104 



GARDENERS" 



MAGAZINE. 



February i 2 , 



spur growths producing an abundance of small fruit which do not pay for storage. 

 Apricots will now need protection, and if there is a good coping I am adverse o 

 a Thick covering of any kind, as such covering weakens the flowers. We rarely 

 miss a crop with trees on a south-west wall, and, strange to relate, our best crop 

 was after the coldest February and March I ever remember ; but the trees were 

 dry, and if the blossom is dry I do not think cold does so much injury as supposed. 

 We usually protect with a double-inch mesh fish-net, and it is much better than a 

 thicker cover, which excludes air. The growth of strawberries this year is earlier 

 than usual, and any work in the quarters should now be attended to, and though 

 I do not advise digging between the rows, it is necessary to fork up the surface to 

 destroy weeds ; it is a good plan with old beds to well mulch in the winter with 

 decayed manure, and in February to cover the manure with soil, that is, lightly 

 forking the surface and covering the manure. There is a great gam from winter 

 dressings, as the new roots made early in the year are enabled to absorb the food 

 given I am not in favour of keeping old strawberries, believing the best results 

 are secured from young plants ; but all cannot follow this practice, so now is the 

 time to give manure to enable plants to furnish heavy crops. Birds are this year 

 a source of trouble with newly-pruned gooseberry and currant trees, and unless their 

 depredations are prevented they will ruin the crop. Probably the best preventive 

 is a strong dose of quassia with a liberal mixture of soot and fresh lime. This 

 adheres to the trees, and will for a long time give the trees a rest, but it may be 

 necessary to repeat the dose later, after rains or frost. I have seen black thread 

 used witri success in the case of a few trees. This, lightly entwined round the 

 branches, will prevent their attacks ; and, of course, netting over will be even 

 superior to any other protection but it often happens one cannot spare the nets. 

 All pruning and cleansing of fruit trees should be brought to a close as 

 soon as possible, and wherever possible trees needing food may be given a 

 mulch of decaved manure.— G. Wythes, Syon Gardens. 



New Books, 



Lyomsse: A Handbook to the Isles 'of Scilly. By J. C. Tonkin and R. P. 

 Row. Price 6d. (Beechings, Limited, 174, Strand, London.) — An admirable 

 guide to the Scilly Isles, which, by reason of the enterprise of the inhabitants in 

 developing their great natural advantages, have of late years acquired consider- 

 able importance. This handbook, although of a size that admits of its being 

 carried without discomfort in the breast pocket, contains sufficient information on 

 the natural features and historical aspects of the islands to enable the visitor to 

 become well acquainted with their characteristics and the chief points in their 

 history. It contains an excellent map and numerous illustrations. An introductory 

 chapter is contributed by Sir Walter Besant, and in speaking of the charms of the 

 islands he asks : " What time of year is best for visiting Scilly ?" and in reply he 

 says ; 11 1 have been there in spring and in autumn. I think that perhaps the early 

 spring, when as yet there is no more than a thickening of the buds in the east and 

 north of England, is the best time for a visk. For then the flower farms, though not 

 at their l>est, can still show some of the flowers for which the islands are famous, and 

 the air is softer than the cold winds of a London March, and it is fine enough and 

 warm enough to spend the whole day long on the water cruising about in the road- 

 stead or venturing outside to the west of Samson, Bryher, and Tresco. At this 

 season, too, the walk round St. Mary's is stimulating and bracing ; one can 

 trudge along the highland ridge of St. Martin's in the cool wind, and across the 

 downs of Tresco. One can point the prow outside to the shores of the unin- 

 habited islets of Mincarlo and Minalto ; to the rocks of the 'Western Isles' — 

 Rosevear, Retarrier, (iorrigan— where the puffins collect on the rocks, and fly 

 and swim, and dive, not yet gone off" to their unknown summer homes ; where the 

 seals may lie seen disporting in the waves ; where the shags stand on wing, peak, 

 and gable of the rocks. Nowhere around Great Britain is there such sailing 

 among fairy islands of romance. At first the islands disappoint, the scenery is 

 small, the roadstead is broad ; no point is higher than one hundred and sixty 

 feet ; most of the cliffs and rocks are, indeed, very much lesi, but, day by day, as 

 one is borne along from one islet to another, through narrow channels where the 

 dark water races and roars, across broad stretches of ocean, along white sands, 

 under black cliffs, with a breeze which never fails, over shallows of sapphire hue, 

 the islands take such a hold of the imagination and the affections that they can 

 never be forgotten or lost. Two things are necessary, that one should not come 

 by one boat and go home by the next, but should make a stay long enough to 

 know the place ; and next, that the visitor must take the archipelago on its own 

 merits, that is, he must not compare it for grandeur of scenery with one place, or 

 for the luxuriance of vegetation with another. lie must just walk about, sail 

 about, look about, and be contented with what the islands have to offer." Sir 

 Walter Besant further observes, ••That if the softest, sweetest air in the world, 

 air which takes from the Atlantic gales all their refinement and none of their 

 blustering roughness, cannot please, what can ? If lovely water, lovely rocks, 

 lovely beaches of white sand strewn with purple shells, lovely gardens in which 

 tree fern, bamboo, aloe, and prickly pear flourish as if the latitude were within Capri- 

 corn, with the mystery of cairns and prehistoric tombs, and the feeling, rather 

 than the tradition, of ancient princes and royal burial grounds in Lyonesse ; if 

 these things, I say, cannot please thee, then, dear reader, come not to Scilly." 



Modern Chrysanthemum Culture. 

 and Mackenzie, Liverpool.) 



By George Garner. Price 6d. (Blake 



A concisely written treatise on the cultivation of the 

 chrysanthemum for exhibition and house decoration, containing r 

 information. 



uch useful 



Sweet Peas. 



, j — . -* or production of early blossoms a selection of varieties 

 may be made and sown in pots for planting out ; to make the most of small 

 packets of new or choice varieties, sowing in pots is also to be recommended, as 

 they can m this way be better protected from rats and mice than when sown 

 direct m the open ground Large sixty-sized pots should be used for this purpose 

 sowing six or eight seeds in each, standing them in a greenhouse temperSure 

 until the seedlings appear, and then transfer to a cold frame to harden off for a 



+ Z Z° 9 ° r Ti i h . C P° Und * in a condition for Plants them out If 

 space can be spared the kitchen garden is the place to grow sweet Seas in specially 



for cutting purposes and generally speaking the soil here is more Eally tSd 

 and a succession of blossoms therefore the better ensured. The ccJoraSrf 

 25 °li h \ n T r varie ^very rich and effective. m^Sk!S^£ 

 good : Blanche Burpee and Emily Henderson, two of the best whites Mars and 

 Meteor, cnmson and crimson orange ; Countess of Radnor, delicate mauve ildv 

 Penzance, bright rose ; Princess Beatrix . r ♦ «i wuwic mauve , i^aay 



Drotmore Garden. P ' and Coquette, deep primrose. -C. Herrin, 



Watercress Culture for Profit 



Glenny gives the touowmg paruumarb m me cuuure 01 tne plant tor market 



Gravelly loam with a clay base is suggested as desirable, as it retains th, 

 water, makes a firm bottom, and furnishes nutriment for the plants. But h 

 points out, this will be of no avail without an ample supply of suitable water. Th 

 source of the water may arise in natural springs, clear, bright, and bubbling of it! 

 own accord out of the chalk, refreshing both to the eye and the palate, like crystal 

 sparkling in the light ; in some levels it may, of course, be needful to bore in order 

 to obtain an adequate and efficient flow. The prosperity of the cress-bed depends 

 mainly on the continuity, force, and regularity of the current. An abundant and 

 perpetual stream is an absolute necessity, as the health of the plant depends on 

 this condition. Without it the cress cannot be well nourished, the leaves will be 

 stunted, and there will not be a bountiful growth throughout the season. The 

 water affords protection from the heat of the summer and the cold of the winter 

 both of which extremes must be guarded against ; the former burns the foliage 

 and makes it sticky (hard) ; the latter freezes the stems and damages the crop 

 irretrievably. A strong stream, maintaining a fair volume of water during heat 

 and cold, is invaluable. The temperature of the water follows the temperature of 

 the earth whence it originates, and should not fall below 51 degrees Fahrenheit. 

 It does not answer to carry the cress-beds too far from the source, as the water 

 naturally cools down as it travels away from the orifice. This factor limits the 

 length of the cress-beds, for when the temperature of the air is lower than that of 

 the water, the latter soon loses heat. Exposed to the cold atmosphere it falls 

 below the required temperature, and the cress suffers in consequence. 

 Were it not for this hindrance cress-beds would only be limited by the strength of 

 the stream. 



The depth of the beds must depend on the level of the spring ; some are not 

 above a foot deep, whilst others have been constructed at great expense, and are 

 perhaps three or four feet below the level of the surrounding ground. There 

 must needs be a slight inclination downwards from the spring, so that the water 

 may flow gently through the cress. The fall of the bed should be extremely 

 gradual, for if the declivity be sharp, the celerity of the current increases and 

 washes away the soil, disturbing the plants. A gentle movement of the runlet from 

 end to end of the cress-bed is what is required. The beds are made of no particular 

 size, but mostly follow the configuration of the land ; they may be six feet or 

 thirty feet in breadth, but in the latter case longitudinal gangways will be required 

 at suitable widths to carry off the crop when picked. These gangways are generally 

 only banks of earth, but in some cases they are cemented on the surface, which 

 makes the labour of gathering more easy in a rainy season. 



Little bridges of rude planks are constructed across the beds, whilst dams are 

 erected in suitable places to hold back the water at ordinary times, and to give 

 opportunity to flatten down and submerge the plants in severe weather. Different 

 practice prevails in this respect, as the severity of the cold is most felt in exposed 

 situations. In certain months of the year, when the demand for cress is slack, the 

 beds are cleaned out, and brook water may be utilised for irrigation, but facilities 

 must be at hand to divert all subsidiary supplies at the approach of cold weather. 

 Careful precautions should also be taken to keep out storm -water, and special 

 channels must be provided where cress-beds from their level and situation are liable 

 to flood. It may be advisable to construct a tunnel or culvert of a considerable 

 length when there is backwater that may inundate the cress-bed. The best 

 authorities recommend the annual cleansing and replanting of beds. This 

 operation, which involves considerable expense, should be executed during the 

 slack months of August and September. 



The tops of the cress are first gathered and stowed away in a convenient place, 

 sheltered from the sun and wind, until required for replanting. The dykes are 

 then thoroughly bottomed out and the muddy soil removed, with all the old roots, 

 weeds, and living creatures it contains. This process is followed by a careful 

 levelling of the bottom, and a stream is allowed to flow for a sufficient time to 

 thoroughly scour out all impurities. Everything is now ready for replanting, 

 which is carried out in the following manner. The cut cress is carefully laid down 

 in rows or spread broadcast on the ground, being sometimes secured by large 

 stones where it is in danger of being shifted from its position. It is advisable 

 to turn on the water sparingly in the first instance, for fear the plants should be 

 disturbed ; but in the course of four or five days the young rootlets will begin to 

 strike and to take hold of the ground. 



All this work needs skilled labourers who have had experience in the business, 

 and they must be specially equipped for their task. The most important part of 

 their outfit is the boots, which are provided by the employer at a cost of from 

 44s. to 60s. per pair, and are similar to those used for marsh-work. In addition 

 to the expense of cleansing, the laying down a cress-bed would cost 6s. or 8s. per 

 perch, if the plants were purchased. In order to procure fresh shoots for this 

 autumn plantation, it is an approved plan to lay down some beds in March, and 

 set them apart for this purpose. The clean plants from these rearing beds will be 

 vigorous and free from weeds and other impurities. Small brooks and ditches 

 inconveniently situated for market-work are utilised for the purpose of obtaining 

 fresh plants. 



Readers will naturally ask what it would cost to construct a cress-bed. ^ c 

 have already seen that the purchase of plants is a large item. The preparation 01 

 the ground is a more serious matter still. Much depends on the situation of u» 

 land, the irregularities of the surface to be overcome, and the level of the field « 

 meadow in relation to the springs which it is desired to utilise. If the task 0 

 merely to shape out, to straighten, to take off the angles, and level the bottom « 

 a ditch, so that the stream may have a gentle, steady swing, then 4s. or 5s. a percn 

 might suffice. 



The formation of large cress-beds to any extent is a heavier undertaking. 

 There is the excavation of and the moving away of the surplus earth, makl 7 hi 

 true and correct incline to regulate automaticaily the flow of the stream, and 1 



may soon involve considerable expense. I was shown a cress-bed of exte ^ s _v 

 proportions, constructed in 1887. and named the Jubilee bed, which cost as bbu 

 or more than the value of the freehold. This illustration did not convey pr* 

 information, but gave a conception of a big outlay. The cress-bed was in 1^ 

 parts four feet below the level of the surrounding garden, and was ratner 

 exceptional example. . ^ e 



To take a medium figure, perhaps it would cost ^90 to £100 per acre in 

 formation of the beds, and with the plants at £1 per cwt., or ^ 20 P er f ,S, tf 

 which nearly two tons would be required to thoroughly plant an acre, the w 

 cost would be £40. Thus £130 or £140 would be the rough estimate arrivca 

 The best pulled plants, if purchased, are difficult to acquire, though not co^j 

 so much when supplied on the farm. When the work is done by the oc t ^ 

 himself these alcerations are carried through in an economical way, and lor 

 less cost than any contractor would attempt them. Yet, after due consider* 



