November 21, 1872. ] 



JOTJKNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



40i 



duced from purchased roots in a sort of subterranean way to the 

 stokehole that heated some houses in PimUco. There were lots 

 of recesses in that way under ground, and, the door kept shut, 

 there was a nice genial warmth all the winter, and in these 

 recesses there was space sufficient for Sea-kale, Rhubarb, and 

 Mushrooms all the winter, and when fire heat was not wanted 

 Mushrooms were grown in summer. Even in these days it is 

 a good thing to have a gardener who can find a place to suit 

 his purpose, instead of standing still until a place is provided 

 for him. There are hundreds and thousands of places in 

 London and its suburbs where Sea-kale, Rhubarb, Asparagus, 

 and Mushrooms could be had all the winter through for the 

 expense of the roots or spawn, and their appearance in the 

 kitchen would make quite a pleasure ; there would, besides, 

 be the luxury of giving a present to friends. In this matter 

 I speak from experience. At one time there was not such a 

 ■thing as the heat of a stokehole in London, but I brought it 

 to aid the dining-table ; and even now, with all our improve- 

 ments, I can see that more may be done to utilise every escape 

 of artificial heat. 



So much for generalities ; now to the case of your corre- 

 spondent who can command stable dung and leaves, and means 

 to purchase these advertised roots of Sea-kale. In such a 

 case I would advise making a bed of the dung, say 18 inches 

 deep, and placing as much leaves on the top. But then that 

 may be too hot, or not hot enough, according to the character 

 of the material. If he is knowing in these matters I would 

 leave it to your correspondent, merely placing the roots thickly 

 in soil on the top of the bedding material, and covering all 

 over with a box reversed, such as orange boxes that may be 

 had for a few pence. It matters little how flimsy the box is, 

 provided it excludes light, as one can place a little Utter, etc., 

 over it. 



To a person inexperienced in small hotbeds I would recom- 

 mend, not the placing of the roots over a hotbed at once, but 

 packing the roots closely together in 8 to 12-inch pots, and 

 then plunging the pots in the bed. By this mode one can 

 regulate the heat to a nicety. If the heat is too strong, raise 

 the pots up ; if the heat is not sufficient, add a little more 

 dung and leaves. Then, if the heads of Sea-kale come more 

 freely than required, take a pot or pots out, and set them 

 where they will be cooler and yet dark. I grow lots of Sea- 

 kale in a Mushroom house in winter, but I find it desirable 

 to grow a lot of roots in pots, and then, according to the 

 requirements, these pots are taken out, covered with a similar- 

 sized pot, and kept in the dark until the produce is to be cut 

 for use. Until used to it — that is, able to calculate the pre- 

 sent and continuous heat in a hotbed, which can be learnt from 

 experience only, I would recommend placing the roots in pots, 

 so as to be completely under control. 



Any rough old box that excludes light will answer as well 

 as the best that could be made. I have in London used the 

 slim orange boxes with good effect, but anything would do. I 

 have cut scores of dishes from a bed, the sides raised 8 inches 

 above the bottom, and an old door laid over it. The inexpe- 

 rienced, however, had best use pots at first, as it is thus more 

 easy to regulate the heat and to keep the heads for a future 

 occasion when not particularly wanted at present. As al- 

 ready stated, I often take half a dozen pots corning in from 

 the Mushroom house to a cool shed, and cover them up, so as 

 to cut them a week or a fortnight later. Keeping the kitchen 

 authorities quiet depends on such little arrangements. It is 

 bad policy ever to allow the inmates of the hall or dining-room 

 to become tired of any one thing. Sea-kale every day would 

 be a nuisance. — R. F. 



A WORD FOR GARDENERS AND THEIR 

 APPRENTICES. 

 The late Mr. Hector Rose was my last apprentice in Scot- 

 land. Soon after his settlement in Windsor he came to see 

 me, for which I thanked him, expressing my gratification that 

 in his rare success he did not forget me. " Oh !" he replied, 

 " did you expect that I could forget you and the Morello 

 Cherry tree that you made me unnail after I finished nailing 

 it ? You then said that if I could not train properly I must 

 give up nailing altogether. Nor was this all : you used to 

 tell visitors who admired it that it was trained by the youngest 

 apprentice. Now, sir, had you given me £100 that day I should 

 have benefited comparatively little by it, but unnailing that 

 tree was to me a life benefit. I made men unnail trees more 

 than fifty times, hoping they also would find it good for them. 



I cannot express my gratitude to you for your pointedness on 

 my first start into the world." — John Ross, Surbiton. 



JOTTINGS ON THIS YEAR'S GARDENING.— No. 4. 



Onions have been small, not half the crop of last year. The 

 late kinds — James's Keeping, Deptford (Strasburg), and Blood 

 Red are largest. Nuneham Park, Bedfordshire Champion, were 

 poor; and the same holds good of the Globe. We have had no 

 grub, a dressing of guano just when the crop is of the thinning 

 size keeps it off. 



Carrots and Parsnips were attacked by the grub ; they were 

 made quite black with soot and white with lime, and thus 

 they were enabled to outgrow the attack. 



Beet and Turnips have been good. To keep down fly in 

 Turnips nothing is better than a dusting with quicklime on a 

 dewy morning, and a sprinkling of guano with a third part 

 salt to drive them away quickly. It also saves them from club 

 or fingers-and-toes. My soil is so often under the Cabbage 

 tribe that I was never certain of a crop until salt was applied, 

 one peck to 30 square yards, prior to sowing or planting. I 

 think the salt is improved by adding two parts of guano which 

 also contains a large proportion of salt. 



Lettuce has been extra this year. I would particularly note 

 Kingsholm, a magnificent Cos, large, heading closely, crisp, 

 and excellent. I sent some to a clerical gentleman in London. 

 He wrote me — " The Lettuces w-ere really quite magnificent 

 and most delicious, I never saw such fine ones." Alexandra 

 White Cos is a fine kind. I have it now along with Paris 

 White Cos, of which the Alexandra and Kingsholm are very 

 close allies, probably selected stocks. Both, however, are im- 

 provements — larger and stand longer. All the Year Round 

 and Neapolitan, of the Cabbage Lettuce section, have been and 

 are good. 



Celery is good as regards the first crops, but the late crop, 

 from being grown between Peas, is very late and will be small. 

 I do not regret this, for I find it does not run so soon in 

 spring when small as when it attains a large size before 

 winter. We had Sandringham, Veitch's Silver White, and 

 Williams's Matchless good this year in May. I think Sandring- 

 ham the very best of all Celeries. There has been no fly this 

 year. The best preventive is to dress the plants while wet 

 with soot. 



I have Conover's Colossal Asparagus by the side of plants 

 from seed of our old plants. Though not yet able to give 

 a decisive opinion, I may say the difference, if any, has not 

 manifested itself. Our Asparagus has made a much less growth 

 than usual this season. 



Globe Artichokes go off early in August, losing almost 

 every leaf, rest about six weeks, and then commence growing 

 rapidly, throw up heads in October and later, and continue 

 growing through the winter ; some survived last winter. Had 

 I the opportunity I would put over them a glass covering, and 

 with protection over them in severe weather I have hopes of 

 commanding this esteemed vegetable in winter and spring very 

 much earlier than usual. We well cover up the plants with 

 litter, though this Artichoke has every appearance of being 

 hardy. 



Tomatoes I planted out in front of a Peach house, letting 

 the shoots trail on the ground. I was told I should have a 

 good crop in this way, but I had only stalks and leaves, and 

 they went off very suddenly. 



Vegetable Marrows were cut off by frost at the end of 

 September. The Long White does best here ; Custard does 

 not succeed. 



Altogether the season drawing to a close has been favourable 

 to most vegetables, the great drawback has been in Potatoes. 

 With regard to the disease, I may say that this day, in re- 

 moving soil from a frame, we found some Potato plants with 

 the haulms very green, and tubers about half grown, not a 

 speck of the disease on the leaves, stems, or tubers. They are 

 the produce of tubers left in the soil at taking up the new or 

 unripe crop in May ; and coming up along with Melons depend- 

 ing on lining for heat, the Potatoes were allowed to grow. I 

 wanted to know if Potatoes would take the disease late in the 

 summer in a frame, and what I care about far more, if by 

 planting a frame at the close of July or early in August with 

 seed of those that were forced, we could not have new Potatoes 

 in November, December, and January. I am now convinced 

 we may, and, if all lie well, will next year carry it into effect. 

 I find nice dry new Potatoes are always welcome, and it ap- 

 pears to me we may have them the year round if we choose. 



