73 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January SI, 1884. 
leaflets and almost black stems. A. leptopliylla belongs to 
the same group, differing from those previously mentioned 
in its possession of a short stalk to each leaflet and the 
absence of the teeth along the margins. Although the 
plants above named are distinct from each other when young 
it is not unlikely that they are forms of one variable species, 
the Aralias being known to be somewhat heteromorphous in 
a juvenile stage. So far as is known none of these plants 
have borne flowers in this country. 
A. Guilfoylei is a variegated-leaved species, of handsome 
appearance when young. The foliage is pinnate, the leaflets 
being serrate and margined with white, the inner portion 
being here and there splashed with grey. A. reticulata has 
long linear entire foliage, and is rather graceful in habit, 
but is used principally as a stock upon which some of the 
kinds are grafted. A Chabrieri is a recent acquisition, and 
is a handsome fine-foliage plant. The leaves are arranged in 
a distichous manner along the branches, and are narrow- 
linear in shape, their colour being olive green with the 
midrib and nerves of dull reddish tint. In addition to these 
there are A. Osyana, a dark-coloured digitate-leaved species, 
with ovate-lanceolate leaflets ; A. splendidissima, a large- 
growing species with gigantic foliage like Ash leaves; and 
several others, none of them being worthy of particular men¬ 
tion. Those plants which are called Aralias, but which 
belong to the genus Panax, such as A. filicifolia, &c., are 
purposely omitted here. A. sonchifolia, a curious-looking 
plant with irregularly shaped and blotched foliage, belongs 
really to the genus Meryta. The plant known as Terminalia 
elegans is most likely a species of Aralia, and may be 
increased by grafting it upon Aralia Guilfoylei, although it 
strikes fairly well in the spring. 
For the propagation of the stove Aralias grafting must be 
resorted to, at least for some of them. Those which may be 
raised from cuttings are A. Guilfoylei, A. reticulata, and 
A. Chabrieri. The young stems of these may be cut into 
pieces with about three buds to each, and if possible foliage 
also. Plant them in pots of silver sand with a little peat 
below it, in which the roots will be able to find nourishment 
when they have formed. A close frame or bellglass should 
be placed over the cuttings, and a temperature of 75° main¬ 
tained, with shade from sunlight and a saturated atmosphere 
kept about them. When strong enough, the two first men¬ 
tioned species may be used as stocks, upon which those 
requiring to be grafted should be worked. Cut off the top 
of the stock to within 2 inches of the soil, and select stocks 
and scions of about equal thickness. A single bud with a 
portion of the internode below it is sufficient to form a scion. 
Splice grafting is the most convenient for these plants, and if 
neatly performed the union will be almost imperceptible 
when the plants have grown a little. Place the newly 
worked grafts in a handlight or frame similar to that 
advised for cuttings, and subject them to the same treatment. 
In about a month the union will be perfected, and the plants 
may then be placed in pots of convenient size, using a mixture 
of loam and peat in equal parts, with a sprinkling of silver 
sand. When the plants are ready to shift into larger pots a 
little dried cow manure may be mixed with the soil. A well- 
drained compost, so that plenty of water may be supplied to 
the plants without any danger of sourness or soddenness 
resulting. A tropical stove temperature with a saturated 
atmosphere and shade from bright sunshine are the condi¬ 
tions necessary to the successful cultivation of stove Aralias. 
As the plants increase in height their foliage becomes larger 
and less graceful, so that it is always a good plan to cut 
them down and graft them again. If the stocks are too 
thin to take the stem of old plants, then, instead of cutting 
the stem down, remove the top and graft it upon one of the 
strongest stocks ; the latent buds on the stem will then push 
into growth, which when long enough may be worked on to 
stocks. Unless a large number of plants are required this 
latter plan is by far the best, as the side shoots take quickly 
and commence to grow at once. A. reticulata is the most 
suitable stock for A. Yeitchii and its variety gracillima.— 
W. W. 
FORCING VEGETABLES. 
To have an abundant supply of really good forced vegetables 
during the winter months—say from the middle of November 
onwards—is by no means a difficult task where there are ordi¬ 
nary means at command, so that the amateur or cottager may 
have a fair supply without taxing his skill to any great extent 
or by giving much labour. Having occasionally been put to the 
test, when renovating old pla ‘es or forming new ones, of pro¬ 
ducing abundance, our inventive powers have been called into 
action to supply articles from the garden much in request during 
winter. Last season, probably more than at any other period 
in my recollection, I had to apply rough and ready means to 
meet the demand. 
Mushrooms, perhaps the finest we have seen, were from 
boxes filled with ordinary stable manure trodden firm and 
treated in the usual way, the lids being kept close till the Mush¬ 
rooms appeared. They supplied abundant crops of remarkably 
large Mushrooms, much finer than on ridges formed in the old- 
fashioned system largely practised by market men, which we 
also had recourse to; but while a place is swarming with trades¬ 
men even these ridges are in the way. Where there are sheds 
or other erections where Mushrooms can be cultivated it is 
generally preferable to grow them in such places, as ridges give 
much trouble uncovering to gather the crop during inclement 
weather, and it is only in few places where space can be afforded 
to have littery ridges standing about. In stables, cowhouses, 
and similar structures we have had all we could desire in the 
way of Mushrooms with a minimum of trouble or expense. 
Seakale-forcing, though simple, is done less successfully by 
amateurs than might be expected. Some proprietors will insist 
on having it forced in the old-fashioned way with pots and 
fermenting material, because they maintain that blanching is 
more complete, and the appearance is better when served, and, 
we may add, often more tender than what is forced in Mush¬ 
room houses and other heated structures. Last season we 
placed a few boxes with close-fitting lids in a heap of fresh- 
collected leaves, placed the roots of Seakale closely and up¬ 
right in the bottom, with room for the crowns to sprout about 
8 inches or so. The whole was covered with more leaves and 
some branches of trees placed over them to prevent their being 
blown about by wind. The produce was excellent. Other 
means were adopted to meet our requirements, such as a square 
pit dug out and lined with boards and covered with leaves and 
litter, and later in the season the crowns were packed close and 
covered with old partially decayed manure, which answered well; 
while in the open ground soil is drawn over the crowns, where 
they grow and blanch easily In strong clay or marly soil this 
method does not suit well. A covering of clean leaf mould, 
old tan, such as is usually adopted when Hyacinths (are newly 
potted, is preferable to using the ordinary soil. 
Rhubarb was lifted intact, packed closely together, covered 
with strong crates, leaves and fitter built round them, and some 
litter thrown over the top, which was easily removed to gather 
the Rhubarb, which was in great abundance from the beginning 
of Decern er till it was gathered in the open ground. Some 
roots placed in boxes in a shed where the mechanics assembled 
to have their meals did fairly well, but not equal to the roots 
placed in crates. A baker in our district told me he sold over 
£10 worth of Victoria Rhubarb last year raised in a corner 
behind his oven ! In such positions much care is necessary to 
prevent the stalks becoming dry and tough. Plenty of moisture 
judiciously applied obviates the evil. 
Asparagus was had in quantity by placing a square box 
about ■■ a foot deep over a heap of collected leaves mixed with 
a little litter, on which the roots were packed in the ordinary 
manner and covered with light soil. A mat did duty instead of 
glass, and while weather was severe extra covering was added. 
Peas for planting out in March were raised in an outhouse 
sown in boxes thickly, and when the Peas were through the soil 
they were placed in front of an old building with pieces of wood 
in short lengths placed along, resting on the wall, to keep the 
coverings off the Peas, which were exposed during the day when 
mild but covered at night. About the middle of March these 
Peas were planted out and closely staked, and we never remem¬ 
ber seeing Peas grow so freely. They began to yield pods about 
the 21 th of June. The season was late, and said to be the 
coldest spring and summer ever remembered in this district. 
Now that new structures have taken the place of “ makeshifts,” 
bottom aud top heat of the most modern and efficient construc¬ 
tion, an abundance is supplied with a minimum of trouble ; 
