February 35, 1875. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGK GARDENER. 



ii;7 



flavoured. Next to this I like Linnicus, whioli forces better 

 than Royal Albert, and is larRer, but the palm for forcing 

 must be given to Johnson's St. Martin's. For general use 

 Victoria is recommended. Monarch is the largest ; it has a 

 monstrous leaf and thick and green stalk. 



Sh.vllots could not stand the drought and were small. The 

 large kind is not so good as the small one. Potato Onions, with 

 Garlic, maggoted and were severely mildewed. 



Jekusaleji Artichokes are much used. They are easily 

 grown if the soil be good and light. 



Potatoes. — Very little or no disease. Crop good, quality of 

 earlies good, but the late kinds indifferent. There has been 

 little addition made to the number of kinds, for the simple fact 

 that the old ones are so good. Sandringham, the old and 

 true Ashleaf, is earlier by a week or ten days than Myatt's 

 Prolific Ashleaf, and commences to grow much earlier in 

 store than any of the Ashleafs, the eyes not unfrequently 

 proceeding from a shoulder or knob. The Royal Horticultural 

 Society say it never blooms, which it does with me every year, 

 and always did for the last thirty years, as I have seen it by 

 the acre on the sandy loams abutting the warp of the Ouse. 

 Mona's Pride I have given up, being better served by Myatt's 

 Prolific andVeitch's Ashleaf. The latter has a dwarfer haulm, 

 and is very prolific and of excellent r[uality, coming into use 

 at the same time as Myatt's Prolific. 



To succeed those I grow Lapstone, which upon onr light soil 

 is excellent alike in cropping and quality. Bryanstone Kidney 

 is later than Lapstone, has large fine-shaped tubers, very 

 prolific, and of excellent quality. It is a desirable kind. 

 Rector of Woodstock I had last year for the first time, and it 

 is very prolific ; the tubers though not large are numerous and 

 of a good, useable, even size, flatfish round, with a white 

 smootb skin, and the eyes not sunk but level with the skin ; 

 altogether a very handsome tuber. The quality is said to be 

 excellent, but I am so pleased with its appearance that all 

 have been saved for seed. The haulm though robust is only 

 of medium height, and no more spreading than au Ashleaf. 

 It ripens-off in good time, coming-in about the same time as 

 Lapstone. Victoria is grown to succeed those aforenamed, 

 and does not do so well as the others, the haulm becoming 

 much too strong, and the quantity and quality of crop suffer, 

 and disease appears. It is, however, a heavy cropper, and the 

 quality is good. Those are the dependant kinds, with Walker's 

 Regent for winter, which is a good cropper, large, and ex- 

 cellent in quality. We still keep a few of Hundredfold Fluke 

 (Suttons'), which has never had disease ; hed-skinned Flour- 

 ball (Suttons'), immensely large, and not had disease; Ex- 

 celsior, Willard, Late Rose, Early Rose, and three nameless 

 sorts, one flattish round, a rough skin, boiling very floury ; a 

 piebald round kind from Belgium ; and a rose kidney. Many 

 kinds have been discarded as either coarse, poor croppers, or 

 indiSerent in cooking qualities. — G. Abbey. 



SEAKALE AND RHUBARB TUBS. 

 On reading Mr. J. Wright's notice of this, to him, new in- 

 vention I was led to exclaim, " Nothing new under the sun ! " 

 It is now more than twenty years since I saw the same sort of 

 boxes used by Mr. W. Thom at Newtondon, near Kelso, N.B. 

 Probably he still uses them. Mr. Thorn's boxes were made in 

 the same way, but instead of being narrower at the top they 

 wore of the same width throughout. I think this an improve- 

 ment, especially for the Rhubarb, as even with the wider top 

 I found it difficult to get the sticks out without breaking them; 

 and being kitchen boy at that time I had some experience of 

 burrowing amongst the wet dung and leaves. I also remember 

 that the boxes were fitted with a lid, in the centre of which 

 was a round hole about an inch in diameter. This was to 

 allow of the escape of any steam that would find its way from 

 the fermenting material into the box, and by pushing the fore 

 finger through it the lid could readily be removed. 



In this neighbourhood a much cheaper and quite as con- 

 venient an article is the flour barrels which are sent to this 

 country from America. They can be bought at any flour mill 

 for a small sum — from sixpence to one shilling each. One 

 end is always out when they are bought, the other end must 

 also be knocked out. A cross piece of wood is then nailed on 

 to the lid, which projects an inch or so over to prevent it from 

 falling into the barrel. We have long ago given up this system 

 of forcing Rhubarb and Seakale. 



The flour barrels are still used, but in a very different way. 

 The Rhubarb is first dug-up, and then packed as close aa 



possible in the bottom of the barrels, with the crowns up of 

 course. A little mould is then put in, but not so much as to 

 quite cover the crowns. They are then removed to a vinery. 

 Mushroom house, or anywhere where a high temperature is 

 kept up. Rhubarb can be obtained much quicker and with 

 far less trouble in this way than by wheeling a lot of ferment- 

 ing material to the plants. Of course those who have not 

 forcing houses must get it in the old way still. — J. Douglas. 



I AM glad to have drawn attention to this useful and simple 

 home-made article, as it may bring that, or something better 

 of the samo nature, into general use. This would be an ad- 

 vantage to many who have Seakale to force and neither pots to 

 cover it with nor a Mushroom house or other warm structure 

 iu which to introduce the roots. Other cultivators have, it 

 seems, long used similar boxes, but I know they are not general, 

 not nearly so much so as the unfortunate conditions of the 

 many who are neither provided with pots nor houses, but 

 who are expected to force these vegetables. As to their ori- 

 ginality, I was careful not to commit myself on that point, as 

 so many " original " things have been used " years ago " when 

 their utility becomes known. That, however, is a very second- 

 ary matter. The main point is. Are they useful ? As seen at 

 Biirghley they were serving their purpose admirably. I simply 

 recorded that fact, and " wondered that something of the same 

 simple and effectual nature had not been in use long ago." 

 That such has been adopted and answered well is only con- 

 firmation of their usefulness. I will wonder again — this time 

 why my friends imply that I mentioned them as " original," 

 when I did nothing of the kind. But, thanks to Mr. Gilbert, 

 the box is before the public. Those who have proved it 

 worthless will of course not use it, while those who have 

 no pots are provided with an example of a very good sub- 

 stitute, and it by the aid of these boxes they secure produce 

 equal to that of Mr. Gilbert they will have good cause to be 

 satisfied. — J. Wkight. 



TROP.EOLUM MINNIE WARREN. 



As the time is at hand for preparing for the summer decora- 

 tion of flower borders and beds a few words about this plant 

 may not be out of place. I have an idea that this Tropasolum 

 is not so much cultivated as it ought to be, and I recommend 

 a trial of it to those who have not grown it for bedding pur- 

 poses. For ribbon borders or for clumps in the herbaceous 

 borders I think this variety cannot fail to give satisfaction. 

 I have used the plant with great success, and visitors never 

 failed to take note of it as a desirable addition to their own 

 collection of bedding plants. 



The plant is of compact dwarf habit, with foliage of light 

 green and creamy white cjlours. The flowers can either 

 remain or be picked off, as the circumstances may dictate. 

 It contrasts well with many of our bedding plants, but more 

 especially those having dark foliage. 



I find that an old store plant or two kept through the winter 

 will furnish a good stock of cuttings for striking in the spring, 

 which they do freely in a sandy compost, and placed in a 

 gentle bottom heat. If potted-off when rooted, and encouraged 

 to grow freely, they make good plants by planting-out time. 

 Cuttings will also strike in early autumn in a shady pit without 

 bottom heat, and may be wintered in the store pots. I have 

 not proved whether this vnrioty can be raised true from seed. 

 It will grow freely in any ordinary garden soil. — H. 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



An Inteen.vtioual Horticultueal Exhiiution will be opened 

 at Cologne during the present year under the patronage of the 

 German Empress and the Crown Prince. The General Com- 

 mittee has issued a circular inviting all who take an interest 

 in the progress of gardening to contribute to the Exhibition. 

 It is to comprise all horticultural plants and productions (with 

 the exception of Vines and Grapes, which are excluded, owing 

 to the possibility of introducing the Phylloxera vastatrix), 

 also working implements, machinery, a< well as collections of 

 any kind connected with rural life and the development of 

 garden culture. 



Lady Cullum died suddenly on the IGth inst. at her 



residence, Hardwick Hall, near Bury St. Edmunds. She was 

 the widow of the Rev. Sir Thomas Gery CuUum, Bart., who 

 died iu 185.5. She delighted and had great taste in gardening, 

 and this may bo appreciated by a roforenco to our views and 



