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GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS 



Times of Sowing. Little is gained by very early sowing, except on a warm, 

 sunny border, close under a wall. But even then if one be made early in February, it is 

 soon enough. A second may follow at the end of the month also on a warm border, and 

 from that time two sowings per month may be made in the open ground up to the end of 

 May. That course should give a long succession, especially if the latest sowings be of 

 naturally late varieties such as do best in the autumn. 



Varieties. There are literally hundreds of so-called varieties of Peas in trade, but 

 many of them differ almost only in name. One great feature of present day Peas is that 

 all the best now are of the wrinkled marrow form, and these are much better than are 

 the old round-seeded varieties. All the class known as wrinkled produce seeds when 

 ripe that are much shrivelled in appearance, but when sown soon absorb moisture, then 

 swell up and become double the previous size. These Peas have higher flavour and more 

 sugar in them than the round varieties. Still further they produce much finer and better 

 filled pods, and generally heavier crops. There is little need now to sow any of the old 

 hard-seeded varieties in gardens, indeed they are chiefly sown in the fields for early 

 market gatherings. Of good dwarfs for first early purposes the best are Chelsea Gem, 

 William Hurst, English Wonder, Defiance, and The Daisy. These are all wrinkled Peas, 

 and of first-rate quality. Their heights range from 16 to 24 inches. The two first named 

 are the earliest, the others being from 10 to 14 days later if all be sown at the same time. 

 Where it is desired to keep to these dwarfs only, not only may successional sowings of 

 the latter three be made as needed, but Laxton's Omega, a capital late variety, may be 

 added. It is a special merit of these dwarf Peas in small gardens that they admit of 

 winter greens being put out between the rows during the summer. The medium height 

 section, generally the best in all ordinary gardens, include very many first-rate varieties. 

 In this section May Queen, Early Giant, Gradus, Senator, Triumph, The Queen, Magnum 

 Bonum, Prolific Marrow, Majestic, Peerless, Carter's Seedling, Michaelmas, and Auto- 

 crat, constitute a splendid selection, and come into bearing much in the order given. 

 The average heights are from 3 to 4 feet when staked. Those who prefer the taller 

 section, the plants reaching in good ground 6 feet in height, will find none very early, 

 and should retain Early Giant and Gradus for first sowings, following with Duke of 

 Albany, Telephone, Alderman, and Chelsonian, as these are the finest for succession. 

 It must be understood, however, as new and possibly improved varieties come into culti- 

 vation, older ones disappear. Still really good ones remain for many years. 



Pea Diseases. One material trouble to which Pea plants are subject arises from 

 attacks of those exceedingly minute insects called thrips. These suck the sap from the 

 leaves, and cause them to turn pale and become thin. When that is so the crop suffers. 

 An occasional syringing very gently with some insecticide helps to destroy these pests. 

 Great heat and drought generate them. In the same way mildew is often generated. 

 That is best destroyed by gently syringing or spraying the plants with the Bordeaux 

 mixture, a solution of equal quantities of sulphate of copper and lime with water. A 

 couple of dressings usually kills the mildew, but does the Pea plants no harm. 



The Potato (Solanum tuberosum). Were a teacher about to examine a class as to the 

 knowledge of the members respecting the Potato, no doubt the first question would be, 

 " From what part of the world did it come, and when ? " Taking the last point first it is 

 sufficient to say that the Potato was introduced into Europe rather more than 300 years 

 ago, and that Sir Walter Raleigh (the famous navigator of the Elizabethan era) is credited 

 with its introduction into England. But whilst exact data on this matter may be of small 

 moment, it is of importance that we should know accurately as to its native habitat, and 

 the pupil's reply would be that it came from South America, chiefly from Peru, Chili, and 

 Brazil, where it grows as a wild plant, having somewhat coarse stem and leaf growth, and 

 creates in the ground numerous small tubers that were found to be edible. The import- 

 ance of knowing of its habitat, a very warm part of the world, is that we in cold Europe 

 have to grow it under conditions such as most assimilate to those of South America. 

 Hence we find it still to be a very tender plant, exceedingly susceptible to harm from frosts, 

 or other climatic troubles, the tubers also being too tender to be exposed to frost during 

 the winter. Down to the beginning of the nineteenth century the Potato seems to have made 

 comparatively little progress. But since that time it has been greatly changed under the 

 influence of intercrossing, of selection and of culture, so that now we have the finest 

 varieties in the whole world, and grow the tubers as articles of vegetable food of im- 

 portance to the human family second only to wheat. 



Propagation. All growers of the Potato find it is easy enough to make stocks to increase 

 by means of the root tubers so abundantly produced by the plants. Commonly the lesser 

 ones are utilised as seed tubers for planting, the larger ones being eaten. But it is of the 

 first importance that the tubers be for these diverse purposes differently treated. All 

 tubers to be eaten as food when cooked must be kept secluded from light and air in soil 

 pits or clamps made outdoors, but well covered with straw and soil to exclude rain or 

 frost, or they must be kept in cellars or dry sheds well covered up. The object in exclud- 



