S74 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GAEDENIXG. 



Xovce Anglice, rich triglit rose, with orange centres ; 

 fiowers large ; one of the most distinct of the tall 

 varieties. 



Novce A)igli(e rubra, a fine variety of preceding ; 

 flowers bright magenta, five feet, later flowering 

 than preceding. 



Xovce Belgicc, large hluish-purple flowers ; growing 

 five feet high, and form immense heads of bloom ; 

 one of the most conspicuous of the late-flow^ering 

 group. 



Paniculatus, white flowers, one and a half inches in 

 diameter ; a distinct and useful species ; four feet. 



Filosa, blue flowers ; five feet high, flowering in 

 October. 



Tolyphyllus, flowers of medium size, white, very 

 abundant, flowering in August ; grows four feet. 



Pyrenaicus, flowers large pale blue ; one and a half 

 feet high ; one of the earliest- 



Sahuginosus, large white flowers, with yellow eye, 

 one and a half inches in diameter ; flowering from 

 June to November ; two feet high. 



Shorti, flowers lavender-blue, and very abundant, 

 flowering in August ; height two and a half feet. 



Turbinellus, flowers pale rosy-purple ; three and a 

 half feet high ; very showj- and distinct. 



Versicolor, white, shading to rose; flowers in 

 masses in August ; effective ; four feet. 



THE KITCHEN GAEDEN. 



By "William Eaelet. 



Onion {Allium Cepa). French, Ogaon ; German, 

 Zwiebel ; Spanish, Cebolla ; Italian, Cipola. — The 

 Onion is a biennial plant, the origin of which is not 

 known, though a probable native of Spain. Few 

 more highly-finished bulbs are turned out of natui'e's 

 workshop, whilst its fistular leaves and enlarged 

 flower-stalk, along with its huge flower-head, give it 

 a most singular appearance. 



As regards culture, the plant requires very liberal 

 treatment. A light, sandy loam soil, having good 

 depth, resting upon a porous subsoil, is most suited 

 to its wants. Nor can the bed be prepared too 

 deeply and well below, as it is a deep-rooting and 

 feeding plant, which never gives a tithe of the bulk 

 of crop it is capable of unless a deep tilth is 

 insured. That it protrudes its roots through such 

 good, properly prepared soil, to a depth of six feet, 

 we have had ample means of testing. 



Choose an exposed site as far as possible removed 

 from tree-shade, &:c. In instances where the soil is 

 natm-ally light, to very light and stony, trench the 

 chosen ground over as soon in the autumn or early 

 "winter months as possible. The trench may with 



advantage be from three to five feet deep, according 

 to depth of subsoil. Place at the bottom a layer of 

 crude straw and other open manure, not at all 

 decayed, if procurable ; turn over the surface spit 

 from the next trench on to this, scatter another layer 

 of manure thereon, and upon it another layer of soil, 

 until the required depth of succeeding trench is 

 arrived at. For the last layer of manure, immediately 

 under the surface of the soil, use such as is more 

 decomposed. Let the bed thus trenched over remain 

 until spring, that it may have time to settle down 

 and assume a nice firmness. Heavy soils need 

 trenching in a similar manner. The heavier subsoil 

 beneath such should in no instance be brought to the 

 surface. So soon as it is reached, and cleared of the 

 last layer of surface soil, deeply dig into it, turning 

 it up as thoroughly as possible, so as to expose it to 

 the immediate influence of the air. This done,, 

 throw down a layer of moderately decomposed 

 manure, and fork it into the bed newly turned up ; 

 proceeding ultimately with the trenching in the usual 

 way, adding layers of manure as Jiberall}- as possible. 

 The more stiff the soil is, so much later ought this 

 process of trenching in connection with such to be, 

 as stiff soils cannot be made too free and open shortly 

 before the time of seed- sowing. 



WTiere trenching has to be dispensed with in con- 

 nection with the crop, though it is not advised, very 

 deep digging is essential. This can only be done 

 with a moderately new long-bladed spade, keeping in 

 process quite an open trench, and projecting the 

 ^pade straight down to its utmost limit. Before the 

 process of digging is undertaken, an abundant crop 

 of manure must be wheeled on to the ground. Such 

 manure should in this case be placed in each trench 

 between the digging, and not dug in (in process of 

 doing so), at one and the same time, else the digging 

 will prove shallower by an inch or two, and the 

 manure will not be placed so evenly at the bottom. 

 When light soils, set apart for the crop, can only be 

 dug, it is most important that it be done at least two 

 or three months before the seeds are sown. In- 

 difference to this, especially should a dry spring 

 follow, will cause the crop to be a very poor one, 

 besides admitting of a possibility that many seeds 

 will not germinate well, if at all. 



For the summer crop sow the seeds between 

 March 25th and the middle of April. During a- 

 mild spring the former date or near to it is prefer- 

 able. The old plan of forming narrow beds with 

 alleys between is all but finally discarded. Choose 

 a fine day when the surface of the soil is moderately 

 dry. Hoe over the surface of the space intended to 

 be sown, chopping down all lumps, Sec, then roughly 

 run a wooden rake to and fro over its surface, pulHng* 

 off large stones, litter, kc. Then commence at one 



