GARDENERS' MAGAZINE, 



3 



May 21, 



when it 



is s 



employed in the r ^ ^bsTvely of 'that costl/'material. 

 the side sashes ^'^^rial alteration in the central portion of the 

 ,? e I e n h 0 ? S wou d S haTe been practicable, if desirable, for the whole 

 Jfe^ens are of exceptional 

 rf Especially worthy of mention 



v ■ -* the Sugar 



. >*A that in building the conservatory plate glass was 



flfwherever additional strength w. , reqn.red, wh.lst 



ire 



argest 



* the specimens of 

 2m ; Cereus hexagonus one of the 

 ' of the cacti, and here ns- 

 n , to a height of twenty feet or so; 

 Bambusa arundinacea, unques* 

 tiocably the finest specimen m the 

 Cnited Kingdom, the , columnar 



about two feet in circum- 



to a height of sixtfy 

 the cupola with a 



and 



stems 



ference, rising 

 feet, and filling 

 cloud of elegant greenery ; 

 Monstera deliciosa, which ^ 

 attained a height of about thirty 

 and covers a large space 



singularly-divided 



has 



feet, 



with 

 lea ves. 



its huge 

 This 



specimen is quite 

 unique, as may be gathered from 

 the illustration given herewith, but 

 to have done it full justice a page 

 illustration would have hardly suf- 

 ficed. In the two wings at the 

 extreme ends are glorious masses 

 of camellias, planted out in a border 

 against the wall, and finely-deve- 

 loped specimens in pots of Arau- 

 caria Bidwilli, A. Cooki, A. excelsa, 

 and A. Rulei ; palms of various 

 kinds that thrive in the cool house, 

 acacias, Dracasna australis, D. 

 indivisa, tree ferns, notably cyatheas: 

 and dicksonias ; Clethera arborea, 

 which annually produces a wealth 

 of its elegant pure white flowers ; 

 and the Loquat, which here fruits 

 freely. In each of the corridors 

 there are two oblong beds, with 



Vegetabl es for Ex hibition, 



SALSIFY. 



Salsify {Tragophogon porrifolium) is commonly known as the u Oyster 

 Plant," and it is a much esteemed vegetable in many establishments 



when properly cooked and served. 

 Good roots are easily obtainable 

 when properly treated, as the crop 

 deserves to be. A light, sandy loam, 

 which must have been manured the 

 previous year, is the best for pro- 

 ducing fine specimens, and land 

 from which the celery crop has been 

 taken, if it can be so arranged, is 

 preferable to any other. The ground 

 should be deeply trenched during 



and forked over about the 



winter, 

 middle 



of 



It is a common 



April. 



mistake to sow the seed too early, 

 and thus a very large percentage 

 flower prematurely, and the roots 

 are worthless. The first week in 



will be full early enough for 

 Drills should be drawn 



May 

 sowing 



about an inch and a half in depth, 

 and eighteen inches asunder, and 

 the plants eventually thinned to 

 twelve inches apart. In very dry 

 weather I have found the house 

 sparrow troublesome in eating off 

 the young tops, and have frequently 

 found it necessary to protect the 

 crop with garden netting. Every 

 encouragement should be afforded 

 the crop during the growing season 

 by frequent hoeings, and in showery 

 weather the application of small 

 quantities of artificial manure. I 

 have found soot strewn on during 

 the evening act as a fine fertilizer. 

 The crop may either be lifted in 

 the autumn and stored in sand or 



lices for the grouping of plants 

 pots, and in the beds bold-grow- 



g plants, remarkable for the beauty of their flowers or foliage, or dis- 

 iguished by elegance of aspect, have been planted out. With these 

 H be associated flowering plants grown in pots according to the 

 Won. When the photograph of this portion of the building was 

 ken, from which our illustration has been reproduced, richardias were 

 ed with singularly good effect. There is a narrow border both against 

 c glass front and back wall, and in each of these climbers have been 



Monstera deliciosa at Syon. 



ashes, 

 prefer 



or lifted as 

 the latter 



care to have 



I 



required, 

 plan, taking 

 sufficient uplifted in 



and 



inted, as it is a part of the scheme of decoration arranged by Mr. 

 ythes to drape the wall 



readiness for use in case a spell of severe weather occurs. 



Salsify deserves very much more encouragement at our shows than it 

 generally receives, and when classes are made for single dishes of 

 vegetables at our autumn and winter exhibitions, I am most certainly in 

 favour of this being included. The difference between poor and well 

 grown specimens is most apparent, and in a large collection of vegetables, 

 say, of twelve distinct varieties, during its proper season, I should not 

 hesitate to include it if of first-rate quality. If salsify were in opposition to 



both being pre- 



the spaces between 

 f upright sashes and 

 toon the roof with 

 mts of scandent habit. 

 >e corridors afford an 

 optional opportunity 

 demonstrating the 

 wacieristics of the 

 est of the greenhouse 

 "wis, and a glance 

 the plants that are 

 »aly becoming estab- 

 *d reveals the 

 « M . Wythes 



"•eciates his 

 uties in this 



fact 

 fully 



oppor- 



. — case, as 

 ^ other details of garden 



management. 



It re ma ; ns to be said 



I,, the whole of the 

 alteranons have been so 



S b,y con <*ived and 

 [ ° ut as to justify 



,1 P raise on 

 concerned. The whole 



structural altera- 

 including the 

 ^ngement of the 

 •^ce, were 



all 



ar- 

 floor 



James 

 and 



made 



Tom «f t ! le rearr ange- 



aoiSL the h ot-water 

 JPP^ us was erTected 



'^Coml^ 65 Bank 



turnips, 

 sented 



I 



condi- 



tion, 

 suredly 

 ence to 



in good 

 should most as 

 give the prefer- 

 salsify, if judg- 

 ing. Few things are 

 more easily and quickly 

 obtained than turnips, 

 but this is not the case 

 with salsify, which re- 

 quires much more skill 

 and forethought to bring 

 it to perfection. When 

 it is the intention of the 

 cultivator to have it of 

 the best quality for the 

 exhibition table, it will 

 be necessary, on most 

 soils, to bore holes and 

 prepare soils exactly in 

 he same way as advised 

 for carrots. A row or 

 two done in this way will 

 be sufficient, as one may 

 be pretty certain of good 

 results. The crop should 



mulched 



be thoroughly 

 and watered 



of 



in 



weather, 



course 



dry 

 al- 



lowing one plant only to 



When lifting, 

 should be 



■ 



West-end of Corridor, Syon Conservatory. 



manner in which'the'work in each 



George * Gordon. 



great care 



taken not to break or 

 damage the roots, which 

 should be clear, stout, 

 and tapering, resembling 

 well grown beetroot, 

 They should be thoroughly washed and the 

 1 Nine or twelve will make a good dish, 



In 



^n^ C £ ° n *f cultivati 

 > 4, Are Marin 



*o the garden 



year is the "Gardening Year 

 irs, Fruit, Vegetables, &c. F 

 >n,— rAQVT.l 



but not -quite as large. 



M$^ y «!££3l - the same way as carrots or beetroot 



a misceEeous or; ornamental collection of vegetables, salstfy should 



always find a place. 



A l/bnkam , House 



E. Beckett. 



