October 16, 186S. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



307 



tobacco paper which ho manufactures. It is, I am glad to say, 

 very officacious, and has completely cleared my small house. 

 Tho pot is very simple, and answers equally well for the cold 

 pit ; while the tobacco paper is free from any deleterious matter 

 which can affect even the most tender plants. — D., Deal. 



QUEEN ANNE'S POCKET MELON. 



Everyone who has much to do in providing a variety of 

 materials for tho dessert, must feel grateful to Mr. Perkins for 

 the servico which ho has rendered in drawing attention to that 

 valuable but too-littlc-known gardener's friend Queen Anne's 

 Pocket Melon. I can readily endorse all ho has said in its 

 favour. I well remember the high estimation in which it was 

 held, and the quantities that were cultivated in a largo garden 

 where I served several years when a youth. It was thoroughly 

 appreciated by tho proprietor, who liked a fresh Melon every day 

 during the season. 



It has another recommendation, certainly not tho least — 

 viz., its easy culture. The best-flavoured and best-looking 

 fruit I ever saw were grown in a cold frame without any arti- 

 ficial heat whatever, excepting, of course, that the plants were 

 raised in a little heat. The seed was sown about the first week 

 in April, and the plants turned out into the frame in ordinary 

 soil about tho middle of May, the fruit being ripe by the 

 middle of August. This valuable quality should place it on 

 tho list of every amateur, who, though perhaps possessed of 

 hut limited space, yet would enjoy a ripe Melon grown in his 

 own garden. 



I am now in a situation where I am expected to grow a large 

 quantity of Melons, and of various kinds, and have tried in 

 vain to obtain the true Queen Anne's Pocket Melon, such as 

 Mr. Perkins describes, " beautifully striped with red and gold." 

 I obtained seed from two of our leading seedsmen. In one 

 case I obtained fruit as little like what I expected as it was 

 possible for a Melon to be. In tho other case it produced a 

 small pale green fruit, but the peculiar characteristics of Queen 

 Anne's Melon were entirely wanting. However, for want of a 

 better I have been compelled to make this answer my purpose. 

 If Mr. Perkins would tell us where seed of the true variety 

 can be obtained, I, and I have no doubt many others, would bo 

 exceedingly grateful to him ; and if at the same time he will 

 give us the benefit of his experience, and tell us how to grow 

 Melons " in small pots, with stems about a foot high, and 

 about five or six fruit on each of the plants," he will confer a 

 great boon on many others besides — Cccomis Melo. 



[We suspect that this Melon is one of the oldest of varieties. 

 Switzer, writing in 1727, remarks, '* If you should choose early 

 Melons, you should choose the smallest kind — the early green 

 little Melon, and the Anjou being the chiefost of this class." 

 The latter we think is our Queen Anne's.] 



VIOLA CORNUTA. 



In reply to several correspondents as to whether Viola 

 eornuta will stand the winter without protection, I can state 

 that it is perfectly hardy, and does not require the protection 

 of a frame even in the north of England, and I have little doubt 

 but that " A CoitNisn Gardener" might have it beautifully in 

 bloom all through the winter months in the open air, in the 

 genial climate of Cornwall ; he might also have it flowering all 

 the year round by propagating it at different times. I have 

 found that plants of Viola eornuta propagated late in the spring, 

 would produce a large amount of bloom during the latter part 

 of the summer and in the autumn months. It is necessary, 

 in order to have a constant supply of good flowering plants, to 

 take cuttings three times a-year. For an early spring bloom 

 cuttings should be put in about the second week in August ; 

 for the summer display, in the second week in October; and 

 for autumn, early in June. By thus keeping a succession of 

 plants, and planting them out in a corner of the kitchen garden, 

 if there are small late spring-struck plants of Iresine, seedling 

 Amaranthus, variegated Pelargoniums, itc, any bed that has 

 become monotonous in the flower garden may quickly be refilled 

 with something more pleasing to the eye. I think this change 

 would be very desirable in any case, especially as the labour 

 attending it would not be very great. Many of our pretty 

 annuals might also be more extensively used for early summer 

 decoration. If this system of propagating a reserve stock of 

 bedding plants were carried out, a very pleasing alteration 

 would be effected in the present style of bedding-out. 



To return to tho Viola eornuta, I see Mr. Bennett has been 

 writing about it in tho pages of a contemporary. He wishes to 

 know who attachod my namo to it, and quotes some answers to 

 correspondents. I may stato for Mr. Bennett's information, 

 that in consequence of receiving so many letters enclosing spe- 

 cimens, and asking whether these were like the variety which 

 I possess, and finding none of them so, all the cotrespondents 

 who wished to obtain tho right kind were told to ask for Wills'a 

 variety. It could be proved by an examination of tho plants, 

 both at Messrs. E. G. Henderson's, and in tho Liverpool and 

 Manchester Botanic Gardens, that there are two other varieties 

 besides the one which I first brought before the public ; also 

 that these varieties are worthless as compared with inino. Mr. 

 Bennett may very likely possess the best variety — no one, I 

 believe, has ever said he does not ; but for the sake of proving 

 whether it is so or not, if ho will kindly send mo a small basket- 

 ful of good specimens of the variety which he grows ; I will 

 return it full of mine ; we shall then be able to compare both to 

 our mutual advantage. 



I should be glad if " A Cornish Gardener " would try the 

 Viola as recommended above, and state in this Journal his ex- 

 perience in the spring of next year. — J. Wills. 



WORK FOR THE WEEK, 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



The decline of the late crops of Peas, Beans, Cauliflowers, 

 &c, should be followed by their immediate removal, and no 

 decaying or useless vegetable matter at this moment should be 

 allowed to cumber the ground. If the spaces be not directly 

 required, they had better be rough-dug or ridged for exposure. 

 The distribution of manure should be governed by a due con- 

 sideration of the late and proposed crops — for instance, the 

 Onion quarter has probably received a dressing sufficient for 

 it to carry a crop of Cabbages without further assistance ; 

 strong-growing Peas and Beans impoverish the land, quarters 

 which have been thus occupied might be appropriated to 

 early Potatoes in due season. Asparagus, the stalks should 

 be removed, and an adequate quantity of seed collected for 

 the yearly sowing. A slight dressing of salt may be advan- 

 tageously applied to the beds. Cauliflowers, the out-of-door 

 Cucumber-bed, stirred over, will be suitable for the August- 

 sown plants which shortly will require the protection of hand- 

 lights. Some prefer keeping their Cauliflower plants in small 

 pots under glass. Lettuce, a good supply of the late sowings 

 should be planted in situations best calculated to afford pro- 

 tection in winter. When the accommodation of pits and frames 

 can be afforded, a quantity might be planted within them to 

 ensure a regular supply, independent of the weather. Rhubarb, 

 clear away decayed leaves, and dress with a little good soil 

 those plants intended for early forcing. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



The present is by far the best time for lifting and trans- 

 planting very vigorous unfruitful trees on the walls. Apricots, 

 Peaches, and Nectarines may bo so treated with great advan- 

 tage, and, after the operation is completed, they should be well 

 mulched up for the winter. Fill up all vacancies on the walls 

 with young trees ; never let this be left until the spring if it 

 can possibly be avoided. Where root-pruning is considered 

 necessary, now is the time to see to it. 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



Although heavy rains marred for a period the brilliancy of 

 the flower garden, a little fine weather has done wonders in 

 restoring the plants to bloom and beauty. This may not 

 generally be the case, but we are persuaded where the compo- 

 sition of the soil of the flower-beds and borders has received! 

 proper attention, and where stimulants have been judiciously 

 applied, the health and vigour of the massing plants generally 

 have enabled them to continue the development of the blossom. 

 The autumn-rooted stock of Verbenas, &c, must be well at- 

 tended to, keeping them perfectly clear of green fly, and ex- 

 posing them freely to the air on every favourable opportunity, 

 so as to prevent anything like growth after this season, and 

 to keep the plants hard, in which state they will be much less 

 liable to fog off under a week or two's confinement in winter 

 than if they were kept in a growing soft state until overtaken 

 by severe weather. Plants which are not sufficiently esta- 

 blished must, however, be treated somewhat more kindly, for 

 there is little chance of carrying such over a severe winter un- 

 less they are at least well rooted, and these might with ad- 

 vantage be placed upon a gentle bottom heat to encourage the 



