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JOUBNAL OP HOETICUIiTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



[ September 26, 18B7. 



winter stock. Towards the middle of October the Chrysanthe- 

 intims will reqnire to be staged, if not before, nnd tbe bousing 

 of these is frequently tbe cause of a re-arrangement of a con- 

 sideialile portion of tbe other stock. Those who have a house 

 or pit for everything will not need any advice on this bead ; the 

 majority, honever, are very differently situated. — W. Keane. 



DOINGS OP THE LAST \\T3EK. 



KITCHEN GAKDKN. 



Globe Articliokes. — These still continue to produce freely. 

 Several authorities say, When you gather the head, cut down 

 the flowering stem ; but we do not find any advan'age in doing 

 so, as, when tbe first heads are removed, smaller beads are 

 produced in succession from tbe axils of the leaves, lower down 

 on the first stem. With mulchings and waterings in a dry 

 season tbe Globe Artichoke may thus be kept on tit for use for 

 a long time. Where Artichokes are considered luxuries (and 

 some things are looked upon as such ia proportion to the time 

 that it takes to get at and enjoy their delicacy), it is desirable 

 to plant a fresh row of good strong roots every spring, as these 

 will produce later in the autumn than the general crop. It is 

 safest to put a lot of long litter over tbe crowns in winter. 



JiTiisalem Artichokrs. — These are greatly relished in many 

 places, cooked in vaiious ways, but more especially in soups. 

 Could the use of h m be made popu'ar, they would be no bad 

 substitute with those who prefer a waxy Potato to a mealy one. 

 They produce best when planted afresh every year in rows 

 4 feet apart, and IS inches from each other in tbe row ; but 

 they will stand for years in the same ground, and afford plenty 

 ■of produce, only the tubers will not be so regular. Almost all 

 soils come alike, though they grow strongest in good l».amy 

 ground. This season they have grown with us to an immense 

 height, though planted on the norlh side, close to a thick ever- 

 green fence. We have never known anything like a disease 

 affecting them, and we liave scarcely ever seen tbe tubers 

 interfered with, except by rats and pheasants. We have often 

 been surprised that they have not been more planted in tbe 

 open parts of covei s and game preserves ; the stems would give 

 shelter, and the roots abundance of food. 



Potatoes. — Sorry we are to learn that the dread disease is 

 committing great ravages in this neighbourhood, and, as was 

 the case last season, many are giving way that were housed in 

 first-rate condition. Tbe reds and other coloured kinds seem 

 to be more exempt than the whites, and, as stated formerly, 

 tbe crops grown in the open fields, and not too close in the 

 rows, are less affected than those grown in confined gardens. 

 It is grievous to see how many cottage gardeners, who depended 

 on their Potato crops to carry them through the winter, will 

 be pinched and disappointed. In all our experience we never 

 Siw better crops or Letter tubers in gardens; but these fre- 

 quent visitations should lead, in prudence, to tbe growing of 

 more vegetables, and especially Turnips, Carrots, and Parsnips. 

 We do not wonder that hardworking men in the country care 

 less than their town brethren about a dish of Greens wlien 

 they get home at night ; for, after all, it takes a good basketful of 

 them to make much bulk when boiled, and even then tbe 

 nourishment they yield does not satisfy like a Potato or a 

 Parsnip. 



One field of Potatoes we liave seen that has not shown a 

 trace of the disease ; but here a singular freak presented itself. 

 The land was well prepared, and well dunged with rotten dung, 

 but not long after tbe Potato stems were above ground the 

 fohage assumed a hard, brownish appearance, something like 

 that which we said appeared in the case of Celery in some 

 places, and by-and-by moist weather set in, and altogether tbe 

 foliage began to fall. The crop in consequence is poor, the 

 tubers generally not larger than a Walnut, but they are fine in 

 ■qnality, and like so many balls of flour when boiled. We could 

 have understood all this if the ground had been poor as well as 

 fresh, but we were informed that the land was manured quite 

 as heavily as for Turnips. It is just possible that the manure 

 may have been rather fresh (but of this we have no evidence), 

 as then the Potato might have received a check at first. As 

 it is the matter is perplexing, like everything else about the 

 Potato. 



Cabbages. — Watered tbe last-planted Coleworts, also Cauli- 

 flower just coming in. Can any one tell us how to have Cauli- 

 flower as fine and compact in September and October, as it 

 comes without our aid in May, Juno, and July? As we have 

 not taken all our Onions up, planted Cabbages intended for 

 spring in part of the ground cleared and prepared, and pricked 



out a lot of good plants in a border, to be lifted and planted 

 when the other ground is properly prepared. We have long 

 proved that tbe main crop of Cabbages forms a line succession 

 to Onions, and if a little dung can be trenched down all the 

 better, as these Cabbage plants tinned out now will most likely 

 produce all tbe summer of 18C8, and in the spring of 1869. 

 Ciibhages, however, are about tbe worst precursors to Onions. 

 We like young Coleworts from sowings in Muy and June, which 

 yield nice little heads iu autumn, and in luild seiisous on to 

 tbe time when young Cabbages come in ; but where ground is 

 scarce, one plantation of Cabbages in the autumn, and no burst 

 heads allowed to remain, will almost give a succession of all 

 sizes for the season. In planting now, it is well, in such a 

 season for slugs, to scatter some fresh lime and soot over the 

 ground, and rake and point it several times with just the point 

 of a fork before planting. Even that will not dispense with 

 future care. If the ground is diy on the surface after tbe above 

 dressing it is also well to roll it with a light roller, as that will 

 present a smooth surface, and, therefore, fewer hiding-places 

 for the enemy. A dusting of lime and ashes, and a light scuffle 

 with the lioe, just to break the surface, but n'lt enough lo make 

 it rough, will also make all such slimy visitors uncomfortable. 

 When the plants are fairly established, tbe ground may be 

 stirred with the point of a folk, to let the air into tlie soil. 

 Nothing makes a better return for such little attention than the 

 Cabbage, and one grown quickly and just hearting well, is a 

 treat to any one. Filled in empty spaces with Greens of any 

 kind, as they will come in useful before the fresh Cabbages come 

 in freely in spring. 



Celcrij. — Took the opportunity of fine diy days to tie-np the 

 heads, and clean the bottoms where they needed it. Except 

 for use by-and-by, we will not be in a hurry earthing-up the 

 main crops. Our Celery has hardly bad a liand-watering since 

 it was planted, the rains have been nearly sufficient for this 

 and other things likewise. We do not think it is quite bo 

 strong as when we gave it manure-waterings. The saving of 

 the water-pail has not been all gain. 



Cauliflowers. — Marked out places for some hand-lights on a 

 sloping bank, and pricked out young Cauliflowers to be covered 

 with hand-lights ere long. Most likely will put a lot iu GO-sized 

 pots, and keep them in the orchard-house, and these when 

 shifted in spring into larger pots, and turned out into well-pul- 

 verised soil in March, give good aud early cuttings. We hope 

 we shall escape the ravages of rats this season. Two years ago 

 they almost destroyed our Cauliflowers, not eating the young 

 plants to any extent, but cutting them down to the surface of 

 the ground, just as they did lately with some of our best Pelar- 

 goniums. We must tar the first jat we catch that is not much 

 hurt. For some time we did not see the trace of one, and 

 now they are crossing our path in all directions. Tar is one 

 of their abominations. We have saved Melons in boxes by 

 running tar all round and below the bottoms of the boxes out- 

 side, and tbe linings over it kept it moist. 



Carrot.'' aud Parsnips. — It is as well, if the ground is not 

 wanted, to leave the latter in tbe ground, except wliat are needed 

 for use ; but Carrots, spring-sown, generally suffer if left too 

 long in tbe ground. They will be cleaner aud freer from worm 

 and spot it taken up in the beginning instead of the end of 

 October. 



FRUIT GAItDES. 



Stone fruit will ere long become scarce, but it wants con- 

 siderable attention as yet to keep it from dropping and to protect 

 it from enemies. The Walburton Admirable Pt-ach is now in 

 tine condition in the late orchard-house, aud Barrington and 

 Royal George Peaches out of doors. Late as in some things 

 the season has been, we fear that October Peaches will be little 

 seen in this district after the first part of the month. Plums, 

 too, will soon be over, except Cue's Golden Drop and other 

 late kinds. The Golden Drop has lipeued on some little trees 

 in the orchard-house, and tbe flavour was more like that of a 

 rich preserve than of a Plum. Were we rich enough to have a 

 little orcbard-houso of our own, we should be greatly tempted 

 to fill it with Coe's Golden Drop Plum, train the tiee to a 

 rough trellis 20 inches from the roof, either have dark glass or 

 shade iu bright weather, with plenty of air all tbe summer, 

 after tbe fruits were fairly swelling, and this would keep the 

 fruit later even than if the trees were out of doors; and then 

 from the end of autumn on to Christmas we should expect to 

 gather the richest of all Plums when the Plum season was 

 thoroughly over. Even in our late orchard house, wbicli we 

 could not keep cool enongli owing to other things, some little 

 trees in pots of Coe's Golden Drop have the fruit well swelled. 



