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JOUENAL OP HOETICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GABDENEE. 



[ April 20, 1876. 



For Carrots, Parsnips, Beet, and Salsafy it haa been shown 

 long ago that holes filled with fine rich gritty soil for each 

 root insures a crop ; the plan is a tediona and laborious one 

 which we would gladly dispense with at this busy season of 

 the year, and is only recommended when failure is inevitable 

 without it. 



A greater amount of sncoesB attends the general culture of 

 flower seeds, because many of them are raised under glass in 

 pans ; but even with this advantage a little extra care makes all 

 the difference between success and failure. Very minute seeds, 

 such as of Gloxinia and Begonia, answer best if sown upon 

 a damp surface and left to vegetate uncovered with soil ; but 

 then excessive evaporation must be checked, for if they are 

 exposed to the sul. or any parching influence watering will be 

 necessary, involving much risk of waehing away the seed ; 

 moreover, to suffer such seed to become very dry just as vege- 

 tation takes place is to destroy it. The beet plan, therefore, 

 is to place the pans in a genial temperature, and to exclude 

 light from the seed till growth begins. Formerly I used pieces 

 of muslin, but now prefer sheets of thick paper placed upon 

 the tops of the pans immediately after the seeds are sown, and 

 thus avoid all risk of failure. — Edward Luckhubst. 



A LOOK ROUND THE KITCHEN GABDEN, 



Apkil 11th. 



A week's fine weather has wrought a marvellous change 

 here, but still the work is wofully behind, and unless we have 

 considerably better weather than we have been favoured with 

 for the last few months I shall not be anxious to see many 

 visitors. But laders of the Journal are an exception, and I 

 purpose taking viem into my confidence and tell of things 

 as they are. 



Borecoles are the most conspicuous vegetables at present, 

 and, although there is no particular skill required to cultivate 

 them, they are an important crop. The ordinary Dwarf Curled 

 is past its best, but Veitch's Dwarf Late Green Curled will last 

 some time yet. Asparagus Kale has just had its main heads 

 used, and it will send up an abundance of successional sprouts 

 of good quality till Cabbages are plentiful. 



Winter Spinach is still abundant ; the summer sort is only 

 just sown. By-the-by, this last-named is as hardy as the 

 former. 



Of Lettuces on a south border 6 feet from the wall and 

 otherwise unprotected, sown the last week in August, and 

 planted during September, Tom Thumb is turning in rapidly ; 

 a few are already fit for nee. Hammersmith is about a fort- 

 night later, and Bath Cos later still. The first sort is planted 

 6 inches apart every way, tne second 9 inches, and the last- 

 named a foot. These are followed by others of the same sow- 

 ing left in the seed bed all winter, to be planted in a more 

 exposed situation, which in their turn wUl be succeeded by 

 Early Paris Market, Cabbage Lettuce, and Bath Cos sown in 

 a Potato frame at the end of February. 



Seakale and Parsnips (Hollow-crowned) were sown 25th of 

 March in rows 18 inches apart. Onions the same day, 15 inches 

 apart, a few White Spanish for autumn and early winter use ; 

 but the main crop is Yellow Dauvers, which is the best Onion 

 I atu acquainted with, being equal to White Spanish in size 

 and quality, and keeping as long as any light-coloured Onion. 

 Bed or brown Onions are not looked on with favour by French 

 cooks. I had one season for trial a packet similar, if not 

 identical, with White Spanish, under the name of Improved 

 Reading, the very name of which when the seed was sown 

 frightened my vegetable man, who said very firmly, " 'Tis 

 narra good for I to take red uns to thick man in the kitchen 

 if 'em be 'proved." Onions grow exceedingly well on our 

 heavy soil without any special culture. Silver-skin, Two- 

 bladed, or some other small variety is sown thickly in a bed 

 of poor soil early in May for pickling. Globe Tripoli, for 

 standing the winter, is sown in the middle of July. 



Asparagus was planted last week 2 feet apart by 1 foot on 

 the flat, without beds or alleys. I prefer one-year-old plants, 

 and to be planted just when they have commenced growing. 

 Plants four and five years old are just beginning to shoot. I 

 have had the surface pricked up with a fork, and it is intended 

 to give it a sprinkling of salt. 



Peas sown 24th of January outside are a miserable failure. 

 Those sown on turves in a frame and afterwards planted 

 are just forming tendrils and require sticking. The sort is 

 William the Ist. I tried Alpha, which is also a good Pea, bat 

 found it too delicate. Eonnd hard bullet like Peas are not 



tolerated now Peas of good quality can be had just as early. 

 G. F. Wilson in two successions has also been sown on turves. 

 The first batch is 2J inches high, and the second just through 

 the soil. I still depend on this and Veitch's Perfection for 

 the general crop ; and as there is a week or ten days' difference 

 in the time of their coming into use, I take a leaf out of Mr. 

 Douglas's book, and sow the two sorts at one time to make 

 doubly sure of keeping up a supply. It is of no use here to sow 

 these sorts later than the third week in May ; they then last 

 well into October, and at that time of the year the birds are 

 exceedingly troublesome, and we cannot keep a pod without 

 netting. These sorts with me grow 5 feet high, and are ex- 

 pensive to net. Omega only grows 3 feet, and is the best late 

 Pea I know. It is sown the first week in June. Early and 

 late Peas are grown in rows 4 feet apart ; G. P. Wilson and 

 Veitch's Perfection 9 feet apart in rows running north and 

 south, and with two rows of Potatoes or Cauliflowers between. 

 I have Dr. Maclean on trial. 



Cauliflower, Early London, sown the first week in September, 

 and the plants afterwards pricked out where they could be 

 protected a little with a frame during midwinter, and trans- 

 planted to hand-lights in February, are coming on well, and 

 will be fit for use next month close on the heels of Dalmeney 

 Broccoli. These will be followed by others of the same sow- 

 ing planted later on a south border and sheltered a little with 

 branches, which again will be succeeded by others sown in the 

 indispensable Potato frame in February. In addition to the 

 sort named, Walcheren and Autumn Giant were sown here, as 

 also were Brussels Sprouts (which can scarcely be sown too 

 early), and Red Cabbage. 



Scarlet Bunners have been sown three in a good-sized pot 

 where they can be protected. These will be kept hard pinched 

 till they grow into the form of Gooseberry bushes, and when 

 planted-out they will bear immediately, probably a month 

 before the dwarf Beans outside. 



Cabbage, Wheeler's Imperial (of Geo. Wheeler), is nearly 

 fit for use. We sow as nearly as possible to St. Swithin's day, 

 and plant out in September. 



I have not yet passed half round my kitchen garden, but I 

 will write agaia ; I have some forcing houses and flower borders 

 to see to. — William Taylor. 



AZALEAS IN THE OPEN AIR. 



As the planting-out of Azaleas has been alluded to, it may 

 neither be uninteresting nor unprofitable to note the system 

 that is adopted for their culture in the Belgian nurseries. It 

 is in Belgium where these plants are increased and multiplied 

 to a greater extent than in any other country. From the 

 nurseries near Ghent, Azaleas are sent by hundreds of thou- 

 sands during each succeeding autumn to almost all parts of 

 the civilised world. 



The plants usually exported from Belgium are familiar in 

 all the principal markets in England. These plants are 

 grafted on stems 6 inches to a foot high, and have heads of 

 about the same dimensions in diameter. The foliage is of the 

 most healthy character, the growth is robust yet sturdy, and 

 the flower buds are well set on every shoot. 



Now these plants are all, or nearly all, so produced by plant- 

 ing them out in the open air, taking them up in the autumn, 

 some being potted ; but by far the greatest number are mossed 

 — that is, moss is tied firmly round their roots, and they are so 

 sent by steamer not only to the different parts of Europe but 

 also to America. These plants on arrival need only to bo 

 potted in any light soil ; and if they are introduced into 

 gentle heat, and are duly attended to by syringing and water- 

 ing them, they will unfold their flowers almost with the same 

 certainty as bulbs. None can deny the effectiveness of these 

 Azaleas ; and although it is true that the plants seldom 

 flourish satisfactorily after flowering, yet they are sold so 

 cheaply that they are worth their coot in their first fall dis- 

 play. By no other system than planting out could the plants 

 be grown so quickly and sold so cheaply. Those plants, how- 

 ever, which are potted in the nurseries immediately on being 

 taken up, establish themselves in the most satisfactory 

 manner ; and if this is so in Belgium why should it not be so 

 in England ? 



The most extensive plantations of Azaleas that I have seen 

 were in the nursery of Mr. Van Houtte at Ghent. The plants, 

 when I saw them in September planted out in the open air, 

 might be numbered by thousands, the Azalea beds occupying 

 apparently about an acre of ground. The plants are not 



