October 17, 1872. ] 



JOUENAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GABDENEE. 



303 



be laid on human nature. The idea of model children, who 

 in fact would not be children, is Utopian, and at least let this 

 Utopia be realised before employers are denounced for select- 

 ing such gardeners as they think will suit them best. — G. S. 



CULTUEE OF IAPAGEEIA EOSEA IN POTS. 



This being one of my favourite plants, I naturally felt some- 

 what interested in a letter on the subject from your corre- 

 spondent "L.," at page 262. I can easily imagine his_ 326 

 blooms open at one time being a magnificent sight. This he 

 tells us is the result of the planting-out system, which un- 

 doubtedly has its advantages in many ways ; but I will now 

 say a few words in defence of pot-culture, which has also its 

 advantages. 



The slow progress made by the plant to which " L." refers 

 would, doubtless, cause him to become dissatisfied ; for where 

 there is nothing but hard small shoots good flowers cannot 

 be produced. Something better than that is to be obtained 

 from pot-culture. With us it is far in advance of the planting- 

 out system, and I maintain that, where space permits, a few 

 plants should at all times be grown in this manner. Your 

 correspondent says he does not give any heat : this was un- 

 doubtedly the cause of the plant's slow progress ; for although 

 when planted out and well established no heat need be given, 

 still, when confined to the pot, a little encouragement during 

 the spring months is very essential, if anything like satisfac- 

 tory results are to be expected. I do not assert that a strong 



The prizes are very liberal, the highest being 

 Imperial Swede Turnip 



for Carter's 



BEET CULTUEE. 



To grow Beet well the soil should be rich and light. r Select 

 the ground in autumn, and trench it to a depth of 18 inches, 

 or according to its natural depth, placing in trenching a good 

 layer of thoroughly decomposed manure between the top and 

 bottom spits. If the soil is at all heavy it should be thrown 

 up in ridges, so as to expose it to the weather, and the surface 

 must be levelled during dry frosty weather in February or 

 early in March, but on no account meddling with the soil 

 whilst it is in a wet state. Frequent stirrings in dry frosty 

 weather will greatly contribute towards bringing the soil into 

 a highly pulverised state, which is essential to fine-shaped, 

 unforked roots. 



If a well-pulverised soil is essential for the production of 

 fine roots, a well-pulverised surface is equally so for the suc- 

 cessful vegetation of the seed. Too fine a seed-bed cannot be 

 made. The seeds should be sown in drills an inch deep and 

 15 inches asunder ; drop the seeds about an inch apart, for 

 although this is much too close, it is well to be liberal in sowing, 

 and so provide against mishaps. Cover the seed with fine soil, 

 and if the surface is not in a highly-pulverised state, cover an 

 inch deep with light sifted soil. The best time to sow the 

 seed is the second week in May. 



When the plants are just coming through the soil I give a 



Lapageria rosea. 



heat is needful — that of an intermediate house will suffice. 

 The most convenient and suitable plan is to place the pots on 

 the stage or bench, then, if the plant is on a trellis, -fasten to 

 it some strong string, which should be taken in an upright 

 direction to the roof. If the plant is not on a trellis, some 

 sticks will answer. The young shoots twine up the string with 

 great rapidity, and no tying is required. In this manner they 

 have every possible chance of ripening the growth ; after which 

 they may be taken down, cleared from the string, and placed 

 neatly on a trellis in the conservatory, or allowed to hang in 

 festoons from the roof, in which manner they look very pretty. 



We not only grow Lapageria rosea (see accompanying 

 illustration) in this way, but also its noble companion L. alba, 

 of which we have two plants covering string nearly 15 feet 

 long, and furnished from top to bottom, not with small hard 

 shoots, but such as have more the appearance of strong shoots 

 of Asparagus pushing through the soil than those of the Lapa- 

 geria. The white-flowered Lapageria, with plants of the other 

 variety, have kept up a continual supply of bloom during the 

 past three months. The flowers, by the way, are admirably 

 adapted for cutting, and in my opinion not to be excelled 

 even by the most choice Orchids, the white variety in parti- 

 cular. The latter has produced as many as eight flowers in 

 a cluster, while many blooms of the rose-cloured Lapageria 

 have measured 3 inches or more across. 



I trust the foregoing will give your correspondent a some- 

 what better opinion of pot-culture, and should he again make 

 an attempt I hope it will be successful. — C. J. White. 



Messes. J. Carter & Co's Boot Show. — This is to be held 

 on the 22nd of November, and the prizes are to be contested 

 for by Messrs. Carter's customers only. The roots the firm 

 exhibit at the Smithfield Cattle and other shows are grown 

 from seeds sold by Messrs. Carter and by their customers. 



dressing of lime. This checks the slugs, whiclf are very" partial 

 to Beet in a young state, and keeps off the "leather-coat," 

 a grub which eats it off at the collar ; and when the' plants 

 have a pair of rough leaves I give a dressing of soot sufficient 

 to make them quite black. The soot is also a good manure. 

 I further give a sprinkling of salt a day or two after the seed 

 is sown, and a dressing of guano after the final thinning. 

 These dressings of hand manures may not be essential, but 

 there is a great difference between the plants that are so 

 dressed and those that are not. Half a peck of salt to 

 30 square yards, and 2 lbs. of guano tothe same extent of 

 ground, are sufficient. 



Keep the ground free of weeds by frequent stirringsVith a 

 hoe, which it is well to continue until they cannot be practised 

 without injury to the leaves. Thin-out the plants to 9 inches 

 apart before they become crowded ; but it is well to do it gra- 

 dually, as it may happen, and has occurred with me, that 

 thinning to the full distance when the plants are srnaH may 

 result in a thin uneven crop owing to the inroads of vermin. 



Beet may be transplanted, but the practice is not advised. 

 It is attended with risk if the weather is dry, therefore, ought 

 to be done in moist weather ; and however carefully the plants 

 are transplanted they are dwarfed, and the roots are not nearly 

 so fine as those not transplanted. 



In October, or early in November, the roots are to be taken 

 up carefully without breaking or bruising them, and the tops 

 cut off, but not into the quick. They should be stored in 

 sand in a cellar or other place, which cannot be too cool if 

 secure from frost. A few degrees of frost will not injure the 

 roots so much as growth consequent on their being kept in a 

 warm place. In March any growth the roots have made 

 should be removed, and they may then be placed in sand 

 under a north wall, with a covering to throw off the wet ; in 

 this way they will keep in good condition until July. 



