January 1,1885 ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
7 
and well grown, half a dozen plants of Madame C. Audiguier bearing some 
of the most handsome blooms I have seen this season, net excepting those 
exhibited at the National Chrysanthemum Society’s Show. Another 
section of these plants which has come into favour during the past two or 
three seasons comprises the single and semi-double varieties, and these 
have received special attention at Easton Lodee, a number of pretty 
seedlings having been raised. One valuable quality of these is that 
they are later in flowering than the ordinary sorts, and another is 
that they last longer, thus considerably extending the period during 
which flowers can be obtained. By tastefully arranging these a 
most pleasing effect was pr duced, which has been greatly admired by 
many visitors. The stove contains some healthy Ferns, Orch'ds, and mis¬ 
cellaneous plants, all in good condition, and evidently receiving the best 
cultural attention that could be desired. It is worthy of notice in connec¬ 
tion with the plant houses that it was in this garden the beautiful and 
remarkable hybrid Cereus Maynardi was raised nearly fifty years ago. Mr. A. 
Kenny, who was gardener to the owner of the property, Viscount Maynard, 
crossed Cereus speciosissimus with pollen from C. grandiflorus, and the 
seeds so.obtained produced plants, one of which flowered, and was figured 
in “Paxton’s Magazine ” under the name given above. It proved distinct 
from both parents, but presented a combination of the characters which 
rendered it very interesting as a hybrid, as it is really a C. grandiflorus 
with the rich crimson flowers of C. specioMssimus. It is, however, rather 
shy in flowering, and is now very scarce. 
An hour or two were agreeably spent with Mr. Stacey in his Verbena 
Nursery, Dunmow, where he has for many years given the closest attention 
to these beautiful useful greenhouse plants with the greatest success. 
Probably no raiser has obtained so many first-rate varieties of Verbena as 
Mr. Stacey, and their merits are indicated by the numbers of them 
which have been awarded certificates at South Kensington, for a Verbena 
must possess some unusual merits to gain that honour now varieties have 
become so abundant. Proceeding on my way, Cambridge was my next 
halting place, and there, in company with the genial Curator of the Botanic 
Gardens, Mr. R. I. Lynch, I enjoyed a ramble through the interesting 
establishment under his charge, and some of the old college gardens, but 
some observations on these must be reserved for another opportunity.— 
Lewis Castle. 
LILIUM AURATUM. 
This the grandest of all the Lilies, and one that receives a great share of 
admiration both for its noble flower and its lovely perfume, yet it ought to 
be more extensively grown, seeing how cheap it can be bought and how 
easily it is grown either in pots or in the open border. It cannot fail to be 
highly appreciated when grown in pots for decorative purposes. When so 
grown it is a practice with most growers to repot them annually ; by this I 
mean shaking the bulb out of the old soil when at rest*, and putting it into 
fresh ; but from circumstances that have come under my notice I am inclined 
to think that there is no gain attending this practice. For instance, a plant 
of Lilium auratum was shown at the Matlock Bath Show, August 9th, 
bearing fifty-one fully expanded blooms, three having been previously 
picked, thus making fifty-four blooms in all, and this plant, the grower 
informed me, had been grown in the same pot (9 inches in diameter) for five 
consecutive years, and had not been repotted during the whole time. This was 
very remarkable, and I thought clearly proved that annual repotting is not 
necessary providing the plants receive proper treatment when growing. 
Bulbs when left undisturbed in the border for several years seem to improve 
in strength, particularly so when the soil is strong and properly drained. If 
water is allowed to stand round the bulbs they will grow weakly and shortly 
die.— Alfred Anderson, Lea Wood. 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
With the advent of a new year a'hntion will be turned away from 
much that interested us in 1881 to fre-L reflations of higher culture in 
1885, and we can only say we hope all such desires will be fully realised. 
“ Where there is a will there is a way,” and all who have the means ( f 
growing good and abundant vegetables may do so if they will only try. 
There is no time like the present for beginning anew, the ma'n points 
being to secure good seeds, to prepare the soil thoroughly, and not to neglect 
general cultivation. 
Good Seeds .—These are of the utmost importance in the production of 
profitable crop". Nothing can be done without them. It is a great 
advantage to deal with reliable and respec'able seedsmen who can 
guarantee the freshness and purity of their seeds, but this cannot be done 
for nothing, and those who think they are going to stock their gardens 
with seeds at half price will find as a rule that cheap lots are the most 
expensive in the end. Space forbids entering into a long list of the best 
varieties of everything to grow during the year, but the Feed cata’ogurs 
advertised in this Journal may be advantageously consulted and taken as 
guides. 
The 'Preparation of the Soil .—This work which should be done row 
and consists of digging and trenching the vacant quarters. There is no 
better pulveriser of the soil than frost, and it is with the object of 
securing benefits from this that in turning over the soil it is left as rough 
as possible at this season. Deep soil is the best for all vegetables, and it 
always pays to trench to the depth of 2 feet at least to make the soil 
capable of producing crops of all kinds in perfection. Where the soil is 
deep cultivate it by all means, where shallow try and increase its depth 
by adding old and valuable refuse to it. 
Peas. —Where these were not sown in November and there are no 
young ones coming on, a batch of Suttons’ Ringleader or Carters’ First 
Crop should be put in at ODce. Of all the ways of sowing now, and we 
have tried many, we prefer sowing the seeds in 3-inch pots. Each pot is 
half filled with rough moderately rich soil, then from a dozen to a dozen 
and a half of Peas are put in, and the pot is filled with soil. A hundred 
or so of 3-inch pots will make feveral good rows, as each potful at 
planting-time need not be planted closer than 6 inches from each other. 
There is one mistake in Pea-sowing at this time which is very common 
and injurious. As soon as the seed is in it is tbe general practice to place 
the pots in a very warm place where the plants appear in a few days, 
and in a fortnight or three weeks they are several inches high, or indeed 
ready for planting ; but they cannot be planted without much hardening 
off, and then they are almost sure to Fuffer from the cold winds of March. 
To avoid this do not put the early Peas in a warm position, but as soon 
as potted place them in a cool frame where frost can be excluded ; and 
although they will not advance so rapidly, they will soon make robust 
growth and form far better plants for putting out in February and March 
than any which can be reared in heat. 
Dwarf Kidney Beans. —Sow a quantity of Ne Plus Ultra in pots 
in a similar manner to the Peas, but the Beans may be placed in 
a temperature of (55° from the first. Keep them Dear the glass and fully 
exposed to the light as soon as the plants show the green leaves. Those 
sown a few weeks ago in small pots should be transferred to 8-inch pots. 
Three lots from 3-inch pots may be placed into every 8-inch pot; use 
rough rich soil in potting, make the soil very firm, and grow them on in a 
temperature of C5° or 70°. 
Early Potatoes. —Any approved early vaiiety may now be planted 
in quantity in frames or pits. Where the pits are artificially hea’ed no 
manure of a fermenting character will be required, as if the Potatoes are 
planted in a bed the pipes will give sufficient heat to suit both top and 
bottom growth. Where deep frames can be used fill them with a 
quantity of leaves and manure as a hotbed, put about 1 foot of good soil 
on the top of this, and plant the tubers 3 inches below the surface and 
15 inches apart. If moveable frames are available make up a good firm 
hotbed 4 feet high at tbe back and 3 feet high at the front, place the 
frames on this, put the soil in, and then plant. As all Potatoes under the 
influence of bottom heat soon send up their shoots they must be protected 
from frost almost from tbe beginning. 
Radishes and Early French Horn Carrots may be sown in frames pre¬ 
pared as if for Potatoes, but these will both succeed in a lighter soil than 
the Potatoes. One part at least of the Carrot soil should be sand. 
Veitch’s Extra Early Dwarf Forcing Cauliflower should be sown in a 
pot or box, as a hundred or two of plants will make a good batch fer an 
early supply. For several years past we have found the plants from this 
sowing do better and come in earlier than those sown in autumn, and they 
do not require so much attention. The seed should be sown in a very 
gentle heat, air and light being admitted freely to prevent their being 
drawn too much. 
Webb’s Early Dwarf Red Tomato should be sown now by all who 
wish to have ripe fruit in March. A small pinch of seed will be sufficient 
to produce several dozen plants, and they will grow very freely in any 
structure where the temperature is 65° or 70°. Rhubarb, Seakale, and 
Asparagus: Additional quantities of these should be taken in hand for 
forcing. 
Kidney Beans .—Now is a good time to sow a good batch of Osborns’ 
Forcing for fruiting early in spring. Fill a number of 3-inch pots half full 
of light soil; put six or eight seeds into each on the top of tbis, cover with 
a little more soil, and then place them in a heat of 65° near the glass, and 
in two or three weeks’ time they will make a good hatch of healthy plants 
to shift into 8-inch and 9-inch pots for fruiting in February and March. 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
Canker .—Early in the autumn we mentioned the importance of 
prompt and timely attention to root-pruning, then after this came the 
equally urgent advice to plant early in November, and now that work is 
less pressing we have time for a careful inspection of all the fruit trees, 
and for the application of a remedy for disease so affecting tbe health of 
the trees as canker undoubtedly does. In our boyhood we had a garden, 
and it was our ambition to become possessor of a fruit tree to plant in it. 
One day we found a youDg Apple tree which had been rooted up and cast 
away because it was fo badly cankered. Eagerly did we assume owner¬ 
ship of the tree. The dead branches were cut off, and it was planted in 
the best soil we could procure for it. The tree grew, the caDker wounds 
healed, and in due course it became perfectly healthy and bore nice crops 
of fruit. That was a life lesson which we have never forgotten, for we 
had unknowingly done all for the tree that was possible, and, it may be, 
afforded a lesson to older and wiser heads than ours. We have boys of 
our own growing up to manhood now, yet notwithstanding the lapse of 
many long years since tbe planting of our first fruit tree, which that 
fact implies, we can do no better now for trees suffering from canker 
arising from the roots having got down into the cold subsoil. Lift such 
