200 



THE GARDENERS CHRONICLE. 



[Ma;:ch 30, i:i2. 



Y^ 



^ The Week* s Work. ^ 



THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 



By Edwin Beckett, Gardener to the Hon. Vicary Gibbs, 



Aldenham House, Hertfordshire. 



The Weather. — The weather conditions 

 during the present month have been decidedly 

 unfavourable for operations in the kitchen gar- 

 den, the continuous rains having made the work 

 of seed sowing, particularly on heavy soils, 



almost an impossibility. No opportunities should 

 be lost to complete arrears oi sowing, planting, 

 and other ground operations. 



Asparagus. — As soon as the weather permits, 

 the permanent beds of Asparagus should be put 

 in order for the season. Rake off the rougher 

 material from the beds into the alleys, fork it in, 

 and give the beds a dressing of salt. The space 

 between the beds may be utilized for catch crops 

 of early Cauliflowers, Lettuce, and similar plants. 

 Seedlings raised from seeds sown last April in 

 3-inch pots which have been plunged in ashes 

 during the winter months should now be placed 

 out-of-doors prior to planting them next month. 

 This is the best method known to me of raising 

 plants for planting new beds. Take care to ob- 

 tain seeds of a good variety. 



Kohl Rabi. — Seeds of this vegetable may 

 now be sown in a box of finely-prepared soil and 

 placed in a gentle heat. Transplant the seedlings 

 as soon as they are large enough into cooler quar- 

 ters, and let them grow sturdily until towards 

 the end of April, when they may be planted in 

 their permanent quarters. 



Carrots. — The main crop of Carrots may be 

 sown at the first opportunity. Select ground 

 that has been thoroughly well worked during the 

 winter months, but not liberally manured ; it will 

 be better if the soil is entirely^ ree from manure 

 added recently. Give a good dressing of soot 

 and wood ashes, and break down the clods with 

 a fork., making a level surface with a wooden 

 rake. Mark the positions of the drills with 

 sticks placed at either end. Draw shallow drills 

 in straight lines at about 12 inches apart. Sow 

 the seeds thinly, but regularly, and then make 

 the surface level and tidy with an iron rake. 



Carrots in Frames. -Tim earliest crops of 

 Carrots in warm pits should be syringed twice 

 daily to encourage a good growth ; whenever 

 possible, admit plenty of fresh air to the plants. 

 The thinning of the roots must not be neglected ; 

 they will soon grow large enough for consump- 

 tion, and the largest may be pulled here and 

 there, giving additional room to those that re- 

 main. As soon as the seedlings of later sowings 

 have formed their second leaves they will need a 

 partial thinning. 



Carrots for Exhibition. — Where extra- 

 iine Carrots are needed, and the natural soil is 

 unsuitable, excellent results may be obtained by 

 boring holes 3 feet deep, in well-worked ground, 

 and filling them with a light, sandy compost : 

 old potting soil finely sifted is excellent for the 

 purpose. .Make sure that the hole is filled right 

 to the bottom, by working the fine soil down 

 with a thin stick. The holes should be made 

 12 inches apart and 15 between the rows. Sow 

 a piruh of seed at each station and finally thin 

 to one plant. 



Globe Artichokfs. — This crop should be 

 planted in ground that has been well tilled and 

 liberally manured. Any protecting material that 

 was afforded established plants should be re- 

 moved, and a dressing of well-decayed manure 

 forked into the ground. A few suckers should 

 be potted each autumn and wintered in cold 

 frames to renovate a portion of the bed as it is 

 not advisable to retain the plants longer than 

 three years. The best varieties are Large Green 

 and Purple Globe. 



Broad Beans. — Another sowing of Broad 

 Beans may be made in boxes or raised in a 

 cold frame for successional supplies. Plants of 

 the earliest sowing intended for planting out 

 early in April must be thoroughly hardened. A 

 sowing may now be made on a south border. 

 Early plants in pots are in flower, and should 

 occupy a light position in a cool Peach house or 

 a similar structure, where they may receive 

 iresh air whenever possible. 



THE HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 



By F. Jordan, Gardener to Lady Nunbcknholme, 



Warter Priory, Yorkshire. 



Pruning Young Trees. — A great differ- 

 ence of opinion exists among growers as to the 

 best time for cutting back recently-planted fruit 

 trees. Trees that were properly planted in the 

 autumn should have made new roots by Christ- 

 mas, and are now in a condition to support the 

 expanding shoots as they appear. Delay in head- 

 ing back such trees as soon as the sap com- 

 mences to rise means a loss of energy. No hard- 

 and-fast rule can be laid down as to when or 

 how to prune, for much depends upon the con- 

 dition of the trees, and whether they have been 

 grown and pruned carefully in the nursery. 

 Generally speaking, about one-third or one-half 

 the lengths of the shoots should be cut off, bear- 

 ing in mind that the first object of the pruner 

 should be to build up a tree of good shape, that 

 will develop and be capable of bearing plenty of 

 fruits in years to come. First remove any shoots 

 that cross each other, and cut back others, if 

 necessary, to secure an open centre to the tree. 

 Encourage the leading shoots to grow by pinch- 

 ing the side growths during the growing season, 

 pruning always to a bud pointing in the direc- 

 tion in which the shoot is desired to grow. By 

 this means each branch becomes, as it were, a 

 single cordon. Very little, if anything, is gained 

 by pruning trees that are planted in March ; it is 

 rare for such trees to develop a vigorous root 

 action the same season as planted, and they make 

 very little top growth. A mulch of manure is 

 of great assistance to the trees, but too often 

 no water is afforded beyond the one solitary 

 occasion directly after planting, or until the 

 trees show signs of suffering from drought. 

 Several good w r aterings should be given if the 

 weather is dry in the spring, as the roots are 

 not very active then, and the sap stored up in 

 the wood is soon exhausted. 



Standard Fruit Trees. — Standard trees 

 that have been carefully pruned in the nurserv 

 for, say, three years, should have the shoots cut 

 back to about one-third their lengths, leaving 

 six or seven of the best-placed branches as 

 leaders. Endeavour to keep the centre of the 

 tree open to allow the sunshine to reach the 

 shoots and ripen them. Examine recently-planted 

 trees to see that thev are firmlv staked : this 



V b J 



may seem a small matter, but it is of great im- 

 portance, for the winds may disturb the roots by 

 causing the branches to sway, and this is very 

 harmful to new roots. 



Figs. — The protective materials should be 

 removed from Fig trees when more genial 

 weather sets in, to allow the tree to receive the 

 benefits of light and air. It is harmful to the 

 embryo fruits to leave the material on too long, 

 as they become drawn and tender. Do any 

 necessary pruning, and tie in the growths thinly 

 as recommended in the Calendar for March 1. 



Protecting Fruit- Blossoms. — Unceasing 



attention must now be paid to the protection of 

 Apricot, Cherry and Pear trees as they burst 

 into bloom. All fruit trees promise well for 

 a good crop of fruit, and it will well repay for 

 a little extra care and attention now in protect- 

 ing the bloom. Endeavour to prevent the blos- 

 soms from getting wet towards the evening, as 

 when wet a slight frost will destroy the embryo 

 fruits, whereas slight frosts have no bad effects 

 on them if they are dry. 



By E. 



FRUITS UNDER GLASS. 



Harriss, Fruit Foreman, The Royal Gardens, 



Windsor. 



The Orchard House. -Peach, Nectarine, 

 Apricot, and Plum trees growing in pots should 

 have the fruits thinned for the first time as soon 

 as the latter are set, but in the cases of Apples 

 and Pears the work should be deferred for a little 

 longer, as large numbers of the fruits will drop 

 naturallv. The first thinning should consist 

 chiefly in removing the small fruits and those 

 which are badly placed, leaving those only 

 ■which are fully exposed to the light. All surplus 

 shoots mav now be removed. At the same time 

 cut back fruitless wood to a healthy growth near 

 to the base. The remaining shoots may be 

 pinched at the fourth or fifth leaf. It will not 

 be safe to attempt to force the trees very hard 

 at this stage, especially Apples and Pears, which 



should be placed in the coolest part of the house. 

 Fresh air must be admitted freely through both 

 the top and bottom ventilators, but cold draught 

 must be avoided. The trees should be syringe 

 vigorously on fine days, and the floors* in the 

 house damped frequently. As a safeguard against 

 insect pests the foliage may be syringed occa- 

 sionally with an insecticide : should the leaves 

 become infested with aphis, the house must be 

 fumigated with a nicotine preparation. 



Tomatos. — The earliist Tomato plants which 

 are growing in pots may be stopped when they 

 have set three or four trusses of fruit. This will 

 hasten the development of the fruits. The plants 

 may be placed in a house having a minimum tem- 

 perature of 65°, in a position where they will be 

 fully exposed to the light. All side shoots should 

 be removed, and, if the foliage is obstruct in 

 the light from the fruits, some of the leaves ma 

 be shortened. Top-dress the roots with a mix- 

 ture of loam and well-decayed horse manure, and 

 afford stimulants in the form of liquid manure 

 and some suitable fertilizer two or three times 

 each week. Later plants must be assisted to set 

 their fruits by lightly tapping the trellis to dis- 

 perse the pollen. Admit plenty of fresh air 

 during favourable weather and keep the atmo- 

 sphere dry. -Afford larger receptacles to later 

 plants before the roots become pot-bound, and 

 keep the plants growing in a position near to the 

 light. The potting soil for the later or mid- 

 season batches of Tomatos should be of a more 

 substantial nature, and should consist chiefly of 

 rich, fibrous loam, lime-rubble, and crushed 

 bones. The potting also must be done more 

 firmly than hitherto. 



The Season 



Although the weather cf 



March has been unusually mild, there has been 

 a notable shortage of sunshine. The mild 

 w r eather has partially compensated for the lack 

 of sunshine, as the temperatures in the forcing 

 houses have been maintained without an exces- 

 sive use of fire heat. But the absence of sun- 

 shine has made the growth of all fruit crops 

 under glass soft, and much care and attention 

 Will be necessary during the next few weeks to 

 avoid scorching of the foliage. Such growth is 

 also very, susceptible to attacks of mildew: trees 

 which are subject to this disease should have the 

 fDliage lightly dusted with flowers of sulphur. 

 The hot-water pipes also should be occasionally 

 sprinkled with this material. Constant attention 

 must be paid to the ventilation of the house dur- 

 ing changeable weather to avoid sudden fluctua- 

 tions in the temperatures. During very cold 

 nights such houses that can be convenient!, 

 covered with mats or other protective materia 

 should be protected in this manner. The rain- 

 fall has been unusually heavy during the present 

 month, and, where the subsoil is of a heavy and 

 retentive nature, coverings placed over the 

 borders of early vines, etc., have proved a great 

 advantage. 



PLANTS UNDER GLASS. 



By Thomas Stevenson, Gardener to E. Mocatta, Esq., 



Woburn Place, Addlestone T Surrey. 



Liliums. — In many establishments Liliuni* 

 are grown practically the whole year round. Until 

 retarded bulbs were available,, growers had to 

 practise hard forcing in the cases of Lilium Har- 

 rissii and L. longiflorum to obtain plants in bloom 

 early; but, with retarded bulbs, hard forcing is 

 not necessary. Allow the new bulbs a long time 

 to root in the pots, so as to develop them gentiv, 

 relying on the retarded bulbs for very earlv 

 blooming. Bv this time earlv potted plants or 

 the varieties named should be in a suitable con- 

 dition for introducing into a little heat, and D^ 

 bringing these forward a few at a time according 

 to the number reouired, a succession of bloom 

 mav be maintained.^ Retarded bulbs mav be pot- 

 ted towards the end of the summer for n°* eT ™? 

 in winter and early spring. Practically all tnu 

 season bulbs should be potted and put in frame* 

 by now, but should there be a shortage it is no 

 too late to secure fairly good samples of *»V 

 species as L. speciosum (lancifolium) m va . r J e " « 

 L. auratum, and L. tigrinum, which provides 

 pleasing change from the others. 



Sweet Peas. - Sweet Peas in pots are grow- 

 ing apace, but unfortunately, through a ^ 

 of sunshine, the growth is on the soit « » 

 Arrange the plants in the house where tne> 

 to bloom at a suitable distance apart, and L J > 

 stakes to support the shoots. Some use ordin j 



