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JOTJBNAL OF HOBTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ July 18, 1872. 



empty space to be found. We dug down Strawberry quarters 

 where the fruit had been gathered closely for preserving, and 

 this gave us a little room. We have had during the week 

 more than conclusive evidence of the want of this room in 

 half a dozen cases, as well as in our own. People may decry 

 the kitchen garden, and hold out that what cannot be grown 

 may be more cheaply purchased than it can be grown; but 

 when the want comes all such sayings are forgotten, and an 

 enlarged company of visitors is supposed to be supplied from 

 the curtailed room, and without any application to the market 

 for supply. It is only lately that some of our readers who had 

 a little villa and a little lawn have come to see the truth of 

 our statement, that a lawn is the most expensive thing in a 

 gentleman's garden. One visiting gentleman, who has a neat 

 little lawn, told us, in opposition to our opinion, that he just 

 looked on his lawn as he did on some of his good paintings 

 and engravings — both were intended merely to please the eye. 

 But we did not consider the analogy perfect beyond a certain 

 point. The paintings and engravings obtained, the eye could 

 be daily gratified with the smallest weekly outlay for care, 

 dusting, &c, but after the lawn was made — which, to be sure, 

 would not quite rival in cost the purchase of fine paintings, 

 but would compare often as to cost with the finest engravings — 

 from that moment the comparison ceased, as to keep it neat 

 involved a heavy weekly outlay. In the end we are assured 

 that the pleasing will succumb to the useful ; and even now 

 some young gardeners know to their sorrow that a lawn 

 and a few good plants and flowers, however well managed, will 

 not compensate for the seemingly derided vegetables being 

 short at dining-room and hall. To insure anything like 

 comfort to beginners, there must be no stint in the kitchen. 

 When " old stagers " are put under restraint as regards room, 

 they can generally hold their own, but even they often find 

 how difficult it is to get on with this expressed carelessness 

 of kitchen-garden produce, and then the almost boundless de- 

 mand when there is a goodly band of visitors at the mansion. 

 Where means and room will at all admit, it is the wisest 

 policy to trust little to such professions of carelessness, and 

 to provide for extremes of supply, and with but a small space 

 this does make a difficulty. 



Now is the heyday for Peas and Beans, but other things 

 must not be neglected if we are to have variety, and without 

 variety the best vegetables cloy on the appetite ; therefore in 

 small gardens we must use every means not only of succes- 

 sional but of mixed cropping. For instance, our earliest Po- 

 tatoes out of doors have been on a bank facing the south. 

 Part of that bank had stout Lettuces planted early between the 

 rows, and fine they were ; and as soon as these were removed 

 Cauliflower plants took their place after the Pototoes were 

 earthed-up. These young Cauliflowers were shaded with laurel 

 twigs in the tropical weather, and have now taken good hold. 

 The Potatoes , beautifully ripe — the Ashleaf Kidney — were taken 

 up first in alternate rows, thus giving breathing space to the 

 Cauliflowers ; and when we turn back and take up the other 

 rows of the Potatoes left, the Cauliflowers will have the ground 

 to themselves, and give us a fine return in the autumn months. 

 In a day or two we shall dig down a bank of Strawberries, 

 and plant with Veitch's Late and the Walcheren Cauliflower. 

 We found Veitch's very fine last season. We had some fine 

 heads with a little protection at the new year ; and talk as we 

 may of other vegetables, a good Cauliflower is an exquisite 

 vegetable after all. Between these Cauliflowers we shall have 

 Badishes and other short-timed crops. 



Watering has been done for us by the heavens, and we have 

 never yet had to complain of too much rain, even though con- 

 tinued for long periods, though of course heavy rains, as during 

 the present week, have interfered with our projected purposes 

 and intentions ; and when company is expected these deluges 

 interfere with the neatness and finish one would wish to see 

 exhibited in most places. One idea here we would wish to 

 throw out for the benefit of our younger brethren. We would, 

 if not too egotistical, be inclined to put it forward as the golden 

 rule of success under general circumstances. It is simply this — 

 Endeavour to give a favourable first impression to all visitors 

 of the family. Best assured that the first impression is the 

 lasting one. We have known many cases where a rugged 

 approach, a slovenly entrance, a dirty weedy kitchen garden, 

 marred the effects of fine glass houses and a trim-kept gar- 

 den of flowers. We cannot always counteract this ; but rest 

 assured that the first impression is the lasting one, and that 

 is the impression that will insensibly be made both on the 

 proprietors and their visitors ; as respects the former, be 



their possessions great or small, it is more pleasant to find 

 that their visitors are pleased than that they are disappointed. 

 We say, then, Study the effect of the first impressions. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



We are better off than most people, but still our Apples will 

 not be like those of last season. They dropped in shoals, and 

 from no cause but that of the sleet, frost, and snow to which 

 they were subjected. From heavy crops in continuous years, 

 and a moderate luxuriance, we satisfied ourselves that nothing 

 else was the cause. We have, as respects moderate-sized 

 trees, secured early fertility and constant fruitfulness by a 

 very simple process, and with scarcely any necessity for resort- 

 ing to root-pruning. We plant on mounds, spread out the 

 roots near the surface, and mulch. Most of our dwarf bush 

 and pyramidal Apple, Pear, Plum, and Cherry trees have, after 

 surface-stirring, a good barrowload of rotten dung, sometimes 

 two, laid on in winter and spring. This prevents excessive 

 dryness in the soil, and encourages surface-rooting. We thus 

 curtail anything like long willow-like growth, but encourage 

 healthy short shoots enough to keep a free growth of short 

 stumpy shoots, the stopping of the points of which makes 

 them fruitful. When once the young trees, by elevated and 

 shallow planting, are made fruitful at an early period, we 

 know of no easier method of continuing the fruitfulness, with 

 a healthy but still sturdy limited growth, than this surface- 

 mulching. It acts in quite a different way from what it would 

 do if dug-in among the roots ; then we should expect longer 

 and less-ripened shoots. Once get this plan fairly into opera- 

 tion, and one need trouble himself but little with lifting and 

 root-pruning. If we had a chance we should like to try it 

 fairly with that fine old Apple, the Bibston Pippin. At one 

 time it suffered with us so much from canker, that we had 

 no relief except by replanting or root-pruning, and therefore 

 fell back considerably on its smaller prototype, the Margil, a 

 true Bibston in miniature, but more hardy in most soils. If 

 we could, however, we would try the Bibston on an elevated 

 platform, and give it yearly surface-mulchings. We have 

 strong hopes that then the trees would do well without root- 

 pruning. We have tried root-pruning beneficially in many 

 cases, but as in these days all labour must be saved that is 

 possible, we would rather surface-mulch than root-prune, and 

 for years we have found the benefit of the plan in having 

 trees loaded with fruit, and yet just sufficiently healthy and 

 luxuriant. This season there is something about the foliage 

 indicative of the whole system of the plants having had a 

 violent check from the weather in spring. 



We fear that Apricots will be few and far between. Peaches, 

 Nectarines, Plums, Cherries, &c, with a glass protection have set 

 like ropes of Onions. As indicated several times, and as we 

 must allude to more prominently some day, glass protection is 

 ultimately the best and cheapest of all protections ; and then 

 how useful such an enclosed space is for securing Endive, 

 Lettuces, &c, in winter and spring, and Peas and Beans before 

 they can be obtained out of doors. 



ORNAMENTAL DEPARTMENT. 



We love Auriculas, Polyanthuses, and the finest Tulips, Pinks, 

 Carnations, Banunculuses, and Anemones as much as ever ; 

 but when so much depends on one person as there does in 

 many places, it is next to impossible that these grand flowers 

 should be suitably attended to. However this may be, we can 

 say with confidence that the man who can show a coUection of 

 these florists' flowers in first-rate condition requires quite as 

 much judgment, perseverance, and care as he who shows a 

 splendid collection of stove and greenhouse plants. As for 

 the glorious Auricula, the pets of our boyhood, the chief thing 

 now is to keep the plants in a shady place ; if under glass, with 

 plenty of ah' back and front, all the better, so as to avoid 

 deluges of rain. Bemove every faded leaf, top-dress with rich 

 compost, however simple — nothing is better than two-year-old 

 sweet dried cow dung, with a little lime and a good deal of 

 silver sand added a month previously to its being used — and 

 see that water is not wanted. 



Polyanthuses still more require the shade, and especially if 

 the plants have been divided. The thrips is apt to attack the 

 best kinds if exposed to the sun. A north border is just tha 

 place for them in summer if no shade can be conveniently 

 given. Our Pinks are getting beyond their best. We propa- 

 gate every year ; the first season we are content with a few 

 good blooms, the second year we want them, Carnations, and 

 Picotees for bundles of blooms for cutting. We are just now 

 short of the last-named, having unwisely ventured them 

 beyond wall protection, and the result was nothing, owing to 



