334 



JOUENAIi OF HOBTICULTUEE AKD COTTAGE GAKDENEE. 



[ Kovember 2, 1871. 



the mildness of the last few weeks than to anything new in Straw- 

 berry cnltnre. However, let me ask, What is considered a fair 

 length for the Strawberry season ? How many months out of 

 the twelve is it possible for gardeners, who force fruits of all 

 kinds, or nearly so, to supply their employers daily with Straw- 

 berries ? I may add that I succeeded in sending Strawberries 

 (not including Alpines), five months out of the twelve for 

 dessert this year, 1871. — An Old BLiCKsiKD, Moor Parh. 



PEAS FOR SUCCESSION.— No. 2. 

 Peas foe Shall Gakbeks. — By small gardens I do not mean 

 those of very limited extent, but such as are of small area for 

 the number and variety of vegetables which must be produced. 

 In all gardens of less than half an acre I would not grow a Pea 

 exceeding 4 feet in height ; in those of a quarter of an acre or 

 less, none that exceeded 3 feet ; and under an eighth of an acre, 

 none but the most dwarf. The tall varieties, if they do not 

 shade more than the ground on which they grow, take up too 

 much room, prevent a free circulation of air, and have a bad 

 appearance in a space that must be devoted to dwarf subjects. 



DUlistone's Early, or Dickson's First and Best. — 3 feet. Sow No- 

 vember 10th and March 5th. 



Little Gem. — 2 feet. Sow November 10th on a warm or sonth 

 border ; March 5th and aOth ; April 5th and 20th ; May 5th and 20th ; 

 June 5th and 20th ; July 5th and 15th. 



Bnrbridge's Eclipse.— 2i to 3 feet. Sow March 5th and 20th; 

 April 5th and 20th. 



Princess Eoyal. — 21 to 3 feet. Sow March 5ih and 20th; April 

 5th and 20th : May 5th. 



Premier.— 3i feet. Sow April 20th ; May 5th and 20th ; Jnne 5th 

 and 20th. 



Veitch's Perfection.^3 feet. Sow May 5th and 20th; Jnne 5th 

 and 20th. 



Yorkshire Hero.— 3 to 4 feet. Sow May 20th ; Jnne 5th and 20th ; 

 July 5th. 



Dwarf Branching Waterloo. — 3 feet. Sow Jane 5th and 20th ; 

 July 5th. 



The two Peas most desirable in the above list are Little Gem 

 aud Dwarf Branching for a small garden. From sowings of 

 Little Gem on November 10th, March 5th and 20th, April 5th 

 and 20th, May 5th and 20th, June 5th and 20t,h, and July 5th ; 

 and of Dwarf Branching, commencing March 20th, and con- 

 tinued on the dates named for Little Gem, and made simul- 

 taneously up to July 5th, a good supply and succession of Peas 

 may be calculated upon from the early part of Jane until pro- 

 duction be stopped by cold weather. A pint of the two sorts 

 named being put in at a time, ten sowings of Little Gem and 

 eight of Dwarf Branching, or nine quarts will be required — a 

 sufScient quantity for one-eighth of an acre. The quantity of 

 seed may seem large, but as a rule, more, comparatively, is 

 required for a small than a large garden. 



The following table wUl show the times of sowing the above 

 varieties : — 



SeBTS. 



'o 



u 



;3 



to 

 ■3 



H 



i 



"3 



1 



1 



si 



s 



9 



a 



3 



>3 



3 



DUlistone's Early, 

 or Dicks on'sFirst 

 and Best 



Princess Eoyal 

 (Maclean) 



lattle Gem (3Iac- 

 lean) 



* 



■w. 



G.W. 

 G.TT. 

 G.TT, 



G.T7. 



G.ai. 



B.H. 



ft. 



8 



2ito3 



2 



Si 



3 to 4 



3 

 2ite3 



*10 

 *10 



*5 



*5,*20 



*5,*20 



6," 20 



*6,*20 



5, 20 

 *20 



*5,"20 



*5 



5,20 



5, 20 



6, 20 



*20 



6, SO 

 »5,-*20 

 5, 20 



5, 20 



»5,*20 



*5,*lo 



5 

 *5 



Premier (Maclean) . 

 Veitch's Perfection 

 Yorb shire Hero 



(Dixon's) 



Dwarf Branching 



Waterloo 



Burhridge's Eclipse 



■'^ w., "Wtite ; tv.m., 'Wliite Marrow ; g.w., Green Wrinkled ; b.m.. Blue Marrow. 

 The sowings marked with an asterisk (*), will be ample for a 

 garden of from half to three-quarters of an acre, and the whole 

 for a garden of 1 to Ih acre. The demand of one family for 

 Peas may vary considerably from that of another, but I have 

 found that a dish of Peas daily has been needed if it could be 

 had, whilst with most it is a necessity. The varieties and 

 sowings are calculated for affording the earliest, latest, and a 

 constant succession, and I ought to say that the sowings for a 

 small garden are proportionately more instead of less, as some 

 might conclude, than for a large garden, which is owing to the 

 sowing of dwarfer kinds ; for though we may have more rows 

 on a given space, and obtain as good a supply, yet for three 

 rows of Little Gem at IJ foot to 2 feet apart, we require three 



times the seed that we require for a row of Ne Pins Ultra at 

 7 feet. 



Before sowing, all my Peas are red-leaded, making them wet 

 with water, and then dusting with red lead, and stirring-up so 

 as to redden them all over. If the ground be dry water the 

 drills previous to sowing. Steeping Peas before sowing I do 

 not practise. It is, perhaps, a good plan, but sowing in moist 

 soil is better, and if " steeped " seed is sown in dry ground 

 and no water is given, the vitality is impaired if not lost. 

 With sowing on turves, and in pots in a frame, and afterwards 

 planting out, I have had no success, and I do not advise the 

 practice. 



After the Peas come into flower they cannot have too much 

 water, nor too frequent supplies of weak liquid manure if the 

 weather is dry, and the soil cannot be too rich and too deep, 

 nor can too much room be given. — G. Abbey. 



BEDDING PLANTS IN 1871.— No. 2. 



In continuing my remarks on Zonal Pelargoniums, I shall 

 begin first with the crimson or dark scarlets. Of these the 

 darkest I have yet tried is Crimson Eing (Henderson). It is 

 of a beautiful colour, which affords a very good contrast to the 

 foliage, but I am obliged to confess I am disappointed with it, 

 as it has not proved a sufficiently free bloomer. I agree with 

 Mr. Luckhurst, that in point of habit it is all that can be de- 

 sired, the foliage covering the plants well, and the flower-stalks 

 stiff and just above the foliage. I am in hopes it will bloom 

 better from old plants. 



Next in point of colour is Glory of Waltham (W. Paul). It has 

 not proved so effective with me as I have seen it elsewhere. 

 The leaves are plain, and I think it an advantage in all the 

 crimson and scarlet sections to have little or no zone. I do not 

 know whether there is any difference between Waltham Nosegay 

 and Glory of Waltham ; they have always seemed to me so 

 nearly alike that I have not tried the two. 



With regard to the next, Waltham Seedling (Beaton), I 

 can only repeat what I have stated before, that- it is one of the 

 most valuable bedders we have, very free-blooming and con- 

 stant, with very good flower-stalks, and it stands the wind and 

 weather better than most Geraniums. 



Bayard (Pearson), has again been very good, in size of truss 

 superior to the latter, not so deep a crimson, but a brighter 

 colour. It does not stand bad weather so well, as the footstalks 

 of the trusses are longer, and the habit of the plant more 

 straggling, but it is decidedly one of the most effective bedders 

 we have. 



B. E. Bowley (Downie, Laird, & Laing), which obtained a 

 first-olafis certificate at Chiswick, grows with me too straggling. 

 It is of much the same colour as Bayard, rather darker, and is 

 not in my opinion nearly so good. 



Vesta (Paul). — This is one of Mr. W. Paul's best; very free- 

 blooming, with a dwarf habit. Very nearly the same colour as 

 Glory of Waltham, and superior to it. It had a firat-class cer- 

 tificate at Chiswick, and is quite worthy of the character given 

 to it. I do not, however, think it has so good a truss, or 

 carries the truss so well as Waltham Seedling. 



Thomas Speed (Pearson), a duU crimson, has not come up 

 to the expectations I had formed of it, as it has not bloomed 

 with me this year nearly so well as last. 



Bonfire (Paul) — This is very fine in point of colour, very 

 bright crimson, with a good truss and habit. This is the first 

 season I have tried it, and it seems to have a good constitution. 



The next I name is a deep red, neither crimson nor scarlet — 

 D ake of Devonshire (Pearson) . With me this year it made one 

 of the finest beds I ever saw. The size of the trusses is enor- 

 mous, and they are very freely produced; its fault is that it has 

 too long a flower-stalk. 



Douglas Pearson, much the same in colour, though not so 

 bright as Bayard, is, I think, a better bedder, because its habit is 

 more compact, and the trusses stand up above the foliage better. 



W. Thomson (Pearson) is also very good. I believe Mr. 

 Pearson prefers it to Douglas Pearson, but with me the pips in 

 the trusses are more crowded, and do not stand the weather so 

 well. 



Milton and Jupiter (Pearson), both shades of deep red, are 

 not so good as Dake of Devonshire, Bayard, or Douglas Pearson, 

 and not sufliciently distinct to make it worth while growing all 

 of them. 



All the above are in the crimson or dark scarlet section, and 

 besides them I name some others of which I have not had 

 quite enough to bed separately, as Sunshine (Laing), very pro- 



