260 



JOURNAL OP HOETIOULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ April 1, 1875. 



well-estabHshed trees contiderably over middle size, of the 

 moBt delicious flavour and texture, second only, if second, in 

 these respects to the very best Marie Louise. Then it remains 

 in season longer than any Pear I know of. 



I have had it in use from the end of November to the 

 present time, and I have still a few left which look as if tliey 

 would keep tOl next month. Another great point in its favour 

 is, that it never decays at the core, it begins to go always from 

 the outside. 



It deserves a wall and should have one if possible ; but I 

 have it as a pyramid and the fruit ia very good, hardly dis- 

 tinguishable, save in size, from that grown against a wall. 

 But the pyramid is rather dehcate and apparently liable to 

 canker. My opinion of this Pear is so high that were I 

 doomed to grow only one sort, it would certainly be Winter 

 Nelis. 



Easter Beurre, the crack winter Pear of the French, is 

 worthless here. Whether from a wall or from trees in the 

 open, it is by far the worst Pear that we grow in these 

 parts. 



My experience of Knight's Monarch is the same as that of 

 your late correspondent's. The fruit refuses to ripen. Glou 

 Mor(;'eau, though it does fairly well in neighbouring gardens, 

 is worthless with me, though a noble-looking Pear. I have 

 given it a good trial on a south wall. 



I am trying a good many other kinds, but oannot as yet give 

 an opinion as to their merits.— L., Cheshire. 



NOTES ON VILLA and SUBURBAN GAEDENING. 



CoNTiNciNc. my remarks from last week upon the work to be 

 now done in the kitchen garden, I advise that a crop of 



TuENips be now sown ; and although much cannot be expected 

 from this crop, becauEe, being early, there will be a probabiHty 

 of a portion of them running to seed, nevertheless, a few dishes 

 of yonng early Turnips are worth trying for. The Early Stone 

 and Early White Dutch are trustworthy sorts to sow both for 

 the first and second crops. Sow in drills rather than broadcast, 

 which gives a better opportunity to clean the ground. 



Celekt.— Of this most people grow some. Sow the seed in 

 the following manner: — Make-up a small bed of prepared soil, 

 and place a frame or two or three hand-lights upon it, and keep 

 the sorts separate. Cover the seeds thinly, and gently water 

 them, and not once allow them to become dry afterwards. This 

 is very injurious to all small seeds, because when once the seed 

 has_ begun to germinate, if allowed to suffer from the want of 

 moisture its vitality is destroyed. 



There are now too many sorts of Celery before the public, 

 ar,d in my opinion very little difference exists between them. 

 There are tall and dwarf reds, and tall and dwarf whites, in 

 many so-called varieties. I am satisfied with growing the 

 following:— Williams's Matchless Red (tall) and Ivery's Red 

 (dwarf). Cole's Crystal White (tall) and Saudriugham or Tom 

 Thumb (dwarf). After the plants are up and can be handled 

 conveniently they may be pricked out in rows on a border of 

 rich soil or manure, aud grow there until wanted to plant in the 

 trenches. 



In sm all garden?, where space is an object, it is best to dig 

 out the trenches at this time of the year, aud fill them with 

 manure pressed down and covered with soil. The space be- 

 tween the trenches can be cropped with Peas or Beans, or any 

 vegetables which will come off before the soil is wanted for 

 eartbing-up ; and again, if the trenches are dug 18 inches wide 

 there will be room for two rows of Celery in each, thus by tUat 

 plan space will be made the most of. 



. P-iKSLEY. — That which has stood the winter will now be start- 

 ing into growth freely, but this soon runs to seed ; therefore 

 make a full sowing at once, either in drills by the sides of the 

 walks or m a bed or border by itself. It is a crop which takes 

 some time to come into use from seed, therefore it should be 

 pushed on with all baste to succeed the winter crop. There 

 are many good sorts of curled Parsley; Hyatt's Garnishing 

 seems to be about the best. The plants must be tllinned-out in 

 time and be highly cultivated to produce fine foliage. 



Heues. — If those are required in any quautity it is advisable 

 to make plantations of them by deeply digging the soil and 

 divide the ground into narrow beds according to the number of 

 sorts to be sown; it is always best to have them all together. 

 The seed may be sown and the plants allowed to establish them- 

 selves after being properly tbiuned-out. The sorts I allude to 

 are Sweet Marjoram, Sorrel, Savory, Sage, Borage, Burnet, 

 Thyme, Fennel, and Chervil, all hardy sorts; next comes 

 Basil, which from being rather tender should be sown under 

 cover and afterwards planted out. 



Many of the sorts may be raised from cuttings put in under 

 hand-lights, aud be afterwards transplanted. These are Sage, 

 Tarragon, Thyme, and Savory; while others maybe propagated 



by division, such as Mint, Tarragon, Tansy, Pennyroyal, and 

 Camomile. 



Asp.iKAOUs. — Where it is necessary to make new beds this 

 should be done at once ; and if they are likely to be permanent 

 considerable pains should be taken in their formation. Asparagus 

 likes a deep rich soil and plenty of moisture, yet the site must 

 be well drained, therefore the soil should have plenty of manure 

 trenched-in deeply and be well worked-up ; if the soil is stiff 

 add roadside sand to it. 



There are two ways of planting. One is to strike out the 

 beds 4 feet wide, with alleys 2 feet wide or more between each, 

 and the plants put in rows ; biat another plan, and a good one, 

 is to plant in single rows about 4 feet apart, and the plants 1 foot 

 in the rows. They grow remarkably strong this way, and the 

 shoots therefore come up large for cutting. 



Old beds that have been covered up during winter should 

 now have their spring dressing. Take off the soil down to the 

 coating of manure, then dig that in carefully so as not to injure 

 the crowns. Let the soil remain for a few days to dry, then 

 rake it down and leave it even on the surface. Keep the beds 

 very free from weeds during summer. 



Globe Aetichokes. — Like Asparagus, these must have a good, 

 rich, and deeply-cultivated soil to grow in, and now is the best 

 time to make a plantation. Plant in rows 3 feet ap.irt, and the 

 same from plant to plant. Rooted suckers should be taken from 

 the old plants. They must be taken off very carefully, and 

 after planting be well watered until they become established. 

 A plantation will last seven or eight years. They produce their 

 heads in .Tune and July ; but if they are wanted longer a few 

 should be planted every spring, which will produce heads to- 

 wards autumn. 



C.1BBAGES. — Fill-up the winter bed with plants from the seed 

 bed, and afterwards earth-up the rows, as they are now begin- 

 niag to grow; but before this the ground should have been 

 pointed-up with a fork. 



Tomatoes should be soxn in mild heat and be grown to a 

 good size for planting out in May. The same may be said of 

 Capsicums, which ought to be planted in May iu the warmest 

 part of the garden. 



. S.VLSAFY AXD ScoBzoxEHA need uot b(J sown till the middle of 

 April, or the plants will run to seed; and the sowing of Beetroot 

 should also be deferred to the same time for the same reason.— 

 Thomas Recobd. 



DOINGS OP THE LAST AND WORK FOR THE 

 PRESENT WEEK. 



KITCHEN QABDEN. 



Allusion was made two weeks ago to the drying winds ex- 

 perienced this spring, and a continuance of them has allowed 

 us to push forward operations without interruption; indeed, 

 cultivators would be glad of a shower to moisten the ground 

 which is being prepared for Potatoes. 



We have just planted-out the Potatoes for earliest crop on a 

 warm border. The sets had been placed in boxes, and ust 

 covered with cocoa-nut fibre refuse, so that young roots had 

 been formed, and as the house was airy the eyes started 

 strongly. Care was taken in planting them not to injure any of 

 the young sprouts. The ground, which had been dug and 

 manured in the winter, was forked lightly over, planting the 

 Potatoes with a line as the work progressed. The sorts are 

 Myatt's Early Ashleaf, Veitch's Improved Ashleaf, and Extra 

 Early Vermont. This last is said to be so similar to Early Rose 

 as not to be distinguished from it. It was very promising last 

 year, having produced a very large crop with a disproportionately 

 dwaif haulm. The Kidneys were planted 2 feet apart, and the 

 American variety 18 inches only between the rows. 



Made another sowing of Peas, dwarf sorts, such as Carter's 

 Premium Gem, not requiring any sticks, and varieties requiring 

 sticks — viz., Dr. Hogg, Fillbasket, and G. F. Wilson. Fillbasket 

 is an excellent cropping sort, and will be the standard for all 

 who prefer quantity to quality. G. F. Wilson is an early form 

 of Veitch's Perfection, being ready for gathering quite a week 

 before that excellent dwarf marrow sort, and in other respects 

 it is equal to it. The dwarf Peas are being rapidly improved. 

 Premium Gem is a decided advance on Little Gem, and Blue 

 Peter is an excellent cropper; also, Mr. Laxton has Unique, 

 which he says is 1^ foot higli. They are sown half the distance 

 apart that the other sorts are, and being put in the same time 

 their relative cropping qualities will be determined. 



If the Asparagus beds are not forked over they ought to 

 be done at once. The usual way is to mark off the alleys be- 

 tween the beds, just forking very lightly between the rows, 

 and adding to the surface of the beds any mould required from 

 the alleys. 



Sow Celery for the latest crops in an open place. In the 

 northern districts Beet, Scorzonera, and Salsafy may be sown 

 at once ; but the middle or end of April is a better time in 

 warmer latitudes. We are (in Essex) two or three weeks earlier 

 with all crops that require a season to mature, if they are sown 



