HORTICULTURAL NOTES, 
527 
poorest, although, of course, in rich ground its 
progress will be more rapid. In the end of 
April or beginning of May, draw drills at the 
bottom of a fence, or wherever a row of them 
may be wanted, and scatter the seed very 
thinly, covering them about an inch deep. 
As soon as they are up keep them free from 
weeds, and if necessary, stake them with strong 
bushy pea-sticks : they will soon cover them, 
and the display they make, up till the setting 
in of frost, will amply repay the trouble, 
while a very few plants will furnish seeds 
enough for any family. They are much liked 
by some as a pickle, and also as a substitute 
for capers. The young leaves and flowers also 
form a grateful salad. 
Another species, the small Nasturtium, 
(Tropeeolum minus,) is also a very elegant 
plant, and from its size is much better adapted 
for small gardens than the foregoing. It 
seldom extends more than two or three feet on 
the ground, rising about one foot high, with 
small roundish leaves, and deep orange and 
scarlet flowers. These latter are produced in 
great abundance, and are succeeded by seed- 
pods, smaller than in the other sort, but 
equally good for pickling. The culture, of 
course, is similar' to that recommended for the 
last. 
CONTEMPORARY WRITINGS, 
AND ORIGINAL NOTES CONNECTED WITH HORTICULTURE 
AND NATURAL HISTORY. 
AuTllnimiES. — Journal of Horticultural Society, Jl . H.S.— 
Gardener 1 ! Gazette, G. G. — Gardener's Chronicle, G. C. — 
Gardener's Journal, G. J. — Quotations from which are duly 
achnowledyed by the respective initials attached to each. 
Properties of the Antirrhinum. — We 
are not aware that any determinate properties 
have been propounded by which to determine 
the relative merits of seedling varieties. In 
the absence of such a definition, we offer the 
following : — The habit to be densely branch- 
ing ; the flowers in a short close spike, equal 
on all sidtw, and standing out from among the 
foliage. The individual flowers should be 
large ; if self-coloured bright and clear ; if 
variegated, the markings must be also clear 
and distinct, and contrast well with the ground 
colour ; the segments or lobes of the upper 
and lower lips should be entire, and broad in 
proportion to their length — that is, as broad 
as long, and the less reflexed the better. It 
is a character of the plant to have the middle 
one of the three lobes of the lower lip smaller 
than the others. — G.J. 
The Gardener's Chronicle gives the fol- 
lowing Directions for the Production of 
certain Crops, with a view to lessen the 
Consumption of Grain in the ensuing 
Twelve Months : — 
Cabbage Spr<Jtjts. — Take up tin- cabbage 
Stumps, both of early and late kinds, that have 
sprouted ; strip off all the sprouts but one of 
the strongest, by inserting a small knife just 
above the sprouts about one-fourth of an inch 
deep, and tear down with them thin slips of 
the stump about an inch in length ; plant 
them out as common cabbage, plants ; they 
will strike root, and grow as readily, and will 
cabbage sooner. Like a cabbage plant, it will 
receive less check if watered in dry weather, 
but watering is not absolutely necessary ; the 
ground should be fresh dug. The old .stump 
should be planted slantingly in the ground, so 
as to cover up all but the sprout, which will 
cabbage something earlier than the other 
sprouts. The earlier this is done, the better 
chance will there be for their coming into use 
in the winter ; they will, at all events, be the 
first for use in spring. 
Rape. — The rape that has been sown as a 
seed crop for next harvest may be profitably 
planted out for greens, in rows from 1J- to 2 
feet asunder, the plants standing iy foot from 
each other. If this is done soon, they will 
give a good cutting of greens in the winter, 
witli a second smaller one in the spring. 
Rape seed sown in September, and possibly 
in October, thinly, on ground manured as for 
potatoes (short manure and ashes are best), 
will give a crop of plants in the spring which 
will make excellent and very tender greens. 
A rood, statute measure, will require lOlbs. of 
seed; a rood, Irish, 16 lbs., and more if not 
evenly sown. It will cost 4d. a pound. 
Crests of Turnips. — When the turnips 
(Swedes and others) are in course of being 
consumed, take the crests (that is, the upper 
part of the turnip between the bulb and the 
top, from which both have been cut off), and 
plant them ; they will soon send out fibrous 
roots all round between the skin and the flesh, 
and will throw up tops in the spring as good 
as the original ones. 
Lettuce. — The seed sown in September, 
and early in October, will stand in the seed- 
beds through the winter, and transplanted in 
February and March, will come in very early 
in summer ; they are very valuable in a raw 
state for feeding swine, and are good for man 
with salt alone. They may be planted out in 
rows 1 foot asunder, and stand about 8 or 
9 inches from each other. The brown or 
Bath Cos and Hammersmith, the black-seeded 
Cos, the brown Dutch Cabbage, and many 
others, will answer. The seed-bed should 
get a good spriuking of seed. 
Beans. — In sheltered grounds the Mazagan, 
or (perhaps more to be recommended) the 
Russian Bean may be. sown in October, and 
will produce green beans for use towards the 
cnil of June ; sown in February (the usual 
time), they "ill come in a little later; give 
ili. n rnVntv 'if room, and they will pro lute 
