November 23, 1871. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



393 



as follows. The thermometer is 4 feet from the ground. 

 Snow fell heavily for a quarter of an hour on the 11th, between 

 1 and 2 p.m. 



Nov. 

 11th 

 12th 

 13th 



Temp. 



22° 

 22° 



Nov. 

 14th 

 15th 

 16th 



Temp. 



40» 

 8U° 



Nov. 

 17th , 

 18th 

 19th 



Temp. 

 .. 26° 



.. 18° 

 .. 26° 



— H. Hakeis, Nasehy WoolUys, Northamptonshire. 



GOOD AND BAD NEIGHBOURS. 



The question raised by your correspondent, Mr.O. W. John- 

 son, is one of great interest, and it may not be irrelevant to 

 mention that in the course of some experiments on the influ- 

 ence of various manures on plants made for two years in suc- 

 cession in the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society, pre- 

 sumptive evidence, at least, was obtained, showing that the 

 Dutch Clover (Trifolium repene), and even more markedly the 

 Anthoxanthum odoratum, do not thrive when grown by them- 

 selves, but require the association of other plants. To what 

 cause this is to be attributed I can only guess— my suspicion 

 being that the roots of these plants suffer from the undue 

 evaporation from the surface soil, which is obviated to a great 

 extent when other plants are grown with them. This would be 

 an easy matter to deoide.by a simple experiment. 



Mr. C. W. Johnson may perhaps be unaware of the circum- 

 stances which originated the experiments above referred to 

 under the direction of the Scientific Committee. As they have 

 a material bearing on the point raised by him, I may briefly 

 mention that in consequence of the astonishing diversity in the 

 number and the kinds of plants grown in different plots of 

 pasture land in the park of Mr. J. B. Lawes, of Eothamsted, 

 when treated with different manures, it was determined to grow 

 certain plants, twelve in all, separately, and to treat them with 

 various manures. In this manner it was hoped that some 

 light might be thrown on the causes which lead to the pre- 

 dominance of one plant over another under certain conditions 

 of manuring. In the unmannred pasture land at Rothamsted 

 some fifty or sixty species of plants grow together in association, 

 but by the application of certain manures the number of species 

 is reduced, till at length in certain plots little else remains but 

 the Dactylis glomerata. The manures might be positively 

 injurious to some species, or, on the other hand, they might be 

 inert so far as they were concerned, but specially favourable to 

 some other mors vigorous-growing plant which would get the 

 upper hand. 



The experiments at Chiswiok, so far as they went and so far 

 as they can be relied on, seem to Show that the latter is the 

 more probable supposition. In comparatively few cases did the 

 manure, of whatever kind it might be, seem to act as a poison 

 would do — though of course if the quantity employed were ex- 

 cessive it would act injuriously in any ease. The predomin- 

 ance of one species over another seemed to the experimenters 

 to be due, in the first instance, to the constitution and specially 

 to the habit of the plant, and any manure which stimulated 

 the general vigour of the plant intensified the peculiarities of 

 habit of the plant operated on, and thus it may be conceived 

 would give it an advantage over a plant of weaker constitution, 

 and with a " habit " or organisation less adapted for getting 

 on in the world. — Amicus occultus. 



LAYING BROCCOLI, WITH CULTURAL NOTES. 



The most important of vegetables for a spring supply is the 

 Broccoli. It occupies the place of honour in spring as the Peas 

 do in summer, and nothing can compensate for its absence ; 

 but whilst all admit its usefulness, few doubt its liability to 

 succumb to the severity of the winter. In a word, it is one of 

 the best as well as one of the most uncertain crops of the 

 garden. To obviate this uncertainty is at present beyond the 

 power of the gardener, and it can only be eJieoted by introducing 

 an altogether hardier class of varieties than we at present 

 possess. Some sorts are put forward as having the neces- 

 sary hardiness, but all I can say is, that I have never yet had 

 the pleasure of getting hold of a variety possessing this all- 

 important requirement. If «ver one does come into my hands, 

 and does prove its right to be called truly hardy, I will, if I can, 

 sound its praise through all the land as one of the greatest 

 boons to gardeners and the community generally. ■ 



There is no doubt that some sorts of Brooeoii are more hardy 

 than others, but I am nevertheless of the opinion that soil, posi- 

 tion, and cnltura treatment have a greater influence in deter- 



mining their frost-resisting capabilities than any peculiar con- 

 stitutional virtue. However hardy a Broccoli may be, it can 

 still be made tender in the growing. In many instances this 

 is unavoidable, but in some it is, to a certain degree, preventible. 

 Low-lying districts subject to a heavy rainfall are naturally un- 

 suited to the winter keeping of Broccoli, as in such places the 

 plants are tender and succulent. In other localities the growth 

 is slower and the plants are more woody, and consequently 

 more hardy. I grow a few plants in an exposed open field on 

 the farm, amongst the Cabbages raised for the cattle, and I 

 cannot possibly grow plants in the garden at all equal to these 

 in hardiness. 



In growing Broccoli two points should be kept in mind — 

 abundance of air, and not too rich feeding ground during the 

 summer. The richer the ground the greater should be the 

 distances between the plants, as in rich deep soils the orthodox 

 2 feet space is altogether useless ; it should be at the least 3 feet, 

 or even the plants may be 4 feet by 3. Better than enriching the 

 ground is a limited use of manure, and if large heads are re- 

 quired, give instead heavy surface-dressings of rich stufi in 

 spring, when the plants are safe from frost and are showing 

 signs of growth. Spring-manuring is the most economical 

 and far the best, since manure in summer goes to produce large 

 leaves, whilst spring- manuring helps in producing large, close 

 heads. In the latter case we have a sure and immediate re- 

 turn ; in the former the result is uncertain, and the whole pro- 

 cess dangerously open to failure. 



And now a few remarks about protecting. Laying is the 

 ordinary and the best mode. In advocating laying down the 

 plants I am aware I am running counter to the opinions of 

 many able gardeners, as frequent statements have appeared 

 saying that the loss was greater amongst the plants laid down 

 than amongst those left standing. Those who have thus 

 decided will, of course, not be at the trouble of laying their 

 plants for the future, but there are many, however, who have 

 not decided, and to these I submit my opinion and experience 

 on the question. In the first place, some plants are grown so 

 tender that a severe winter will kill them, either standing up or 

 lying down; and so fatal was last winter, that good heads of 

 Broccoli brought extraordinary prices. Many, though laid, were 

 killed, not, indeed, because they were laid, but in spite of it, and 

 I believe that far more were destroyed because they were left 

 standing. Extended observation and some hard practice have 

 assured me that it is prudent to lay down a large proportion of 

 Broccoli. But if the practice is sound, why a proportion — why 

 not all ? some will ask. Simply for the following reasons : — 

 Laying down the plants has some disadvantages. These I am 

 willing to acknowledge, and, acknowledging, to act accordingly. 

 Plants left standing, it they escape the winter, are ready for 

 cutting rather sooner, and form finer heads than those laid down. 

 This advantage I turn to account in order to prolong the season. 

 If it is a choice of large heads or none, leave the plants standing 

 by all means ; but it the main object is to have Brooeoii with 

 good heads to supply dishes, laying down the plants is, in my 

 experience, the practice most to be relied on; I do not assert 

 that laying down the plants will absolutely prevent loss, but it 

 tends, when properly performed, towards lessening it very con- 

 siderably. I can hardly remember the time when — in season — 

 I had no Broccoli to cut. I admit that I have experienced 

 scarcity, but this the cook never knew. Last spring, when 

 heads were so scarce, I was fortunate in having a plentiful 

 supply, but positively not one was cut from plants left standing. 

 Careful summer culture — that is, not growing the plants too 

 large and luxuriant, giving them abundance of room, and 

 choosing the moat exposed position — these, in conjunction with 

 laying, are the best means of meeting the Broccoli season, and 

 lessening the probability of loss and disappointment. 



Laying should be done thoroughly or not at all. The most 

 tender part of the plants is the neck. To cover with soil the 

 hardier parts and leave the tender exposed is simply labour lost. 

 How many thousands of plants are half laid and then killed, 

 the system being blamed for the whole loss, and not the 

 slightest acknowledgment or idea of error on the part of the 

 operator thought of? In laying, two things must be avoided — ■ 

 the plants must not be laid too early nor too shallow. In the 

 latter case the necks are exposed from the first ; in the former 

 they quickly grow upright, as if to invite the frost, and are quits 

 as helpless to resist it as if left standing. They are as bare- 

 necked and as tender as it they had not been laid down at all, 

 as the leaves, which would otherwise have been firm and erect, 

 are, by root-disturbance, flaccid, and fall away from the hearts 

 or heads. 



