310 



JOOBNAL OF HOBTICULTDBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October II, 1909. 



sawdust insinuate iteeU gradaally into the bole, until it be- 

 came as impassable to water as a cork. We have seen dry saw- 

 dust used with good effect when mixed with tan that was rather 

 wet; but even then, though pleasant to work amongst, and 

 moderating and continuing the necessary temperature, the 

 presence of fungi. Ac, was often troublesome, and they spread 

 with great rapidity. Charring would be the means ol making 

 sawdust most useful. 



KITCHEN 04IIDKN. 



We have been more fortunate than our neighbours generally 

 in escaping the ravages of grubs this season, though Lettuces 

 and even Cabbages have been attacked in solitary cases. We 

 attribute this escape to anything but peculiir treatment of 

 our own, though a little extra care in looking after the grubs 

 and making places uncomfortable to them may have had 

 something to do with it. From most parts the accounts we 

 leceive would lead us to suppose that Cabbages and Cauli- 

 flowers jnst planted out sulTored most. In our case wo have 

 suffered most as respects fresh-planted Lettuces. Of Cauli- 

 flower turned out in squares, to be covered ere long by hand- 

 lights when they can be spared, none as yet has been touched. 

 The ground was forked over several times previously, some 

 hot ashes from one of the burning heaps, not much less hot 

 and alkaline than lime, were forked-in, and when these had 

 lost their heat the plants were dibbled in with a little rough 

 sand on the surface, and then a little of the same warm ashes 

 and burned earth from the heaps was laid at a little distance, 

 as a cordon round them, along the ground. We can see in a 

 dewy morning by the slime left that slugs had been attracted 

 by the scent of the young Cauliflower plants, but had turned 

 their heads a different way as soon as they came to the un- 

 pleasant barrier. It is just possible that our seed beds of 

 Cabbages, Lettuces, Cauliliowers, i-c, owed their freedom from 

 the grubs to somewhat the same cause, though we fear that 

 would be jumping too rapidly to conclusions. 



We trusted lately that the grub might not care for seed-beds, 

 as ours were untouched ; but as if to dispel any such fond de- 

 lusions, a market gardener who raises numbers of Cabbage 

 plants not only for his own land, but to supply several market 

 towns with plants, has been unable, after repeated sowings, to 

 obtain plants this season, the grub clearing all before it al- 

 most as soon as the plants were above ground. As formerly 

 stated, we used to suffer most just when the plant was in a 

 languid state from transplanting. The market gardener alluded 

 to has not had the chance to transplant. He also says, it is all 

 nonsense about soapsuds, soot, and lime being of any use in 

 driving grubs away, as they are quite comfortable in little heaps 

 of soot. We can only express our regret at this being the case, 

 but when we suffered, there means were so far effectual with us. 

 We agree that no plan is so good as catching and killing them, 

 but we have doubts of what he thinks is the next best plan — 

 namely, trenching them down before planting. We should be 

 afraid that those we turned down would soon find their way up 

 again, whilst those which had gone down, thinking they had 

 devoured enough, might, if brought up nearer the surface, be 

 tempted to take a fresh lease of grub existence, and nibble a 

 few more plants before they entered on their rest or chrysalis 

 state. We should have more faith in surface-stirring, with a 

 little application of those unpleasant surface dressings noticed 

 above. We are, however, by no means satisfied with our know- 

 ledge on this Eubjtct, and shall be glad of all information the 

 result of close observation and of practical utiUty. 



It is seldom that we have to deplore any evil, but we can 

 Easily conceive there might have been a worse one. Here is a 

 man fretting because the grubs threaten to monopolise his 

 young Cabbage plants, and yet if he would only look at his 

 Coleworts, Borecoles, Brussels Sprouts, and Broccolis, he would 

 be forced to own that he never saw them look more healthy 

 and beautiful. Often ha has seen the foliage ragged and torn 

 to strips by the ravages of caterpillurs, now he may search his 

 place through and not find one. There is rarely a cloud that 

 is all blaoV, if we would only look at the break that lets the 

 bright light through. 



Seeds. — The statements, as published, of seedsmen anxious to 

 get rid entirely of a deceptive system is verj- interesting, but 

 we fear that many will be inclined to think they have been 

 cheated, when there was every desire on the part of the mer- 

 chant to use his customer honestly. For ourselves we have 

 less faith iu any legal enactments than in dealing with re- 

 spectable houses and paying fair remunerative prices. In such 

 cases if there is a little doubt about the seeds it will be frankly 

 stated, and the user will be told to sow a little more thickly. 



Never were there more complaints about seeds not coming np 

 than this season in gardens. We believe that in general feeds 

 were never better nor fresher. The season, as respects dryness, 

 when we could not counteract it by modes that could be adopted 

 on a small scale, and previously adverted to, did much to pre- 

 vent the germination of the seed, or to shrivel it up before 

 the seed leaves appeared. There are many causes of failure 

 too often occurring that we are apt to lose sight of. For in- 

 stance : in sowing Cabbages, Lettuces, &c., twice at the same 

 time, and treating all as we thought nearly alike, there were 

 three favourite kinds of Lettuce of which we did not raise a 

 single plant from any of these sowings, whilst all the rest came 

 up well enough and so thickly as to show that scarcely a seed 

 had missed germinating. Now, we might have come to the 

 conclusion that the seed of these three sorts must have been 

 beyond question bad, and yet the examination of the seed did 

 not lead us to believe so, and rightly as the result showed, for 

 on sowing the same kinds from the same packets to stand the 

 winter, the seedlings have come np only a great deal too 

 thickly — in fact, must be thinned to give them a chance of 

 standing. Now, we fear that many of the complaints of bad 

 seeds are more owing to something else than the fault of the 

 seed merchant. Very likely, but for a press of other matters 

 to attend to, we should have found out the reasons why two 

 sowings proved abortive. The result shows it was not owing to 

 the seeds. 



We stirred the ground amongst Spinach coming on well, and 

 strewed burnt earth and ashes between the rows ; we also 

 tied Lettuces, blanched Endive, earthed-up Celery, especially 

 one fine bed of Dwarf Incomparable, so as to be in fine con- 

 dition in a month, and hoed among young On'ons. Wo watered 

 Cauliflowers coming into use, earthed one Mushroom bed and 

 spawned another in the house, put a little more rough hay 

 covering over the beds in the shed, and sprinkled the cover- 

 ing with manure water, so as to keep a close moist atmo- 

 sphere near the bed, in imitation of the best Mushroom 

 weather out of doors. Put some old lights over Dwarf Kidney 

 Beans in a turf pit, where we generally have them late, and 

 gave a little protection to Vegetable Marrows that we may have 

 a good gathering before pulling the plants ap, as we want the 

 room. 



r«riT GARDES. 



The work has been much the same as already detailed ; 

 collecting fruit, giving more room and less water to Strawberry 

 plants in pots, in order that the present glorions sun may act 

 on the buds, and ripen them, which is of more importance 

 than huge leaves and plants. Some of ours are quite large 

 enough. All trees in orchard houses should now be allowed 

 to become dryish, not dry, that the sun may have mote power 

 to mature the wood. 



ORMUINTIL DEPARTVINT. 



This second summer is making the flower garden quite gay, 

 and but for falling leaves we might consider ourselves in the 

 beginning of August. The beds show little of the holes 

 made by cutting-taking, which we could not help, though we 

 would rather avoid. The late rains will produce fine Calceolaria 

 cuttings when wanted. We shall be thinking about them at 

 the end of the month. One great essential of success is 

 having fresh soil to put them iu. We do not see our old friend 

 Mr. Robson's name so frequently as we used to do. Let us 

 urge on all, and especially the holders of small gardens, their 

 reading carefully the late article on raising some bedding 

 plants from seeds. We would add that a small packet of 

 Cineraria maritima seeds, say for Cd., will yield a multitude of 

 seedlings. Unlike the Centaurea, however, the seedlings in the 

 first year are rather green-leaved, but they come white in the 

 second season. We also agree with him that the Verbena 

 venosa is one of the best of the tribe for bedding, and it ia 

 easily obtained from seeds as he states. Sometimes the seed 

 is long in germinating, and is often thrown out prematurely. 

 When once raised, its creeping underground roots furnish 

 plenty of plants.— R. F. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



William Paul, Waltham Cross, London, N. — Rose Catalogut, 

 18i;9-70. 



T. S. Ware, Hale Farm Nurseries, Tottenham, N.E.— Cafa- 

 Ingue of Ornamental Trees, Shrubs, Climbing Plants, Fniits, 

 Hoses, itc. — Select List of Spring I-'loirers. 



J. Scott, Merriott, Somerset. — Descriptive Catalogue of 

 Nursery Stock. 



