May 14 



. 1898. 



GARDENERS' 



MAGAZINE. 



309 



SEAKAL 



IN THE OP 



G 



E 



Chrysan 



the culture of seakale has made great advances, until now The number of shoots which plants mav develnn to M a 

 ^ n h<» obtained in one year from the root cuttings, for show purposes is pctvprnvA u,r .1 . • 1 . Y ° flowers 



excellent p ^ ^ force seakaIe if the supp i y j s needed during 



There is n _J AmM ^ f nr ear lv Mav. The old method of growing 



ii 



0f nen/produce can be obtained in one year from the root cuttings 



^ " 'tner, iu iuh-c ^a.™^ « 



1 tter part of April and for early May. The old 

 LI for many years together in one place, covering it with pots and 

 ""Manures, is nearly obsolete, and the modern system is certainly a 



the r jgjJ t direction, as much better produce can be obtained at a 

 * C H cost of labour. Those interested in open-air seakale culture 

 • ced much interest in the fine groups of heads staged from Stoneleigh 

 \bbey at the last meeting of the R. H. S. 



At Syon we need seakale in large quantities, and so raise some 

 •kAusands of plants yearly. It is a simple matter to grow seakale every 

 arfrom root cuttings, and then produce may be had from November to 

 0 the middle of May, probably even later in the month. It has been 

 stated that good seakale may be grown on poor land ; I am aware that 

 00 the sea coast it grows year after year with little trouble taken to blanch 

 the tops, the sea sand being drawn well over the plant ; but these growths 

 cannot compare with that produced on well-manured land. I am aware 

 seakale is not at all fastidious as to soil, for, given ample moisture, it 

 thrives. On the other hand, it thoroughly repays good culture, that is, 

 annual culture, for, given good soil and ample food, the plants in one season 

 give crowns large enough tor all purposes, and vastly better than the 

 old much-divided root with numerous crowns, which cannot compete with 

 plants giving a single crown and grown from one root cutting. There 

 are other advantages with the one- year system ; for instance, the crop 

 will not occupy the quarter more than eight months, as it does the crowns 

 rood to lift them as soon as leaf-growth decays, if they are needed for 

 rcing. Many think seakale cannot be grown without salt, but this is a 



jistake. 



My note, however, is more concerned with the crowns that give the 

 at supplies, those we are now relying upon ; and such may be 

 Town by everyone who can give the necessary space, and with much 

 m labour than many other vegetables. Once planted, one has merely 

 > keep the quarter clean, and reduce the crown growth to one, and that 

 le strongest where liquid manure can be spared give copious supplies 

 je double dig or trench our land in the winter, placing a liberal quantity 

 f decayed manure under the first spit ; the position is an open one, as 

 jr fill! exposure a sturdier growth is secured. The planting is done early 

 lApn! and we rely upon root cuttings, prepared in the usual way when 

 taf ; these are tied m bundles of fifty and placed in soil till needed 

 t planting The sets, as they are termed, may be hastened if placed in 

 N soil in frames, as treated thus they soon form roots at the base, and 

 crowns are early furnished with a number of small buds, but alf these 



TZ IT , b f rem ??, d - ^ hen plantin S il is best to P^ce the sets 



•he out ^of^±n e ? th ?T, S011 ' aS they - have a ^dency to lift them- 

 .ues out of the ground as they increase n size. I have not referred to 



Jther and an excellent mode of culture, and that is t Tutili e any smaU 



£e h h . Pr 7' 0US ye - a f S growth which wer * ^t strong enough to 

 rw, P .hi , Ut ° Ver> W,1 L make excellent Pl^ts, but they musfbl cut 

 JS utn C 0 h r,f ° Wth . Wl11 Pr ° duce a flower ' The Stance to plant 

 S, woTet wfll suffir/h f mmai ? d > bu t ^ the roots are lifted^nd 



epiantsin f ^~&nT tlTJ> ^ 



every 



« four J ?eet a a r p y a 0 rt te^i 0 the seaSOn > we c °ver the plants left 

 «1 ashes before banki^ ™ Z S^- 1 f OV ?™ 8 the crowns with fine 

 »d if Placed oer the cfo w P n?n S 1 5 ln f ed the ashes are a protection, 

 ^ up the ear S at the dX nJ ^ mber L SO much the better. We 

 * neSrly as " Je for unl£ ^ Shap /' qilite two feet » height, 

 *«»gl«. The plants mav 2 ^ * P t • < Y ° f Soil the tops soon pus! 

 « not being forced i thZ lt J T m ? ls wa Y for two or three years, 

 ?°*ns decrease in tle ™Z b nt after the second year the 



t}? ] * all roots ii win er nL P ^ the least trouble 



'ate supplies are needed an 7^ m close together under a north 

 Syon Gardens. Cded ' and cover 'ng them with soil and litter. 



G. Wythes. 



Window Boxes 



2^ h ^thatmeriu«J-T e ? one feature about 

 ^the highwa" e. 



^ m "i to everv i -/ ww. pleasure or the nwn«r« - They are as 



t 7 7u \ tu \ inese ob J ects of domestic 

 it is that they do not, when on sills look- 



S^^ra^^fe^*^; A prettily- 



i also, furnishes much 



ay P2 



tDd r»£~ 



Whereve 



^nfeare e^^' «°"™~r£ no™ 

 & FevaiU e C J? ence of the ex ^tence of beUer 



m*** n «* at all dJ r °Tr are n °t. Window boxes 



° °htain. Wood is. on tlip» m 



Whether flower, Z k W " hm rei S ns a hi §h range of 



, plain 



WpL t o h * face 1 'of little momin f W,t, L P^nt growth as far as possible, the 



£^ S s VleS ^ be -tSeTSMa ° r P eriwinkles . o, some of the 

 Efr*Z ?\ 1 T ciaI1 y canmaU " nhvu 1 Vl Tl free -g r °wing lobelias, 



*S« fi "ed Z a " firs t ckss phm fo sni fragUis ' and ivy-leaved 



JS*>e. i'^ ^on of the year ami L PU ? OSe ' As to h ™ the boxes 



much variety a?d t0 [ he , s V m mer, ther 



y ^ c °lour should be avoided. 



A. D. 



variety. 



for show purposes is eovemeAT X , P 10 Carry large flowers 



•j- "S* 1 '"/ cnaracter may occasionally have four cimntc 



providing these can be induced to ?rnw «>v*«i v n, 0ts ' 



collection will carry three shoot la ff 7 ' J ^ ° f the 



but some varieties JZT lf mooted m good time and grown well, 



"e™^^^ better blooms if 



pinched ,n order to time the flower buds are mosUikeS to have their 

 topmost one or two shoots grow at the expense of the lower one but 

 this uneven growth ,s peculiar to a few varieties. Those which a?e 

 rooted late in the season may, according to the time of propagation and 

 the vigour of the plant, be allowed one, two, or three shoo S^mSv 

 new varieties are not strong enough the first year, through their brin J 

 subjected to rapid propagation, to carry three blooms successfully hence 

 it may be sometimes well to confine the energies of the I ant to one 

 growth only for the chance of a good bloom, rafher than trymore The 

 finest bloom of Oceana I have seen was grown in this way on a late 



ot tt ninf - S H Ck f ' ,° f - AIdCnham G aAens-just the one bloom 

 on the plant. Side shoots m excess of those required must be carefully 

 removed as soon as they can be safely handled without breaking off the 

 mam leaf m the process Some varieties are so very brittle in the leaf- 

 stalk or at the axes of the leaves that the caution is necessary. Mrs. 11 



Weeks, Mutual Friend, and Mons. Panckoucke, for instance, are easily 

 damaged. ' 



Many varieties will have either made their natural break or have 

 been pinched to induce the side shoots to grow away by this time. In 

 spite of the mildness of the winter there does not appear to be any 



is season. Madame Carnot. 

 Simplicity, M. Chenon de Leche, Mrs. Carpenter, Mrs. H. Kloss, and 

 Western King, amongst others, were showing their .mds by April 28, and 

 the pots are becoming well occupied with roots. Where plants have been 

 potted firmly as previously recommended, and in strong soil, watering is 

 a particularly important matter ; moisture cannot pass through the soil 

 so freely as if the plants were potted more loosely and in lighter soil. 

 Hence the repeated injunction to water thoroughly when necessary is a 

 point which cannot be too strongly impressed on young growers, other- 

 wise, if sufficient water is not given to moisten the whole ball of soil, 

 the lower portion may become dry, and the roots will consequently 

 suffer. There are some varieties which cannot bear the least excess of 

 water during the early stages of their growth ; Madame Carnot, Mrs. 

 Lees, Mutual Friend, and Australie are examples ; these soon show a 

 pale, unhealthy colour in their foliage if over-watered, but if the advice 

 to water carefully by examining each plant be followed, it will prevent 

 injury from this cause. It is through indiscriminate attention that plants 

 suffer, on the assumption that because many appear dry the whole batch 

 may be watered, whereas it is possible for a plant of such a strong grow- 

 ing kind as Eva Knowles to need water three times, whilst Mutual Friend 

 will require it but once during the same time. 



The experience of the last few years has been in favour of keeping the 

 plants under protection until after the end of April. The lights of frames 

 may be removed entirely, and when frost threatens or heavy rain seems 

 imminent they may easily be replaced, and so secure the plants from 

 injury. Often, however, one has no choice but to turn out chrysanthe- 

 mums in order to give frame shelter to more tender plants at this time of 

 year. When this is the case, a position sheltered from cold winds must 

 be found for them, and provision made for a light covering to be run over 

 on very cold nights. If the outside temperature is below 40 degrees by 

 ten p.m. we generally expect and prepare for frost until after May 20 has 

 passed. Stakes will be mecessary for most of the plants when removed 

 to the open, and, in tying, either support the shoot its whole length or 

 leave some six inches or more loose, as the tender tops are apt to snap 

 off some varieties under the influence of heavy ram or wind when tied 

 stiffly to within about four inches of their points. No feeding should be 

 necessary under ordinary circumstances whilst the plants are in six-inch 

 pots Manure may be given if, from force of circumstances, latei on, when 

 the plants are ready for their shift into large pots, the work cannot 

 be done just as soon as required, but this only to prevent loss of vigour 

 rather than to encourage strong growth. It is little use giving manures 

 to weakly plants unless they have a goodly number of iroots ; a healthy 

 root action would generally be better stimulated by slightly warmer and 

 more moist surroundings, and then, perhaps, a little weak liquid manure 

 might do good if the soil is not rich enough. . . 



it may dc wtrn iu auv.^ - ■ - — 7 0 ~ — 5 , x ' u 



frames with a view to fumigating. There is usually only such a small 

 space and one is apt to overlook the fact that the pots and plants occupy 

 a large portion of this, so that it is easy to fumigate too strongly unless 

 due allowances are made. 



Trent Park Gardens. 



W 



Seed Potatos for Ireland. 



oeca ruwwa . v « We understand that the Government has 



made arrangements for the distribution of thirty tons of seed potatos among the 

 distressed Irish families in the Patne Mountains. Relief works have been 

 opened. 



