38 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 
[ January 17, 18S4. 
material to reach it, such as a bed of clay or a gravel walk, and even 
bricks and mortar in the form of solid masonry will not long arrest its 
progress. I have lately found an entire vegetable plot some 40 feet from 
a Vine border almost filled with Vine roots in better condition than they 
were in the well-prepared border. The reason probably is that the 
border, which is in a warm spot and slopes to the south, has at times 
suffered from an insufficient supply of water; the roots therefore travelled 
in search of the needful moisture, and although they must have been 
frequently cut off with the spade, the annual reproductions were sufficient 
to keep the Vines in a fairly good state of health, and Madresfield Court 
especially did exceptionally well. I wonder, too, what plant besides the 
Vine could exist with the scrapings and dressings it has long been 
subjected to. 
Sixth, What fruit besides the Grape, having no natural keeping 
properties, after being severed from the plant will retain all its fresh 
appearance for months by merely inserting its stem in water 1 There is 
another point here, too, which is interesting. Sa long as the stem with 
the fruit on it touches the water the latter remains sweet, at least I have 
proved it to do so for five months without charcoal or anything added ; 
but immediately the stem ceases to touch the water the latter rapidly 
becomes putrid, and this I thiuk points to a certain amount of circulation 
(not mere absorption) between the water and some of the constituents of 
the fruit. We know also that the Grapes if left on the Vine and kept 
from decaying till growth commences the following year will partially 
regain their plumpness, and in some cases under experiment they have 
even absorbed sufficient to burst their skins. I cannot remember any 
other fruit which will do this.— Wm. Taylor. 
AN ESTIMATE OF VEGETABLES. 
Heed catalogues are now being distributed ; many of them are 
works of art, welcome to all, and prove a source of pleasure to 
recipients, yet to some they are bewildering. They are pleasing 
when the cultural notes they contain are simple yet practical, and 
the. numerous woodcuts truthful, while they bewilder the inex¬ 
perienced, especially owing to the great variety to select from, the 
whole being apparently of nearly equal merit. This, to a certain 
extend, is old ground, but those not requiring information in the 
matter must remember that there are many who do. I shall 
endeavour to give an impart'al opinion upon the merits of all, adding 
a few notes to each section. 
Asparagus. —This season we were enabled to decide upon the 
qualities.of the Argenteuil varieties of Asparagus, and find that the 
Early Giant Purple is certainly a few days earlier than any other 
we have, and the Late Giant Purple is also very good, though 
a doubtful improvement on a good selection of the old Giant or 
Battersea, and certainly not so large as Connover’s Colossal. Any 
variety will grow to a good size if allowed plenty of room, and con¬ 
sequently all the old much-crowded beds should be gradually broken 
up and the crowns forced. If a new bed is formed each season one 
of the oldest may be lifted for forcing. Home-raised plants are 
preferable to any bought from a distance, which are almost certain 
to have their roots nearly dried up instead of bristling with lively 
rootlets at planting time, therefore thinly sow a few lines annually, 
one ounce of seed being ample for a small garden. 
Beet has grown much too strongly this season, especially where 
sown by the middle of April. We usually sow an ounce of the 
Egyptian or Turnip-rooted about that time, and the roots obtained 
are very acceptable for the earliest supply. The first week in May 
is quite soon enough in most localities for sowing that best of all 
Beets, Dell’s Crimson, or any of its synonyms, such as Carter’s 
Peifection, Huttons’ Improved Dark Red, and Veitch’s Improved 
Black, while Nutting’s and the strong-growing Pragnell’s Exhibition 
aie best sown about the middle of May. 'the latter is rather too 
coarse, but from our late-sown bed we were able to pick a con¬ 
siderable number of clean handsome roots. 
Kidney Beans. —I still prefer Osborn’s Forcing for pot culture, 
and also for the earliest crops on sheltered borders. Cooling’s Ne 
Plus Ultra will not supplant it for either work. It is not compact 
enough, nor is it. particularly prolific. I should much like to see a 
specimen of it similar to that which is figured in all the catalogues. 
Tor succession and main crop the preference is still given to Canadian 
Wonder and Negro Mammoth Long-podded. In some seasons the 
former, proves the most profitable, and yields the greater number of 
exhibition pods. Such was the case during 1881 and 1883, while in 
1882 the latter was the favourite. That is why both are grown, and 
we are then certain to have one of them very good. Carter’s Long- 
sword, a 'white-seeded Variety, is a profitable variety, especially if 
grown for. the seeds, these being harvested and sent to the kitchen 
when Haricot Beans are required. The White Dutch Runner Bean 
is also preferred to the White Haricot, and is grown especially for 
the seed. Scarlet Champion and Buttons’ Giant White Runner both 
yield abundance of good pods, and are the best, for exhibition 
purposes. 
Broad Beans —The Early Longpod is still the most profitable 
early Broad Bean. Seville Longpod produces much longer and more 
handsome pods, and is early, but with me is shy-bearing unless 
planted out from pots. The finest of all is Carter’s Leviathan, this 
variety under fairly good cultivation producing abundance of long 
straight pods, which attain a length of 12 to 14 inches, and for 
exhibition purposes are unequalled. For the main and late crops 
Broad Windsor Improved and Green Windsor are preferred. 
Borecole or Kale is not much grown here. For the earliest 
supplies I recommend any seedsman's Dwarf Green Curled, while 
for spring supplies the Asparagus, or Buda as it is also termed, is 
invaluable. Both the purple and green forms are perfectly hardy, 
and the late greens yield most abundantly and are delicious. We 
have had it good in June, and during the spring of 1883 was the 
only available green stuff besides Brussels Sprouts. 
Broccoli. —This is always an important vegetable, and not a 
little depends upon the choice of varieties. Veitch’s Self-protecting 
Autumn has been particularly good this season, whereas last year it 
was a failure. A few autumn-sown plants a friend gave me formed 
wonderfully fine heads during September, and were hardly dis¬ 
tinguishable from the Autumn Giant Cauliflower. T he plants obtained 
from the early s] ring sowings hearted-in during November, and were 
not quite finished when the earliest batch of the invaluable Snow’s 
Superb White were being cut late in this month. The weather not 
being very severe we shall continue to cut this hardy soit till 
February, when Veitch’s Spring White should be ready for use. 
The latter is a good variety, one of the best in fact, and to succeed 
it I have Osborn’s Winter White. This dwarf and distinct vaiiety 
never hearts here until early or late in March, according to the 
weather experienced, early sowings not resulting in such early crops 
as the description has led me to expect. We invariably plant a 
large breadth of Leamington, and unless a very severe frost damages 
the rather long stems we are certain to obtain a fine lot of heads 
during March, April, and sometimes into May, a glut rarely occurring. 
Cooling’s Matchless is a fine April variety, so also are Huttons’ 
Perfection and Carter’s Mammoth Hpring White. Of late sorts 
Miller’s Dwarf, from the fact of its being really dwarf, is also one 
of the hardiest, and that is why we grow it. It does not produce 
very good heads. Model is undoubtedly a model late Broccoli, and 
is perhaps unequalled in its colour and quality, so well is it protected. 
Veitch’s Wilcove Improved is also hardy and good, and the same 
may be said of Cat.tell’s Eclipse. Suttons’ Late Queen is very fine 
during May, and sometimes in the early part of June, and is one of 
the hardiest. Ledsham’s Latest of All is dwarf and promising in 
appearance, and if all accounts are true is a very desirable addition 
to our very latest section. If I could procure the true Early White 
Cape this would be grown for storing in frames for use during the 
early winter months, hut w T e get Walcheren substituted for it, and 
this variety invariably hearts-in when we have plenty of late 
Cauliflowers. Penzance Early White is a rank-growing useless 
variety, only a moderate frost cutting it down. Several other cata¬ 
logued sorts are very good, but I give the preference to the com¬ 
mended varieties above. 
Brussels Stoouts. —Veitch’s and Suttons’ Exhibition and the 
Aigburth have all done remarkably well here, but the imported form 
has not been nearly so profitable as usual. The former w r ere at one 
time supposed to be too coarse, but no complaint has reached me this 
season, and now, were I to confine myself to one variety, it would 
be the Aigburth. 
Cabbages. —Ellam’s Dwarf Spring and Reading All Heart have 
been the best tins year, and I much like a small unnamed variety 
received for trial from Messrs. Hutton, but as this firm does not 
favour us with the names of their novelties they ought perhaps to 
be omitted. London or Rosette is still about the best of the Cole- 
w’oits. Chou de Burghley grew to a great size, much too large in 
fact, formed large and close conical-shaped heads, and when 
thoroughly cooked were of very good quality. It, however, does 
not get beyond the servant’s hall, and at that rate docs not pay for 
the room occupied. 1 have seen plenty of neater heads or mongrels 
among a breadth of early Broccoli growing near the town of 
Frome. 
Carrots. —There are not many varieties of these to choose from, 
and of these few I rely almost exclusively upon the Nantes Horn. 
It is the best for forcing in frames, and the best for early, main, 
and late crops in the open ground, all that is necessary being to sow 
the seeds at intervals from March till late in June, the principal 
breadth being sown early in the last month. It is preferred to all 
others in the kitchen, and by sowing frequently w r e have nearly 
always fit for drawing an abundance of very tender and sweet young 
roots. I usually grow a few Long Surrey fur keeping in case of 
failure near the end of the season. 
Cauliflowers. —The best of these for growing in frames and 
