March 2, 1871. ] 



JOUENAL OF HOSTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



167 



maining dormant all the winter, will not be at all inflaeneed, 

 or if so, only to a slight degree, by the spring frosts. In cold 

 soils we have found it of little use to sow Mignonette ont of 

 doors until the middle or the end of April. Self-sown seeds 

 will often stand the winter ; and when we have several times 

 sown at the end of October we have had fine lines of seedlings 

 in May and June, which we would have looked for in vain if we 

 had sown in February or March. The seeds which lie all the 

 winter in the ground seem to be less influenced by changes of 

 weather, and thus remain more dormant until the necessary 

 heat as well as the other conditions for germination visit them ; 

 whilst seeds carefully saved in bags or drawers, when exposed 

 to moisture and a little heat begin to germinate at once, and 

 the little stems and rootlets are more liable to injary. We 

 merely mention these facts, that our readers may not be in too 

 great a hurry in this tempting weather to commit their seeds 

 to the ground. The middle of March will do very well for 

 Onions, the end of March and the beginning of April will do 

 well for Carrots, and the middle of April will be time enough 

 for Beet, Salsafy, Scorzonera, &o. Much earlier sowing will 

 be attended with risk, especially if damp and frosty weather 

 follow each other. 



We have known a good many cases where seedsmen were 

 blamed, and even changed, when they really supplied a first- 

 rate article; but the seedlings were destroyed by frost just as 

 they had chipped, and before they had a chance of appearing 

 above ground. Wo are fully convinced that Onions and Carrots, 

 when once the seed leaves are above ground, will stand an 

 amount of frost which the seedlings will not do just after 

 germination has commenced. 



la jplantincj Potatoes, etc., by doing the work in a sunny day 

 time will be gained, not in regularly digging, but in scraping 

 off and laying over the sets the fine, heated, dried, pulverised 

 soil on the surface. We are supposing that the gtonnd has 

 been ridged or well dug previously. 



Cabbages. — Our early crops are worse than we expected. We 

 have taken up all the soundest out of the wreck, and planted 

 them ill rows together. We have had small plants, that snr- 

 ived in beds, taken up, potted separately, and put under 

 glass with a little heat, and these, with plenty of air, are now 

 BO well rooted, that if nest week be fine we shall turn them 

 out into finely-pulverised soil, so that the disaster will be a« 

 little felt as possible. Smaller plants still we have planted 

 over a slight hotbed of tree leaves in a rich rough compost of 

 rotten dung and loam, and these, when established, we shall 

 lift with little balls. We have also pricked off some seedlings 

 just showing the first rough leaf, and which will soon be nice 

 plants. We are always learning. We have been very success- 

 ful of late years from plants sown in the middle and towards 

 the end of July. We would be inclined to sow at that time for 

 fine early Cabbages, but to sow also twice in September for later 

 and surer returns. If our ground had been poorer, or it we had 

 sown some six weeks later, we should have had more Cabbages 

 to-day. 



Part of the ground occupied with Cabbage stumps and some 

 new Cabbages that have failed, we have had thrown out into 

 beds and ridges ; beds 4 feet in width for Celery, and ridges 4Ho 

 5 feet wine for early Peas, as Ringleader, Carter's and Chater's 

 First, Sangster's No. 1, and that prolific Pea, Dickson's Early 

 Favourite. The centre of the ridge was made into a hollow 

 shallow trench before sowing to give the Peas every chance if 

 vie should have a dry summer, of which we have a dread, as our 

 stores of water are as yet so low. The ground marked out for 

 these ridges was first deeply dug and a little manure added, 

 then the soil from the trench was thrown on them, the hollow 

 made for the Peas well trodden, and the Peas scattered thinly 

 in a broad trench after being red-leaded, then patted down and 

 covered. We thus generally obtain heavy crops. We are 

 obliged to make the most ot little ground, and frequently we 

 have Lettuces, Badishes, and early Potatoes in the trenches 

 before the Celenj is ready to plant out. For crisp, sweet Celery, 

 decayed hotbed dung, with more tree leaves in it than dung, is 

 best. We have grown Celery to enormous size, but now we 

 are content with moderate, useful heads. When we used to 

 send in huge blanched heads, there was little more went to 

 table than from a nice moderate-sized plant. For our own use, 

 except seeing that it was crisp, we would care nothing for 

 Celery in its raw state, but it would be invaluable to us as a 

 component of clear soup ; and though anything but healthful 

 when green, it is a great help to many, even in a medical point 

 of view, when blanched. A small piece of grnnnd as a bpd, 

 would enable the cottager to have a lot in little room. We 



generally grow it in beds, three and four rows across, and when 

 the plants are tied there is no difficulty in the earthing-up. 

 We have some nice red Celery now, but the Incomparable 

 White has stood well. The great advantage of this is, that if 

 you grow a plant 15 inches high you can send a foot of it 

 blanched to table, and that is longer than generally goes there 

 from the longest head, unless the proprietors of the establish- 

 ment will insist on cutting up their own Celery. Very little 

 earthing-up is required for this sort — a matter of great im- 

 portance, but it must be sown early. The cottager, if he has 

 no other means, ought to sow now in pots near his kitchen fire. 

 It will repay the extra labour. To our taste no nut is so sweet 

 as a piece of crisp well-blanched Celery. 



FKUIT GABDEN. 



We proceeded with pruning and nailing, and gave all the air 

 possible to orchard houses to keep the trees back, so that the 

 weather may be mild before the blossoms open. The later 

 they are in opening the less will be the risk in unheated houses. 

 Plants in pots rf quire to be examined to see that they are not 

 too dry. Forced Tines and Peaches will need to be regularly 

 stopped, and the shoots thinned. Notwithstanding the absence 

 of sun, the Peaches have set well — so well as to render a good 

 deal of thinning necessary if the fruit stands well, but after 

 such sunless weather, the fruit, though appearing all right at 

 first, will frequently drop, the heart proving defective. How- 

 ever, there is no trace of this as yet, but it will be prudent not 

 to thin too much until time prove them. The chief security 

 in such sunless weather is to keep a rather low temperature in 

 the house, so that the excitement given shall be in proportions 

 to the light afforded. Strawberry plants are now showing well, 

 coming strong and fine, and, therefore, looking for a pretty free 

 watering with weak manure water. — E. F. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



J. Carter, Dannett, & Beale, 237 and 23S, High Holborn, London,. 

 W.C. — Carter' $ Fa-i-mcrs' Cahvdar. 



Clark & Co., 42, Bisbopsgate Street Witbont, Louaon, E.G.— 

 Amateurs' Guide and List of Vegetable, Floieer, and A'jricultural 

 Seeds. 



Hooper & Co., Covent Garden Market, London, W.C. — Gardeningr 

 G-uide and General Catalogue. 



Satton & Sons, Eeadin". — Suttons' Farmers' Year Booh and Select 

 List of Grass and otlier Farm Seeds. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



X.B. — Many questions must remain unanswered until nest 

 week. 



Books (H. T. H.). — "KitcliPn Gardening for the Many" can be liaS 

 post free from our office for five postage stamps. It details Mushroom 

 culture. "Fruit Gardeningr for the Many" details Filbert culture; it 

 can be had in the same way for five postage stamps. (/. W.). — We do not 

 recognise such a book as you describe. 



Cuttings {E. M. M.). — Some nurserymen and florists occasionally 

 advertise them, but we cannot tell where you can now apply. 



Heatiko a Boiler by Gas (P. H. B.).— No one could foretell the cost, 

 even if the seasons were always alike and you had told the price of gas, 

 which you have not. We do not think gas heating suitable to your extent 

 of buildings. 



Select Hollyhocks (J. W. S.).— The following are good and cheap :— 

 Fred. Chater, Gem of Yellows Improved, Alexander Shearer, Black 

 Knight, Chairman, Lady Middleton, ft*^v. E. Hawke, Mrs. F. McKenzie, 

 Parple Prince, Quadroon, Queen of the Whites, Stinstead Rival, Queen of 

 the Buffs, Illuminator, Mrs, Chater, WiUingham Defiance, In Memoriam,. 

 and Lilac Model. 



Planting (C. A. Dunn.) — Any trees and shrubs in pots might be planted 

 out now, and so m.ay evergreen shrubs in pots ; but fruit trees, Eoses, and 

 other deciduous trees and shrubs not in pots had better not be removed 

 until September or October, as soon as the leaves begin to fall. 



Geeaxium Leaves Spotted (J. S.),— The leaves have the appearance 

 common to those grown in a rich soil, and kept in a close but cold moist 

 atmosphere. There is no insect on the leaves. We think if you give 

 the plants more air, and only water to keep the foliage from flagging, with 

 a position near the glass, and a temperature of 45^ or 50^, they will 

 recover in a short time. 



KE:ir0PHILA INSIGNIS AND N. MACULATA IN PoTS (A. B.). — ToUr plants 



beiug from seed sown last September, they will, though they are now 

 showing flower, be suitable for spring gardening, but we should strongly 

 urge the necessity of withdrawing the lights of the frame whenever the 

 weather is mild, employing them only in very severe weather : indeed, 

 harden them ofi'at once so as to plant out by tho middle of March, They 

 will not flower much before May, unless you keep them under glass, 



Centaurea CANDiDissiaiA PROPAGATION ( ), — We presume your 



old plants have side shoots 2 or 3 inches long; if not, place them in a 

 gentle heat of 50^ to 55'- until they have ; then take them ofT close to the 

 stem, pare tho base smooth with a sharp knife, and insert them singly in 

 small pots in sandy soil. Making a hole in the centre of each pot, drop 

 in a little silver sand, then introduce the cutting, fill-in round it with 

 silver yaiid, ami muhe firm. P];k-.o the pots io h bottom heat of 70° to 

 7o°, and keep close, moist, and shaded from sun. Be careful to keep the 



