January 35, 1877. J 



JOUKMAL OF HOUflGDLTURB AND COT'l'AtiK GAHDENEli. 



WEEKLY CALENDAR. 



KITCHEN-GABDEN MEMORANDA. 



VEBT summer and every winter teaches ns 

 something fresb, and very often, if we are 

 not too obstinate, it upsets previous notions 

 and concUisions whioli were arrived at with 

 a good deal of attention and study. No 

 two summers are exactly alike, and no two 

 winters entirely correspond. Systems of 

 working which succeed admirably one sea- 

 son are found to be utterly useless the 

 next ; and plants, flowers, and fruits lauded 

 up to the skies at one time, and perhaps honestly so, are 

 in the short space of twelvemonths consigned to oblivion. 

 It is truly said gardening is never learned, but it is very 

 hard for a youog man to beheve this, and it is only 

 after many hundreds of failures that the truth forces 

 itself upon us and we are obliged to confess how little 

 we know. 



Some correspondents of the Journal at one time com- 

 plained that we did not record our failures, but were 

 loud enough in proclaiming fuccefses, and implied, I 

 think, that professional gardeners as a rule wished the 

 world to believe that they had no failures. Of course 

 the reverse of this is the fact. I have no faith whatever 

 in a man who has no failures, and 1 know that if I were 

 to chronicle all mine the Editors would have to enlarge 

 the Journal and shut cut then- other contributors, either 

 of which would be a great calamity. I like the Journal 

 in its present form, and hope it never will give way to the 

 popular failing of cramming with mere verbiage which 

 nobody reads, or everyday science and old women's 

 superstitions, which everyone who desires it can get in 

 a very cheap :'nd more convenient form at the railway 

 book-stalls. The truthful chronicling of doings by prac- 

 tical men of all grades is that which distinguishes our 

 Journal; boasting, self-laudation, and coloured reports 

 are almost nuknowa in its pages, and in this respect I 

 think it improves every year. Whether this is owing to 

 the Editors' scissors being sharper or the contributors 

 getting better informed, and consequently more humble, 

 1 am not able to say, but I have no doubt whatever of 

 the fact. Although there are two or three horticultural 

 writers whose little dainties I devour most greedily and 

 am constantly longing for more of the same stamp, yet 

 oven for them I would not have the Journal enlarged, for 

 I have a very great dislike to large papers and long- 

 winded articles, and one of the greatest punishments that 

 coold be inflicted oa me would be to force me to read 

 them till my head turned round like a windmill. If my 

 head happened to be empty it might take a considerable 

 time to bring about this result, but otherwise the process 

 would be very short. I could have gone into mourning 

 a short time ago when a certain energetic little evening 

 pappi- suddenly blew itself like the toad in the fable, and 

 its friends were no longer able to recognisn it except by 

 its title. Probably if it goes on expanding it will come to 

 the same untimely end as the poor toad. But I am 

 afraid I am doing the very thing I am denouncing. How 

 Ko. 826.- Vol. XXXIL, New Seeies. ' 



pleasant it is in imagination to hear oneself speaking 

 without interruption to all the thousands of learners 

 from the Journal of Horticulture, who with open ears 

 and eyes catch every syllable ! But, then, Bobert Burns 

 troubles by saying, " Wad some power," &c. 



From poetry to Parsnips is not perhaps an elegant 

 leap, but I have no room for further preface. Parsnips 

 were sown on the 25th of March, and again in the middle 

 of June. Those sown at the latter date were good, but 

 not so large as desirable ; the former lot were an irregular 

 crop, badly forked, and only fit for pigs. I do not recom- 

 mend either of these dates, but in my heavy soil I shall 

 be quite contented to sow Parsnips, and also Onions, any 

 time during April, provided the ground is in good order 

 to receive the seed. 



Of Celery I consider Major Clarke's Bed very far in 

 advance of every other Celery ia quality, but it is so 

 tender that it ought not to be depended on after Novem- 

 ber. Manchester Bed (also known as Sulham Prize) is 

 a useful late kind, but it will not do to taste it till the 

 dehcato flavour of the first-named is forgotten. 



I have grown Witloof Chicory, but it has no advantage 

 over the ordinary large-rooted kind, being exactly similar 

 in flavour, and its jagged edges are no recommendation 

 in the salad bowl. 



Two years ago I ventured to recommend the Improved 

 Bound-leaved Batavian Endive, as supplied by the Messrs. 

 Veitch & Sons (this is altogether difi'erent from Eraser's 

 variety, and also the old Batavian), it now not only takes 

 the place of all other Endives, but also for winter super 

 sedes Cos Lettuces, as it blanches better and is much 

 hardier. When Lettuces can be had quickly grown and 

 thoroughly blanched as we have them in summer and 

 autumn. Endive is not worth the trouble of washing ; 

 but in winter Lettuces are generally both green and 

 tough, and will bear no comparison with well-grown 

 Endive, and especially the sort named above. With 

 a little really good oil and a sliced Tomato it makes, 

 in my opinion, without any other admixture the best 

 winter salad procurable. Tom Thumb Lettuce is grown 

 for kitchen purposes, and is the beet Cabbage Lettuce 

 I know. 



G. F. Wilson and Veitch's Perfection are still the best 

 Peas for quality on a good soil. Dr. Maclean is not much 

 behind them, and will probably be found very useful on 

 soils which are not of the first quality. It is a very 

 vigorous and handsome Pea of medium height, and is 

 very productive. William I. is the best early if quaUty 

 is wanted. 



Early Horn Carrots were sown as late as the 10th of 

 August on a south border, and are now grown to nearly 

 iheir full size. They have never been protected in any 

 way, and although we had frost on the 1st of November 

 which seriously injured hardy evergreens, the Carrots 

 were none the worse for it. I find them extremely useful. 

 Sir Joseph Paxton is still the best French Bean for 

 forcing, and is as good as any other for outdoors. ., „ 

 Autumn Giant Cauliflower is especially valuable in 

 hot summers. Having to be planted early it roots deeply 



No. 1478.— Vol. LVII., Old Seuies. 



