August 15, 1865. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENE! 



13:j 



This is aiiothev proof that plenty of space is, instead of waste- 

 ful, the most economical in the end. The labour now spent 

 so often in niovin;,' jilants from house to house and place to 

 place before they reach their final resting-place would soon put 

 up separate houses for such purposes, and the labour of fre- 

 quent moving thus bo saved. As we are on I'otatoes, we may 

 mention that in our limited room we find it most economical 

 to grow Ash-lciived and its sevo-al improvements, as Early 

 May, a beautiful Potato, Early Ernmes, Early Hhaws, &c., 

 chiefly because they make small to))s in comparison with their 

 tubering below ground. In some cottage gardens wo noticed 

 lately some lands of Rough Keds, and other sorts, with the 

 haulm fully 5 feet in height ; and the drawback to these is 

 that generally they are so long in ripening that the winter 

 greens are l;ito in being put out, and planting between the 

 rows is out of the question. Except in a frame, where the 

 soil was too sandy and light, we have as yet met with no trace 

 of the disease. 



Cahbaijes. — The first sowings, owing to (he rains, are be- 

 coming quite strong enough to stand well through the winter. 

 The second sowing, though protected with a mnt and net to 

 keep out all marauders, came veiy thin, and we were half 

 inclined to think there must have been something wroirg in 

 tlie seed; but to teach us charity as respects our seedsmen 

 friends, we rind a succession is now coming np quite thickly, 

 and it will answer our purpose better than if all had come 

 together. We shall sow a pinch more for spring planting if 

 we do not plant them in autumn. 



It is now a good time to sow Red Dutch, for next year's 

 pickling, in cold fitB soils. Savoys and Srolcli Knlr may also 

 be sown to come in early next season ; these, especially on 

 north aspects, will be much earlier and yield a heavier produce 

 than those sown in spring, in April and May. Scotch Kales 

 are sown largely in Scotland for this purpose, and they are 

 used there in early summer in a way they are rarely used in 

 England. As the plants grow freely, even when they are of 

 no great si^e the cottage housewife goes into her garden a,nd 

 cuts away about the half of the largest leaves, leaving the other 

 half on the plant, so that but little check to growth is given. 

 These parts of leaves are then divided into several pieces, and 

 when placed in boiling broth, of which b.nrley dressed and meat 

 form a portion, the mess of savoury food turned out is what a 

 king might well admire. These cut leaves are very tender, 

 come in before the early Cabbages, and are popularly teiined 

 " stewiugs." These greens are little used n England until 

 they have a little frost, but the stewings need no frost. The 

 Scotch cottager has much to learn in gardening and cooking 

 matters from his neighbours south of the Border; but in this 

 one respect we think the southerns may take a lesson. There 

 is just this to be suggested, that in the warmer climate such 

 Borecoles if sown too early would be apt to run to seed early in 

 Summer, instead of continuing to grow on in bulk. 



Catdijioioer. — Sowed a little seed, but for next year's first 

 crop prefer sowing in September, as then tliere is little chance 

 cf the plants bolting in winter or early spring before they come 

 to any size. For general cropping nothing we have found 

 beats the London Market. The Frogmore Forcing and some 

 others are more compact, and stand a little forcing better, and 

 are therefore better for pots. Kept planting out on spare 

 ground, and will do so for the month, the latest to be taken U]) 

 and protected. 



Spinach. — Sowed the main winter crop on open gi'ound well 

 stirred and enriched, in rows 15 and 18 inches ap.irt. In shady 

 places, and confined for air, it is apt to damp off and become 

 diseased in winter. "Where it is much in demand the surface 

 of the gi'onnrl if at all stiff must be well stirred in winter. The 

 surface-stirring is the great and simple safeguard against the 

 evils arising from damp and also from frosty weather. The 

 Prickly Spinach is the hardiest. 



Sowed successions of Turnips, Radishes, and Lettuces, 

 Onions for standing the ^^Tnter ; and planted out successions of 

 Lettuces, Endive, &c. A good plan for late Emiire is to throw 

 the gr'onnd into broad ridges a yard or 4 feet from furrow to 

 fmTOw, and then plant on the sides of the ridge, about an 

 equal distance from the apex and the furrow. In such positions 

 the plants often stand all the winter with but little protection, 

 though it is safest to have a good lot set thickly imder glass, 

 giving them plenty of air. The evils that menace them there 

 are damp in bad weather and attacks by mice and rats when 

 frost sets in. Air for the' first, and traps and poison for the 

 last are the best antidotes. On uncovering a piece of Endive 

 protected, after a severe frost, we have had the mortification 



to find the greater part of the centres eaten out, and therefore 

 rendered next to useless tor salading. Lettuces will Ije attacked 

 in the same way, but the mice are scarcely so fond of them as 

 of Endive. One slight pnitection from them is afforded by 

 letting the plants be frosted a little before covering them i p. 

 The mouse cares less for them when the leaves are hard. It is 

 the heart or centre to which mice invariably go. Any one may 

 have the outside leaves for what they care. 



CiifiiinlKi-t!. — Sowed some for a late and winter crop, if they 

 should be desired ; planted out more to keej) on in the autumn, 

 and put linings of grass and litter rt>und frames where the 

 plants are still bearing freely. In the few cold nights we have 

 had put on a mat over the glass at night. Gathered Gherkins 

 and short Cucum.bers for pickling ; if the weather be surmy 

 as well as warm there v/ill bo plenty more. 



Mmlirooiiix. — Prepared for anotlier small bed in the shed ; 

 the first bearing heavily, and the second piece just appearing. 

 Now is a good time for putting np a first-rate general bed, and 

 also for making Mushroom spawn. The several modes of 

 doing so we have frequently alluded to. 



FRCTT gabuf.x. 



Proceeded much the same as noticed in previous weeks, 

 thinning, shortening, and pinching the points out of shoots, 

 gathering ripe fruit, and so as to prevent it falling. Plums, 

 Morello Cherries. &c., are ripening very soon this season, and 

 Gooseberries look as if thoy could not be kept long. Straw- 

 berries will want dressing as soon as we can find time, and the 

 weaker summer shoots of Raspberries will want removing, to 

 give more light and air to those remaining. Not a d.ay but we 

 see many things that want doing, which we cannot do so soon 

 as we would like. Much, however, may be managed by system, 

 and without the qualms that attend over-working. 



A gentleman from the manufacturing districts lately ex- 

 pressed his surprise that the general run of labourers inthis 

 district did not seem to go at their work in the same spirit as 

 they did in his neighbourhood. He alluded chiefly to agricul- 

 tural labourers. We thought there was a reason patent on the 

 surface. The labourers where he came from had some two, or 

 three, or four shillings per week more as wages. To get the most 

 out of a man, even as a mere physical machine, therfnachine 

 must be kept up, and all its gearings Avell hibricated and in 

 working order. Good food must be supplied as the fuel to 

 make and keep up the working steam. It is worse than in- 

 fatuation to expect that the Irishman will do the same amount 

 of work in his own land for l.s-. or l.s-. M. per day as he woidd 

 heartily do in some more favoured locality and circumstances 

 where his wages would be from 2s. (id. to 3.<. Od. per day. An 

 Englishman cannot continue to do the work on lOs. per week 

 which he could easily do, and also be fairly expected to do, on 

 from 12.S'. to 15.s. per week. Low wages will generally be 

 found a great mistake for all parties concerned. One good 

 effect of the new Union Chargeability BiU will be the greater 

 equalising of wages over large districts, and a more general 

 recognition of the simple principle, that before a man can do 

 his best at even the simplest labour he must have a sufficiency 

 of nourishing food. When first we came in contact with regidar 

 railway navvies we were astonished at two things — first, the 

 amount of hard work they performed, and secondly, the quan- 

 tity of good nourishing food they managed to put out of sight. 

 No man could sustain such arduous continuous labour without 

 being well fed. Without the fuel the fire must either go out, 

 or merely maintain existence like a gathering coal smothered 

 with ashes. The times are fast approaching when even the 

 energies of the mere physical machine of humanity w-ill have 

 to be made the most of, and kept in first-rate working order. 

 Without such care the employment of such energies will entail 

 loss rather than profit. 



0BNA3IENTAL DEPAKTMENT. 



Went over stove, so as to relieve the shade, which was be- 

 coming too dense. Find w-e can grow but few plants in oUr 

 limited room. Removed the decaying flowers from Stanhopeas 

 and other Orchids, and gave abundance of water to Ferns. 

 Plenty of ilrainage. good, sweet, well-aired, rough loam and 

 peat, and plenty of water, so as never to allow the roots to 

 become dry, are' the chief points to be attended to in the suc- 

 cessful culture of house Ferns. Justicias, Eranthemums, 

 Euphorbias, Poinsettias, &c., to bloom freely in winter, should 

 now be exposed to more light and air. The larger kinds of 

 Cactus, as Cereus, Epiphyllum, &c., should now have all the 

 sunlight possible, and no more water given than will keep 

 them from showing signs of distress. Few of the larger kinds 



