June 25, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
535 
Caladium8. The varieties grown in the Melon house were principally 
Eastnor Castle, and one raised in the place. The p'ants were clean and 
vigorous, and well set with fruit. The bed in the Pine stove was filled 
with fruiting plants, consisting of Queens, Black Prince, Prince Albert, 
and Smooth Cayenne, and the stage at the back with highly coloured 
specimen Crotons, amongst which were fine plants of Wiesmannii and 
majesticus, and a good plant of Stephanotis in full flower. 
The Fern house contained some of the largest specimen Ferns we have 
seen for some time. A Gymnogramma chrysophylla was measured to 
satisfy our curiosity, and was found to be 6 feet in diameter ; Adiantum 
farleyense 5 feet, A. tenerum 7 feet, Asplenium nidus 7 feet, besides a 
collection of smaller plants of the best sorts. The late vinery was 
planted with Lady Downe’s Seedling, Gros Colman, and Black Alicante. 
The Vines were all young and promising. The stage at the back was 
filled with plants, amongst which was a very fine specimen Bougainvillea 
glabra trained in balloon fashion. 
The Cucumber house is used in the early spring for propagating and 
keeping young bedding plants, and for growing Cucumbers during the 
summer months. The potting sheds, fruit room, and seed room are 
enclosed in a yard close to the house. The yard is handy for keeping 
pots, soils, and plants that have made their season’s growth, and for 
hardening off bedding plants. There are two small span-roofed houses 
in the yard. One is used for growing Tea Roses, trained on the roof, and 
Camellias underneath ; the other for Peaches and storing plants in the 
winter. The houses were erected and heated by Messrs. Weeks of 
London, and have given entire satisfaction. Mr. Woodward has had 
charge of the gardens for the last twelve years, and every department 
bears testimony to his skill, taste, and assiduous attention to details. It 
gives one pleasure to visit a place si well kept.—A. P. 
HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITIONS. 
The following list of Shows, with the dates, may possibly he useful for 
reference. 
June 25.—Walton on-Thames. 
„ 27.—Canterbury. Brockliam (Roses). 
„ 28.—Antwerp (cut Roses), (two days). 
,, 29.—Maidstone (Roses). 
„ SO.—Bagsliot (Roses). Colchester. 
July 1.—Royal Botanic Society’s Evening Fete. Croydon. Ryde. Farningham 
Cardiff. Farnham (ohiefly Roses). 
„ 2.—Reigate (Roses). Hitchin. Bath. Sunbury. 
„ 8.—Tunbridge Wells. 
„ 4.—Crystal Palace (Roses). Eltham (Roses). 
„ 7.—National Rose Society, South Kensington. Ealing. 
„ 8.—Wimbledon. Sutton (Roses). Lee, Blackheath, and Lewisham. 
„ 9.—Hereford (Roses). Norwich. 
„ 11.—National Rose Society, Manchester. Sidcup. 
„ 14.—Royal Horticultural Sooiety (plants and flowers). Christleton (Roses). 
„ 15.—New Brighton (Roses). Bedford. Moreton in-Marsh. 
„ 16.—Chiswick. Helensburgh (Roses). Winchester. 
„ 18.—Birkenhead (Roses). 
21. —Newcastle, Staffs. 
22. —Newcastle-on-Tyne. 
„ 25.—Darlington (Roses). 
„ 28.—Royal Horticultural Society (Carnations, Begonias, &c.). Buckingham. 
,, 29.—Aberdeen. 
August 1.—Liverpool (two days). Southampton (two days). 
,, 2.—Antwerp Exhibition of Plants (five days). 
„ S.—Northampton. 
„ 11.—Royal Horticultural Society (plants and flowers). 
„ 19.—Shrewsbury (two days). 
„ 25.—Royal Horticultural Society (Cottagers’ show). 
„ 27.—Ludlow. 
Sept. 2.—Glasgow. 
„ 8.—Abingdon. 
„ 4.—Crystal Palace (Fruit and Dahlias), (two days). 
„ 8.—Royal Horticultural Society (Dahlias and Grapes). 
„ 9.—Edinburgh (two days). Northampton (two days). 
„ 27.—Antwerp (fruit and vegetables), (three days). 
Oct. 7.—Crystal Palace (fruit and Potatoes). 
„ 13.—Royal Horticultural Society (fruit and vegetables). 
„ 27.—Royal Horticultural Society (Chrysanthemums and vegetables). 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Results. —These are now very satisfactory. Tender young Turnips, 
Carrots, Potatoes, Broad Beans, Peas, Spinach, Globe Artichokes, Let¬ 
tuces, Radishes, Cabbages, and Cauliflowers are all abundant in the open 
borders from the spring sowings. There is no time in the whole year when 
vegetables give more satisfaction on the table than at this season, and the 
praise they receive is ample compensation for the anxiety and trouble 
devoted to the nursing of the plants when young. After all, we are never 
satisfied, and always live in hopes of having things better and earlier year 
after year. With this object in view notes should now be taken to rectify 
any little mistake in practice or variety, and consult these before be¬ 
ginning next spring. 
Kitchen Garden Work. —This is not very pressing now. 'Most of 
the crops have been planted and only require attention in earthing up, 
thinning, clearing, and watering as these , operations become due. We 
make a great effort to have the kitchen garden in the best of trim at this 
time, as much time will soon be occupied in gathering small fruits, and 
other work has to give way to this. No one should feel contented where 
their vegetable garden is a mass of weeds at this season. They will soon 
seed and give much trouble. There may be no time to rake and put a 
fancy surface on the ground, but surely the Dutch hoe might be worked 
between the crops on a fine day. This is all that is required. 
Asparagus. —We do not remember a year when this was better than 
it has been lately. It was late in beginning growth, but the growths 
have been uncommonly numerous and extra strong. This we attribute to 
the excellent way the roots and crowns were matured last season. The 
warm weather then suited them admirably. Asparagus is one of the 
most favourite vegetables ; many are so fond of it that they begin to cut 
too soon from young roots, and cripple them before they have become 
established. They should be three years old at least before any cutting 
is done, and then only if they are strong. Late cutting is also injurious, 
and should be stopped at once. If there are two or three strong heads 
coming away from each crown do not be tempted to cut them with the 
hope that others will push up to take their place, as these may never 
come, especially if much cutting has been done already, and the crowns 
will be ruined. A few small growths might come up yet, but they would 
hardly be of a character to improve the plantation, and thi3 is the main 
consideration with all good Asparagus growers. 
As a rule if there is one position more weedy than another in a kitchen 
garden in summer it is the Asparagus beds or plantation, as attention to it 
often ceases as with the end of the cutting of the produce ; but this 
should not be so, as a clean open surface is a very great help. This 
should never be forgotten. As the growths run up and any of them show 
signs of falling over, stake and tie up before this happens. When it is 
raining sprinkle a handful of a mixture of soot, salt, or guano around 
each plant. It will soon be washed down, and stimulate growth 
considerably. There should be no forking done amongst Asparagus 
roots now. 
Matured Crops. —Early Potatoes, Spinach, Turnips, See., are being 
cleared off the ground fast, and it should not remain empty a day. If 
fairly well manured in spring do not fork or dig now, but level with the 
fork or hoe, and sow with Turnips or more Spinach, and keep on planting 
all kinds of winter greens. Gilbert’s Universal Savoy is now being put 
out in large quantities, and so are Autumn Giant Cauliflowers and Self- 
protecting Broccoli. 
Onions. —The autumn-sown ones have now bulbs 10 inches and 
12 inches in circumference, and they are being drawm daily for kitchen 
use. They are very valuable now, and we have never had a more satis¬ 
factory lot. We have not lost a dozen from any cause, and we never had 
so few of them going to seed. Many who sowed early and had larger 
plants than us in the autumn have lost scores of them from the latter 
cause. They have been growing on rich ground, and this is now being 
filled with Brussels Sprouts, which are good large plants, and have been 
transplanted once from the seed bed. Spring-sown Onions are growing 
fast. They are very promising. The seed germinated well, and they 
received no check. A little patch, to which some of Clay’s fertiliser was 
applied, is far in advance of the others. We never severely thin our spring- 
sown Onions. We draw many of them for use as they are wanted, but this 
does not anything like thin them to excess; and by August the majority 
will be clustering together in dense masses. They might come larger if 
thinned more, but we do not approve of very large Onions for general use, 
and the smaller ones are always soundest, and keep best. 
Tomatoes. —These have now formed some fruit in the open. The 
plants are against a sunny south wall, and have only one shoot—the 
leader, which is going up slowly. They should all be out now. In cold 
localities stand a frame-light over them, especially at night, until fully 
established. Nail or tie them up often ; never allow the shoots to fall 
over and become twisted. This retards development and spoils the 
plants. The first fruiting plants under glass may be thrown away if the 
bulk of the crop has been secured, but try and keep a few younger ones 
fruiting until the open-air-grown fruits are ripe. We are now having 
our second batch, and have a third coming on to make sure of a supply 
should bad weather keep back the open air fruits. Thomson’s Vine 
manure is a useful fertiliser for Tomatoes. 
Salads. —These are now much appreciated. The main point is to 
have a constant supply. To have a glut now and none in a few weeks 
hence will never please. Sowing and planting often, and in small quan¬ 
tities, is the secret of successful summer salad growing. Mustard and 
Cress should be sown weekly, and so ought Radishes. Lettuces may be 
sown once a fortnight, and two or three score or more, according to the 
demand, should be dibbled out every ten days. We have sometimes seen 
a very large batch of Lettuces, ten times more than were wanted at the 
time, all in together with no others near them coming on, and it would 
have been far more satisfactory to have them in two or three successional 
batches. 
Earth up Dwarf and Runner French Beans ; stake the latt r. Attend 
well in these ways to the later crops of Peas; plant out more Celery ; 
water the early plants freely. Where any crop has failed lore no time in 
sowing again. Our small early patch of Beetroot is good, but for some 
reason much of the main crop seed has failed, and we are sowing more 
Where Peas are very strong and falling out between the stakes put 
few more stakes here and there to support them. We have had to g 
over many of our rows in this way. 
