THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 105 



Ohites. — This pretty plant, resembling in both leaf and flower 

 the seaside thrift, is prized by many as an ingredient in spring 

 salads, being milder and differing slightly in flavour from the onion. 

 It may also be used to flavour soups. Any good garden soil will 

 produce chives, but a fine sample can only be obtained by planting 

 on ground well manured for the purpose. Plant in clumps of a 

 dozen or so, a foot apart every way, and take up and store in 

 autumn if the roots are required. As a rule, the green tops only 

 are used, and these are obtained by cutting close over as mauy as 

 are wanted. It is a good plan to plant a few chives, with mint and 

 marjoram, on a sunuy border, next a wall facing south, for in such a 

 situation these plants make a free growth as early as February and 

 afford useful supplies a month or so in advance of other parts of the 

 garden. 



EocAMBOLE. — This is sometimes used in place of garlic, being 

 similar lu flavour, but milder. It may be grown in precisely the 

 same way as garlic. As it produces bulbs above ground as well as 

 below, in tlie same way as the last-mentioned vegetable, the ground 

 bulbs alone should be planted, for the others do not produce a satis- 

 factory crop. 



Spanish Onions. — The so-called " Spanish onions " of the 

 grocers' shops are products of Portuguese industry. The system 

 of cultivation is very simple, and may be carried out in an English 

 garden without difliculty. A warm situation is selected for the 

 seed-bed, which is made of a body of half-exhausted fermenting 

 material, constituting what gardeners understand by a "mild hot- 

 bed." Three inches of fine rich earth is spread over, and the seed 

 sown rather thickly. This is done about the middle of IS'ovember, 

 but a good crop may be secured by sowing in December. During 

 frosty weather the young plants are protected by rough frames and 

 mats, which are removed whenever the weather is mild enough to 

 permit of the plants enjoying light and air. In April they are 

 carefully transplanted into rich, deep, light soil, and thenceforward 

 must have good cultivation. By this method large and handsome 

 bulbs may be grown in this country, but they are never so mild as 

 those imported, owing to the diflerence in the climate. 



7 



ALPIIAXD'S " PARKS AND PROMENADES OF PARIS." 



THIS magnificent work has not as yet found its way into 

 many English libraries, but it is so necessary an accom- 

 paniment of the works of art proper to a rountry house 

 that we direct the attention of our readers to it, with 

 this word of advice, that those who want it should 

 quickly make sure of it, for the day is not far ofl' when it will 

 become a rarity, and will realize considerably more than the price 

 now charged for it, which is only £15. The author, M. Alphand, 



April. 



