March 1, 1877. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEil. 



153 



aa an article of food beoauee of its deficiency of starch, but it 

 contains what ia closely allied to starch, inuline, also sugar, 

 which is not a component of the Potato. 



Taste is sometimes regarded as trivial, bnt so far from being 

 unimportant it is all-powerful. " Why do yon smoke tobacco ?" 

 said a gentleman to his coachman in my hearing. " Because 

 I like it, sir," was the reply. The obnoxious nature of the 

 "weed" was then as forcibly as possible placed before its 

 "votary, and when it was hoped that some impression had been 

 made on Jehu, his only response was, "I can't help it, sir; I 

 like it," and he continued its use until the end. So it is with 

 vegetables. Potatoes have become popular beoanse people 

 "like them," and Jerusalem Artichokes will also become more 

 popular than they now are as they gradually find their way to 

 the tables of the "masses." There are thousands who have 

 not yet tasted these Artichokes. I have occasionally given a 

 few to my industrial friends for a first ta-te, and it has been 

 strange indeed if some of the household has not " liked them," 

 and as a consequence I have seen their admission into not a 

 few cottage gardens. Bat it is not as providing a " dish " that 

 they are alone useful in small families, for they are particularly 

 valuable for " assisting " in soups. Many a family meal 

 might be made more enjoyable by the aid of half a dozen 

 Artichokes, and especially when, as is often the case, the 

 butcher's shop his only a limited share in the proceedings. 

 The full value of these Artichokes for rendcriog thin soups 

 thicker, and insipid brotha toothsome, has not yet become fully 

 recognised. It is not as affording a substitute for Potatoes, 

 but 83 an adjunct to them that they are recommended, and 

 a few should be planted in many more gardens than ia the 

 case at present. They are by no means dainty as to soil, and 

 are productive ; their tops also in some places being useful, for 

 horses and cattle will eat them greedily ; but what animals 

 will eat Potato haulm ? The tubers of Artichokes are also 

 Uked by most animals, and they are relished by and are bene- 

 ficial to poultry. 



Than Jerusalem Artichokes no crop is more easily cultivated. 

 Kich soil is not necessary, neither is deep trenching; in fact, 

 good crops are produced on comparatively poor and hard soil. 

 If the ground ia very deep and rich, luxuriant tops are pro- 

 dnofd and large ugly tubers, while poorer and firmer soil is 

 promotive of smoother and more useful tubers. 



A common mistake is made in planting too closely. J'jrusa- 

 lem Artichokes never yield so well as when planted in a single 

 row, and in this way they are often useful in forming a screen 

 — hiding something which is best out of tight — during the 

 summer months. 'There are not many gardens where a row of 

 them ia not only not admissible, but where their appearance 

 would be an advantage. Look out for such places, and plant 

 in single rows if you desire the greatest yield. If it is neces- 

 sary to grow in plots on several rows, the sets should not be 

 less than 3 feet apart ; in a single row the tubers may be a foot 

 apart. Naw is the time for planting, covering the tubers 3 or 

 i inches deep. In the cultivation of this crop there is no fear 

 of injury resulting by frost or any disease. It ia a poor man's 

 and a rich man's vegetable — a crop, in fact, for everybody who 

 ias room for growing it. — J. W. 



NEW ROSES OP 1877. 



When are we to have any information about new Roses ? 

 In the present dull season any information from our great 

 Eoae-growers and importers would be thankfully received by 

 very many readers. 



Assuredly English-raised seedlings are coming to the front. 

 I have reason to believe that they will receive special attention 

 in the National Rose Society's schedule, which will shortly be 

 published, and to which Mr. Cranston has given such a grand 

 start with his fifty-guinea cup. I incline to think that our 

 EogUsh-raised seedlings are beginning to do more than hold 

 their own against the more numerous French productions. 

 Last season produced some grand new English Koaes. Will 

 anyone give any idea what we have this year to expect ? I 

 see that Mr. Laxton's stock has been purchased by Mr. Turner; 

 in such hands we may confidently expect real additions. 



I have before me Messrs. Ewing's of Norwich list of new 

 French Roses. It is impoasibje to judge much from descrip- 

 tions or without seeing the Roses growing, but among the 

 sixteen mentioned there appear to be some of promise. Two 

 or three which are really gocd are, I apprehend, quite as many 

 as can be expected from an average year. A seedling from 

 Baronne de RothBohild — M. L.Pernet (Pernet) — appears hopeful, 



"retaining the same habit as its parent." The colour is stated 

 to be very bright rose. Mens. C. Tournier (Levet), deep rose, 

 obtained a first prize at Lyons, as did aleo Mdlle. L. Poizeau 

 (Levet), Tea, orange-yellow. Another Tea of 1870, Beauty 

 of Glazenwood, if it comes up to its description is likely to 

 prove interesting, being " yellow-gold striped and flaked with 

 carmine, and may possibly prove," we are told " an entirely 

 new genus." A pink Gloire de Dijon (a sport) is also spoken 

 favourably of by the Messrs. Ewing, as even more robust than 

 its still unsurpassed parent. — A. C, Brocliliam. 



FLOWER-GARDEN NOTES FOR 1877. 



The latter half of February and the whole month of March 

 is always a busy time with those who have flower gardens to 

 plant in summer. Many kinds of plants, especially Geraniums, 

 may be wholly provided with advantage the autumn previous, 

 but there are others which are best raised iu spring, and there 

 are places, again, where there is little or no accommodation for 

 wintering bedding plants, and still they are required in large 

 quantities in summer. It is iu ca=es of this kind, and they 

 are very numerous, where a push has to be made now with 

 propagation. Before beginning this operation, however, there 

 should always be a clear underbtanding of what is wanted. 

 It is no use propagating a large quantity of one thing when 

 the halt of it will not be wanted, and neglecting another of 

 which there will not be enough. This is often the case with 

 plants which are easily raised from seed or cuttings, and I 

 think this may often account for the undue predominance of 

 one plant over another in many flower gardens. 



Before beginning to propagate to a large extent, plans of the 

 flower beds to be filled in summer should be drawn out, and 

 the way they are to be planted should be distinctly marked on 

 each bed, then a calculation made of how mauy plants it will 

 take of each kind to complete the arrangement, and propagate 

 accordingly. This saves all confusion at planting time. Our 

 flower-garden arrangement for the incoming summer was all 

 understood before the new year, and this admits of discarding 

 any unsuitable plants and working up a suiScient stock of 

 those of the most meritorious description. Much might be 

 said about the arrangements of the different plants and colours 

 in the beds, but this is a matter I do not intend enlarging upon, 

 because I find that a combination which one person would call 

 beautiful another would consider the reverse. Some like 

 yellow in nearly every bed to the partial or total exclusion of 

 a desirable amount of other necessary shades and coloura ; 

 but good taste is always shown by equalising all hues and 

 allowing nothing too " hard " or too " soft " to appear in any 

 arrangement whatever. 



Small beds look best planted with one variety of plant, bnt 

 where there are a number of such beds not far from one 

 another the same subject must not occur too often. As to 

 what colours should go against one another must depend very 

 much on the size, number, and design of the figure or beds. 

 I will only detail one arrangement by way of illustration of 

 what is considered lawful by the regulation of harmony and 

 contrast. Take a small group of five beds, such as may be 

 found in many gardens, with a circle as a centre and four out- 

 lying beds forming a square near to it, but with small grass or 

 gravel walka between — plant in the centre of the circle yellow 

 Calceolaria, next to this Purple King Verbena, outer edge 

 Dactylia glomerata or dwarf white-leaved Geranium. Centre 

 of four outside beds scarlet Geranium, next to this Cloth of 

 Gold or yellow Calceolaria, outer edges blue Lobelia. It will 

 thus be seen that between the yellow in the centre and the 

 band.s in the outer beds there are blue, white, and purple inter- 

 vening, and no other two cjlours are alike. 



Where plants are deficient for this or any other arrangement 

 no time must now be lost in increasing the number. Those 

 having well-heated propagating houses have no difficulty in 

 rooting any quantity of cuttings without loss, but, unfor- 

 tunately, many with flower gardens have no such convenience, 

 and are therefore obliged to resort to other means. The next 

 best thing to a house for striking cuttings is a good hotbed. 

 Luavea and long stable litter are the best materials with which 

 to form thia. The two should be mixed in a heap together in 

 about equal parts. After lying for about a week turn the whole 

 over and allow it to lie as long again, and then make it into a 

 firm bed about IJ foot larger in every way than the frame 

 which has to be placed on the top of it. When the frame has 

 been set on build up the sides until they are level with the top. 

 It will be a few days before there ia much heat ; and a day or 



