JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ May 24, 1870. 



tree an opportunity of prolonging a fruitful existence nearly 

 every cluster should be reduced to one fruit. — M. 



FLOBIST FLOWERS EAISED FROM SEED. 



AnRicuLis. — From April onward no outdoor flower can at 

 all compare with the Auricula, and any garden without it ie 

 devoid of one of the very choicest of spring flowers, for they 

 are lovely upon the plants and very useful for cutting. I 

 allude to the Alpines, for no one need expect anything good, 

 even for borders, out of a packet of seed of the show varieties, 

 at least such is my experience ; and even in Alpines not many 

 come from seed of exhibition quality. Nevertheless, very 

 useful kinds in variety may be had for borders from a packet 

 of seed, and such as are deserving of being cherished in any 

 garden. Everybody may grow them, for they are not at all 

 delicate, but will thrive anywhere providing the soil be free 

 from stagnant water. They are grateful, no plants more so, 

 for a little well-decayed manure or leaf soil mixed with the 

 soil ; and if planted where they have slight shade in hot 

 weather they thrive all the better. 



The seed may be sown any time from March to May, or even 

 June. I BOW in April, draining a pan (one a foot across is 

 large enough for a packet of seed) an inch deep, covering with 

 about half an inch of the rough of the compost — three parts 

 yellow loam and one part leaf soil, with about a sixth of silver 

 sand, filling to within an eighth of the rim with sifted com- 

 post, making the surface smooth and scattering the seed evenly, 

 and covering with fine soil about the sixteenth of an inch deep, 

 placing in a frame with a gentle heat, shading from sun to 

 lessen the necessity for frequent watering in order to keep the 

 soil moist, which it must be from the first. The pan may be 

 placed in a cold frame, but I think there is a more regular ger- 

 mination of the seed in gentle heat than in a cold frame. In 

 either case shade is given, and when placed in a hotbed so soon 

 as the seedlings appear they are moved to a cold frame and 

 light and air given. The latter they delight in, and the former 

 also, but subdued — the fierce rays being broken by shade. No 

 place is better after June than a north border, but until then 

 shade artificially, as what we want is growth early and con- 

 tinued 60 as to have the plants well established before winter. 



In June or July the seedlings will be fit to prick off G inches 

 apart every way, lifting carefully and making the soil firm 

 about the plants, watering gently, shading them from sun. 

 Though they like shade in summer they want sun in autumn 

 onward, and this must be remembered when choosing the site 

 for growing them. If the soil be wet a raised bed should be 

 formed, putting in some stones for drainage, -and not less than 

 6 inches thickness of soil upon it. It is well if the plants in 

 the bed are so arranged that they may be covered with a frame 

 in winter, placing it over them in October, with a brick under i 

 each corner, giviug air abundantly by the lights in all mild I 

 weather, closing only during frost, in which case the bricks 1 

 should be removed from the corners of the frames, and in very ■ 

 severe weather protection over the lights should be afforded. ! 

 The value of the lights is in protecting from rains, wet being 

 injurious; and protection is absolutely necessary in spring if 

 mealy leaves be wanted, and the flowers are required to be kept 

 from discoloration. Eat for Auricula-growing for the million 

 all that is wanted is protection from heavy rains in autumn, 

 winter, and spring. Oiled calico lights answer well, they 

 being fixed so as to throw the water clear of the outer row of 

 plants. The lights should be withdrawn in mild weather. 



I have, however, seen some really gorgeous beds ©f Auriculas 

 which have not received any attention beyond shading until the 

 plants were established, and shielding them from rain and sun 

 when flowering. Some people have an idea that Auriculas are 

 miffy plants, and that it is no ute attempting their culture 

 unless more than oroinary care can be bestowed upon them. 

 Ytt the Alpines are very suitable border flowers, and a garden 

 without them is deficient of one of its finest spring ornaments. 

 What finer plants have we than a few of the choicer show and 

 Alpines grown in pota drafted from the frames (in which they 

 have been wintered) to the greenhouse for flowering? Their 

 association with Frimula cortusoides amcena vars., and others, 

 is very effective. After flowering, a frame on a north border 

 until October will be found not only to suit Auriculas but a 

 majority of Primulas, which are really worth growing in pots 

 for the decoration of the greenhouse in spring. 



If able to obtain some choice seed of show Auriculas, then 

 we must be prepared to give extra attention to raising and 

 growing the plants. A compost of maiden loam at least a year 



old, and a third of cow dung two years old, or a similar portion 

 of well-reduced leaf soil, is suitable. The seeds are best sown 

 in rows about an inch apart, placing in a cold frame, keeping 

 regularly moist till the seedlings appear, after which no water 

 to be given except between the rows, not wetting the foliage of 

 the plants. When the plants have about four leaves lift them 

 carefully and place them round the sides of 5 or G-inoh pots. 

 Water can thus be given in the centre of the pot without 

 wetting the foliage, besides which the plants thrive better than 

 when placed all over the soil. At the beginning of August 

 they will be large enough to pot-off singly into "s-inoh pots, 

 returning them to the frame, keeping rather close and shaded 

 until they have taken well hold of the soil, after which give 

 plenty of air, continuing the shade, however, until the close of 

 September. During winter very little water will be required ; 

 but about February it will be necessary to apply it if the 

 weather is mild, increasing the supply with the growth. The 

 plants may be moved to a north border in summer, repotting 

 them into 4J or 5-inch pots in August, merely rubbing off the 

 surface and outer soil, using the same compost as previously 

 advised. The following April most of the plants will flower. 

 A little weak liquid manure may be given about once a week 

 in February, and after that twice a week until the truss is 

 seen rising in the foliage. The choicer description of Alpines 

 may be treated in the same way. — Q. Abbey. 



SEAKALE. 



After reading the brief but lucid description given by your 



correspondent " J. F. M." (page 344), on how to grow Seakale 



in large quantities, it/occurred to me that I might tender a few 



remarks which may be useful to growers with limited means. 



1 will first refer to my mode of blanching. The plants are 



2 feet apart, in rows ',> feet asunder. In the autumn as soon 

 as the foliage is ripe I clear it away, and then select about 

 one-third of the best of the stools in the plot, and cover them 

 in either of the following ways : — If the plants are large I take 

 sticks 2 or 2J feet long (the staves of old cement barrels split 

 into pieces answer well for this purpose), these I place all 

 round the plants slantingly so that they meet close together 

 at the top, and cover to the depth of or 7 inches with Sea- 

 grass (a material the Ksle delights in), but smaller plants I 

 cover with an inverted 9 or 10-inch flower-pot, again covering 

 with grass but lees thickly than the sticks except on the top of 

 the pots. If Sea-grass is not procurable, then stable litter or 

 straw may be used for covering. The Kale is ready for cutting 

 about the last week of February or the first week in March. 

 My second lot I cover in January, and my third towards the 

 end of February, immediately before it commences growing. 

 The result of this simple practice is, that I have superior 

 heads of Seakale for above two months. 



The plants occupy the same bed for many years, but oo- 

 casioually a bed requires renovating. The plants are then 

 dug-up, and clean white roots are selected not less than 

 half an inch thick, and cut into lengths of about 4 inches. 

 These are inserted in sand at the distances above mentioned, 

 the ground being previously trenched and well manured. In 

 the month of May last year I planted a bed in the manner de- 

 scribed, and I have seldom or never seen finer Seakale than I 

 have had from that bed this season. Earthing-up, covering 

 with coal ashes or cocoa-nut refuse must, I think, injure more 

 or less the delicate heads as they grow-up through such cover- 

 ing, and great trouble must be involved in washing the Kale, 

 for I think it cannot be easy to remove the gritty particles in 

 the axils of the leaves. — B. G., Co. Down. 



GIVING AIR— SPRINKLING. 



Vert deeply rooted is the idea that the scalding of fruits 

 and the scorching of foliage are caused by the too powerful 

 action of the sun's rays whilst the fruit or foliage is wet. This, 

 in my opinion, is altogether an erroneous idea, as is proved in 

 many places every day during the spring and early summer 

 mouths. We shut up Melons, young Vmes, Cucumbers, &e., 

 with a shade temperature of 90' or 95' (representing a sun 

 temperature of 120 to 140°), and syringe unsparingly at the 

 same time with water at 100" or 110' during the brightest sun- 

 shine, but they do not scorch. Grapes, too, and Peaches three 

 parts grown, which we wish to force to the utmost, are closed 

 at a temperature only a few degrees lower than the above, but 

 they do not scorch unless they are either too close to the glass 

 or have been drawn out too much by fire heat ; but open one 



