November 15, 1883. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
429 
Mr. G. F. Wilson, have had fine blooms in the shade. No wonder there 
is failure in either of the neglected cases referred to, and that when you 
come to repot a half-decayed bulb only a few shrivelled scales are left. 
This is the explanation of why so many say they find Lilies do best out¬ 
side. But I must maintain, where time can be had for looking after 
their post-floral treatment, there are few Lilies undeserving of a place 
indoors if it can be at all spared for them. No Lily lover would care to 
see his beauties destroyed by the storms peculiar to our climate, or 
splashed with a fierce driving rain. 
As to why I think January and February is too late, when the stalk 
has withered to the surface of the pot and the leaves have fallen they 
should be shaken out. Most of my L. auratums, all L. speciosum, various 
(lancifoliums), and with two exceptions my L. longiflorum and 
L. Krameri were withered thus, and presented a curious appearance 
when the clay was removed. Above the bulb was a large mop-like head 
of innumerable feeding roots ; these should be withered and removed with 
the old stem. On the contrary, the roots at the base are fleshy, sound, and 
healthy, and ready to commence action immediately. The pots should 
be in proportion to the size of the bulb, leaving fully an inch free at the 
top of an 8-inch pot. I find a mixture of two-year-old loam, some peat, 
old rotten frame manure pulverised, and a small quantity of sand to give 
stamina, the best. No water for the present.—W. J. Murphy, Clonmel. 
REVIEW OF BOOK. 
The Culture of Vegetables and Flowers from Seeds and Roots. By 
Sutton & Sons, Reading. London : Hamilton, Adams & Co., 32, 
Paternoster Row. 
As the title indicates this work is not devoted to the propagation and 
culture of plants that are usually raised from cuttings, but to those that 
are raised from seed and by roots, tubers, and bulb3. With the above 
limitation the field is wide, as it includes all the most useful crops for the 
kitchen garden, and most of the popular flowers that are grown for 
greenhouse, conservatory, and room decoration. The culture of them is 
■detailed clearly and well, the result being a sound, substantial, well- 
printed volume of 300 pages, which also include chapters on the 
formation of lawns from seed, the insect pests of garden crops, and the 
fungus pests of certain flowers, these two latter chapters being 
illustrated. 
In glancing through the chapters it is apparent that they have been 
written by competent cultivators, and no one can err in carrying out 
the instructions, except, perhaps, growers of Broccoli in cold northerly 
districts. On page 27 it is advised that “ Broccoli should always be 
planted in freshly made ground, and if it is in some degree rank with 
green manure the crop will be none the worse for it. But rank manure 
is not needful; a deep, well-dug, sweet loam will produce a healthy 
growth and neat handsome heads.” Rank manure and deep digging 
inevitably lead to succulent growth, and just in proportion as this is 
encouraged exactly in the same proportion is the destruction of the crops 
endangered by severe frost. When this destruction occurs, as it has 
occurred over miles of country, varieties get a bad character for being 
tender ; but the cultivators in innumerable instances have made them so 
by treating the plants too generously. They will pass the winter far 
more safely in the firm moderately fertile soil of an open field than in 
the rich deeply dug ground of a sheltered garden. With this qualification 
—and we deem it important—we commend this work strongly as one of 
the most practical that has recently been issued on the cultivation of the 
garden crops and popular flowers on which it treats. It will be well, 
however, to let the volume speak for itself in the form of one or two 
extracts, selected not because they embody the best teaching of the 
pages, but because the subjects happen to be seasonable. 
MAKING ASPARAGUS BEDS. 
After describing what is alluded to as the “ costly character routine ” 
of repeatedly trenching the ground for beds, the author goes on to 
say :— 
“ But we are bound to say that a capital supply for a moderate table 
may be obtained by preparing a piece of good ground in an open situation 
in a quite ordinary manner with one good digging in winter, adding at the 
time some 6 inches or so of fat stable dung, and leaving it thus until the 
time arrives for sowing the seed. Then it will be well to level down and 
point-in half a spade deep a thin coat of quite rotten dung to make a nice 
kindly seed bed. 
“ At this point another grave question arises, which is not for the men 
•of taste, but the men of practice to determine. It is the question of 
■distance, for there are advocates of a space of a square yard, or even more, 
for each individual plant, for which, of course, the plant will make some 
return. But a really profitable crop is of more consequence than a smallish 
supply of monster sticks, for even if these are valued at £3 or £4 per 
hundred, as they sometimes have been, there are not many buyers to be 
found, and they are not wanted, even as home produce, on many tables. 
There is another question, too, as to the width of the beds, and this, of 
course, in part depends on the distance between the plants. But having 
tried many plans, we have come to the conclusion that the best to insure 
a great bulk of good produce with the least expenditure of labour, is to lay 
out the land in 3-feet beds, with 2 feet alleys between. The line is put 
down along the centre of the bed, and the seeds are dropped two or three 
in each hole at a distance of 15 inches. This is repeated at G inches from 
tffe alleys, and the result is three rows of plants, 1 foot distance between 
the inner rows, and 3 feet (including the alleys) between the outer rows. 
In very strong land, heavily manured, a distance of 18 inches in the row 
would be better than 15. For special circumstances a few beds may be 
sown with two rows only, and at 18 to 20 inches distance in the row. But 
the beds should never be more than 3 feet wide, for if that measure is 
exceeded there will often arise an excuse for putting a foot on the bed, 
which is certainly injurious to Asparagus. April is the best month for 
sowing. 
“ When the grass from seeds has grown about 6 inches will be the time 
for thinning to one plant at every station of 15 or 18 inches in the row. 
On this point a remark is needful to this effect—much of the injury reported 
to result from close planting has been the result rather of carelessness in 
thinning. The young plant is such a slender delicate thing that, to the 
thoughtless operator, it seems a folly to thin down certainly to one only. 
The consequence is that two or three, or perhaps half a dozen, plants are 
left at each station to 1 fight it out,’ and these become so intermixed as to 
appear as one, though made of many, and of course amongst them they 
produce more shoots than they can feed properly by the limited range of 
their roots, and all drawing nourishment from the same limited tract of 
ground. Severe, or we may say mathematical thinning, is a sine qua non, 
and it requires sharp eyes and careful fingers, but it must be done if the 
Asparagus beds are to become, as they should be, the pride of the kitchen 
garden.” 
That is excellent advice, as anyone may prove who has fairly good 
soil to begin with, and will carry out the instructions in an intelligent 
manner. We pass to an example of the matter relating to flower culture, 
and the accuracy of the teaching may now or shortly be tested by those 
who have the means for doing so. 
THE CULTURE OF CYCLAMENS. 
“ Cyclamens afford a striking example of the advantages of the rapid 
system of cultivation. Seed may be sown at any time of the year, and the 
plants will not only flower within twelve months, but if properly grown 
will produce more bloom than can be obtained from old bulbs. But we do 
not advise more than two or three sowings. The first and most important 
should be made in October or the beginning of November, and to obtain a 
succession of plants sow again in January or February. The best soil for 
the purpose is a rich sound loam, with a liberal admixture of leaf mould, 
and sufficient silver sand to insure free drainage. Press this mixture 
firmly into pots or seed pans, and dibble the seed about an inch apart and 
a quarter-inch deep. It is a good plan to cover the surface with a thin 
layer of sifted cocoa-nut fibre; this checks rapid evaporation, and keeps 
the surface free from moss. The autumn sowings may at first be placed 
in a frame having a temperature of not less than 45°. At the end of a 
fortnight transfer the pans to any position in the greenhouse or propa¬ 
gating house that is warm and moist. The January sowing should be 
placed in heat at once. 
“Although the Cyclamen is a tender plant it does not need a strong heat, 
and will not endure extremes of any kind. Sudden changes are always 
fatal to its growth. In winter the temperature should not be allowed to 
fall below 56°, or to rise above 70° at any time. The more evenly the heat 
can be maintained the better, and give all the light possible. In summer, 
however, although a warm and humid atmosphere is still necessary, the 
light may "with advantage be somewhat subdued, but this must not be 
overdone, or the constitution of the plant will suffer. 
“ The seed not only germinates slowly, but it also grows in the most 
irregular manner. Sometimes a plant comes up long after others have 
made a good start. Do not be impatient of their appearance, but when 
some of the seedlings are large enough for removal transfer to thumb pots, 
taking care not to insert them too deeply. As the plants develope shift 
into larger pots, ending finally in the 48-size. In the later stages mix less 
sand with the soil, and when potting always leave the crown of the corm 
clear. Keep the plants as near the glass as possible, and when the sun 
becomes powerful it will require attention to provide shade and prevent 
excess of heat. Never allow the seedlings to suffer from want of water, or 
to become a prey to aphis. To avoid the latter, occasional, or it may be 
frequent, fumigations must be resorted to About the end of May should 
find the most forward plants ready for shifting into 60-size pots. Give all 
the air possible to promote a sturdy growth, bearing in mind that fine 
healthy foliage is the precursor of a grand bloom. In doing this, however, 
avaid draughts of cold air. From the end of June to the middle of July 
the finest plants should he ready for their final shift into 48-pots, in which 
they will flower admirably. The growth during August and September 
will he very free, and then occasional assistance with weak manure water 
will add to the size and colour of the flowers. As the evenings shorten 
save the plants from chills, which result in deformed blossoms. 
“ The whole secret of successful Cyclamen culture may be summed up 
in a few words: constant and unvarying heat, a moist atmosphere, and 
abundant supplies of water without stagnation; free circulation of air, 
avoiding cold draughts ; light in winter,, and shade in summer, with 
freedom from insect pests. These conditions will keep the plants in 
vigorous growth from first to last, and will produce specimens of which 
the grower may be proud. The result will be so bountiful a bloom as to 
prove the soundness of the rapid system of cultivation. This routine may 
be varied by the experienced cultivator, but the principles will remain the 
same in all cases, because the natural constitution of the plant gives the 
key to the management required.” 
The above is, we presume, the method that is adopted in growing 
Cyclamens at Reading, where they are annually produced in splendid 
condition. The extracts given are fairly representative of the matter of 
the very practical, reliable, and serviceable volume before us, which is 
sure to be widely read, and highly useful as a work of reference by all 
who desire information on the culture of the most important crops of the 
garden and favourite flowering plants. 
Early Purple-tof Munich Turnip. —Will any of your readers 
who have grown this variety give us their experience of it? I did not 
try it until late in the summer, when I sowed a row or two of it against 
other kinds, and it beat all for earliness. It has a short top, is of 
medium size, and has a bright rosy purple colour on the top of the bulb, 
but the flesh is white. So far as I can see of this variety we shall find it 
very desirable in gardens.—W. D. W. 
