"Dsoomber 7i 1871. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GABDENBE. 



U5 



which these insects perform every year more or less, we are 

 hardly yet prepared to give thoroughly satisfactory answers. 

 The opinion held by some that the swarms which pass through 

 the air occasionally are made up of males only, which are 

 either in search of females, or, having performed their cus- 

 tomary office, are going out on a tour for recreation, has been 

 rejected by Loudon and others. It has been pointed out that 

 were this the case such a thing could not occur as the sudden 

 appearance of hosts of juvenile aphides in spots where there 

 had been none before, winged or wingless, until a migration 

 brought a " flying party," who thereafter becoming parents 

 proved that the wanderers must, in part at least, have been 

 females. In reply to a communication made to " The Ento- 

 mologist " this year, Mr. Walker, who is no mean authority in 

 the matter, states hia belief that the migrations of the aphis 

 tribe do not carry them any great distance, and he thinks also 

 they prefer peculiar states of the atmosphere tor the purpose, 

 when the sky assumes that appearance which is commonly 

 termed " a blight." No doubt they pass at times from the 

 fields to the adjioent gardens and vice versa; but the evidence 

 we have now before ua leads us rather to doubt the stories told 

 r.^garding ih-ir taking extensive journeys. Indeed, the very 

 structuro of an aphis, even in the winged condition, indicates 

 that it is not adapted to travel very fast or far. 



It is acknowledged by all practical men that the destruction 

 of aphides which feed on low plants is no easy matter. With 

 reteience to Turnips, from the circumstance that the aphides 

 especially haunt the lower leaves, fluid applications are gene- 

 rally deemed of little value, and as Professor Westwood points 

 out, the ramoval of these by children, and their immediate de- 

 struction, is one of the best remedies. I do not know, however, 

 whether the application of warm water, could it be obtained in 

 sufficient abundance, might not be serviceable to Cabbages and 

 Turnips in some instances. Though some persons have been 

 incredulous, it has been proved that many plants thus infested 

 have been greatly benefited by being immersed in water of from 

 120° 10 150° Fahrenheit, which suffices to destroy the life of 

 aphides. Books recommend "dusting" the plants with snuff, 

 hellebore, lime, &■}. ; tliese are of partial utility, but not always 

 easy of application. Tobacco, indeed, in several modes, dry, 

 vaporised, or in solution, must be admitted to have its value. 

 A solution of salt is also death to the plant lice. 



I hope, in a future paper, when discussing other species of 

 this tribe, to offer some further remarks on the transformations 

 of aphides, and on their friends and foes in the insect world. — 

 J. K. S. 0. 



SUCCESSIONS OF VEaETABLES.— No. 4. 



CABBAGE. 



Atkins's M.itchless. — Tliia is a small Cabbage, bat one ot the 

 best ; it tarns in quickly, forming a good heart, and is of delicate 

 flavour. With me it is the earliest variety, and very hardy. It is 

 dillicalt to obtain trae. Veitch's Improved is an excellent stock. Sow 

 Jaly 10th, and plant out on a warm border early in September, at 

 15 to 18 inches apart. 



Cattell's Reliance. — An excellent, eloae-hearting, and good Cabbage, 

 being one of the best and earliest. It produces a fine crop of sprouts 

 after the heads are cut. Sow July 10th, August 10th to 15th, and 

 May 5th. 



Williams's Early Nonsuch. — Dwarf, close, and early-heaiting, of 

 good flavour. Sow July 10th and August 10th to 15th. 



Enfield Market. — A fine, large, good-hearfing sort, and early. Sow 

 August 10th to 15th, and April 10th to- 15th. 



Early Dwarf York or Barnes. — Early, dwarf, compact, hearting 

 closely. Sow August 10th to 15th, and May 5th. 



Wheeler's Cocoa Nut. — An early close-hearting Cabbage, the best 

 flavoured of any. Sow Jnly 10th, August 10th, and April 10th to 15th. 



These are the best six Cabbages I have grown. The plants 

 of the July sowings are pricked-off when large enough to handle, 

 and are finally transplanted in the first or second week of Sep- 

 tember on a warm border with an east or west exposure, and 

 which is ^Mltered from eut'ing winds. Atkins's Matchless, 

 however, has a south border, and there it is fit for use a fort- 

 night or three weeks before the others. The plants are hoed 

 frequently, and earthed well up before winter. Atkins's Match- 

 less will come into use at the end of April, sometimes a fort- 

 night earlier, and as frequently later, for the time of the crop 

 becoming fit for use is regulated by the weather. The July 

 Bowing will keep up a supply until the end of June. 



The plants of the August sowings are pricked-off, when they 

 have two or three rough leaves, into beds in an open situation 

 but sheltered from winds, and there they remain through the 

 winter. If the weather is mild, the best of them are planted 



after the middle of February, but if frosty or very wet not until 

 the middle of March. A succession is planted about three 

 weeks afterwards. The August sowing-!, planted in spring, 

 come into use about the middle of June or a little later, and 

 with successional plantings continue the supply until the close 

 of July. 



The April sowing, pricked-ofl and planted-out at the close of 

 June, will come in during September, and the May sowing in 

 November. 



E.-coept the first early crop, or that of Atkins's Matchless, I 

 leave all the others for sprouts, consequently they are planted 

 further apart than if the ground were intended to be cleared as 

 soon as the crop is cut. Two feet apart every way is not too 

 great a distance when the plants are allowed to remain for 

 sprouts. The heads being cut when the sprouts are distinctly 

 visible, the old leaves are cleared away, the scil stirred, and a 

 dressing of two parts of guano to one of salt given between the 

 rows. ]?rom the July sowing there are fine sprouts in August 

 next year, and even in July; indeed, the sprouts follow the 

 August-sown Cabbages, and will afford a suece3siou of Coleworts 

 up to Christmas, but I clear tken off in November — manuring, 

 and turning up the ground roughly for the winter. The August 

 sowings, besides heads, produce fins sprouts from the end ot 

 the next August. I consider the smill Cibbages, which are put 

 forth after the hearted ones are out, to be superior to a hearted 

 Cibbage or Savoy, especially after they h&V) 1 a^ frost. Tastes 

 will of course differ, but I have always found it desirable to have 

 from the end of April until November a good stock, not only ot 

 Cibbages but also of sprouts. Oibbageg, if not intended to 

 remain for sprout?, may be planted much more closely, but to 

 have good hearts a distance of 18 inches each way must be 

 allowed between them. 



Deep rich soil is necessary for the growth of Cabbages. They 

 amply repay any waterings ot liquid manure in dry weather. 



For small gardens I recommend Atkins's Matchless and Little 

 Pixie, a small but close-hearting, good-flavoured, early Cabbage. 

 Sow July 10th, August lO'.h, and on April 5th for autumn. 

 Both do well at 15 inches apart, and the same between the 

 plants. 



One ounce of seed of the kinds named is suffijient for a gar- 

 den of two acres, and half an ounce for a garden of one acre. 



lied Diiteh Cahhar/e forms a fine close heart, and is the best for 

 pickling, though any other close-hearted white sort is just as good, 

 except in point of colour. Sow iu the second week of August, prick-oijf 

 when large enough, and plant out in March in good rich soil, at from 

 2 feet to 2i feet apart, in rows 2^ feet from each other. Fine heads 

 will be produced in the autumn. 



Coleioorts, or open-hearted Cibbages, are by some much 

 esteemed. 



Rosette Colewort. — Very hardy and dwarf, producing small dark 

 green heads ; very tender. Sow ia the first week of June, July, and 

 August, and when the plants are large enough to handle plant out 

 at 1 foot apart in rich soil and in a sheltered position. They should be 

 cut before they form close hearts, and are then the most tender of all 

 autumn, winter, and spring Greens. The cuttings from the several 

 sowings will form a succession from autumn until late in spring. 



London Colewort is also an excellent sort, but not so hardy as the 

 preceding. Sow in the second week of May and June. It will pro- 

 duce Coleworts from August to early winter. 



Sandringham Sprouting is an improved Thousand-headed, in fact 

 a sprouting Sugarloaf Cabbage. It hearts like any other sort from a 

 sowing made in March or April, and whether the head be cut or not 

 the stalk is clustered with compact little Cabbages throughout the 

 winter. It is well, however, to cut the head, and the Eprouts then 

 grow larger and more rapidly. 



It is hardly necessary to say that the soil between all the 

 crops should be frequently stirred with the hoe, and some soil 

 drawn to the stems, earthing well up, especially for those that 

 are to stand the winter.^G. Abbey. 



THE LAPSTONE POTATO. 



Veei wonderful was the account of the produce ot the Lap- 

 stone recorded at page 400. But is it correct ? I do not, ot 

 course, impugn the truth of the statement that a hundred Po- 

 tatoes were dug up from one stock, but were they Lapstones ? 

 I ask this becJause it has come to- be pretty well recognised 

 that this is the best of all Potatoes for a gentleman's table. 

 Many kinds go by the name which have no right to it whatever. 

 The other day my neighbour Mr. Woodford, the Duke of Aber- 

 corn's gardener, told me he had seen such a fine crop of Lap- 

 stones at Lord St. Vincent's, and was good enough to promise 

 me a few to look at and taste. They were unquestionably very 



