126 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. t February ir, issi. 
Gloire de Dijon and other varieties, and at the close of last 
year no plants in the collection, not even the vigorously grow¬ 
ing “ old Glory/' were finer than those of Marechal Niel. 
I think they were in 9 or 10-inch pots (but I write from 
memory and am open to correction by Mr. Bardney), and 
there appeared to be two or three growths from the plants, 
each, say, 20 feet long, of short-jointed, firm, matured wood. I 
have not a doubt that if tested one of these plants would 
produce a hundred flowers within three years from the time the 
cuttings were inserted. They were, if I remember rightly, 
struck from young wood inserted in sand and placed in a 
heated pit or propagating house. Mr. Bardney might well 
say when and in what manner the cuttings were struck and 
the plants grown that I saw in such splendid condition. That 
Marechal Kiel will do well as struck from cuttings in the 
manner indicated I know well, having struck hundreds of 
plants, which in due time produced hundreds of flowers ; but I 
never saw plants so fine as those referred to, and I am sure the 
cultivator might usefully detail his practice that has proved so 
sound and successful.—A Rosarian’s Gardener. 
EARLY PEAS. 
I read Mr. Iggulden’s able article at pages 85 and 86 on the 
above subject with much interest, but cannot quite agree with him 
when he says “ that in his opinion late autumn sowing is often a 
waste of labour and seed,” for through the last three severe winters 
late autumn sowing has proved a success with me, but I know 
that early autumn sowing followed by severe winters will often be 
a failure. Early autumn I take to be October : late autumn, 
November. If sown in the former month, the ground being warm, 
the seed soon germinates, and the growth is too high above ground 
to withstand 20° or more of frost, but if sown about the middle or 
third week in November, the growth, if it appears above ground 
before very sharp weather sets in, can be more readily protected. 
I usually sow about three quarts of Peas on a south border 
between the 12th and 20th of November, the ground being dug 
and the seed sown the same day in drills 4 feet apart, and about 
4 inches deep, being about 1^ inch deeper than the usual spring 
and summer sowings. A row of hardy Cos Lettuce is also planted 
midway between the rows. The weather being open and favour¬ 
able the young plants made their appearance about the middle of 
December, and as soon as visible in the rows a draw hoe is taken 
and a little earth is drawn over, enough to just cover them, as if 
this is not attended to the birds will destroy them, and if severe 
weather sets in the frost would pirobably injure them. About ten 
days later the young plants could again be easily seen in the rows, 
when a little more earth was drawn over them, not more than 
half an inch in depth, and soon after this the hard frost and snow 
commenced. Between January the 11th and 17th more than 20° 
was registered each night, and on the morning of the 21st 28° were 
recorded ; but the snow undoubtedly is one of the best protectors 
to vegetation, and when the snow melted the Peas appeared to 
have grown a little. At the present time they are about 1^ inch 
high, and do not appear to have been injured by the weather. 
The varieties sown were William I. and Dickson’s First and 
Best, two quarts of the former to one of the latter. William I. 
appeared above ground a week earlier than First and Best, al¬ 
though sown the same day. Peas sown at this time have with me 
been usually ready to pick a fortnight earlier than those sown of 
the same varieties in the open quarters in February. When those 
sown at that time and in March appear in the rows I draw a 
little earth over them, as I have found it the best method of pro¬ 
tection from birds, but it must be done just when the ground 
cracks and the tips of the shoots can be seen. If cold east winds 
prevail so that little growth is made the birds are often so 
troublesome as to necessitate another covering of earth, but if the 
wind changes round to the south with warm showers the young 
plants will quickly shoot through their covering of earth. This 
method of protection from birds I have found more easy and 
efficient than white cotton or worsted. 
Early Peas I have found will not succeed well if sown on heavy 
land, the wet in my opinion being more prejudicial to them than 
the cold. Several good varieties of Peas have been named of late, 
with selections of vegetable seeds in the Journal, but there is a 
variety generally well known not brought into notice so much as 
it deserves to be. It was considered twenty years ago to be one 
of the best for productiveness and quality, and the same may be 
said of it at the present time. The variety I refer to is Champion 
of England. Out of nearly thirty quarts I sowed last year of 
several varieties this old one was unsurpassed. Of the latest new 
and expensive varieties I have had no experience. Two profitable 
varieties are Auvergne (syn. White Scimitar) and Laxton’s 
Supreme, both from 5 feet in height, but their quality is not so 
good as Champion. Two good dwarf Marrow Peas of the older 
varieties are Yeitch’s Perfection and Yorkshire Hero.—A. Harding. 
LILIUMS FROM SEED. 
The following notes on growing and flowering Liliums from 
seed are the results of my own experience. I cannot state any 
fixed time for the plants flowering after the seed is sown, for I 
believe it varies according to varieties and treatment as regards 
heat and attention. On November 4th, 1872, a quantity of seed 
of Lilium auratum was gathered, and sown on the following day. 
The compost used was equal parts of turfy loam, leaf soil, peat, 
and river sand, adding a small quantity of charcoal. Similar 
compost was employed until the plants flowered, each year using it 
a little rougher than before. Moderate-sized pans were filled to 
within an inch of the rim, and the soil made level. The seed was 
sown rather thickly, and covered a little more than its own thick¬ 
ness with peat and river sand. The pans were plunged to their 
rims in ashes in a cold frame, and after nine days watered through 
a fine rose, and covered thickly with moss and kept moderately 
moist. Towards the end of July, 1873, the seedlings made their 
appearance, and in November of the same year a few of the 
strongest were pricked-off in pans and returned to the cold frame 
and plunged as before. During the summer of 1874 the pans 
were stood outside at the back of some pits, and in December the 
seedlings were transplanted and the pans again plunged in the 
frame. In the spring of 1875 they were stood outdoors in partial 
shade, and during summer a few of the plants formed one small 
flower bud each, but not having sufficient strength the blooms did 
not expand. The plants remained out until October, when all 
were transplanted, the largest bulbs being placed in 48-size pots 
and plunged in a cold frame until March, 1876, when they were 
taken out and again stood outside, and in July we were rewarded 
with some fine blooms. Thus, under the cool treatment, it takes 
three years and eight months to obtain good flowers. I have no 
doubt that by employing heat and paying close attention to the 
plants that L. auratum can be had in bloom in two years and a 
half from sowing the seed, as has been stated ; still, without doubt 
the cold treatment is best. 
We have L. giganteum sown in 1876, and shall expect the 
plants to bloom in 1883 ; L. Humboldti sown in 1877, we ex¬ 
pect to bloom this year, 1881 ; L. pardalinum sown in 1876, 
flowered in 1880 ; L. dalmaticum sown in 1878, we shall expect 
to flower in 1882 or 1S83. L. Krameri, sown in 1877, are as yet 
very small, but may bloom in 1883. 
The L. tigrinum section and L. longiflorum are raised with us by 
bulblets from the stem, and take three to five years to get a good 
flowering bulb.— Thomas Taylor, Gardener to J. McIntosh, Esq., 
Dv/neevan. 
THE USES OF VEGETABLES. 
The practical and suggestive remarks of “Wiltshire Rector” 
in the Journal of February 3rd on the vegetable supply, open a 
wide and important field for discussion. 
Whether or not the demand would keep pace with the supply 
or vice versa were fruit trees more extensively planted, time and 
the future seasons could alone determine. But at least wherever 
there is suitable and unoccupied ground the experiment might be 
tried ; and the advantages to the owner of possessing garden pro¬ 
duce instead of purchasing must be obvious. In fields, pleasure 
grounds, even in parks, Apple trees are as ornamental as Thorn 
trees, Walnut trees are stately and fragrant to the touch, whilst 
Plum and Cherry trees might line our roads as they do so many 
of the highways in Germany and other Continental States. But 
vegetables even more than fruits enter into our daily fare, and 
they would do so still more, as “ Wiltshire Rector ” shows, 
but for prejudice and ignorance as well. 
Valuable, almost indispensable, as the Onion is, many persons 
cannot partake of it owing to its strong and to some repellant 
flavour ; yet were it more generally known that a far more delicate 
and equally efficacious flavour is to be obtained by scalding or 
boiling the Onions first in water or skim milk, they might be even 
more universally used and appreciated. 
Jerusalem Artichokes (amongst the lightest and most digestible 
of vegetables) may be used whole, mashed in fricasees, or in soup 
(enpuree). They hardly require cultivation, only room. 
In rural districts, unless you grow your own, the supply of 
vegetables is very uncertain. Here and there you find cottagers 
sell very fairly, rather under than over the price in market towns, 
