$4 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
{ August 1, 1878. 
to write you an article upon disbudding and mentioned the case 
of a very successful grower of garden Roses who did not disbud 
at all. Myneighbour never exhibited a Rose in his life, except 
at the small show held in his own grounds; yet directly his 
name appeared in the Journal Mr. Hinton sent him a form of 
election. This was sent on to me with a request that I would 
explain what it meant. Now if this style of things is to be 
followed again. what guide will the list be? Let the return- 
ing officer not accept a list without knowing the elector’s 
qualification. 
If he asks me how he is to do this, I answer, In the easiest 
possible manner. Let him write a letter to the Rev. Hony- 
wood D’Ombrain and ask him to furnish him with a list of the 
successful exhibitors at the two National exhibitions this year 
and last: and also write to the Rev. C. Bulmer, Credenhill 
Rectory, Hereford, for one of those at Hereford: and to the 
Secretary of the Alexandra Palace also. Then from these and 
other lists obtained on the same principle collect the names, 
send polling papers only to those, and a list of some value 
will be formed: if he does not, the result will be, what I do 
- not hesitate to declare last year’s was, “a delusion, mockery, 
anda snare.” With this conciusion I need hardly sign my 
name, but it is—WYLD SAVAGE. 
SEASONABLE NOTES ON KITCHEN GARDEN 
: SOWING. 
THESE notes appearing in the Journal on the 1st of August 
will just be in time to remind many of your readers of some 
particular kitchen garden seed-sowing which should be done 
about that time. Im northern parts Cabbage seed, for pro- 
ducing plants that will come early into use next spring, will 
have been sown a week or two ago: but it may be well to 
remind them, especially those who have neglected to sow, that 
it is not yet too late to do so, but it very soon will be if early 
plants and early produce are desired. Even those who have 
sown some weeks ago will do well to make another sowing 
now, because if the autumn should be mild and the winter 
open many of the first sowing may bolt in spring before heart- 
ing, and it is always wise to have a reserve in hand. At the 
present time the seed should be sown in rich ground and an 
open situation. When the largest of the plants are fit for 
transplanting they may be drawn, and of those left standing 
in little crowds the best way is to take them up also and dibble 
them into a fresh piece of ground 3 or 4 inches apart. 
After Cabbage I think winter Turnips come next in 
importance. Sweet, fresh, small roots of these are very 
acceptable throughout the winter, but I do not think that 
many amateurs or cottagers understand this, or they would 
grow them more frequently than they do. Any kind of 
ground that has been used for early crops and is now cleared 
will do for Turnips. If it is hard on the surface, break it with 
the fork: if loose, only level it with the spade or rake, and 
sow the seed in drills 18 inches apart. A good patch sown 
now will supply bulbs from November until April. The plants 
must not be left too close together, as they do not bulb well 
when crowded. 
Onions of the Tripoli section should also be sown early in | 
August. They may be sown from the first day until the middle 
of the month either in drills a foot apart or broadcast, and in 
a sheltered but not shaded position. The seed should be 
sown very thin, as if the plants come up 1 or 2 inches apart 
they are quite close enough to stand the winter. 
Winter Spinach is another useful vegetable that should be 
sown now and during the month. We grow it in rows 13 foot 
apart, and it is generally sown on ground that has been newly 
cleared of Potatoes. This vegetable is often considered a 
delicacy with many, but it is indispensable where many varie- 
ties of vegetables are wanted in winter. 
Where salading is appreciated in winter a good breadth of 
Lettuce and Endive should now be sown. Of course no one 
will keep ground empty throughout the summer waiting for 
this or other crops that are sown at this time, but let them 
follow Cauliflower, Peas, Potatoes, &c. We draw drills 1 foot 
apart and drop a few seeds in every foot, and when the young 
plants come up they are all drawn out but one in each cluster, 
which is left to form the crop. When they are thinned in 
damp weather those drawn out may be transplanted into other 
ground. 
A small sowing of Cauliflower may now be made, and another 
in a fortnight or so to furnish plants for supplying the earliest 
heads next year. 
It is not too late to sow seed for winter Cucumber plants. 
They should be started in a gentle heat and grown sharply on 
so as to make strong plants by the month of October. We 
have grown many sorts of Cucumbers this summer, including 
Tender-and-True, but with us neither this nor any other kind 
equals Telegraph, which is undoubtedly the best all-the-year- 
round variety extant. I might add a few more notes on the 
kitchen garden, but all this kind of information is now given 
so theroughly up to the times in your Work for the Week 
that it is hardly necessary for me to say what I have said, 
only the subjects referred to are so very important at the 
present time that there can be no harm in drawing special 
attention to them.—A KITCHEN GARDENER. 
AN EVENING AT LAMBTON. 
“ VALERIANA PHU.” Those are the only two words in my 
note book having reference to the famed gardens at Lambton 
Castle, what I write therefore will be from memory. My 
remarks will consequently be general, which is all that is 
necessary, as a full and detailed account of the gardens has 
appeared in the Journal from the pen of the veteran correspon- 
dent Mr. Robson ; but to the Valerian, for it may be well to 
dispose of it first. As many readers are aware this is a very 
old hardy perennial, so old that it was introduced from Ger- 
many nearly three centuries ago, and is generally considered 
of little value, and receives, as a rule, little cultural care. At 
Lambton, however, this plant, or rather what I presume is a 
golden sport from it, is grown by thousands for the decora- 
tion of the flower garden in spring. Its foliage now is pale 
green, but in the spring Mr. Hunter states that it assumes a 
brilliant transparent yellow hue quite surpassing the Golden 
Feather, and this Golden Valerian is esteemed one of the most 
useful and effective of all spring-bedding plants. So much for 
Valeriana Phu. 
Lambton Castle, its pleasure grounds and gardens, are 
situated on the northern declivity which rises somewhat ab- 
ruptly from the river Wear, a tidal river which has its effluent 
at Sunderland. The banks of the river are in some places 
precipitous, and are densely clothed with fine timber trees and 
a luxuriant undergrowth of wild vegetation. The view from 
the Castle down the immense ravine at its foot and onward to 
the opposite bank, with its undulated far-stretching mountain 
of foliage, is one of dignityand grandeur. From the pleasure 
grounds, too, the vistas, tastefully opened out here and there 
from various points of vantage on the curving walks, bring 
into view scenes of great natural beauty. Views similarly 
commanding and highly picturesque are also obtained from 
the terraces, whereon are erected the extensive ranges of class 
structures, and from the attractive, commodious, and conye- 
nient residence recently built by the Earl of Durham for his 
trusted and competent gardener Mr. Hunter. The Castle may 
be said to be near one extremity of the pleasure grounds and 
gardens, and Mr. Hunter's residence near the other. Between 
those two points immense labour has been expended in ex- 
cayating and levelling for the various walks and buildings, 
and great successes have been achieved both as regards general 
effect and conveniences, and not less so in the cultivation of 
fruits and the raising of new varieties. Rising high above the 
grounds and gardens is a dense sheltering background of trees, 
and below, as before observed, is the chasm-like valley of the 
Wear and its gently winding river. Such is the general 
character of Lambton. Let us now look a little more closely 
at a spot which Nature and Art combined haye made so 
attractive. 
As a matter of convenience we may commence at the lowest 
and easterly point and travel westward and upwards. De- 
scending the slope from Mr. Hunter's residence we “land” 
in a comparatively new unwalled kitchen garden of about 
four acres. After much labour this piece of ground has been 
rendered fertile and valuable, whereas a few years ago it was 
a wild morass. It was only slightly above the tidal level of 
the Wear, and some idea may be afforded of the labour in- 
volved in its reclamation when it is stated that a depth of 
9 feet of soil was carted to bring it to its present comparatively 
safe cultivable state—comparative because during periods of 
floods the overflowing river occasionally submerges it. The 
lowest part of the ground is the broad central walk, from 
which the ground rises on either side, forming two long and 
rather steep banks. Thus the crops can be seen to great ad- 
vantage, and well they look. The heat and drought has been 
extreme at Lambton, but the best of all means has been 
