November 23, 1871. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



395 



is alao -very beautiful, and Gloire de Ducher grand against a 

 wall. 



Suckers were so numerons this season that I much fear 

 where there was neglect — and I have seen it — there will be 

 large gaps in some gardens next year. 



" J. B., Darlington," whose experience I endorse, inquires 

 respecting the Tea Eose Homere. I saw it as a standard ; it 

 was beautiful. I budded it also on a standard and it is doing 

 well ; but I regret it was not grown as a dwarf, it being then 

 more easily protected. Comte de Paris is also a handsome Tea. 



If any who may read the foregoing remarks would say 

 something from their own experience about Eoses in a green- 

 house without Vines they would much oblige — An Asiaiedr, 

 South of Ireland. 



WINTER CUCUMBER CULTURE. 



Theeb is a growing demand for Cucumbers all the year round. 

 Jrom May to October there is little difficulty in providing a 

 regular supply, but during the dead of the winter it causes no 

 little trouble to those who are expected to have a Cucumber fit 

 to cut every week. No doubt it is a matter of small moment to 

 tiiose who have a good house, plenty of pipes, and plenty of 

 «oal, but by others situated like myself, where the coal bill is not 

 to exceed a certain figure, houses that are to be kept at a high 

 temperature must be made the most of in order to save the 

 fuel. 



For several years I have tried planting out in the Cucumber 

 iiouse, training the viues on a trellis about 14 inches from the 

 glass. This involved keeping another boiler at extra heat, as 

 every bouse in that range except the Cucumber house only 

 required the frost and damp to be kept out, and the result in 

 the Cucumber house was anything but satisfactory. As the 

 Tiiping was rather short, it required heating up to a very high 

 -temperature, and we generally had so exhausted the plants that 

 we planted again for spring and summer cutting. This made 

 a break in the supply, however forward the plants which were 

 to replace the old ones. Now, however, we use the Cucumber 

 ■iiouse for other things throughout the winter, and take advan- 

 tage of the Pine-stove heat. 



About the end of August we makeup a bed in a pit, which 

 'keeps us going till October is out. In September we sow half 

 a dozen seeds, principally of Telegraph. Masters's Prolific does 

 very fairly with me. Sometimes we strike cuttings for autumn 

 -or late spring production. I prefer them, as they fruit more 

 speedily than plants from seed, and do not grow so rampant, 

 but in the dead of winter striking' them is too troublesome. 

 'For that time I use seedlings, as they grow more rapidly and 

 sooner fill their pots with roots. 



The best way to guard the seed from mice — and I think when 

 so treated it also germinates better — is to fill the pot little more 

 than half full of soil, and, after plunging it in bottom heat, to 

 cover with a pane of glass ; this allows the glass to remain till 

 all danger is over as regards mice, which are very fond of pulling 

 up the seeds even after they have vegetated. 



When the plants show the rough leaf, I pot them singly in 

 8-inoh pots, and when these are filled with roots, into 6-inch pota. 

 I train the plants upright for about 3 feet, then stop them to 

 cause laterals to form. These ore stopped as soon as fruit is 

 showing. When the fruit is set, the plants are shifted into 

 9-inch pots. The compost used is partially decayed turf, with a 

 little old Mushroom-bed dung and leaf mould. I generally 

 allow five fruit to a pot; sometimes the plants will show double 

 that number, but I consider five quite enough. No shoots are 

 allowed to grow. All the energy of the plant is concentrated 

 on these fruit, and the plant after bearing is thrown away. 



I make a sowing about once a-month up to January, when I 

 sow and plant out in the Cucumber house. 



I find that Cucumbers will do without bottom heat, but the 

 fruit swells a little quicker with it. 



When watering I use the water at 85° to 90°, and as soon as 

 the pots are filled with roots I use manure water, varying it 

 with guano sometimes. 



The number of pots of fruiting plants varies with our re- 

 quirements ; sometimes, as at Christmas, we require more, but 

 as a rule one pot lasts us a fortnight, and three pots of plants 

 in a fruiting state keep us going. The chief advantage of this 

 mode of growing them lies in the ability to grow the plants and 

 Fhift them into any house having the required temperature — 

 70° by night and 80° by day, varying according to the weather, 

 as I think it is bad policy to keep up the same amount of heat 

 in dull weather or severe frost as in mild sunny weather. 



Whether the plants are trained upright or on trellises, I prefer 

 them to be in pots for winter, from my experience. One 

 great secret of success is never to let dry heat come in contact 

 with the leaves, as they are soon attacked by insects. Give them 

 a mild humid atmosphere, and, if possible, change the air in 

 the house every day, for which purpose a very small opening is 

 sufficient at this time of the year. — T. M. 



CHRYSANTHEMUMS IN THE TEMPLE 

 GARDENS. 



These gardens keep up their reputation for their excellent 

 show of this autumnal flower, of which Mr. Newton, Mr. 

 Broome's successor in the Inner Temple, and Mr. Dale, of the 

 Middle Temple, are both skilful cultivators. Mr. Dale, of 

 course, has long been known, but Mr. Newton is a compara- 

 tively new recruit to the ranks of Chrysanthemum-growers, 

 and it is very gratifying to find that, as iu last year, so in this, 

 he has been successful in producing a fine display notwith- 

 standing an extremely unfavourable season. The large-flower- 

 ing varieties, as of yore, are placed under a temporary protec- 

 tion of sashes and canvas walling in front of Crown Office Eow, 

 the run of border thus covered being 110 feet. Among them 

 we noticed good examples of Prince Alfred, Guernsey Nugget, 

 White Globe, Little Harry, Prince of Anemones, Gluck, and 

 others, but in many cases the expansion of the blooms has 

 been checked by the severe weather we are experiencing, and 

 but for the occurrence of which the show would have been 

 much finer. This points to the necessity of means for afford- 

 ing a little artificial heat, which we think might be secured at 

 a trifling expense, and would be useful for other purposes as 

 well. The beds of Pompons have also been in fiae bloom, but 

 have suffered much from the frost. We may add that next 

 the river, on a portion of the ground reclaimed by the Thames 

 embankment, there has been formed a noble walk of some 

 600 feet in length by 28 in breadth, along which have been 

 planted fine, strong, young trees of the Occidental Plane. 

 Other improvements are also in progress, which will alter still 

 more for the better the appearance of the grounds. 



In the Middle Temple Mr. Dale's exhibition, though not 

 nearly so extensive, is, as usual, of high quality, though with 

 him, as elsewhere, the effects of the season are evident. 

 Among the varieties best represented are White Globe, Mrs. 

 George Bundle, Prince Alfred, Venus, Lord Derby, Golden 

 Beverley, Guernsey Nugget, Progne, Phidias, white and pink, 

 pretty in colour ; Prince of Anemone?, and the fine-tasselled 

 Japanese variety, James Salter. Mr. Dale has also good beds 

 of Pompons, which, had it not been for the weather, would 

 have formed gay masses for a long time. 



ASPARAGUS CULTURE. 



I ENTiKELT agree with Mr. Fish, " that to encourage tho 

 growth of Asparagus there is nothing like summer manuring, 

 and summer manure watering." I have had stronger proofs 

 than ever of this in the past season, and as it may tend to en- 

 courage many to cultivate this vegetable, I will describe my 

 practice and its results. 



I cultivate my Asparagus in single rows, and being obliged 

 last spring to plant a quantity in poor soil, and with a limited 

 supply of manure, 1 had a favourable opportunity for trying 

 the effects of summer manuring. The soil was trenched 2 feet 

 deep, the best soil kept uppermost, and a little "manure mixed 

 with it near the surface. The roots of the plants were then 

 carefully spread out and covered about 4 inches deep with soil 

 taken from between the rows. They started into growth well 

 — for the plants were strong — and when the roots began to 

 put forth spongioles, sheep-dung water of moderate strength 

 was given them ; and as the plants gained size and vigour a 

 proportionate increase was made in the strength and quantity 

 of the liquid, till in the hot days of summer it was given twice 

 or three times a-week. 



Under this treatment the plants continued to grow freely 

 throughout the summer, sending up such a constant sueeessioa 

 of stout young shoots that most of them have formed fine large 

 stools or crowns. On the approach of autumn, finding the 

 growth still active and young shoots s'till appearing, the hqnid 

 manure was gradually withheld in order that the entire growth 

 might be matured before cold weather set in. It is well in 

 such instances as this to afford the luxuriant growth some sup- 

 port, so that it may not be broken off by strong wind, which it 

 frequently is when standing out fully exposed in single rows. 



