434 



JOUENAL OF HOETICULTURB AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 



[ Jane 22, 1871. 



matter.'* However, I have always succeeded better with earth- 

 ing than without. Then as to the why of the difference, I am 

 led by fact to the conclusion, that the hoeing and earthing 

 should be done as soon as possible after the plants are up, 

 otherwise the damage done to them will be irreparable — at 

 least, such has been my experience. It appears to me that by 

 hoeing, the soil becomes too much disturbed from the collar of 

 the plant, and, if it is not returned almost immediately, the 

 young fibres suffer from exposure to such an extent that it is 

 hopeless to look for more than a failing crop. 



The mode of cultivation which I have adopted after a great 

 number of experiments, and which with me appears to answer 

 well, is as follows : — As soon as the crop of the current year 

 is taken, and the whole collected into heaps, the ground is 

 thinly worked over and raked, to allow the seeds of weeds which 

 by any means may have found their way to the ground, to 

 strike root. At a later period in the autumn the ground is 

 deeply dug, and it is allowed to lie in that state until the time of 

 planting. I then take two garden lines and draw them parallel 

 . to each other, and 2 feet 6 inches apart, except for Ashtops. 

 I commence at the end of the first with a spade, which I 

 drive down to the full depth of its blade, and by a pressure 

 on the handle move the soil to the depth of 10 or more inches. 

 I then withdraw the spade to something like half that depth 

 before taking out what remains upon it. In this manner I 

 take out the first trench, and by working backwards leave about 

 4 or 5 inches of loose soil at the bottom of the trench. The 

 soil from the first trench is taken by a barrow to the other end 

 of the plot to be used for the last row. The first trench being 

 now opened, manure is put into it, and by means of a garden 

 fork is pointed into the loose soil at the bottom of the trench, 

 and that having been done with care the seed Potatoes have 

 what I think something like a comfortable bed to rest upon. 

 They are planted, the soil from the next trench is put care- 

 fully over them, and the same is done throughout. The plot 

 when finished is flat, and the newly-worked ground is the only 

 means by which the row can be traced. 



As regards the second, and I may say the controverted part 

 of the work, I perform it in this way — first, I carefully hoe 

 over the whole of the ground, choofiug dry weather, and as 

 soon as the weeds have flagged so that they will not strike 

 fresh root, I take the spade and repeat the same process be- 

 tween the rows as that adopted at planting time ; only in this 

 case I have to take out two spits in width instead of one as at 

 the first operation, and I give each row of plants its spadeful 

 of fresh earth newly dug from the ground, and in a moist con- 

 dition. This being done by a proper turn of the hand so as to 

 raise the lower leaves of the plants, and the spade being brought 

 out edgewise upwards, a finish is given to the work which can 

 be equalled by no other plan. Besides, it will be seen that by 

 this means the whole of the ground becomes spring as well as 

 autumn-dug, and that several inches of loose soil are left be- 

 tween the ridges for the fibres to work into. — Staeeeck. 



[We shall very readily insert reports of well-conducted ex- 

 periments upon this sub] ot, which has now been sufficiently 

 discussed.- — Ens ] 



THE FKUITING OP SEEDLING TREES. 



EvEEYONE knows how very long is the time between sowing 

 the seed of a fruit tree and getting fruit from it, so that few 

 men after fifty years of life have the courage to propagate seed- 

 lings. I believe the time may be shortened most materially, 

 and that a very few words will explain the correct way of grow- 

 ing seedling fruit trees. I have been led to the idea by the 

 difficulty I have had in getting some grafted trees into bearing, 

 and by observing that precisely the same sort of growth occurred 

 in some trees that had originated in suckers from old ungrafted 

 trees. In almost all these eases, whether Apple, Pear, Plum, 

 Peach, or Orange, the wood was thorny ; and though I cut back 

 and used the cuttings for scions, all had the same thorny and 

 fruitless character. 



However, in experimenting upon a set of seedling Peaches, 

 some were allowed to grow wild, some steadily pinched-in, some 

 cut-in closely and pinched, and some trained as single rods ; all 

 these last fruited as soon as the shoot got beyond the thorny 

 part of the stem. It then occurred to me that it was only 

 necessary to get beyond this part of the growth as quickly as 

 possible. This is done by encouraging the growth of the young 

 seedling to a single upright shoot, and then using the 2'oint 

 of that shoot as a scion on a strong stock ; then the shoot from 

 this scion is to be again trained at full length, and its point 



again used as a scion. In this way a shoot may be got having 

 buds 20 feet or more from the root in a couple of years. The 

 old seedling trees may thus be grafted with the scions from 

 themselves, but it would be better to graft them in their third 

 year with a scion taken from an intermediate grafted tree. It 

 may be necessary to stop the leader to be used as a ssion by 

 the end of August, to ensure its ripening, but this will not 

 seriously afiect its nature. 



I can speak from experience of the success of the process in 

 the case of Peaches and Oranges ; and some Plums, Pears, and 

 Apples I have not yet tried. But I may also mention that I 

 have in this way got over the difficulty with thorny Pear trees. 



The trees that I could not get to fruit had been grafted with 

 scions taken cfl' too near the root, the sorts being new ones. 

 By selecting the scion near the root, or far from it, a grafted 

 tree would be produced that would bear only after a long in- 

 terval or quickly, according to the gardener's will. At any 

 rate, what has been said shows the importance of choosing the 

 points of leading shoots as the scions for forming dwarf trees. 



I should very much prefer having some independent experi- 

 ments tried to trusting entirely to my own, and therefore hope 

 some one or more of the Eoyal Horticultural Society will take 

 the matter up, and in the meantime any discussion this state- 

 ment may provoke will be of service to horticultural science. — 



W. KlNGSLEY. 



WHAT IS BROCCOLI?— No. 2. 



It would be tedious to enumerate the many varieties of 

 Broccoli now in cultivation ; I shall therefore only name those 

 which I have found the best. 



Snotc's Superb Winter Tlliite. — This is a very superior kind, 

 and closely allied to the Cauliflower ; in fact, I very much 

 question whether it is a true Brocooh, as a sowing made after 

 midsummer will head in the following summer — indeed, if 

 sown in August and protected like Cauhfiowers it succeeds 

 them. I am convinced, though I have included it in a list of 

 Broccoli, that it is a late form of Cauliflower. It is a most ex- 

 cellent sort when it can be procured true, is of dwarf habit, 

 having broad leaves with short petioles. The leaves are kept 

 closely about the head, so that it is self-protecting. The heads 

 are large, compact, white, and equal to the best Cauhflower. 

 It has one fault, however, and that is, it is not hardy. Sow 

 early in April, and again at the beginning of May. The plants 

 from the first sowing should be planted in a warm sheltered 

 spot, and they will commence heading in December. Those 

 from the second sowing will come in during January and Febru- 

 ary if the weather be mild. 



Oshorn's Winter White. — This is also a near relative of Cauli- 

 flower, and, like Snow's, comes into use in succession according 

 to the sowings. It is very distinct and dwarf; leaves pale 

 green, broad, with short petioles. The heads are large, close, 

 and white, and are well protected by the leaves. It is more 

 hardy than Snow's, but none of the early-heading kinds of 

 Broccoli will withstand the severity of a winter like that of 

 1870-71. Sow early in March for heading in December, and 

 again early in May for heading in January and February. 



^Backhouse's Winter White Protectiu/;. — This is, undoubtedly, 

 a true Broccoli, hardier than either Snow's or Osborn's, and 

 earlier than either by ten days or a fortnight. The plant is 

 dwarf ; leaves large, closely set, entirely protecting the head, 

 which is large, white, compact, and in flavour equal to Cauli- 

 flower. It is the best and earliest of all the true kinds of 

 Broccoli. Sow early in March for heading in December, and 

 again in the second week of April. 



The three preceding are the best which I have grown for 

 heading in December, January, February, and sometimes March. 



UlaUa. — A kind not now in some catalogues. Dwarf, com- 

 pact-growing ; heads medium-sized, white, and close. It comes 

 into use early in March, and is a good old sort, and hardy. 

 Sow at the beginning of April. This kind is very difficult to 

 procure true. It is the type of what a Broccoli should be as 

 regards the plant, having a short stem. There is said to be an 

 improved kind of this. 



*Veitch's Spring White. — This is evidently a select stock of 

 the old Spring White. Leaves large; habit dwarf; heads 

 medium-sized, white, and compact. It heads early in March, 

 and is the best of early spring kinds. Sow early in April. 



'Dilcock's Bn'ife.— Habit dwarf; leaves broad, hardy ; heads 

 large, compact, white. It is a very fine sort, heading at the 

 close of March and beginning of April. Sow at the beginning 

 of April. 



Penzance Early White.— Etibit tall ; leaves narrow and long ; 



