830 



Gardening for Amateurs 



Prom a Gardener's Note Book 



A SHRUBBY Speedwell. In Vero- 

 nica Traversii we have a most useful 

 hardy New Zealand shrub. With its 

 small evergreen box-like leaves and dainty 

 racemes of white flowers, it is one of 

 the best shrubs for both small and town 

 gardens. The bushes are 3 to 5 feet in 

 height, and about as much in diameter. 

 This and other Veronicas thrive in a rather 

 light well-drained soil, and are readily pro- 

 pagated by cuttings inserted under a hand- 

 light, or in a cold frame during August and 

 September. The fact that the plant flowers 

 during July gives it additional value, as 

 the number of hardy shrubs then blooming 

 is comparatively small. 



A Tall - growing Begonia. A very 

 attractive Begonia flowering in the green- 

 house during the summer is B. echinosepala, 

 while, if there is space for two, B. metallica 

 may be included as a companion plant. 

 Both foliage and flowers are distinctly 

 ornamental. The hairy leaves are shining 

 green, with a red undersurface in the case of 

 B. metallica. The flowers are flesh-tinted 

 white, small in size, but very freely produced. 

 Plants in flower may vary from 2 to 6 feet 

 in height, the latter, of course, being the result 

 of two-or three years' growth. Cuttings may 

 be inserted at any time from March to 

 August. Suitable soil consists of 2 parts 

 loam, 1 part leaf-mould or peat, and ample 

 coarse sand. A minimum temperature of 

 45 to 50 is necessary in the greenhouse 

 during the winter. 



Climbing Butter Beans. The size of 

 the ordinary amateur's garden rarely allows 

 room for more than one row of Runner 

 Beans, and when this row is sown early in 

 the season many growers experience an 

 unwelcome shortage some weeks in advance 

 of the time when one turns attention to the 

 winter vegetables. To all such I strongly 

 advise a sowing of Climbing Butter Beans ; 

 they are found in most seed lists under the 

 name of Mont d'Or. First soak the seeds 

 for a quarter of an hour in tepid water, so 

 as to hasten germination. The growth of 

 this Bean being far less robust than the 



ordinary Runner, its presence in the same 

 row with the others will make but little 

 difference in the growth or development of the 

 early pods, while later in the season many 

 of the larger leaves will have fallen, or may 

 be removed without in any way affecting 

 the crop of pods at the top. These Butter 

 Beans come very quickly into bearing, and 

 they have the additional advantage over 

 the others of being all edible ; in fact they 

 should always be cooked whole, the mem- 

 brane or skin which is characteristic of the 

 ordinary Bean being entirely absent. In 

 a favourable autumn these Beans continue 

 to develop pods until November. 



Poultry Manure for Vegetables. 

 Many realise poultry manure to be a valu- 

 able product, yet, altogether unaware of its 

 properties, use it unsuitably. On poor soil 

 fowl manure is an excellent stimulant for 

 almost all kinds of vegetables, especially for 

 prize Celery, Leeks, and Onions ; except on 

 very rare occasions, however, it is never 

 dug into the soil, but used as a top dressing. 

 Instead of allowing the droppings to remain 

 a long time in the sheds, they are gathered 

 up each week, placed in a large tray, and 

 stood on top of a large saddle boiler to dry. 

 Then they are stored away in bags, and 

 during bad weather well pounded with a 

 hammer and passed through a very fine 

 sieve, the siftings being stored away in large 

 tins or boxes. During the growing season, 

 June, July and August, this manure is mixed 

 with twice its bulk of sifted wood ashes, and 

 about once a fortnight this is sprinkled 

 between the rows of the plants named above 

 in quantities enough to cover the soil, a 

 large tin with a perforated top being used to 

 distribute it. 



Ranunculus. Roots of these should not 

 be treated indifferently after flowering if they 

 are expected to flower well annually. They 

 should not be lifted until the growths have 

 become yellow, or a certain amount of 

 strength may be lost. Dry them off and 

 store away in a cool cupboard until planting 

 time. Anemones which are to be lifted 

 may be treated in the same manner. 



