior, 

 and to my satisfaction it is the best I have yet cultivated. 

 It grows very strongly in tlie first part of the season, for I 

 thought I had all plant and no fruit, but with frequent stopping 

 I obtained at last a fair crop as large asRibstou Pippin Apples, 

 but rounder. I find the Tomaio likes fresh soil like most other 

 crops. I grew mine in a border made anew this time last 

 year after pulling down an old vinery, and no manure was 



added to it. I gathered just a bushel from five plants, besides 

 a small gathering or two before. — C. M. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN GAiiDEN. 



There are but few gardeners who are unacquainted with the 

 value of leaf mould ; it is of all soils the most useful in the flower 

 garden, and it is scarcely less valuable in the kitchen garden 

 and forcing department. One of the best practical gardeners 

 we have known used it mixed with a small portion of cow dung 

 thoroughly decomposed in the forcing of culinary vegetables, and 

 also for Peach trees. Raspberries, Melons, See, and I can aver 

 I never saw more abundant crops ; it was also used largely in 

 the kitchen garden, which was equally productive. Now, al- 

 though the value of leaf mould is more or less generally known, 

 it is rarely that a greater quantity of leaves is collected iu one 

 season than is actually wanted for the purpose of forcing. 

 This, I have no doubt, arises in some measure from the ex- 

 pense of cartage ; but by the plan I am now about to recom- 

 mend it will be, as far as regards collecting leaves for leaf mould, 

 a mere secondary consideration. In extensive parks there are 

 usually many hollow places where leaves collect in large quan- 

 tities. In a central part of these hollows a hole should be dug 

 sufficiently deep and large to hold the leaves near at hand, but 

 not so deep as to endanger the lives of any cattle which might 

 by accident get into it. The leaves should then be raked into it 

 and firmly trodden. During the summer they should be turned 

 twice or thrice, and have a small portion of lime mixed with 

 them each time, when they will be fit for some purposes the 

 following winter ; but, if convenient, it is best to let them re- 

 main iu the bole two years. Thus there will be a great saving 

 in cartage, as it takes many loads of leaves to make one of 

 mould. Another bed of Aiparagus should be prepared at 

 the end of the week if a succession is required. The frames 

 already planted may remain covered-up night and day during 

 cold weather until the heads begin to appear. It is necessary 

 to take advantage of every favourable opportunity to earth-up 

 all the Celery that requires it ; rather let it remain as it is than 

 attempt to do so while wet, as it wiU afterwards rot in a very 

 short time. The Ciicutnher plants require constant attention 

 in stopping and tying to the trelUs. During very dull weather 

 the plauts should not be excited to so great a degree by heat 

 and water as in clear weather, neither should they be allowed 

 to swell-off so many fruit at one time. If the herb beds are 

 not yet cleaned and done-up for the winter they should be 

 attended to without delay ; a slight coat of very rotten dung 

 should be laid on them, for the double purpose of protecting the 

 roots from severe frost and to enrich the soil. The Cabbage 

 varieties of Lettuce planted in frames intended for winter irse 

 will not require much air if the soil is light and dry. Should 

 they require a Uttle water, give it to each individual plant from 

 a watering-pot without a rose ; never expose the plants to 

 heavy rains. A little leaf mould, tan, or cinder ashes should 

 be laid over the crowns of Sea-kale plants ; pots may then be 

 set over a portion of the plantation, and be covered with leaves 

 as they are collected ; if required for use in a short time stable 

 dung should be used. In gathering the leaves of Spinach the 

 beds should be trodden upon as little as possible, as the growth 

 is injured by having the soil so consolidated about the roots ; 

 where it is sufficiently light and dry for the purpose the surface 

 of the soil should be loosened-up. The past week the weather 

 has been vei-y unfavourable for out-door operations. As little 

 as possible should be done on the ground when wet, as stiff soils 

 .are greatly injured thereby. Look over Onions and other culi- 

 nary roots, and pick out all that are any way decayed. Remove 

 all decaying and damaged Carrots, &c., from the root-house. 

 Prepare suitable places for a supply of Turnips, Celery, tfcc, 

 being stored-up on the first approach of severe weather. ]?ota- 

 toes, if kept in a house, and especially if raised in rather a wet 

 state, should have flues formed of faggots, itc, passing through 

 the heaps. When sufficiently dried, the draught of air may be 

 stopped or regulated at will. When the flavour of newly-raised 

 Potatoes is preferred to having them like a bill of flour, a 

 quantity of earth, neither dry nor wet, may bo sprinkled 

 amongst them. 



FRUIT oardem. 



Prune and nail Vines and other fruit trees as before recom- 

 mended. Fig trees in some situations will require to be pro- 

 tected. This may be done in a variety of ways, but I prefer 

 gathering the shoots into several liundles after being unnailed, 

 and then wrapping mats round them. The present changeable 

 weather will furnish an opportunity of examining and removing 

 all decaying fruit from the fruit-room. Those slightly specked 

 should be taken out and reserved for present kitchen use, 

 as otherwise the atmosphere of the room would become so 

 tainted as to hasten the decomposition of all the stock. 



FLOWER garden. 



Chrysanthemums will now be in perfection in most places, 

 therefore take every means to preserve their beauty as long as 



