September 14, 1S71. ] 



JOUENAL OP HOBTICOLTUKE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEB. 



205 



tection. Thus treated it is rare we have on them any fly or 

 insect. 



-KITCHEN GAHDEN. 



As the days shorten, we partially removed the Pea haulm, 

 and soon will do so wholly, between onr beds of Celery. The 

 shade hitherto, morning and afternoon, has done good in 

 rendering watering nnnecessary, a matter of importance wher- 

 ever water is scarce, and also as saving a good amount of 

 labour. The beds of Celery run north and south, and, there- 

 fore, they had the full sun before and after midday, still the 

 shade by their sides, which broke the strong afternoon sun, 

 was of importance. By mistake some of our Dwarf White In- 

 comparable Celery that came in second and third, was taken 

 up, and it was very fair after ten days' earthing, with two or 

 three weeks' tying-up previously ; out of plants 16 inches in 

 height, a length of 9 inches was very good. When earthed-up 

 for three weeks such plants ought to have had nearly 12 inches 

 of beautifully blanched head as sweet as a nut. 



We have tried many kinds of Celery, reds, pinks, and whites, 

 and we have found them all solid, sweet, and good, if they were 

 grown with the help of sweet decomposed manure, were pre- 

 vented becoming dry, and received a slight shade in their 

 earlier stages. We would, however, recommend those who 

 have little room to try a bed of the Incomparable, placing the 

 plants about a foot apart each way. We have had several com- 

 plaints from people who have acted on our recommendation, 

 who say they cannot get on with it, it grows so slowly. Well, 

 there is this objection to it — it wiU come very late, if you de- 

 pend on seedling plants sovm out of doors. It should not be 

 sown later than March, and then in pots or pans where there 

 is a little heat, as in the coolest part of a Cucumber-box, and 

 it is as well to let it have a little heat after it is pricked out, 

 but a small shallow bos would hold a large number of plants 

 at 1 inch apart, and when fully established they could be 

 pricked out under a slight temporary protection in rich com- 

 post 3 or 4 inches apart, and be lifted with balls so as never to 

 feel moving. A bed from 3 J to 4 feet wide will grow three rows 

 in perfection. Then the earthing-up is a mere trifle in com- 

 parison to the taller- growing kinds ; a foot in height may be 

 considered a fair average. From plants not quite so much in 

 circumference as the arm of a strong man, we have often seen 

 a far greater bulk fit to go to table, than could be had from 

 huge plants as large in circumference as a man's thigh, and 

 f ally a yard or more in height. These dwarf Celeries save, much 

 ground and labour, but we have nothing to say against the 

 stronger-growing sorts where ground and labour are of little 

 importance. We generally grow a Uttle of the stronger reds, 

 &c., for variety. The Incomparable was first sent out by Mr. 

 Turner, of Slongh. 



Bdtore these showers came the ground with us was so dry 

 that it was of little use planting, unless we could have afforded 

 to water well. Now we shall fill up every vacant place with 

 Cabbages and Winter Greens, also Lettuces and Endive. The 

 earliest Brocoolis, Brussels Sprouts, and Borecoles are look- 

 ing well, but it is advisable to have plenty in the shape of 

 young plants, as it is easier to pull up in spring when the 

 ground is waited than to sufier from any deficiency in the 

 supply. Where the ground is at all stiff and adhesive we 

 would recommend throwing it into ridges — ssy 4 feet at the 

 base, and planting the sides and apes with Lettuces and 

 Endive. They are not Hkely to suffer from dryness now, but 

 they will have a better chance of escaping damping in winter 

 than those on the level. Last year we lost most of our Lettuces 

 and Endive planted near the foot of walls and fences. Severe 

 as the winter was, we scarcely lost a plant of those thus planted 

 on steep ridges. 



We sowed Eadishes and Tarnips, the latter to stand the 

 winter. Our early kidney Potatoes have kept good after being 

 taken up, but they were quite ripe ; only one here and there 

 has shown signs of disease. With respect to the advice lately 

 given as to cutting down the haulm and removing it, in the 

 case of late Potatoes, several parties have told us that the cut- 

 ting-down has no effect on the crop so far as ripening is con- 

 cerned ; for after allowing the roots to remain for a month the 

 tubers were as unripe, as soft and waxy, as when the haulm 

 was cut down. All we can say is that such results are contrary 

 to our experience. The early removal of the haulm prevents 

 to a great extent the disease acting on the tubers. These tubers, 

 left in the soil, however late the kinds, will not increase, or but 

 little, in size ; but according to all our experience they become 

 more ripened and more mellow, and thus the tubers are 

 more fit for all purposes, though smaller in size than usual. I 



As the matter is of great general importance we should be glad 

 to have, not opinions, but facts and experience bearing on 

 either side of the question. Meanwhile, as the disease is likely 

 to appear whenever we have a season similar to the present, wo 

 would earnestly advise, and especially where the kitchen garden 

 is small, to grow only the earlier small-topped kinds in the- 

 garden, and to have the main supply for the mansion grown in 

 the field, where fresh soil can be afforded every year, and where 

 also more room can be given between the rows than the gardener 

 in general can afford in his limited space, where crop must 

 follow crop without a week's intermission, or even several crops 

 must be on the ground at once. The same rule would hold 

 good as respects Turnips and Carrots. The earliest are best 

 and most easily obtained from the garden, but without great 

 preparation and attention no old kitchen garden will grow 

 Turnips and Carrots so sweet and rich in flavour as they wUl 

 be in a field, where they only appear after so many years' rota- 

 tion, and in fresh, almost to them maiden soil. If we were- 

 connoisseurs of Turnips we would never use one after August 

 and September from an old garden if we could obtain there 

 from an open field. We should not so earnestly advocate as 

 as we do the enlargement of kitchen gardens, and the limitation 

 of lawns, were it generally understood that the bulk of such 

 roots and the rougher vegetables were to be cultivated well in 

 an open field. We know that the cultivator and the consumer 

 would be better satisfied. Of course we do not allude to those- 

 huge gardens that are seldom fully cropped, but show almost 

 at any time large quarters in fallow, and which generally, like 

 farm land, bear only one crop for the year. But the majority 

 of kitchen gardens must be treated in a different way, the great 

 question being. How much and how many successions can be- 

 obtained in little space ? When that is long continued the pro- 

 duce must suffer in quality. 



OKNAMEHTiJQ DEPAETMENT. 



We intended to have said much about plants and propagating, 

 but our pen has gone so fast that we can only allude to one 

 thing — namely, placing c«Hin(;s for next year's flower garden 

 in pots and boxes. Some critics have written to us to say that 

 they like best to insert their cuttings early in the open air, and 

 to lift and pot or box them when struck. We say, Let everjone- 

 foUow the plan that answers best. We have often adopted the 

 plan when cuttings could be taken off early. Even then, how» 

 ever, the plants often felt the taking-up, and potting, or box- 

 ing, and this also involved time and labour. As we cannot well 

 take our cuttings, even low side shoots, very early, we prefer 

 inserting them thickly in pots or boxes at once and placing 

 them under glass before there is any danger. We thus save 

 taking up and re-boxing. Very shallow boxes from 2 to 3 inches 

 deep will do for most cuttings. When the wood we can gethold 

 of enables us to have them deeper we are satisfied if the soil 

 is of that depth, and we can top-dress if we Uke afterwards* 

 — E, F. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



Downie, Laird, & Laing, Stanstead Park, Forest Hill, and 17, South- 

 Frederick Street, Edinburgh. — JDescnjitive Catalogue of Dutch Flower 

 Soots. 



Little & BaUantyne, Carlisle. — Catalogtie of Flower Soots, <fic. 



W. Knight, Hailsham, Sussex. — General Catalogue of Kurserif 

 StocJ:. 



Charles H. Dickson, 23, Market Place, Manchester. — Catalogue of 

 Sutdi Flower Soots. 



James Dickson & Sons, Newton Nurseries, and 102, Eastgate Street, 

 Chester. — Catalogue of' Soses — Catalogue of Bulbous Flower Soots, <£c. 



Dick Eadclyffe & Co., 129. High Holborn. London, W.C— Cato- 

 logue of Dutch Bulbs, Dried Flowers, Fruit Trees, £c. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



N.B. — Many questions must remain unanswered until next 

 week. 



Cutting ash Boeisg Holes is Glass (Amateur Gardener).— Vfe have- 

 no experience in cntting glass except with a glazier's diamond, but we 

 extract for yon the following from an American contemporary : — " Any 

 hard steel tool will ent glass with great facility when kept freely moist 

 with camphor dissolved in turpentine. A drill-bow may be used, or the 

 hand alone. A hole bored may be readily enlarged by a round file. The 

 ragged edges of glass vessels may also be thus easily smoothed by a flat 

 file. Flat window glass can readily be sawed by a watch-spring saw by 

 aid of this solution. In short, the most brittle glass can be -wrought 

 almost as easily as brass by the use of cutting tools kept constantly 

 moist with a camphorised oil of turpentine." 



Double AxTXEBHlNTms (IF. H"., ^z/r).— Double or s:mi-aonble An- 

 tirrhinums are by no means unusual. Some were advertised a few years 

 ago by a London nurseryman, but they did not take, nor axe they ever 

 likely to be popular. 



