September 2, 1869. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



188 



their roots into tbe kitohen garden, and especially into the 

 Asparagus bed. The family and servants whom I have to 

 supply are ton in numbur, and with company the average num- 

 ber supplied with fruit and vegetables through the summer 

 has been eighteen persons. How is it possible for a gardener 

 with so many disadvantages to give satisfaction to employers, 

 who expect the same delicacies in small gardens as in tliose 

 of much greater extent, with position and soil good, and 

 every means favourable to securing abundant crops ? This is 

 a point I should like to see urged with proprietors, and pos- 

 sibly if an improvement could be eSected gentlemen would not 

 hesitate. Tbeee improvemfnts would generally be enlarging 

 the garden according to the wants of the family, making the 

 Boil good where required, and if practicable, felling all huge 

 trees that are too near the garden, — A Qakdeneb. 



VEGETABLE MARROWS, MARROW PEAS, 

 AND APHIDES. 



[The following is in answer to " Constant Reader, Croydon" 

 who complains that his Vegetable Marrows turn jellow nnd die 

 oS when 2 inches in length, and that his Marrow Peas are 

 destroyed by aphides.] 



I woDLD undertake to grow Marrow Peas and Vegetable 

 Marrows to perfection at Cr<iydon, as I know the place, and the 

 texture of its soil. As to the myriads of aphides, for this ex- 

 ceptional season they must be left to the lady birds, which by 

 the time this appears in print will most likely have devoured 

 them all. The lady birds have done so here, in concert with 

 another more gay and lively set, the horizontal- winged Syr- 

 phid£G, and most thankful am I for their appearance. I re- 

 member in the autumn, some few year."! ago, just such a flight 

 of the black aphis — a Ufij^hbour told me he could scarcely see 

 to drive along tbe road for them — and in this garden they 

 settled mure especially upon the Convolvuluses, and the 

 Peach and Nectarine trees. I couid now point out Peach and 

 Nectarine trees in my neighbours' gardens, where the aphides 

 were allowed to remain undisturbed, and which are still mere 

 skeletons, i syringed my own trees, and the Convolvuluses, 

 with house sewage heated to 120° ; that settled the aphis, and 

 saved my trees, and I think I can now say without boasting, 

 that I can gather very line fruit. Heated sewage is my remedy 

 for aphis, red spider, and mildew. Its smell is unsavoury, 

 and as something less oljociionable, though effectual for de- 

 stroying aphis, Pooley's tobacco powder could scarcely fail to 

 be acceptable. 



Now, with regard to the Marrow Peas not coming to per- 

 fection, and the Vegetable Marrows casting their fruit, these 

 disappointments may be avoided by adopting the following 

 system of cultivation : — Pepth of soil is the first requisite for 

 both crops ; therefore, bastard or half-trench the ground. If 

 for Peas, make a mark or line no the middle of the piece of 

 ground ; then at one end of the line to one side of the half of 

 the ground, mfanire f<ir a trench 1 yard wide, and oast out the 

 soil opposite the end on tbe other half of the ground, taking 

 out the soil one spit or spade deep, also the shovellings, or 

 loose soil. With a Foster's patent fork break up tbe bottom 

 spit or subsoil thoroughly, and allow it to remain at the bottom, 

 Before we dig any farther, wheel a part of the large heap of 

 manure or compost, which in all well-regulated gardens is 

 being constantly collected, and further enriched by tbe addition 

 of house-slops, soapsuds, &o., and place as much of it as one 

 can afford — a wheelbarrow load to a square yard may be con- 

 sidered quite sufficient — over as much of the ground as is 

 likely to be trenched in one day. Spread evenly over the sur- 

 face of the soil suffi lent for a trench at a time ; to spread at 

 once the whole bulk over the surface would be to allow the 

 sun and air to dry the manure, and to half-spoil it by driving off 

 the ammonia. Attention should be paid to this point in ap- 

 plying all manures. Nuw shake enough of the roughest of the 

 manure into the trench, measure another trench, and fork the 

 top spit on to ihe bottom one previously broken up, and the 

 shovellings on to that, taking care in so doing that the manure 

 is well apportioned throughnut the mass; fork up the bottom 

 again, and so on till the work is completed to opposite the 

 trench that was first made, where the top spit first thrown 

 out is found quite ready to fill up the last trench. If fruit 

 trees have been planted in the centre of garden quarters, do 

 not dig within the drip of their brdncbes, and as their roots are 

 •ut oft up to that boundary, smooth the wounds with a knife ; 

 this will make the roots throw out young tibres and do good 



rather than harm. Always reserve the emptyings of the dry- 

 earth-closets to bo used on these special tiuuchiug ocCdSioas. 



Having thoroughly prepared the grauud, you m*y suvv yoOE 

 Peas thinly, and autiuipate grand result^, especially if in dry 

 weather thorough soakiugs of sewage from the house tank 

 be occasionally given to the rows. There will u >t be tha 

 slightest chance of stunted growth, aphis, or mildew, where the 

 above m )de of proceeding is adopted. 



Next with regard to the Vegetable Mirrows. Of course, the 

 proportion of ground for them would be very small iu com- 

 parison to that requited for the Peas. I shall suppose a warm 

 corner sloping to the south, mea.turing, say 12 leet liy 6 feet ; 

 or if in the open what matter 1 Trench and itioiouglily manure 

 the allotted space as for the Peas, and this alune will generally 

 be satisfactory for their cultivation ; but if iu addition some or 

 all of the following ingredients can be had (especially tue rotted 

 turf and charred refuse), and iuid so as to form a slope 'i feet 

 high at back, and 1 fuol high iu front, so as to catch the snn- 

 shine, doubtless greater results nill he obtained. My last sur- 

 facing for the purpose was formed in the proportion of a cart- 

 load of rotted tuif, two bushels of chaiied and coarse wood 

 ashes, three barrowlouds of leaf mould, three barrowloads o£ 

 thoroughly rotted horse manure, and half a dozen ehovelefnl 

 of soot, the whole thoroughly mixed. We were ourfeited with 

 Vegetable Marrows. At the end of May, foim two small 

 hillocks at 2 feet from each end, and midway between the sides 

 of the bed, as I shall call it, and place in the crown of each two 

 joung plants, either raised in a cool frame, or obtained in any 

 other way; but if plants are not to be had. sow three or four 

 seeds on the top of each hill. Shade the plants from the sun, 

 and protect them from cold winds, and both for plants and 

 seeds keep the ground sufficiently moistened with warm soft 

 water, if it be necessary. If seed be sown, the young plants 

 will come up in a few days. If three see llings germinate in 

 each hillock, thin them out to twi>, and by a little manage- 

 ment and shading, their rough leaves will soon be of no further 

 use, as young shoots will begin to start from the hearts of;l»9 

 plants. As soon as they can be taken hold of, tenderly pinch 

 the hearts from out of two of tne plants, one on each hill, and 

 allow the others to grow without stopping. The plants will 

 now be showing a length of bare stem which is not gojd for 

 them, BO place a little reserved soil round ihem, and press the 

 stems gently outwards, and in so doing away from each other. 

 This will not only encourage them to emit fresh rootlets, but 

 will prevent their being too close together. Young roots will 

 soon appear at the circumference of each mound ; cover them 

 with a few inches thick uf the reserved soil, and so ou till the 

 bed is quite levelled. 



As the runners of the unstopped plants advance, fix them to 

 the soil with hooked pegs, or train them to a fence, if such is 

 intended to be covered for ornament. The plants which were 

 stopped will soon show a dispoeiiiou to fmit upon the laterals, 

 which spring from the bases of the leafstalks ; with small hooked 

 pegs fasten down the laterals ou the top uf the soil, and they 

 will generally produce roots at their joints. Tha blossoms, 

 male first, and then the female, will next claim notice, and the 

 setting of the fruit would be rendered more certain if the female 

 flowers were artificially fertilised. This is especially worthy of 

 "Constant Reader's" attention. 



As the plants continue growing, do not let their shoots 

 become too crowded. A young thoot will appear at the base 

 of every leafstalk, and if all weie allowed to giow they would 

 weaken the plants at the expense of the fruit, whicn would to 

 a large extent fall ofii prematuiely. Two feet of space thould be 

 allowed between the main stems, and tbe supeifluous laterals 

 springing from these should be completely pinched out from. 

 the bases of their leaves to a foot distance from each other. 

 Do not interfere with the large leaves, except to carefully 

 pinch off a few now and then where too crowded for the free 

 access of light and air to the soil ; or, iu the case of their 

 acquiring a yellow tinge, when ihe plant's bearing powers are 

 becoming exhausted. When a fiuit is fairly set ou a lateral, 

 pinch off the head of the lateral, and iu a few days the fruit 

 will arrive at perfection, and the shoot will push again, and bear 

 more, or, according to judgment, may ho cut away. Thus the 

 juices of the plant and the action of ihe leaves aie devoted to 

 fruit-prodocing, but the case is different with plants which are 

 allowed to grow nucbecked for ornament, and upon which very 

 few fruit may be anticipated. 



If dry weather prevail, water the plants thoroughly every 

 evening with water which has been allowed to stand all day in a 

 tub exposed to the sun, for they lequiie a laigu amouut of 



