March 6, 18?3. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



200 



Kale and Savoys, country readers will persist in the notion that 

 Celery, too, is all the sweeter and more tender after having had 

 a breeze of frosty air over it. Wo wonld not like to dispel a 

 simple illusion if that tended to convey happiness; but on the 

 whole we must say that we have never partaken of sweeter, 

 more nut-like Celery than we have done in July and August. 

 To have it line so early the seed must be sown at latest in the 

 beginning of March, and the plants should never be allowed to 

 stand still, but be encouraged with heat until May. When 

 planted-out finally they should have a little shade in bright sun- 

 shine, such as thinly-wattled hurdles placed over them, to re- 

 semble somewhat the natural advantages early plants would 

 receive when protected by the sides of a hedge bank. Accord- 

 ing to circumstances we must modify our arrangements, but we 

 have had finer blanched Celery in the first days of July than 

 we have had in September and October. The great drawback 

 of huge early heads is that the water finds its way iu, cannot 

 easily escape, and rottenness or discoloration at the core is apt 

 to take place — one of the reasons that led us to give up growing 

 Celery like a man's thigh for size, and to rest thankful with 

 compact heads half the size. Such large early Celery can only 

 be obtained when the plants can have mild hotbed treatment 

 from February to the middle of May. 



We have sown in January, February, and March ; nay, when 

 anxious to be forward, which we are not now, we have sown in 

 December iu a mild heat, say 50'' to 55'', and it mattered very 

 little as to the produce, if simple matters to which we have 

 previously referred, such as avoiding checks, were observed. 

 From seeds sown in December and onwards to March, we have 

 had fine plants without a run or stalked head. From seeds 

 sown from March to May we have seen plenty of stalked heads 

 quite unfit for anything where better could be got, just because 

 the nature of the plant and the precautions necessary to insure 

 success were lost sight of. 



Our chief reliance, except on hardy vegetables, aa Brussels 

 Sprouts, Cottagers' Kale, Curly Scotch Kale, the Cabbaging and 

 Veitch's varieties. Savoys, &c., all benefited by a little frost, has 

 been our Sea-kale, Rhubarb, Asparagus, and Mushrooms ; but 

 we have said so much on these lately that we must refrain for 

 the present, merely noticing that successions must be regulated 

 by the demands of an cstahlishineiit. Complaints are often 

 made that these vegetables are supplied in quantities greater 

 than can be used without waste, and then when there is a 

 sudden access of company, there is not enough to meet re- 

 quirements. No gardener can meet such extremes, as respects 

 Mushrooms, &c. We have often had flue crops to supply the 

 wants of a company expected, but when the company came 

 three weeks after the time specified, the cream of the crops was 

 over. Under such circumstances, when ladies and gentlemen 

 complain that thoy might as well go to London market at once, 

 we say, " Let them try." We say advisedly, that no private 

 establishment, unless the means are ample, can equal the supply 

 of Covent Garden. If that acknowledgment should lead to 

 results that many would deprecate, that is not our fault. The 

 true balance will come in its own time. The illusion we wish 

 to dispel is simply this; that of a lady or gentleman iu the 

 country expecting to get from a garden at a notice of a day or 

 two, what can be obtained from Covent Garden Market, which 

 has the whole country to depend on. We know of numerous 

 cases where proprietors of gardens have resolved largely to 

 curtail them, not because they do not have plenty of produce, 

 but because they do not get the abundance at the right time. 

 " Here are Mushrooms, Sea-kale, Rhubarb, and Asparagus 

 which we care nothing for, and in excess, and in a fortnight, 

 when we could not have too much, there is less than is needed. 

 Why should we not pretty well shut-up our gardens, deprive 

 oni'selves of these luxuries, and send to Covent Garden when we 

 have company?" We state the matter broadly, it is of no use 

 bUnking this great matter. We believe when rightly used the 

 home garden will be found more beneficial than ever ; but then 

 the time will have arrived when it will be found as essential to 

 teU the gardener of contemplated visitors, as the housekeeper, 

 steward, or cook; in fact, much more so, as each of these can 

 soon prepare, as the matters of preparation are more within 

 reach. 



Meanwhile, we recognise the fact, that if the heads of esta- 

 blishments, either really or truly, affect a disregard for all such 

 luxuries as we have indicated, and care nothing at all for them 

 except when there is company, the best plan is to secure these 

 things from Covent Garden, or some other general market at 

 once, and not attempt to grow them at home at all. For the 

 benefit of all parties we wish clearly to indicate two facts. First, 

 Such things in a private establishment cannot be had at a day's 

 notice ; and secondly, the gardener should not be left to glean 

 information of contemplated visiting parties how and where he 

 can. A man really worth anything will be too independent for 

 such underhand knowledge. The gardener is the last person 

 whom it is deemed proper to consult. Theoretically and practi- 

 cally, we know that many things might be considerably ad- 

 vanced or retarded if due notice had previously been given, and 



without it the gardener is working in the dark. One great fact 

 we must record with pleasure is, that if in some large places 

 there is a tendency to depreciate an abundant supply, except on 

 a few occasions, there are scores of little places where the owners 

 feel a great pride in having everything of a gardening nature 

 brought from their own garden. 



FKUIT O.iRDEN. 



As opportunity offered went on with pruning. Out of doors 

 we do not care about being too early, as we like as well to see 

 how the birds treat us. Orchard houses are now mostly pruned 

 and cleaned, though the walls partly want limewashing, owing 

 to a press of out-door work when it could be got at. This extra 

 out-door work is often a great drawback, and is not enough 

 considered in many places. With hardly a gleam of sun early 

 Peaches seem to have set very fairly, much, we believe, owing 

 to giving them a low temperature, and allowing the heat to 

 rise when there was a gleam of sunshine. 



ORNAMENT.U, DEPARTMENT. 



Hotbeds will now be necessary in order, within a fortnight, to 

 sow lots of small and tender annuals, and for striking myriads 

 of cuttings. If these be ready by the 10th inst. most things will 

 come in ample time, as it is much better that the plants should 

 be reared, pricked-ofE, and receive little check until they are 

 turned out iuto warm soil than if sown earlier, and allowed to be 

 chilled and stunted by standing about for weeks as specimens of 

 neglect. 



We have endless inquiries as to raising tender seedlings. Of 

 course where there is hot water, or even nice dung beds, we 

 need give but few hints. Even in such cases, however, we have 

 found it to be a great advantage to use 4 and 6-inch pots, fairly 

 drained, then filled to within 1 or IJ inch of the top with rough, 

 finer, and then the finest soil. Water, and allow the water to 

 di'ain well until the surface is dryish ; then sow, slightly cover, 

 put over the top a square of glass, and shade until the seedlings 

 appear. Now, this principle can be acted on where there is no 

 hotbed, but a Uttle window, a fireplace, and a teakettle. Put 

 2 or 3 inches of drainage in a B-inch pot, prepare the pot as 

 above, sow and cover with a square of glass, then set the pot in 

 a saucer, and about twice iu the day fill the saucer with hot 

 water, but not to reach so high as the drainage inside of the pot. 

 Try, as we did years ago, aud many will be surprised how nice 

 and genial, and even rather equable, heat may thus be obtained. 

 Tie a sheet of whitish-coloured paper round the pot and saucer, 

 and the heat from the saucer will be maintained much longer. 

 We have iised 12-inch pots with saacers to suit, but then we 

 put small pots inside, placing these 2 inches from the rim of the 

 large pot, and covering the rim over with a square of glass, 

 which we could move or reverse at will. 



For a person much interested, it is not much labour to empty 

 out the cold water of the saucer or plate and renew with fresh. 

 In this case too, a covering of whitish paper, or calico, is an ad- 

 vantage, as preventing radiation of heat. These are the simplest 

 modes we know, aud may be adopted in any cottage or work- 

 shop. The next simplest and best is to have a box, as alluded 

 to lately, and have a vessel for water underneath, on the table- 

 drawer principle. Where there is anything like free access to 

 hot water, in the shape of a good-sized teakettle, twice and in 

 extreme cases three times in twenty-four hours, we consider the 

 plan simpler in every way than heating such little vessels with 

 candles, oil, or gas, though a gas jet with a pipe passing through 

 into the open air is also very simple. The worst of gas is, that 

 without this care no plants, old or ysrmg, will flourish where its 

 fumes escape. 



For general treatment of plants see previous numbers, — R. F. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



Sutton & Sons, Reading. — Buttons' Desciijitii'c List of Grass 

 and Farui Seeds. 



Teutschel & Co., Colchester.— 'itst of Jajtanese Lilies, Or- 

 chids, d}c. 



F. & A. Dickson & Sons, 106, Bastgate Street, Chester.— 

 Catalogue of New and Select 'Parm Seeds. 



Isaac Brunning, 1, Market Place, Great Yarmouth. — General 

 Seed Catalogue. 



J. Coombs, The Ferns, ^En&elA.-^Catalogiie of OitUings of 

 Geraniums. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



N.B. — Many questions must remain unanswered untU next 

 week. 



Books (Jirnoi-nmiis).— Om- "Ctai-don M,anual" will suit you. You can have 

 it free by poat from this oflicd if you enclose twenty postage Btamps with your 

 aildi-css. 



Gbebnhocse Plants (Mrs. Little).— To go through all you re^uu-e would 

 fill a volume. Keane's "In-door Gardening " probably would suit you. 



CvcLAMEN CuLTCitE. — .\t page 179, aud in tho sixth lino in second para- 

 graph, in speaking of pricking out tho plants into boxes, read—" I prefer thera 

 to Bcpai'ate pots as reijuiring less space ;" and I m'ay here observe that I prefer 

 boxes also on account of their requiring loss water, and being more quickly 



