75 2 



GA RDENERS' MA GA ZINE. 



November 



! 9, 1898. 



Vegetable Forcing. 



to about one and a-half inches in thickness ; this need* tnk ~ ~~ 

 of the same temperature as the bed. No water should S^S^ ? nd 

 absolutely necessary, but rather maintain a constant hiffif " nless 

 atmosphere of the house If this be closely attended to an/ rT ^ 

 exercised to allow but little fire-heat, and a temperature of frn£ 6 ,s 

 degrees will suffice, excellent results will follow. 55 to 6 5 



Stoneleigh Abbey Garden?. 



H. T. Martin. 



LO 



GAR 



in Old 



T 



76 the Royal 

 numbers of roses 



as 



Now that the leaves have fallen and winter is at hand, preparations for 

 forcing vegetables must no longer be delayed if we are desirous of 

 keeping the kitchen constantly supplied with choice vegetables. To 

 ensure success a certain amount of care and forethought must have been 

 exercised previously, for no mode of forcing vegetables will produce 

 satisfactory results unless the roots or crowns of the various crops be of 

 the best; therefore good cultivation during the summer months is 

 indispensable. I propose here to deal with three kinds of vegetables, 

 and these the best. 



Asparagus. 



It is our practice to provide this really excellent vegetable constantly 

 from the end of November until April. Our plan is to lift annually two 

 large beds from the quarter devoted to asparagus, two young beds being 

 annually planted to replace them, and by this process we obtain yearly 

 a valuable piece of ground for an important future crop in the kitchen 

 garden. Although the forcing of this vegetable is simplicity itself, I 

 would draw attention to a few features which are essential to success. 

 In the first place, if urged too speedily in a close, moist atmosphere, it 

 becomes tall, colourless, and devoid of flavour ; on the other hand, if 

 insufficient heat be given, it will be tough and malformed. I have as 

 yet found no plan better than the old one of making up a hotbed of 

 stable manure and placing a frame thereon ; this bed will afford just 

 that amount of heat, as well as ammonia, that the asparagus likes. Of 

 course attention should be given to lining the bed to maintain a uniform 

 temperature (in mild winters this will hardly be necessary). A covering 

 of mats or similar material will be required in frosty weather, 

 and abundance of air on all favourable occasions is of the 

 utmost importance, though this must be given judiciously, the state 

 of the weather being taken into consideration. It is a well- 

 known fact that if we wish to bring out that natural green colour of the 

 stems that is so much admired, and without which it is somewhat insipid, 

 a course of treatment must be followed as nearly allied to Nature as is 

 possible, and to attain this object it is obvious that light and air must be 

 accorded. For the first few batches a temperature of from 65 to 80 degrees 

 will not be too much, but for the later supply 60 to 70 degrees will be 

 ample. A few roots, according to the demand, should be lifted about 

 every fortnight, or more often if required, and a layer of half-rotted leaves 

 should be placed over the surface of the bed, also working some of this 

 material about the roots ; a good watering with lukewarm water may then 

 be given to settle the whole. A handful of common salt dissolved in the 

 water will prove beneficial. 



Seakale. 



The old practice of forcing seakale out of doors by covering the crowns 

 with pots has given place to other and much improved methods. 

 Generally speaking, in establishments where large quantities of this 

 vegetable are required during the winter, bins or boxes fitted with lids 

 to exclude air and light are constructed in the mushroom house, or other 

 similar structures for the purpose, with hot-water pipes running through 

 or beneath them ; or, failing these, some stable manure or tan will answer 

 admirably, provided that these do not become too hot. A temperature of 

 60 to 65 degrees, or at the most7odegrees, is sufficient, as it is much better 

 to apply heat in moderation, especially so early in the winter. Seakale re- 

 quires but little room in which to grow when forced ; a bin of about six or m 



eight feet in length, and three or four in width, will accommodate a great there, which was originally planted by him. Such are a few of the 



It is recorded by FitzStephen, the chronicler, that in the re,cm ^ 

 Henry IL-the latter half of the twelfth century-the inhabitants 0 

 London had large and beautiful gardens attached to their dwellings In 

 1276 the Roval Garden at Westminster was celebrated for the ^reat 



and lilies grown there, and there is still an orde 

 extant of Edward I. for pear trees for his garden. Stow relates that 

 round about Somerset House large gardens were cultivated for profit 

 likewise at many places in the City, where vegetables and fruit were 

 grown in such profusion as to amply satisfy the wants of the citizens 

 without their depending upon consignments from elsewhere. People in those 

 days took the air and their walks in their own gardens. Bishopsgate 

 the Minories, Goodman's Fields, and many other large open spaces in 

 the neighbourhood were large gardens and orchards where the gardener's 

 skill was brought into requisition. Cattle grazed and archers shot at 

 Finsbury, and it was in rural Islington that Dame Owen was nearly shot 

 by an arrow as she was promenading in her demesne, and which event 

 caused her to devote a large sum in the erection of free schools, which 

 under different conditions, survive to the present time. Where Shaftes- 

 bury Avenue now runs was the village of St. Giles, famous for its garden 

 produce, and Charing Cross and Whitehall had their State gardens. 

 Spring Gardens, of course, were so in reality as well as name. Holborn 

 enjoyed great fame for its gardens, Ely Place having both ftower and 

 kitchen gardens, together with a vineyard and orchard, and the bishops 

 enjoyed great reputation for their fruits. 



Gerarde, the botanist, about three hundred years ago, had a large 

 garden in Holborn, where he raised a thousand plants and trees. In 

 1 596 he printed a catalogue of it, dedicated to Lord Burleigh, whose 

 garden he had superintended for twenty years. It may be seen in the 

 British Museum. The first edition of his " Herbal " is also dated from there. 

 Writing of violets, he says, " Of water violets I have not found any such 

 plenty in^any place as in the water ditches adjoining to St. George his fielde 

 near London." He also mentions that pennyroyal grew in the greatest 

 abundance in the Minories, and many fine plants in the ditches of 

 Piccadilly. Baldwin's Gardens was a nursery of one Baldwin, a gardener 

 to Queen Elizabeth. Lincoln's Inn, in those days the residence of the 



and roses. The 



Temple Gardens have ever been famous, 

 origin of the Wars of the Roses th 



Earl of Lincoln, was famous for its grapes, pears 

 — * and Shakespeare laid the 



These gardens are still well kept, 

 notably so until a year or two ago, when an edict of the Benchers went 

 forth that the chrysanthemums, for which they had acquired great fame, 

 were to be no longer grown, and horticultural retrenchment was to be 

 made. The wardens of Grav's Inn owe their inception to Lord Bacon, 



great deal of interest in them, 

 There is still a catalpa tree 



The gardens of Gray's Inn owe 

 himself a practical gardener, who took a 

 and did much to further their reputation 



memories of the past which crowd before the fancy as the busy streets of 

 this modern Babylon are traversed by the thoughtful wayfarer. 



Wm. Norman Brown, F.R.H.S. 



Is THE On 



SURFACE ROOTI 



number of crowns, and these may be brought in and plunged every nine 

 days, or as often as is required to keep up a supply. Any light material, 

 as leaves or tan, answers the purpose for plunging. For the late supply 

 forcing in the open air is resorted to here with excellent results ; in fact, 

 we obtain some extraordinarily large and tender heads by the following 

 method. The crowns are planted in a double row at about one foot 

 apart each way, and these rows we usually contrive to have near the 

 garden paths for convenience in cutting. Early in the month of 

 February they are covered to a depth of fifteen inches with mush- 

 room bed refuse in the form of a ridge, and these ridges are examined 

 carefully everyday after the heads commence pushing up the material. 

 Strict attention should be paid to this operation, or the tips of the young 

 leaves quickly become purple. These plants are left on the same spot 

 two, and sometimes three, years, after which they may be destroyed, and 

 either replaced with young plants or with one-year-old crowns. This 

 system has much to recommend it for late supply, being little trouble, 

 and the produce is decidedly better than could be obtained in mushroom 

 houses during the latter part of the month of March and onwards. 



Mushrooms. 



So much has been advanced respecting the successful cultivation of 

 mushrooms that it may appear somewhat superfluous to record my 

 experience; nevertheless, as we have been very successful, the few notes I 

 shall offer may not be unacceptable. The material often employed for 



the beds consists of horse-droppings, with as little litter as possible, but lhe undesirability ofdeep cultivation for this crop. Oae grower stated tnai um 

 it a large and constant supply is to be maintained, and the number of was the deepest rooted of any garden vegetable he knew among those wi « 

 horses kept be few, it becomes necessary to incorporate with the droppings divided roots. The lecturer's response was to bring forth an onion P roducc . C J 

 a certain amount of litter, which is in the natural course of things well a prizetaker who followed the surface manuring principle only ; it was ; a spc c ■ 



J * ' " of the flat Spanish type. « Very small and lean," someone remarked- ' 



was the reply, -that was owing to the drought." Most of «! 

 ^^^j-n *W especially when we ^^^^ 



■ vj int. WINIUIN gunrnvi. nvwiin*i 



The question of whether the onion is a surface-rooting or deep-rooting vegetable 

 has been the subject of much comment and discussion in an East Anglian 

 gardening community of late. The discussion was commenced by a horticultural 

 lecturer assuring his audience that the onion was only surface- rooting, and illus- 

 trating his assertion by chalk drawings on a blackboard. Cottagers were advised 

 to dig manure just below the surface in ground for onions, and to subsequently 

 use top dressings. Ths old plan of digging manure under the top spit was con- 

 sidered wasteful, as onion roots could not possibly reach it. Some old onion 

 growers present thought differently, as they had found onion roots at least two 

 spit*' depth from the surface, and always made a practice of digging plenty 01 



monnrP tl^nli. : L.J rr. ' „,r»e ^rJirat^lu mm 111 U fl IClUeU lO 



a certain amount of litter, which is in the natural course of things well 

 saturated with urine, and I find that quite as good results may be 

 obtained by utilising some of the litter. I have made note of the fact that 

 market growers, generally speaking, use a quantity of rough material, and 

 the result they attain speaks for itself. The manure,should be collected, 

 Placed in an cpen shed, and frequently turned before making up the beds. 

 The durability of the beds will depend in a great measure on the depth 

 tney are made and the firmness with which rhev are rammed. Deep beds 



preparing 



tney are made and the firmness with which they are rammed. Deep beds SSSTS^ii !?„, 5° i°l STEr Beckett w ill have a Word or two to 

 are apt to become too hot, and this is detrimental to the running of the ka^ o^Z^ ^^^^1^0^ find t0 °V\t 



sp*wn ; therefore I consider that a ^ _w „ fifteen inches is gLoenp^M^ 



champions have to say upon the matter, also (he remarks of any ^j* /ia . 

 [We shall be pleased to afford the space necessary.— Ed ] 



Jt * — j 



sufficient. 



. wwllireiBIMM ^ ng of the 



consider that a depth of twelve or fifteen inches is 

 J he temperature of the bed when spawned should not 

 exceed 85 degrees, and be just on the decline. After the spawn is 

 inserted the surface of the bed should be covered with good mellow loam 



