August 8, 1805. 1 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



Ill 



of the under one, and may be removed after danger from frost 

 is over. 



Where the glass is stored tlie wire may, if galvanised, be left 

 without shelter thus, a \ being the surface of the ground — 



The upright wires rest at each end in the hollow formed by the 

 crossing of two uprights driven into the ground, as represented 

 beneath. The ridge wires may be hung on the same ap- 

 paratus, leaving the sraalUa- end hanging down. 



The smaller pieces of glass I cut into small squares of 3 or 

 4 inches. Of their use, however, I must speak some other day. 



I am still in the dark as to the proper angle for the ridge, 

 consistent with room for the plants inside and the covering, 

 and therefore warming, of a good breadth of soil ; also the 

 right amoimt of ventilation, and where and of what height to 

 make the ventilating-holes. All these will vary with the plants 

 grown and locality. — William McGov.ax. 



THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 



APKIL. 



By this time the principal crops will be in, the alleys neatly 

 marked out, the various beds properly labelled, and the walks 

 and borders cleaned, making the kitchen garden very interest- 

 ing indeed. At this time we must keep a sharp look-out to 

 prevent the ravages of slugs on the various crops now appearing 

 above ground. The means I generally adopt is to lay Cabbage 

 leaves in various parts of the garden, and by examining them 

 every morning large numbers may be caught and killed ; and 

 ■where convenient I strew soot on the ground, as on each side 

 of the rows of Peas, and on the seed-beds, &c. Much has been 

 lately written about the ravages of small birds on the young 

 plants of Beet ; now we have all kinds of birds here in abun- 

 dance, and I have never, to my knowledge, lost a single plant 

 of Beet through them, though I never think of protecting it 

 from them in any way. 



Onions and other small seeds will now be showing fairly 

 through, and should be hoed at once, using a small four-inch 

 hoe ; and as I always sow in chills a man may soon run over 

 a great deal of groiuid. In fact, from this time, and during 

 the next thi-ee or four months, I never look whether there are 

 ■weeds or not, but send a man with two or three different-sized 

 draw-hoes once every week to go over all the ground, as in a 

 small-sized garden you cannot spare any of it to grow weeds in. 

 By strictly adhering to this system I seldom have any to chop 

 up, and I think one can hoe ground with no weeds in half the 

 time that it would take to hoe it once where these exist. 



Some more Peas must also be sown, earthing-up and stick- 

 ing the more advanced crops. I generally sow British Queen 

 and Bedman's Imperial this month. The first lot of Brussels 

 Sprouts and the second lot of Celery will by this time require 

 pricking out on a well-prepared bed, giving them a Uttle pro- 

 tection at night from frost, &c. A good bed of Lettuce should 

 be planted on the south border, sowing more on the top of one 



of the Asparagus-beds. Now is a good time to plant Potatoes 

 between the rows of Cabbage ; and towards the end of tlio 

 month I sow my first batch of dwarf Beans, sowing Tuniiji 

 Radishes on the top of them, netting it all over to keep the 

 birds from the seed. Red Caljbago should now be planted out 

 in well-manured ground, and what maiuiie is wanted can bo 

 taken off the for<!ed lUuibaib and Sea-kale, whilst any not 

 required for digging-in can be llimwu into a heap for the 

 Vegetable Marrows, which should be sown on it as soon as 

 possible, and they will do much better than plants raised under 

 glass. Sow Winter Greens, Leeks, Celery, itc, thinly on tho 

 ground that is ultimately intended for the first batch of Savoys 

 or Coleworts. Now is a good time for working Dwarf Kidney 

 Beans in pots, giving them plenty of manure water to insure 

 fine produce. Caulitiowers will be coming in for use ; they, 

 too, should be watered with manure water, mulching them if 

 the weather is at all dry. 1 generally cut Asparagus out-doors 

 before this month is out, which with Cabbage, lirussels Sprouts, 

 S|nnach. and Sea-kale, with perchance some Broccoli (not for- 

 getting the Purple Sprouting Broct^li, which, if kept close cut 

 will do wonders, and is invaluable for a winter and spring 

 vegetable), foi-m the main supply at this time. For salads, 

 I have Cucumbers, Radishes, Lettuce, Mustard and Cress, &c. 

 I always have the best Lettuce at this time of year from tho 

 plants that have been wintered mider hand-lights. I think 

 the sort I grow is called the Stansted Park Winter ^^^lito 

 Lettuce, than ■n-hich it is impossible to have a better. Tho 

 first lot of forced Sea-kale roots should receive attention at 

 once as to cleaning, manuring, ifcc. — Buiintwood, P. D. 

 (To be continued.) 



VERBENA PEGS. 



The best and cheapest Verbena 

 pegs are cut li^om the Fern. I 

 send you a sample of one which 

 I have just taken from one of my 

 Verbena-beds. They are cut for 

 me by childi-en at Id. per 100. 

 Where the common Fern can be 

 procured, nothing answers better. 



I think that 1 have two beds of 

 Coleus Verschaffelti, bordered with 

 Centaurea candidissima, nearly, if 

 not quite, equal to those of Mr, 

 Gibson.— W. G. H. 



[These are formed by cutting 

 the fronds at the divarication of 

 the branches, and are at once 

 easily procured, easily made, and 

 perfectly efficient. — Ens.] 



liliu:m auratum. 



The capabilities of this glo- 

 rious plant are not 3'et known. 

 Independently of the varieties 

 in colour which have already 

 been discovered amongst the im- 

 ported bulbs, the free-flowering 

 qualities of some of them are 

 very remarkable. I saw the other 

 day at Mr. Veitch"s a bulb with twenty -nine flower-buds half- 

 grown upon it ; it had two stems, one containing fourteen 

 and the other fifteen flowers. But let not every one imagine 

 that their auratums will be like this ; I am persuaded, and in 

 this Mr. Dominy agreed with me, that some varieties are much 

 morefree-floweringthan others. I had myself this yeartwo birlbs 

 of precisely similar dimensions, they were both treated in the 

 same way, and yet one produced five flowers, the other only 

 one. This has been noticed long since in Lilium lancifoliura, 

 and I have no doubt it holds good with auratum. Still it is a 

 glorious thing to imagine what this king of LiUes is capable 

 of ; and as it is now within every one's reach, ve can welcome 

 it as a noble addition to all our gardens, as easy of cultivation 

 as it is beautiful in appearance. — D., Deal. 



[The plant above referred to will be exhibited at the meeting 

 of the Floral Committee of the Royal Horticultm-al Society 

 this day. This, the finest specimen yet seen, was, we believe 



