JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ July 12, 1864. 



as interesting as a flower-bed ? It has at least all the ad- 

 vantages of utility to recommend it. The cut-and-leave- 

 Htump system is also very deceptive to all but the indi- 

 vidual who cuts. A quarter of Cauliflower which has been 

 thus treated, seen at a little distance, would look a quarter 

 of Cauliflower still. When, the useless parts are at once 

 removed, the superintendent or the proprietor can see what 

 he has left, and take stock without an effort. From this 

 cause alone we have known unpleasantness from circum- 

 stances that would be comical, but for the annoyance 

 associated — such as gentlemen offering half a dozen or half 

 a score of heads of Cauliflower to a neighbour, when he him- 

 self had not one left fit to cut. 



This gossip about stumps of Cauliflower brings to our 

 mind two questions that should have been answered a week 

 ago. The first is, "What do you consider the best size for 

 Cauliflower to be when sent to a gentleman's table ? " We 

 do not consider the question of size as of so much importance 

 as the question of quality. Insure quality, and then size 

 will be an advantage, for large parties especially. The larger 

 the better, if the head is white, compact, firm, no flower- 

 iness on it, no openings, and forming about three parts of 

 a solid ball. The same rule will hold good as to prize Cauli- 

 flower at shows. A large head, if at all open or flowery on the 

 surface, or with open spaces between the parts of the heads, 

 will be passed over, and the preference given to a smaller 

 head if quite firm and compact. As to ourselves, for the 

 parlour table we prefer compact heads rather under than 

 over the ordinary size of a man's closed fist. When larger 

 or beginning to open they are sent to the hall, and if they 

 come in too fast even to suit rotations there, they are given 

 in turns to the men who help to grow them. 



This brings us to the other question from "A Young 

 Gardener : " " My Cabbages are many of them beginning to 

 split and my Cauliflowers to run because they come in faster 

 than they can be used. Is it not a usual thing to give such 

 vegetables to the labourers who choose to accept them ? 

 Would I not be perfectly right to do so?" We thoroughly 

 approve of your intentions. It is a pity that what is fit for 

 human food should be wasted; but if you wish to be safe 

 you must dismiss from your mind all reliance in such matters 

 on mere usage, and all feelings with respect to anything 

 like right. The right alone rests with the proprietor, and 

 if you are wise you will do nothing in the matter with- 

 out receiving his full sanction. Even after this, such a com- 

 mendable proceeding must be accompanied with prudence. 

 After much observation and experience we consider that two 

 things are essential. First, that you yourself see the vege- 

 tables thus distributed ; and, secondly, that you take care 

 that no more be given at a time than can be used at once 

 by the receiver. There must be no inducement in the shape 

 of quantity for the labourers to dispose of them. There 

 are many high-minded proprietors who would not con- 

 descend to sell, but who feel a great pleasure in giving to 

 their friends, and who are very pleased that any surplus 

 shotdd be given to the workmen ; but we have known in- 

 stances of great mortification, unpleasantness, and even the 

 giving up of a good old benevolent usage, because it came 

 out that the workmen sold what was given to them. 



Well, then, in return for what we consider prudent advice, 

 we want some of our readers and friends to help us. Of all 

 vegetables there is nothing that delights more in sewage 

 uiater and manure water of all kinds than Cauliflower. We 

 have a pump for one sewage tank, and the men as yet have 

 never said anything about it, as we do not think they have 

 ever found the smeil offensive. But our own nasal organs are 

 excessively sensitive, and we are not satisfied with anything 

 we have done to render the sewage inodorous before it is com- 

 mitted to the earth. After that, the earth soon makes all 

 right. Now, what we want is some cheap and easily-obtain- 

 able substance, and one, too, which would not interfere 

 with the nourishing value of the water — -a substance which 

 would have the desired effect, either when thrown into the 

 water or, better still, placed in the barrel in which the 

 sewage is pumped. A short paper on this subject from a 

 practical scientific friend, would, we are sure, be read with 

 great interest. Perhaps a correspondent who gave us some 

 good ideas the other week would be good enough to amplify 

 on the subject. The great essentials are cheapness, retaining 

 nutritive properties, simplicity and safety in the application. 



so that a common labourer may use it safely, and the humble 

 cottager may apply it to the hole in which he husbands all his 

 slops and washings for manure-waterings. We lately saw 

 two plots of Cabbages in two neighbouring cottage gardens, 

 those in the one plot having a light slaty woe-begone ap- 

 pearance, with the leaves flabby, and little or no hearts, 

 whilst those in the other plot had nice firm hearts, and a 

 rich dark appearance in their foliage — a beautiful contrast to 

 their neighbours. The kinds were the same, and the culture 

 and treatment much the same, with this exception, that 

 from one house all the slops were allowed to pollute the 

 highway, and from the other the most of all that could be 

 saved was put to the roots of the Cabbages. Some half a 

 dozen plants had been burnt up by an overdose, but this 

 was knowledge which would be valued in future, and lead to 

 diluting slops when otherwise too strong. In all cases it 

 is safest to use such waterings weak enough. 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



Much the same as in previous weeks. Notwithstanding the 

 showers, have had to water some heavy crops of Queens and 

 other Strawberries, as the flower-stems looked as if inclined 

 to droop. Want of watering when there is plenty of bloom 

 is the chief cause of Strawberries failing to produce well. 

 The first-turned-out Strawberry plants from forced pots are 

 now coming nicely into bloom, and will come in as succes- 

 sions to such late kinds as the Elton. In all small gardens 

 the fruitful plants of such late kinds as Elton and Eleanor 

 should be marked for runners as stated the other week, as 

 barrenness is more apt to be transmitted from them than 

 from some of the earlier kinds. 



ORNAMENTAL DEPARTMENT. 



Here it would take a long article to fcell all the ins and 

 outs of potting and repotting greenhouse and stove plants, 

 fresh arranging with huge Balsam plants, Scarlet Geraniums, 

 &c, looking over beds, fastening and training plants, so as 

 to have all the beds full, so that they may not have that 

 desert appearance until August, of which a correspondent 

 spoke lately, and wliich is a common accompaniment of the 

 present system of flower gardening. This and various other 

 matters we cannot now allude to, farther than to enter 

 a protest against the idea so currently gaining ground, 

 that fine flower gardens, say from July, and comparative 

 dreariness in the spring, are the fault of the gardening body. 

 Let the burden be laid on the right shoulders. Let labour, 

 material, and means be given, and with previous experience, 

 and the help of Mr. Fleming's little book, there would be no 

 difficulty in having gardens gay from spring to November 

 at least. But the truth is, that in a great many places the 

 energies of gardeners are already overtasked to make the 

 most of the bedding system for summer and autumn ; and to 

 fill the same number of beds continuously, say from March 

 to the end of October, with the same means and the same 

 expense for labour, is to attempt an impossibility, though 

 the word impossible does not come much in our way. Where 

 this extra expense cannot be afforded, and spring gardening 

 is, as it ought to be, quite as much considered, and rather 

 more valued than a blaze of colour from midsummer and 

 onwards, then the right policy is not to grumble that the 

 gardener cannot do this and that, however willing, but to 

 curtail the extent of the planting, and thus to enable him to 

 keep all in good order from spring to autumn. For this 

 purpose a reserve garden and a great number of pots will be 

 necessary, that when spring beds are removed they may at 

 once be filled with plants in bloom. 



One word as to thin and thick planting of beds in answer 

 to two inquiries. Our rule would be to plant according to 

 circumstances — that is, the common bedding plants, such 

 as Scarlet Geraniums and Yellow Calceolarias. Where the 

 finest possible show was desired in June and July we would 

 put good plants in some 6 or 8 inches apart. Where the 

 best display was wanted from August until frost came, then 

 we would put in similar plants from 12 to 16 inches apart. 

 It is true you may thin in the autumn those plants turned 

 out thickly ; but even then, independently of the trouble, 

 they will not bloom so well generally as plants put in 

 thinner, and that have thoroughly covered the beds without 

 injuring each other. Circumstances, therefore, should regu- 

 late the thickness of our planting. — R. F. 



