404 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND 0011 AGE GARDENER. 
[ May 14,1885. 
done much more expeditiously when the men can move about 
with freedom. In still more gardens, I believe, the Celery 
trenches are dug according as the rows of Peas are cleared off, 
and this plan, although it may be convenient, has but little else 
to recommend it. In the first place the Peas usually leave the 
ground in a hard impoverished state, the Celery therefore 
deriving little or no support other than that afforded by the 
manure dug in f o the trench, whereas the roots ought to have 
free access to the surrounding soil, and become almost in¬ 
dependent of the watering pot, and in addition forming more 
solid growth. Then not unfrequently the Peas are not cleared 
off in time to admit of the Celery being transplanted before the 
plants have spoilt each other, or it may be other important work 
interferes with the laborious work of digging trenches during 
hot and dry weather. 
13 We are obliged to economise both labour and space, and if 
the Celery trenches are not prepared before the summer bedding 
out commences it cannot be so well done afterwards. The plan 
which best suits us is to follow early and successional Broccoli 
with Celery, and the latter is followed with Peas. At the 
present time (May 5th), most of the Broccoli is finished, none 
later than the Leamington being grown on this quarter, and the 
Celery trenches will at once be dug. By preparing them thus 
early there is less need to use quite solid manure, the work can 
be done easily, the plants put out before they are overgrown and 
whenever showery weather favours the work, and the spaces 
between the trenches can be cropped during the summer. Our 
trenches are usually about 15 inches wide and 42 inches apart, 
this bringing the rows of Celery nearly 5 feet apart. We are 
told this is much more room than need be given, and so it is I 
readily admit, but not if the intervening spaces are to be pro¬ 
fitably cropped. I do not believe in the practice of placing 
several rows of plants in one wide trench, or even two rows in a 
trench, as I am under the impression the gain is a doubtful one, 
and the moulding up, especially when this is necessarily left to 
the labourers, is less likely to be properly done. Large sticks of 
Celery are not desirable, but a sturdy and solid growth is, and 
this is more certain of attainment when the plants are grown in 
single rows only. When they are disposed in double rows the 
plants are usually angled, and 12 inches apart in each row. Jn 
a single row they may be planted 7 or 8 inches apart, the 
slight loss in numbers being more than compensated for in the 
superiority of the Celery; at least such is my experience. 
Summer Lettuces. —Last season we grew some of the finest 
and best Lettuces I have yet seen, and that too without much 
trouble. They received no manure, no mulching, and no watering, 
and yet throughout the very hot and dry weather experienced 
we had abundance of extra large, perfectly blanched, and very 
ci'isp Lettuces. Trenching was not responsible for this success. 
On the contrary, I claim it as another remarkable proof of the 
undesirability of frequent digging for all and every crop. For 
several years past we have grown our best Lettuces and Kidney 
Beans on the spaces between the Celery trenches, and that is 
where we had them so good last season. These spaces are not 
dug before the soil from the trenches is distributed evenly over 
them, and as our trenches are not deep, or only about half the 
depth of the blade of the spade, the amount thrown out is, after 
all, quite trifling. It merely acts as a top-dressing, and may be 
said to be one of the best mulchings that can be applied. The 
Lettuces root into the solid and most fertile surface soil, and 
the growth they make is close and good. I have also noticed 
that Lettuces grow surprisingly fine when between rows of 
young Strawberry plants, and as we neither trench for or give 
much manure to the latter, solidity must again be the reason of 
their growing so well. If this is not the reason, what is ? On 
dug ground we find our earliest Lettuces make very slow 
progress unless they have plenty of manure under them, and 
at present I am not prepared to say they would do any better on 
solid undug ground. 
Many cultivators, amateurs especially, do not give Lettuces 
anything like fair treatment, as they more often than not sow a 
pinch of seed in an out-of-the-way spot and neglect to transplant 
till they are crowded together like Mustard and Cress. Better 
cut them and eat them as such, rather than waste time and space 
in trying to grow them to a presentable size. The plants for 
the earliest crops may be wintered on a sheltered border, or in 
frames, more be raised early in a box or frame, and to succeed 
these a sowing may be made on a warm border, but in every case 
the plants should either be pricked out or finally planted before 
they spoil each other. During the summer the less transplanting 
necessary the greater the certainty of a good crop. From the 
present time till the end of July the seed is best sown thinly 
where the plants are to be grown in small or greater quantities 
according to the demand, and at intervals of about eighteen days 
The seedlings require to be thinned out gradually to a distance 
of about 9 inches apart, any blanks being made good by trans¬ 
planting with a trowel. On a narrow fiat ridge between the 
Celery rows two rows of Lettuces may be grown, and on a 4-feet 
width, slightly reduced by sloping the sides, I have frequently 
had a central row of Kidney Beans, and a row on each side of 
these of Lettuces. We grow Cabbage Lettuces for late autumn 
and early spring supplies, but for the principal crops rely exclu¬ 
sively on the Cos varieties, notably any seedsmen’s selected White 
Paris Cos and the Black-seeded Brown Cos. The latter is, on 
the whole, the very best Lettuce I am acquainted with, and is to 
be recommended, not only on account of its hardiness, but also 
because of its superior quality during the hot summer months. 
Sown at the same time as a Green or White Cos variety it will 
form a good succession to them, is less liable to bolt quickly, and 
when the blanching is slightly assisted by tying up, it may fairly 
be said to surprise those who have been in the habit of relying 
on the more popular sorts. No other sort strips so well or 
proves so tender and sweet. 
Late Peas.— Some of the latest Peas I have yet seen picked 
were from rows sown on the ridges between the Celery trenches, 
but according to my experience they scarcely paid for the trouble. 
At the same time late dishes picked, say, during the latter part 
of October and early in November, are much appreciated, and we 
always endeavour to have some. Mildew and frosts are the two 
great enemies to late Peas. In our case mildew is the most 
prevalent towards the lower end of our sloping garden, and as 
early frosts are also much more destructive at the bottom of 
the garden, we naturally select the highest end and clear of the 
Celery quarter for late as well as early Peas. We have tried 
various sorts for this late work, including the early and second 
early varieties, but find there are none to equal Ne Plus Ultra, 
Sutton’s Latest of All, and Sturdy. The early round-seeded 
sorts will not “ go down ” after the tender Marrowfats, while 
the majority of the second earlies are much subject to mildew. 
A noteworthy exception, however, is the good old Hair’s Dwarf 
Mammoth, and those who have it true find this variety of good 
service either as a second early or late cropper. Walker’s Per¬ 
petual Bearer does not thrive satisfactorily with us, and is not 
so very superior to Yeitch’s Perfection. It is useless to sow one 
or two short rows for furnishing these late gatherings, as the 
crops of pods are usually rather thin, fill but slowly, and are 
much preyed on by tits and other birds. Narrow trenches 
similar to those prepared for Celery are suitable for late Peas 
providing the soil is of a somewhat loose character, but are 
of no avail on our heavy land, as the sides are liable to 
shrink and the roots may not be able to leave the trenches 
in consequence. If these trenches could be frequently filled 
with water the case might be different, but it is out of 
the question here. We manure heavily, dig deeply, well break¬ 
ing up the soil, draw rather deep drills, and do not quite 
fill these again. The seed is sown thinly, are staked up in due 
course, the rows are heavily mulched with strawy manure, and 
till such time as plants are strongly rooted into the surrounding 
soil it is considered advisable to heavy water the rows occasion¬ 
ally. The sorts named are not much liable to mildew, and rarely 
fail to yield well. I ought to add that we sow late in May, and 
again about the middle of June. If the early sorts were grown 
these would be sown late in June, and again early in July, such 
sorts as William I. being sometimes sown as late as the end of 
July or early in August, preference being given to the seed 
saved the same season. In this and many others matters so 
much depends upon the soil and climate, and we can only advise 
generally.—W. Iggulden. 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Potatoes .—The early-frame crop is nearly over. If quite matured the 
remainder may be dug up and stored in a dark place for use, and the frame 
filled with Vegetable Marrows, Cucumbers, &c. Early Potatoes in the 
open are most promising. Fortunately we have escaped all late spring 
frosts, and everything has been in their favour. Where there are 
many shoots coming from the side and away from the main stems draw 
them up and let the top growth be confined to the main growths. Where 
* any artificial manure is to be applied to them shake a handful or two 
