172 



Gardening for Amateurs 



Dwarf Beans. A sowing of Canadian 

 Wonder or Xe Plus Ultra may be risked 

 now on a sheltered border for an early supply. 

 Sow the seeds 2 inches deep and 6 inches 

 apart in double rows, allowing a distance of 

 18 inches between the drills. Dust with soot 

 and lime as the Beans show through the 

 soil to keep off slugs. 



Brussels Sprouts. The early batch of 

 plants should now be put out on good soil ; 

 have the rows 2\ feet and the plants 2 feet 

 apart. A good watering should be given 

 when planting is completed, and if the weather 

 remains dry this must be repeated. 



Tomatoes. Those intended for an out- 

 door crop ought not to be allowed to starve 

 in small pots ; repot them into 5-inch pots. 

 Treated thus, and grown on steadily, they 

 will be showing flower by planting time, 

 which is a great advantage in our climate. 

 Keep the plants to a single stem by rubbing 

 out all side growths as they appear. 



Runner Beans. Make a sowing of 

 Scarlet Emperor or Prizewinner Runner 



Beans in boxes in the greenhouse now, but 

 remove to a cold frame immediately they 

 have germinated. Meanwhile, prepare the 

 trenches by double digging, and burying 

 plenty of manure in the lower spit, if the 

 work has not been done previously. 



Spring Broccoli. Sow Snow White, 

 Leamington or Mammoth Spring White 

 Broccoli now for succession. Sow also 

 Purple Sprouting and during the last days 

 of the month any Winter Green of which a 

 succession is desired. 



Herbs. These may be sown in variety 

 now where necessary. Sow in drills, and 

 in quantity according to the probable 

 demand. Parsley from an early sowing 

 should be thinned, and the thinnings may 

 be planted elsewhere if lifted carefully. 



General. Continue to sow Peas, Spinach, 

 Lettuces, and Radishes, for succession. 

 Plant out Lettuces as they become ready, 

 water well, and dust with soot and lime. 

 Recently -planted Cauliflowers must not be 

 allowed to suffer from want of water. 



To Destroy Snails and Slugs. A good 

 deal of harm is done by snails and slugs 

 to many outdoor plants, especially during a 

 wet season, whilst indoor plants are also 

 injured by the same enemies. Moreover, they 

 are very difficult to capture, and except on 

 bare land it is impossible to apply anything 

 to the ground whereby they may be destroyed. 

 Where certain crops which cover a consider- 

 able area are concerned, a certain amount of 

 good can be done by sowing lines of soot 

 between the plants, whilst a line of sawdust 

 between a well-known harbouring place and 

 the beds may sometimes save the crops. On 

 clear ground a dressing of unslaked lime 

 applied very early on a dewy morning will 

 dispose of a considerable number, whilst 

 when they are present amongst rock plants 

 or plants in houses it is necessary to set 

 traps to catch them. Effective traps are 

 Oranges, Apples, Potatoes, and Turnips, cut 

 in two and placed face downwards. By 

 examining the traps every morning a large 

 number of slugs and snails may soon be 

 destroyed. A good time to capture them 

 feeding is during the late evening, the search 



being aided by the light of a lantern. This 

 is sometimes necessary in the case of ferns 

 and Orchids. 



Capsicums and Chillies. The decora- 

 tive red and yellow fruits of these plants 

 make them useful for conservatory decora- 

 tion during late summer, autumn and early 

 winter, for they last in good condition for a 

 considerable time. They are usually raised 

 from seeds sown in a warm greenhouse 

 during February or March. It is necessary 

 from the time the seedlings appear until 

 the fruits are set that the plants should not 

 receive a check, for if they once become 

 stunted they rarely make a satisfactory 

 recovery. A good compost for Chillies and 

 Capsicums is composed of three parts good 

 fibrous loam, one part leaf-mould, one part 

 well rotted manure, such as is taken from 

 an old mushroom bed, and one part sand. 

 Repot when necessary, allowing pots 5 or 6 

 inches in diameter at the final potting. 

 Grow in a warm and moist but well-ventilated 

 greenhouse, and supply manure water after 

 the fruits are set. Seedsmen offer mixed 

 seed and packets of special varieties. 



