112 



JOURNAL OF HOETICDLTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ Anguat 10, 1876. 



Where such a store is not provided guano affords the most 

 ready means of manufacturing liquid food. It may be applied 

 at considerable strength to aged fruit trees. I hare used it at 

 the rate of 3 or 4 ozs. per gallon with the very best results. 



But it is only in the case of trees that cannot make wood 

 growth to which applications are needed. If there are 6 inches 

 of healthy extension growth manurial assistance is not neces- 

 sary : but if there is no such extension growth, or if the foliage 

 is yellow, the wood small, and the fruit not swelling so freely 

 as is desirable, then a copious application cannot fail to be 

 of great benefit to such overworked trees (and they are 

 numerous), not only in improving the present crop of fruit, 

 but in preparing the trees for better service in future years. 

 — A Northern Gardener. 



LESSONS OP THE SEASON.— No. 1. 



SPRING. 



A deeabt spring, cold and wet, with fitful and rare gleams 

 of sunshine, the soil sodden and cold, young and tender vege- 

 tation stunted, crippled, and blighted, foliage torn by the 

 wind and hailstorms, bloEsom most abundant, expanding but 

 to die. Such was the spring of 1876 — a season of ungenial 

 severity, a time of trial such as is not often experienced even 

 in our fickle changeable climate. It was emphatically a season 

 of results arising from unmistakeable causes — -results that were 

 •for the most part disastrous, but which are not without their 

 value from the plain teaching which they gave us of lessons 

 hard to learn. 



To begin at the beginning, let us first turn to the soil and 

 afterwards to the crops growing therein ; for without good soil 

 it is quite useless to plant or sow, however favourable the sea- 

 son may be. The fact is so self-evident that to put it on 

 paper appears almost an absurdity, and yet do we not con- 

 stantly hear it said that soil is so heavy, stiff, sodden, cold, 

 that timely planting is impossible ? Eemember, it is not of a 

 field or farm land I am writing, but of those choice morsels of 

 mother earth termed gardens, sometimes defined as " rich well- 

 cultivated spots," so precious as to be enclosed by costly walls 

 and fences. Now one would naturally suppose that when a 

 -portion of land is so enclosed it would forthwith be wrought 

 into the highest possible Btate of cultivation ; but this is very 

 frequently only half done, the unfinished part, the weak 

 point, remains unaltered till it leads to almost total failure. 

 In a cold wet spring like that which we have just experienced 

 soils badly drained or deficient in gritty matter were so satu- ! 

 rated that cropping was out of the question ; there was nothing 

 for it but to wait for brighter times — a serious matter when 

 a steady unbroken supply of vegetables has to be maintained. 



I have soil in various stages of improvement, from a barren 

 crude state up to a light, rich gritty — very gritty — condition, 

 the best of which I consider to be as nearly perfect as is neces- 

 sary for all practical purposes. It is thoroughly drained, is 

 rich in fertilising substances, and contains so large a propor- 

 tion of gritty matter — really coal ashes and shattered bricks, 

 ■ that a tool will pass readily through it however wet it may be ; 

 so that seeds may be, and in point of fact are, sown on the 

 first fine day in a season of undue wetness. In proof of this 

 I will give one or two dates. On February 24th the rain held 

 up ; the sun shone with a drying wind ; Canterbury hoes were 

 run through the soil in the morning, and in the afternoon 

 drills were made and seed sown of Brussels Sprouts, Cauli- 

 flower, Early Broccolis, Cabbage, Savoy, Leek, Turnip, Carrot, 

 Eadish, Lettuce, Spinach, Parsley, and Peas. In due course 

 the crops came up strongly and well without a single failure, 

 all of them proving of the very greatest service. Now this 

 soil, in addition to its high state of culture, had the advantage 

 of being thrown up roughly in autumn, and thus lay ready to 

 my hands when the opportune fine day for which I was on the 

 outlook did occur. To show how important it was to seize 

 that fine day I refer to my journal and find the following 

 . entries. February 20th, a wet Sunday ; 21st, wet and 6tormy ; 

 23rd, a rough dull day ; 26th, a dull showery day; 27th, an- 

 other wet Sunday; 28th, a showery morning ; 29th, showery 

 all day ; March 1st, a wet morning ; 2nd, a fine morning, 

 which soon changed to a showery day ; 3rd, another day of 

 miserable weather, a high wind with rain all day. 



Let not anyone suppose that I possess exceptional advan- 

 tages, or that what I have done may not be accomplished even 

 in the smallest gardens. The mistake which so many of us 

 •snake is in trying to do too much in the first instance. To 

 improve the condition of the soil of a single border is a very 



different matter to applying a similar process to an entire 

 garden, and yet by having that one border in suitable condition 

 for a seed bed at any time we secure a supply of seedlings 

 ready for transplantation to less favoured spots later on, and 

 yet quite early enough to secure good and seasonable crops. 

 By all means let us cultivate every part of the garden as well 

 as we can, but in doing so let us make sure of having a certain 

 portion in a condition of high excellence, aiming to bring the 

 remainder up to our standard however slowly it may have to 

 be done. 



Summer is passing rapidly away. Let me urge upon those 

 who have a bad soil and are aware of its attendant evils, to 

 rival my seed borders by devoting special attention to one or 

 two of theirs in the ensuing autumn. Do not rest content 

 with just putting on manure and throwing up the soil roughly 

 to frost and wind ; but first of all dig it over, then put on a 

 layer of old manure and hard grit — road scrapings, coal ashes, 

 stones broken finely, mortar rubbish, burnt clay, or shattered 

 bricks. Any of these will answer admirably provided you use 

 enough, say 6 or 9 inches, of manure and grit. Stir this well 

 into the soil, turning it over till a thorough mixture is effected, 

 then lay it up in slight ridges or in any rough fashion for the 

 winter, and whether next spring prove wet or fine you will 

 have an excellent seed bed, not only because its free open 

 nature will enable you to sow at almost any time, but also 

 because it is that very property, combined with its rich- 

 ness, which will ensure prompt vegetation and a free strong 

 growth. 



The foregoing formula applies generally to new rather than 

 to old gardens, yet strictly speaking it is applicable to all soils 

 that are of a poor, close, or heavy texture. In old gardens 

 the soil is very frequently found to contain such a super- 

 abundance of humus as to induce a soapy condition in a wet 

 season. The very best corrective for this is a free dressing of 

 lime and coal ashes, after making sure that the drainage is all 

 right. Many a garden suffers in spring from defective drainage, 

 which, in addition to the sodden condition of the soil, or rather 

 for that very reason, induces a low temperature and a moisture- 

 laden atmosphere that is very hurtful — often fatal to tender 

 vegetation. — Edward Luckhurst. 



DOUBLE PYEETHRTJMS FEOM SEED. 



The value of these as decorative plants in early summer is 

 being recognised, and the beauty of their blooms — varied hues 

 and brightness being combined with form and endurance — 

 enable them to rank high as cut flowers. The " cup " of the 

 Eose and " incurve " of the Chrysanthemum may be wanting ; 

 nevertheless, what the Chrysanthemum is in autumn theEe are 

 in early summer — half balls of loveliness, equalling in siz9 

 Anemone-flowered Chrysanthemums. The plants commence 

 flowering in May, and are at their best in June, and are by 

 their distinctness of form and diversity of colour likely to meet 

 with a more than ordinary share of patronage. This year, 

 from the end of May to the second week in July, blooms were 

 available for cutting, and a further supply was afforded in late 

 summer and autumn. 



The Pyrethrum has been much improved of late years. 

 There are many very fine named varieties, but it is not of 

 those that I wish to descant, for there is a vast majority who 

 would not invest in a dozen plants in variety who need no 

 prompting to speculate in a packet of seed. In the matter of 

 Pyrethrums I have had from packets of seed no more single 

 flowers than are to be found in Ten-week Stocks. 



Seed sown early in August in light sandy soil in a warm 

 situation and lightly covered with fine soil kept moist will 

 germinate in a few days, and the seedlings may remain in the 

 bed until spring; but I think it best to prick them out when 

 they are showing the second leaves into rows 6 inches apart 

 and 3 inches apart in the rows, in light moderately rich soil in 

 a sheltered situation, shading for a few days if the weather be 

 bright until established, moving in March or early in April to 

 their flowering positions. A moderately light well-drained soil 

 is desirable, enriched with leaf Boil or well-decayed manure. 

 Two feet from plant to plant is a proper distance for them in the 

 mixed border, but I prefer to plant in " trial " beds, putting 

 out the plants in 4-feet beds, four rows in a bed, with a foot 

 distance between plant and plant. When advancing for flower- 

 ing they are grateful for liberal support in dry weather. Weak 

 liquid manure once or twice a- week or oftener, according to the 

 weather, is beneficial. Many plants are pronounced poor 

 b cause there is nothing in the soil to bring them out differently. 



