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JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTUHE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



May 2, 1867. 



barrow-load or more of hot duug in the hole before replacing 

 the soil. 



Ve(jetaUe Marroxo. — After trying almost all the warted, 

 and wrinkled sorts of Vegetable Marrow, we have gone back 

 to the old common sort, long-shaped, and yellow when ripe. 

 No other of the family, nor of the whole group of Gourds, 

 beats it for richness of flavour, according to our fancy. Treat 

 as ridge Cucumbers. 



Sea-kale. — A correspondent writes that he is obliged for the 

 rough modes of obtaining supplies of this delicioHS vegetable, 

 which were lately described, but he cannot perceive the use of 

 his placing dry litter or rough hay inside a garden-pot before 

 placing it over the plants to be blanched ; nor yet do we, as 

 he covers the outside of the pot with litter. (See page 299 for 

 reasons.) All we can say is, that we never cut finer or whiter. 

 We are, however, obliged for the criticism, as it enables us to 

 advise that in planting in rows 2 feet apart, the plants should 

 not be less than 12 inches apart in the row, instead of 6 or 8 

 inches as stated in the page referred to, and that more espe- 

 cially, if the plants are to have two summers' growth before 

 being taken up for forcing. We have just examined a piece so 

 planted two years ago, and with small seedling plants. Each 

 of these yielded a good head in the following spring. The 

 cutting-off the crown or strong shoot caused a number of buds 

 to sprout instead of die ; and even though these were thinned, 

 we find that the plants now are meeting each other in the row, 

 and will be excellent for taking up for forcing next season, 

 and thus we shall avoid all trouble with fermenting material 

 on the beds. 



The sight of these rows brought to our mind another simple 

 mode of obtaining fine clean Sea-kale out of doors in spring 

 without fermenting material — viz., the having triangular 

 wooden boxes, something of the m.ake of Mr. Rivers's curate's 

 vinery — say 20 inches at the open base and 15 inches high at 

 the ridge, the two sloping sides formed of stout wood tongued 

 together, each piece to be from 4 to 6 feet in length. One side 

 might be hinged to the ridge-board, so that the crop could be ga- 

 thered witbout trouble. The chief objection to such boxes would 

 be their expense, and principally on account of the strength of 

 the wood, as, if the boards were thin, they would gape and shrink 

 wheri exposed to a hot sun, and thus the light would find its 

 way in and spoil the blanching. We once tried a lot of small 

 oyster-barrels reversed over the crowns, and if these barrels 

 had been covered with litter, they would have done as well, and 

 been more safe, than regular Sea-kale earthenware pots ; but 

 when exposed to the sun they were of little use, as there 

 were soon plenty of small openings between the staves. 



Another correspondent is afraid if he covered his bed with 

 fermenting material and tree leaves, without any pots or boxes 

 over the beds, that the growth would become drawn up and be 

 spoiled in flavour. We agree that rank fermenting dung would 

 be apt to injure the flavour ; but fresh tree leaves will afford 

 ample heat, and the shoots of the Sea-kale as it rises through them 

 will be little if at all injured in flavour. Aa for spindling, 

 however caused, the produce will be watery if the heads are much 

 more than 6 inches in length. This length may be considered 

 a good average. If less than that, and strong and sturdy, from 

 1 to IJ or 2 inches in diameter at the base, all the richer and 

 better the flavour. In planting the fresh piece referred to last 

 week, we put the plants out 1 foot apart, in rows 2 feet from row 

 to row. 



After such statements, we think that the smallest garden 

 may have its little plot of Sea-kale, as well as its piece of 

 Ehubarb and Parsley. We shall have sown what Sea-kale 

 seed we have before this is printed, and fly and birds must be 

 looked after, or they will make short work of the first of the 

 young plants, and the last of the seeds, just as they begin to 

 germinate. Wood ashes, &c., and a net will be required where 

 birds are troublesome. 



Aspara/fus. — We shall sow seeds, and plant out a piece at 

 once. As a fact in favour of planting in rows instead of beds, 

 and as it were on the crown of the ridge, and thus keeping the 

 plants all along comparatively near the surface, we may men- 

 tion that we gathered plentifully a week ago from such a piece, 

 whilst scarcely a shoot appeared on a piece intended for forcing 

 next year, and which had been planted more in the bed and 

 covered deeper. Those who can spare a little dung for surface- 

 manuring every year, may have good serviceable Asparagus 

 without what so many dread— the burying of large quantities 

 of manure in the soil at great depths, and making more ado 

 with an Asparagus-bed than if it were a Vine border to last a 

 eentury. In all cold clayey loamy soils, however, if the largest 



heads are to be aimed at, draining and deep stirring must be 

 practised, and light soil must be procured to imitate the deep 

 rich sandy loams in which the Asparagus naturally flourishes. 



Scattered salt twice between the rows, and did the same to 

 the fresh-planted Sea-kale. Will cut as little as possible from 

 the old piece of Asparagus referred to above, but will prettj 

 well allow all to come, and then the buds will be sooner 

 matured, and therefore more obedient to heat when applied at 

 the end of autumn. In making fresh plantations we prefer 

 two-year-old plants, and those one year old to those which are 

 more than two years. As stated the other week, we like the 

 plants to be 3 inches or so in height, and as the roots are 

 spread out they should never be dry, biit be kept in a damp 

 mat whilst planting goes on. 



Turnips. — From a bed sown under a glass protection we have 

 thinned out the most sturdy plants, and transferred them to a 

 south border, pricking them out in rows 15 inches apart, and 

 6 inches in the row. This is a good mode of obtaining early 

 Turnips easily, as the plants are beyond the reach of the fly, 

 and it would require some large snails to crop them over. We 

 find the common Turnips for table transplant as well as the 

 Swedes. 



Pursued the routine of pricking-out Celery and Cauliflower ; 

 the advantage of doing so with the latter is that the plants 

 are strong before being finally planted out with a trowel, and 

 thus are better able to bid defiance to all enemies. 



FRUIT DEPARTMENT. 



The chief work has been thinning Grapes, arranging Vines, 

 and thinning shoots in the late vinery and orchard-house, 

 removing Strawberry plants and introducing fresh, and as soon 

 as we can find time we shall throw up a .slight hotbed, as 

 alluded to last week, lift a lot of young plants pricked out on 

 a border last autumn, and cover the bed with old sashes. Our 

 doing so will free the houses after a time of Strawberries, and 

 keep up the succession until they come in from out of doors, 

 but which we do not expect them to do for six weeks. 



Orcliard-houses. — Strawberry plants in the first orchard-house 

 are in full bloom, and in the second are but little more forward 

 than those out of doors. In the first Tom Thumb Pea is 

 podding well in a row of pots at the foot of the back wall, 

 whilst Dillistone's, or a sort very much like it, sown within 

 a yard of the first, and allowed to cover the ground behind 

 two rows of Strawberries in pots, is in full bloom, and will no 

 doubt do well. In the second house buds are forming on a 

 similar row of Peas, but we expect the first week of May will 

 be gone before many flowers show or open, and the present 

 appearance would lead us to the conclusion that they would 

 not be more than a week or ten days in advance of those turned 

 out in the open border. The latter house, on account of Plums 

 and Cherries in pots, has been kept very open, and only shut 

 on cold nights, or in verj' high winds. The Peaches against 

 the north waU have set very thickly, and we have disbudded 

 twice ; and the Cherries are setting, and neither they nor 

 Apricots will set without plenty of air. The first house con- 

 tains chiefly Peach and Nectarine trees against the back 

 wall. Peach and Fig trees in pots in front, and Vines planted 

 near the front inside, and for which, it we keep them, we 

 must make a burder outside beneath the walk which runs 

 in front of them, and they well deserve it, if the pot plants 

 should be removed. This house had less air, even when the 

 trees were in bloom, though a regular circulation ; and as 

 the fruit set sooner, the house was kept warmer by giving 

 only a little air early and not the full quantity even in sun- 

 shine, except when very bright, shutting up between three and 

 four o'clock in the afternoon, and if cloudy even earlier than 

 that. In cold weather, we put a fire in the iron stove in the 

 house, and though it is a rough, tinkered-up affair, nothing could 

 answer better, and for such a purpose no other plan of securing 

 a regiilar genial heat will come near it for economy and sim- 

 plicity. By this means the house, except in cold nights, will 

 now average from 50° to 55° at night, and from 60° to 65° in dull 

 days, and provided air, however little, is given early, we do not 

 mind if the temperature rises gradually to from 75° to 85° with 

 sun heat ; but if likely to go higher at this season, we add a 

 little mote air, chiefly at the top of the house. Of course, as 

 the sun gains power by-aud-by, all the air possible will be 

 needed at mid-day. By such modes the one house will be 

 pretty well cleared before the other comes on. 



We are not surprised that orchard-houses are such a source of 

 pleasure and profit to amateurs, for even the watering and 

 other attention bestowed on trees in pots, which become a drag 

 to the gardener, are to amateurs sources of interest and healthy 



