March 19, 1868. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HORTIOULTUBB AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



227 



sprinkling over the dang at back and front. The soil in the 

 trench thus soon becomes warm, but never so hot as to pro- 

 duce what is technically called burning, and yet the dung on 

 each side preserves a mild genial beat a long time, and this 

 amount of soil wo have found sullioient for the generality of 

 fair-sized Melons, and there is no trouble and no checks from 

 future eartbings-up. We use soil much stilfer for Melons than 

 for Cucumbers, and in tho case of the former wo tread the soil 

 firm before or after planting. When wo grow Cucumbers 

 early in frames we adopt much tho same system of giving 

 only a limited amount of earth for tho roots ; but in their case, 

 if kept long in bearing, wo top-dress with rich compost several 

 times during the season. We were first induced to limit the 

 soil by growing Cucumbers very successfully in pots and boxes. 



ORNAMENTAL TlErARTMENT. 



First Sowing of Seeds, — " A." cannot see the reason why 

 we wish the ground to be dry and aired before we sow main 

 crops out of doors, with the directions for draining, filling, 

 pressing, and watering tho soil in pots before we sow in them, 

 to be placed under glass, or in a hotbed ; and one other thing 

 puzzles him very much, that one pot will scarcely yield a plant, 

 whilst another pot sown at the same time from the same packet 

 will come thickly all over, though the one pot had as much 

 seed given to it as the other. In the first place, we like a rather 

 dry bed for our seeds out of doors, because stiff soils, when 

 moist, are so apt to crust the seeds, as to seal them up from 

 the action of the atmosphere, and then no germination would 

 take place. Again, sowing when the ground is wet, is apt to 

 " potch," and batter the soil, and it will take nearly a season 

 before it again becomes so that the rains will pass easily and 

 freely through it ; and, lastly, because sowing when the surface 

 is pulverised and dry, though giving the seed at once a good 

 bed, makes sure it will have moisture enough from the damp 

 beneath the seed, and which will rise all the more freely the 

 more the sun acts on the surface. 



The same principle is acted on and advised, when sowing 

 particular seeds in pots. The drainage and the rougher soil 

 below, and the finer soil above, will secure pervionsness to air 

 and moisture, and the previous watering secures moisture to 

 cause the seeds to swell ; the dusting with drier soil before 

 sowing gives the seed a good bed, and the covering makes all 

 secure, and then the shading will cause little watering to be 

 needed before tho seedlings appear. The reason for all this is 

 twofold. Some seeds are very impatient of much water as they 

 germinate, and immediately afterwards. If these seed pots are 

 plunged beyond keeping the surface rather moist, much water- 

 ing will not be required, and thus one element of safety is 

 secured. Then many seeds are very tender, just when they are 

 on the point of becoming plants, and having come to this state, 

 even though not appearing above the soil in the pot, they are 

 Tery apt to shrivel-up with dryness. Of course this should 

 not be allowed ; but who is so perfect as to attend to all things, 

 and if a few pots should be missed, the well-drained moist 

 soil beneath the seeds will act as a safeguard in securing just 

 the requisite moisture. At any rate, with a powerful micro- 

 scope we have found in seed pots in which stems were never 

 produced, plenty of seeds, that showed they had been arrested 

 after germination, by the shrivelled-up rootlets. So much for 

 the reasons for the mode of preparing seed pots recently given. 



As to Cuttings. — "B." wishes to know what is the use of 

 silver sand placed on the surface of a cutting pot, and wants to 

 know if other sand would not answer as well. The chief use 

 of sand mixed with the soil in a cutting pot is to give free 

 egress to the little rootlets, and equalise in the best manner, 

 after drainage, &c., the requisite moisture. Its use on the 

 surface of the pot is to keep the base of the cutting firm, and 

 also to keep that part especially from being exhausted by eva- 

 poration into the atmosphere of the place. For very tender 

 small cuttings, either a bell-glass or a little frame will be needted 

 in addition to the glass roof, to prevent the cutting becoming 

 exhausted by the free transpiration. Hence, for many cut- 

 tings, such as Heaths, this silver sand is a great advantage, 

 and for general purposes it is also the best, as it is tho purest ; 

 but for commoner purposes, pit, river, and road-drift sand may 

 be largely used, and that will be the best that has least earth 

 or other impurities. Almost all common sands may be im- 

 proved by washing. When it can be had silver sand, the best, 

 should be carefully used. 



Another correspondent and his neighbour, amateur begin- 

 ners, cannot see how it is possible to take a cutting from a 

 growing plant, and yet keep the cutting growing, and so that 

 it will scarcely show the lopping to which it has been sub- 



jected. Well, we would rather not boast of the possibility 

 of doing so, wo will be perfectly satisfied if our random 

 remarks shall show these and our other readers that the 

 result would bo at least a desirable consummation, and one 

 which would set adrift the too common practice of letting cut- 

 tings wither and fall down, and then go to much trouble to make 

 thim stand upright again before they they can do anything 

 to make plants of themselves. Le assured much will be gained 

 if the cutting never shows the lopping-oll from its mother plant. 

 This can be managed even with tender plants by reducing the 

 foliage a little so as to lessen the transpiring surface, and cover- 

 ing with a bell-glass, and shading in sunshine, so as to force 

 the cutting to absorb as well as perspire. In the ease of such 

 plants as Verbenas, Lobelias, Calceolarias, &c., at this season 

 hundreds and thousands may be struck in a moderate hotbed 

 without any bell-glasses, with nothing but the sash of the 

 frame, and yet never show a flagged leaf, and if 18 or 24 inches 

 from the glass will rarely require the least shading. Of course 

 such cuttings will not strike in half the time they would do in 

 a strong heat under bell and other glasses, in addition to the 

 glass roof of the place in which they are growing ; but they 

 will be sturdier, and require less time to harden-off so as to 

 stand in the open air at last. 



One remark more. Shading will prevent the flagging of a 

 cutting, because it will lessen the evaporation of its juices ; but 

 bear in mind that shading prevents rooting, and the more you 

 give of it, the more will the cutting be drawn out, lengthened 

 upwards, without forming roots in proportion at the other ex- 

 tremity. Never, therefore, let shading remain longer than it is 

 absolutely necessary. In many cases where the cuttings are 

 exposed to the atmosphere of the place, and a fair distance 

 from the glass, we prefer in sunshine gently to dew or sprinkle 

 with a syringe their foliage, instead of giving them shade, be- 

 cause the shading is so apt to be left on too long. — E. F. 



COVENT GARDEN MARIvET.— ]March 18. 



The domnnd is slow, and does not keep pace with tho supply, for in 

 many articles we are overstocked. Cucumbers are abundant for the 

 time of year. Heavy consignments of foreign goods, as well as from the 

 Channel Islands, have again come to hand this week, conipiisiug Aspara- 

 gus, Broccoli, Artichokes, Salads, and Green Peas. 



Apples i sieve 3 



Apricots doz. 



Cherries lb. 



Chestnuts bush. 10 



Currants ^ sieve 



Black do. 



Figs doz. 



Filberts lb. 1 



Cobs lb. 1 



Gooseberries .. quart 

 Grapes, Hothouse.. lb. 12 

 Lemons 100 8 



d. B. d 



0to5 











16 

















 

 







20 



12 











Melons each 



Nectarines doz. 



Oranges 100 



Peaches doz. 



Pears (dessert) ..doz. 



Pine Apples lb. 



Plums ^ sieve 



Quinces doz. 



Raspberrips lb. 



StrawbeiTiea . . per oz. 



Walnuts bush. 10 



do per lOO 



Artichokes doz. 3 



Asparagus ICO 7 



Beans, Kidney 100 



Beet, Red doz. 2 u » 



Broccoli bundle 6 1 



Bru8. Sprouts A sieve 2 2 



Cabbage .". doz. 10 1 



Capsicums 100 



Carrots bunch 6 



Cauliflower doz. 3 6 



Celery bundle 16 2 



Cucumbers each 3 4 



Endive doz. 10 



Fennel bunch 3 



Garlic lb. 8 



Herbs bunch 3 



Horacradish .. bundle 2 6 4 



VEGETABLES. 

 d. B. d I 

 0to4 

 20 

 3 



Leeks bnnch 



, Lettuce .... per score 



Mushrooms .... pottle 



Mustd.& Cress, punnet 



6 Onions.... per bushel 



6 Parsley per sieve 



G Parsnips doz. 



Potatoes bushel 



8 Kidney do. 



Radishes doz. bunches 



Rhubarb bundle 



Savoys doz. 



Sea-kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes.... per doz. 



Turnips bunch 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



♦.« We request that no one will write privately to the depart- 

 mental writers of the "Journal of Horticulture, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Country Gentleman." By so doing they 

 are subjected to unjustifiable trouble and expense. All 

 communications should therefore be addressed solely to 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture, d'c, 171, Fleet 

 Street, London, E.C. 



LvcHNls. — Miss King's note was JorwEirded to the writer of the com 

 muuication. 



Local Flower Shows i Alpha]. — We cannot afford space for reports of 

 any except the most extensive of the country shows. There are several 

 huudi-cds of such exhibitions. 



