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Gardening for Amateurs 



deeply worked soil in drills 15 inches apart, 

 and subsequently thin the plants until they 

 stand 9 inches apart. 



Vegetable Marrow. Sow seeds in pots 

 in an ordinary greenhouse, and do not force 

 the plants in any way. Long Green and 

 Long White are reliable, and if the bush 

 Marrows are required sow Tender and 

 True. 



Planting and Sowing Peas. Plant out 

 those sown in boxes 4 inches apart in frames, 

 and place sticks to them at once. These 

 and others sown last month in the open will 

 need dusting with soot occasionally to keep 

 off slugs. Sow every fortnight to provide 

 a succession. Second early sorts should be 

 chosen for present sowing. Superlative, 

 Duke of Albany, and Dwarf Defiance are 

 all good. 



Planting Out Onions and Leeks. 

 Strong plants are now available for planting 

 out from a sowing made in warmth early in 

 the year. Leeks do best in well-prepared 

 trenches, but Onions may be planted on a 

 firm plot 9 inches apart, the rows being 15 

 inches asunder. Dust both these and the 

 bed sown last month with soot in showery 

 weather, and hoe frequently to keep down- 



weeds and to make the surface soil loose, 

 thus preventing evaporation. 



Main-crop Carrots. Sow seed of Scarlet 

 Intermediate or other favoured variety in 

 drills 1 foot apart, and cover lightly. 



Early Beetroot. On a warm border 

 sow seeds of the Globe-shaped Beet, risking 

 late frosts for the sake of an early crop. 

 Sow several seeds at intervals of 4 inches, 

 and when finally thinned the plants should 

 be 8 inches apart. 



Winter Broccoli. To succeed the autumn 

 crop sow Christmas White and Winter 

 Mammoth now. 



Sowing Winter Greens. The middle 

 of this month is a good time to make a general 

 sowing of Winter Greens. All may be sown 

 either in drills and subsequently pricked 

 out, or broadcast and merely thinned. It 

 is advisable to cover the beds with fish nets 

 or wire netting to keep off birds. Borecole, 

 Green and Savoy Cabbages, Brussels Sprouts, 

 Sprouting Broccoli, and Couve Tronchuda 

 should all be sown now. 



Radishes. Sow small quantities of French 

 Breakfast regularly every ten days from 

 now onward, the summer sowing to be in the 

 shade. 



Stopping Wounds in Trees. Many a 

 magnificent tree has been ruined by the 

 want of a little attention now and then. 

 In the first place a branch may have been 

 broken off by wind ; then, instead of the 

 owner having the stump cut off level with 

 the trunk and the wound dressed with coal 

 tar, he allows it to remain and die. In due 

 course decay sets in, and the disease is 

 conveyed to the trunk, where a cavity is 

 eventually formed. Inattention at this stage 

 allows the disease to spread until it becomes 

 too far advanced to remedy. When small 

 or large cavities are found in the trunks of 

 trees, as much as possible of the dead wood 

 should be removed. The inside of the trunk 

 must then be painted with a strong solution 

 of carbolic acid, after which a coat of tar 

 may be applied. Then fill the cavity level 

 with the trunk with bricks and cement. 

 The spread of disease may be thus checked 

 indefinitely. 



Pine Trees : the Proper Size for 

 Planting. Various kinds of Pine trees, 

 notably the Austrian Pine and Scots Pine, 

 and in the southern maritime counties Pinus 

 Pinaster and P. insignis, are so often recom- 

 mended for planting for shelter purposes 

 that a word or two may be opportune as to 

 the best size of trees to choose. Those 

 5 or 6 feet in height look very well when 

 growing close together in a nursery border, 

 and the inexperienced person would possibly 

 select them for his purpose, but it would be 

 very much better if he left them severely 

 alone and selected healthy plants 2 feet or 

 less in height. Pines make branch growth 

 out of all comparison to their roots, and 

 large specimens often transplant very badly, 

 whereas small ones re-establish themselves 

 more readily. By providing a short stake 

 to each plant it is held secure against wind 

 and forms new roots more quickly than if 

 constantly disturbed. 



