372 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ November 8, 1877. 



and of keeping it moister in dry ones. A soil deeply dug and 

 well broken with the fork allows the free passage of water ; 

 and everybody knows, or should know, that a wet soil is a 

 cold soil, and oftentimes sour to the bargain ; and plants do 

 not thrive in a cold sour soil. And though it may seem a 

 parados, a deeply-dug well-forked soil is always moister in a 

 dry summer. When deep and loose, soil has the property of 

 drawing water from the subsoil to a greater extent than when 

 in a hard unpulverised state, and, as pointed out, retains it 

 to a great extent if there is a loose upper layer. 



A well-forked soil prepares the manorial matter in the soil 

 much more rapidly than a hard solid one. It admits water 

 more readily to dissolve the saline matters in the soil, and so 

 enables the plants to absorb them. Pulverised soil admits air 

 more readily, and it is only by the decay of manure that it is 

 fit for food ; and it is only when brought into contact with the 

 air that it decays. Decay, in the case of ordinary manure, 

 means that the substance is being converted into ammonia, 

 carbonic acid, and the various salts, which may be called the 

 foundation of the plant. These gases — ammonia and carbonic 

 acid — are soluble in water, and pass into the system of the 

 plant through the roots in this state. The roots also possess 

 the property of taking in the gases without the medium of 

 water ; but if the air be not admitted freely the supply of these 

 gases will be limited, as their formation at all depends on the 

 presence of atmo.-pherie air. While theBe gases are being 

 formed the saline matter of the manure is set free, and so 

 forking the soil tends to produce a free growth by indirectly 

 furnishing the plant with food. Thus by causing a greater 

 growth in the case of vegetables grown for their leaves an im- 

 provement of the quality is the result, to say nothing of the 

 quantity. This greater growth causes greater succulency in 

 such things as Spinach, Lettuce, &c. Forking the soil im- 

 proves Potatoes very much. It does so in being the cause in 

 wet seasons of drying the soil, rendering it warmer, &c, and 

 we know that these conditions favour the production of Potatoes 

 superior in quality to those grown on cold wet soils. I have 

 seen Potatoes of fine quality dug from heavy soil, but which 

 had been well pulverised, and wet waxy ones when the soil was 

 left olose and firm. Unless clay soil is well worked with prong 

 and hoe good Potatoes are seldom produced. 



The production of mealy Potatoes is greatly favoured by the 

 use of the fork for another reason : a loose soil which admits 

 the air freely encourages the production of carbonic acid gas. 

 Now we know that the roots of plants take up this, and that 

 it is decomposed in the leaves and rebuilt into a new compound 

 or compounds. One of these compounds is starch. It is well 

 known that the difference between mealy Potatoes and wet 

 ones consists in the amount of starch contained in the cells 

 of the Potato tuber. In the case of a mealy Potato, when 

 viewed through a microscope, the cells are packed full of starch 

 granules, while in the case of a waxy one these cells are full 

 of water, and the starch granules are not nearly so abundant. 

 When a Potato of this description is boiled the granules dis- 

 solve in the water and the Potatoes are waxy. In the other 

 case the cells do not contain water enough to dissolve the 

 etarch granules, and so when cooked they assume the character 

 of flourballs. Such are a few of the advantages of the free 

 use of prong and hoe. It may be said that a full knowledge 

 of their use, and that knowledge applied, constitutes good 

 gardening, for the prinoiples involved are applicable where the 

 fork and hoe would be out of place. — One who has Whistled 

 at the Spade (in The Gardener). 



DOINGS OF THE LAST AND WORK FOR 

 THE PRESENT WEEK. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 



During the laBt week our time has been taken up with digging 

 and trenching, also clearing away the fallen leaves from the 

 walks and borders. The rainB have made the walks sufficiently 

 moist to enable us to clear off any weedB which have grown 

 through the gravel. This ought alwayB to be done before 

 sweeping the paths, as it is generally necessary to draw the 

 broom over the gravel even if a few weeds only have been pulled 

 out. When the gravel is nearly dry the roller may be passed 

 over it. 



It is a good plan to have all the quarters and borders trenched 

 or dug as early as possible, bo that the ground may lie open to 

 all the frosts of winter, and at any time that the Burface is dry 

 it may be lightly forked over. Besides pulverising the soil this 

 expoBes the larvae of insects, See., to the influence of frost and 

 to the sharp eyes of birds. One remark is necessary here in 



passing, and that is not to dig or trench when the ground is 

 saturated with wet or when it is raining. We know a place 

 where men are sent to trenching when it is too wet to do other 

 work, and we have known men cutting the frozen ground with 

 pickaxes and turning it over into the trench with a crowbar. 

 A little forethought might alter this state of matters. In most 

 large places work may be found for the men under glass or in 

 the potting Bheds. 



We have previously written of earthing-up Celery and the 

 manner of doing it. Those who have not yet earthed-up their 

 main crops ought to do so at the earliest opportunity. The 

 leaves and earthing-up material ought to be quite dry. We 

 have known peat soil used to earth-up Celery, and it has answered 

 well : this hint may be useful to those who have plenty of 

 siftings of dry peat from the potting 6hed. Whatever is used 

 in earthing-up ought to be prevented from failing into the heart 

 of the plants. 



When cold frames can be spared a quantity of Lettuce plants 

 ready for UEe may be planted very thickly in them, bo that they 

 may be protected both from wet and frost. The lights should 

 be removed during fine days and be tilted at the back on fine 

 nights. We have advised covering Endive with boards, but as 

 the season advances the plants suffer from frost and wet. Those 

 who possess a dark cellar can blanch Endive very well. Lift 

 the plants carefully with balls of earth and plant them closely 

 together. This plan has also the advantage of the Endive being 

 easily obtained when it is wanted. Should Lettuce and Endive 

 be scarce Chicory roots will be plentiful if a few rows were 

 sown about the end of May. The roots may be potted cloBely to- 

 gether in 10 and 11-ineh pots. They will grow in any dark place 

 in a temperature of SO" or 55°. The leaves should be a yellowish 

 white when cut, and ought not to exceed 6 inches in length. 

 The soil in the pots must not be allowed to become dry, else 

 the produce will be tough. We have cut down the Asparagus, 

 and carried away the stems where they will not again be brought 

 back to the garden. They are densely covered with red berries 

 containiDg seeds, which only require to come in contact with 

 the earth to veg6tate freely. Tbe weeds have been removed 

 from the beds, and decayed leaves have also been picked from 

 Brussels Sprouts. 



VINEBIES. 



We have not been doing much in this department except pre- 

 paring the early houses for forcing and seeing that no decayed 

 berries are allowed to remain on the bunches. We are con- 

 stantly being asked about lifting Vines, either to transplant them 

 to a new position or for the purpose of renewing the border 

 entirely. Instructions for renewing the border were given two 

 weeks ago. Lifting the Vines entirely is another thing, and we 

 do not advocate this practice. It is seldom necessary to lift 

 young Vines, and it will not answer to remove very old ones. 

 If young one-year-old Vines are well managed they will in nine 

 oases out of ten give the greatest satisfaction. We have planted 

 Vines from small pots in March and trained up from the base of 

 the cane from two to six shoots, and each of them has run up to 

 the top of a rafter about 20 feet long the same season. A dozen 

 moderate-sized bunches of Grapes could be taken from such a 

 Vine the following seaBon, and it would improve annually, 

 whereas an old Vine, if the roots are entirely lifted out of the 

 ground, would not show such rapid improvement. Those who 

 are intending to purchase young Vines for planting will have 

 their minds exercised as to ihe best varieties to plant. Were 

 we confined to three varieties — and many persons do not care 

 for more than this— they would be Black Hamburgh, Muscat 

 of Alexandria, and Lady Downe's Seedling. Of course there are 

 many other varieties, each having valuable distinctive qualities 

 of their own, that onght to be in all large collections, and the 

 Muscat of Alexandria requireB a higher temperature than many 

 persons can give it. If a high temperature could not be obtained 

 Bome other white sorts would have to be included. Our choice 

 is f r Buckland Sweetwater, but it is right to say that many of 

 our best gardeners prefer Foster's White Seedling. Dr. Hogg, 

 raised by the late Mr. Pearson of Chilwell, is by far the best round 

 white-berried sort with Frontignan flavour. In flavour it is not 

 surpassed by any, and it is superior to all others of its class in 

 bunch and berry. The vexed question as to whether Venn's 

 Black Muscat or Black Muscat of Alexandria (Snow's Black 

 Muscat) are distinct sorts has not yet been deoided. We saw 

 the two growing together at Chiswick the other day, and for all 

 practical purposes they were alike. If there was any difference 

 between them it was that the new sort was more badly shanked 

 than the other. Alicante is a good late Bort, and Clive House 

 Seedling will probably be equal if not superior to it when it is 

 better known. ThoBe intending to plant should now select 

 moderately Btrong well-ripened canes struck from eyes this year. 



CUCUMBER HOUSE. 



Strong plants were planted out two or three weeks ago in 

 place of the old ones, which were destroyed. We would have 

 planted earlier if another house had been available, as it is not 

 easy to keep up a continuous supply if the old plants have to 

 be removed from a house to make room for those that are to 



