May 4, 1871. ] 



JOUENAIi OP HOSTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



325. 



houses, &o. ; but after all we have never sucoeeded better than 

 by the old hand-light system, putting nine small young plants 

 under a hand-light in Oetober, keeping them hardy all the 

 winter, protecting them from severe frost — those referred to 

 had no light for a fortnight or three weeks after they were 

 gently frozen — thinning to four or five iu spring, and then 

 encouraging free growth by rich and kind treatment. Even 

 when Broccoli is plentiful. Cauliflower white and compact has 

 a richness of its own in May. Sometimes, when they head 

 faster than we want them, we use some of the fiae heads from 

 these winter-standing plantations for jjreserving, pickliDg, &c., 

 but in general we depend on the first spring Canlifiowers sown 

 iu a mild heat, and forwarded a little under protection for that 

 purpose. Two things, we often think, conduce much to the good- 

 ness of the winter-preserved Cauliflowers under hand-lights — 

 first, using young small plants and rather late planting, so 

 that the roots are working before the cold of wiater comes; 

 and secondly, the giving them at first otherwise rather starving 

 treatment, such as well-palverised soil, but with little dung, 

 especially near the surface. To aid iu this, as well as keeping 

 slugs at bay, we often use a surfacing of rough clean drift sand 

 — a material the slimy tribe are all much more averse to traverse 

 than even rough coal ashes. Broccoli and early Cabbages will 

 be so scarce with ue that we must do a littie extra to get the 

 Cauliflowers in. We have had many cuttings from the shoots 

 of Brussels Sprouts, Scotch Eale, and Cottagers' Kale ; but 

 perhaps the most useful of all have been the young shoots of 

 the Bada or Asparagus Kale, well named Asparagus Kale, as 

 they have a richness all their own. Spinach is also more ap- 

 preciated than it generally is with us, as it Is easy to gather a 

 large basketful of it now. 



In the somewhat general scarcity of spring vegetables allow 

 ua heartily to recommend the Sea-kale in its natural condi- 

 tion at this early season. We even consider it superior to 

 the finest blanched heads. Where much is grown there will 

 be a good deal cf what was not forced now pushing and 

 showing its close flower heads like the shoots of Purple 

 Sprouting Broccoli. Cut these with the flower in embyro 

 when 5 inches long, wash, and put in boiling water, with a 

 pinch of carbonate of soda In the water, and the vegetable, 

 with the usual boiling, will turn out a beautiful green, and 

 be as soft and sweet as marrow. It is in our opinion richer 

 and sweeter than even the young shoots of the Asparagus 

 Kale ; in fact, sweeter and more mellow and soft than the 

 blanched Sea-kale, except that which is forced early in winter, 

 as generally that forced, or rather blanched, out of doors in 

 April is more hard and stringy. Some time ago we alluded to 

 the large flower heids of the Sea-kale being used, and how 

 partial many people were to them. They are far inferior, how- 

 ever, to these little short shoots with the flower heads showing 

 at the point of them. We have seen barrowloads — nay, in our 

 time cartloads, of such flowering heads taken to the rubbish 

 heap to rot. It would not injare the plants a bit, rather the 

 reverse, to nip out these shoots showing for bloom now; and 

 we trust some of our lady readers will give them a fair trial 

 and report the result, and if, as we feel confident, the report 

 be favourable, the Sea-kale may be looked upon as a hardy 

 vegetable, useful, not merely to force and blanch, but to use 

 when young in its natural state. To our taste it is superior 

 even to a crisp young Cabbage, and far sweeter and crisper 

 than Purple Sprouting Broccoli. Even the stalks were as soft 

 and sweet as the leaflets. We would, however, advise that the 

 pinch of soda should not be forgotten — half a teaspoonful to 

 a little dish. We are here going out of our right track, but we 

 like to see vegetables soft and green, and not yellow with hard 

 ribs iu them. 



Fortunately, befora the rains of the 28lh and 29th ult., we 

 had sown our second lot of winter Greens, the first being up, 

 our main crop of Scarlet Buuners, and successions of Kidney 

 Beans ; also Peas, Turnips, Eadishes, Lettuces, Cauliflowers, 

 as where there is little room it is always advisable to sow 

 often, and have very frequent successions. Besides red-lead- 

 ing, all the smaller seeds had a, dressing over them of charred 

 refuse. The more recently that has been made, so as to keep 

 the smell of smoke and burning about it, the more will every 

 sort of intruder keep at a distance from it. Than this there is 

 no better lightener of stiffish soil, and in old gardens becoming 

 effete by conetant manuring as well as never-ceasing cropping, 

 it acts along with a dressing of lime as one of the best reno- 

 vators. 



The most forward of the Cabbages raised in a slight hotbed iu 

 spring, pricked out under glass, and then plantei with little 



balls, will not be so very far behind the few that remained to 

 us of our autumn planting, but they, with all the extra care,, 

 will be much later than usual. The results of the last winter 

 would show the importance of having a bed of young plants 

 in reserve, for though we have had fine early Cabbages for 

 many years from sowing in July and August, such a winter 

 as the last would show that fine early plants aro not to be 

 depended on. Even now we think our plants would have stood 

 the frost if they had not been enervated by the perfect clouds 

 of flies that settled on them, and pretty well poisoned them iu 

 the autumn, notwithstanding all the means taken to clear them. 

 It is well to know, however, how soon plants can be forwarded 

 from spring sowings when a little extra heat can be given. 

 One year, and in about one night, grass mice and rats together 

 out down every Cauliflower plant we had in the beginning of- 

 March, and, unfortunately. Cauliflower plants were very scarce 

 that spring. We sowed directly in a slight hotbed, pricked oS 

 2 inches apart as soon as the plants could be handled, still in 

 the mild hotbed, then some 5 inches apart in light, lumpy, rich 

 compost, lifted with good halls, and turned them into an earth 

 pit, where some old sashes were placed over them, and air 

 given very moderately, except in fine warm days, when the 

 sashes were freely tilted or lifted ofi, and we thus gathered at 

 the usual time in May and June, but at a considerable expen- 

 diture of care and labour. By such a system some of our 

 stubbier shorter-leaved Cauliflower might be brought in very 

 early ; but in common circumstances it would not be valued so 

 long as in common seasons we get such nice Broccoli in May 

 and June. In such a season as this, where, as in this neigh- 

 bourhood, there is little or no Broccoli, such a slight forcing 

 of the Cauliflower would be a matter of importance. 



Seat of a Mushroom Bed. — In order to obtain Mushrooms 

 quickly in a house newly repaired, and the repairing of which 

 threw us back later than we wanted, we spawned and earthed 

 a bed sooner than we have generally recommended. After 

 spawning and earthing, the bed heated rather more than we 

 expected, rising above 100°, instead of being from 80° to 90°. 

 As we had commenced another bed we let it take its chance, 

 merely keeping the bed rather cool by admitting air, &a. We 

 have had a very good return from the back and the front of the 

 bed, but in this bed, from 3i to 4 feet in width, for about 

 18 inches in width along its centre we have scarcely had a- 

 Mushroom. Here the heat would be the greatest. Both back 

 and front produced very freely, but we do not expect the middle 

 part will do any good. A lady told us some time ago that 

 the greatest benefit she derived from the Journal was from 

 studying the honest details of failures and want of success. 

 But for the short time of extra heat, we have no doubt our bed 

 would have been uniformly covered all over. With a greater 

 heat still, the whole bed would have suffered. As on the 

 whole we had plenty of Mushrooms, we might have said nothing 

 about the unproductive part along the centre, but then we 

 should have let slip a strong argument to beginners to beware o? 

 too much heat. The great majority of failures in Mushroom beds 

 arise from overheating the spawn. But for our wishing to- 

 have Mushrooms as quickly as possible we would not have 

 earthed our bed for a week or so ; and then, if alter spawning- 

 the bed threatened to become rather warm, we would either 

 have removed the spawn for a short time, or left it exposed on 

 the surface of the bed until the bulk of the bed was no warmer 

 than new milk. A little watchfalness is the chief requisite for 

 insuring uniform success with Mushrooms. 



OESiMENTAL DEPABTHEKT. 



Waving other matters we intended taking up, we may merely 

 state that our chief work among plants has been potting and 

 cleaning Ferns, planting out temporarily and hardening off 

 bedding plants ; but except resorting to contrivances several 

 times adverted to, there is little or nothing which has not pre- 

 viously been referred to. Such dripping weather as we have 

 lately had will do good if it only convince some people that 

 a large lawn is a large expense. Strange to say that people 

 who begin to look at the expense of a garden will think nothing 

 of their many acres of lawn, and yet think that an acre or two- 

 of kitchen garden must do more than wonders. Much might 

 be done were it clearly understood that nothing is more expen- 

 sive than short grass well kept. 



Where there is a scarcity of room, and much display is wanted 

 in summer, all plants with bulbs, corm.", or tubers, many Bego- 

 nias, Gloxinias, Caladiums, Gesneras, &e., that remain torpid in 

 winter, are extremely useful. For instance, we have never had 

 the Gesnera zelrina so fine as when kept under the not-too- 

 dense shade of Vines, until it showed its flower-stems. We have 



