Acgaat 19, 18C9. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 



151 



each plants as Ixoras, &e., dean, by wasbing with a sponge 

 and soapy water when necessary. — W. Eeane. 



DOINGS OF THE LAST WEEK. 



KITCHEN OABDEN. 



TnE frequent showers made us anxious to plant ground on 

 which the crops were nearly over. We removed our third and 

 fourth lots of Peas, and filled the ground with Broccoli and 

 other vegetables for winter. Here we find the tuixed system of 

 planting and close-cropping rather advantageous. The Peas 

 were grown in rows (5 feet apart, but there was a row of Broad 

 Beans between every two rows of Peas, and the ground was 

 carpeted besides with Radishes, Spinach, or Lettuces. We 

 rather regretted moving off the Spinach, but we were forced 

 to think of the future. The Beans are still strong and good, 

 and those now G feet apart will give a little shade and pro- 

 tection to the Broccoli, &e. Each of the 6-feet spaces held 

 three rows of vegetables ; and as the ground had been heavily 

 cropped, we gave each space a fair supply of the best material 

 from the rubbish heap. Being short of room, we have a 

 good breadth of Leeks outside the walls in a place broken up 

 on purpose, as we have noticed in the course of years that 

 hares and rabbits never interfered with our Leeks when we had 

 to net, and secured then from everything else. In some cases 

 where the Broccoli and Borecoles had become a little leggy, we 

 used the crowbar in planting, as when firmly fixed, such f lants 

 do not dislike firm soil. In planting banks of Cauliflower 

 in rows about 24. inches apart we have planted Cos Lettuces 

 between, as they will be off before the Cauliflower fill the 

 space. Planted out Lettuces of all kinds in every open space, 

 and we have still two successions, which will carry us on to 

 the beginning of winter, and through the winter if we put 

 them under glass. Our last sowing to stand the winter will 

 be made in a few days, and for this sowing we prefer that the 

 ground should be rather poor, and just stirred at the surface 

 — not forked, nor dug deeply. The seeds should be sown 

 rather thickly, so that the plants shall protect each other when 

 np, and merely patted down and covered with a little light 

 Boil. Favourite kinds of Lettuce seed must now be saved from 

 the birds when ripening, otherwise they will soon clear it all 

 off. Such seed is often easiest preserved in village gardens, as 

 there the boys and girls keep the birds at bay. 



A little Endive may still be sown in ridged borders or on the 

 tops of ridges, and if the winter be at all favourable, the plants 

 will prove useful in spring before the first spring Lettuces. 

 Planted out lots of Fraser's Broad-leaved Batavian and the 

 Curled Endive at the foot of walls ito stand the winter, and on 

 flat ground for earlier use. Y/here the seedlings are crowded, 

 it is as well to take off the points of the longest leaves before 

 planting, as they will be sure to flag, and thus retard free 

 rooting. When sown thinly, so that the seedlings will have 

 more room, this barbarous method of cutting off the leaves will 

 not be necessary. We often err in thick seed beds merely to 

 save room. The less the leaves are interfered with the sooner 

 will a strong plant be formed, if these leaves can be kept fresh. 

 We lately planted a border of Cauliflower that had been pre- 

 viously pricked out, lifting the plants with balls, and at the 

 same time planted a bank from a seed bed, the plants being to 

 all appearance quite as good, and about the same age ; but the 

 prioked-out ones have scarcely shown a single flagged leaf, and 

 will come in a fortnight or three weeks before the others that 

 received no such caro and preparation. Stout plants of Cauli- 

 flower turned out now in rich soil well pulverised, will make 

 fine growth before the dark days, mora especially if some pro- 

 tection can be given, or the most forward can be cut and treated 

 as detailed lately. The Walcheren Cauliflower or Broccoli so 

 treated will be hardier, and Snow's Broccoli should now be 

 looked after, as it is so useful in the first part of winter. Our 

 first sowing of Cauliflower is jast breaking the soil, and we 

 shall sow again in a few days. 



We have made two sowings of Winter Spinach, and will 

 follow with another in a few days. We cannot afford largo 

 breadths of this useful vegetable, and we find it safest to sow 

 at several times, as if the first-sown plants become too strong 

 they do not pass the winter so well as those not quite so suc- 

 culent. We sowed the Spinach in rows 15 inches apart, and 

 Radishes in the space between, the Radish seed being red-leaded 

 to keep the birds from them. All the Radishes will be gone 

 before the Spinach wants the space. We sowed Silver-skinned 

 and other Onions for saladicg, as when used very young, many 



are required. Some people will have them not larger than 

 needles, smaller by far than Chives, and in such a case there 

 must be plenty of seed aud plenty of sowings. We shall put 

 in our first sowing of Tripoli in a few days, and will follow 

 with another in eight or ten days, for like the Spinach, in a 

 very mild winter the first sowing will not bulb so early and so 

 well as in spring as the late sowings. 



All early Potatoes where the haulm is becoming ripe and 

 showing decay, will be better out of the ground than in it, and 

 the space will then be at liberty. For small gardens hardly any- 

 thing will exceed in productiveness the Prolific Ash-leaved 

 Kidney, and it makes so little head that the rows may be pretty 

 close. Our crops for some years have been wonderful. When 

 to bo kept for use, the tubers should be covered over with soil, 

 and it is a good plan to size the tubers at storing time. We 

 have tried numerous sorts of Potatoes, and fine kinds for pro- 

 duce and for flavour, but many of them instead of giving 

 us haulm from 12 to 18 inches in length like the Prolific, give 

 us shoots in our stony soil from 3 feet and upwards. Of 

 course, such kinds require a great deal more room to give 

 them justice. Provided fine-flavoured good-sized tubers can 

 be obtained in plenty, the smaller the tops the better is 

 the kind for small gardens. Besides there is less danger of 

 disease if the sun can shine on each side of the row, than when 

 the whole space seems a tangled mass of shoots and leaves ; 

 and the recumbent stems in moist weather are hardly ever dry. 

 One reason why all ripe Potatoes should be lifted is, that if we 

 have rainy weather the tubers will begin to grow again, and 

 that greatly impairs their nourishing aud agreeable qualities. 

 Several circumstances have brought prominently before our 

 notice this season, that to produce fine flavoured Potatoes, good 

 soil which has been well exposed to the air should be used, but 

 no dung, unless well rotted and sweetened beforehand. Rank 

 manure if it cause the production of good crops will cause 

 rankness of flavour. Several samples that came under our 

 notice showed but too well what they had been dunged with. 

 The glory of a Potato is to be free from all peculiar flavour. 



We took up the last of our large Onions which stood the 

 winter, and set them with their roots upwards in a sunny 

 place, with some old lights over them to keep them dry. The 

 spring-sown ones are swelling well now. As we shall not have 

 them off soon enough, we shall prick-out the most forward 

 Cabbages, and lift these with balls afterwards. We shall sow 

 a few Cabbages to stand the winter in the bed. Our second 

 Cabbages are peeping through the soil. We cowed a piece of 

 Turnips, and shall sow again in eight days, as they become 

 useful in winter and spring. 



FKniT OABDEN. 



Almost finished shortening shoots of trees, and will do the 

 same with Currants and Gooseberiies as soon as possible, so 

 that we may find more room between them for sticking ont 

 winter stuff, as all becomes useful then, and can easily be re- 

 moved in the spring if not wanted. All very strong shoots of 

 Peaches and Nectarines should either be removed or shortened 

 back, as very strong shoots will not be fruitful themselves, and 

 will rob others of duo strength. Protected Currants and Goose- 

 berries by netting, &c. We have not done much with matting- 

 up, &c., of late, and we think free bottling is almost as good, if 

 not better for tarts ; and unless Currants are well crystallised 

 with sugar, but few people care tor them at the dessert table. 



We have not been able to clear our Strawberry beds of 

 runners, &c., and are not particularly careful just now, as we 

 have no dung short and rotten enough to place between the 

 rows. We shall prick off a good many runners thickly, and 

 they will be useful if wanted. See what was siid of potting for 

 forcing. A plant with a strong central bud, well ripened, will 

 be more to be depended on than one with two or three Emaller 

 buds. Some kinds, however, often break into two or three 

 buds, and when old plants are pressed into service these will 

 generally have more than one bud. Plants iutended for forcing 

 must never be dry until their work is finished in the autumn, 

 and even then the soil though not wet, should be moist rather 

 than dry. When pots are kept under glass or other protection 

 in winter, the flower-buds, in their incipient state, have often 

 been ruined, by being dried up and shrivelled. From a 

 contrary cause, after a little heat is given in the first stages of 

 forcing, the buds are often flooded up, aud rot and decay, in 

 consequence of too much moisture. At that time before the truss 

 appears, the soil should not be too wet, aud the top of the soil 

 should be sailed with the moisture without wetting the buds or 

 crowns. Success often depends on such minor points of ma- 

 nagement. 



