October 7, 1880 . ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 323 
off under glass. The corras are not expected to be large this year, 
but that is not a matter of much importance. I keep the stock in 
a perfectly cool room, the corms being laid out singly on shelves, 
there they remain until growth commences in spring. Varieties 
such as Colbert and Shakespeare start before the others, and some 
growers advise planting at different periods, commencing as early 
as February with the first batch. I do not find this necessary to 
insure an early bloom, as, like Potatoes, some varieties arrive at 
maturity much quicker than others, and very early planting 
causes them to make a dwindly growth, consequently I do not 
think it advisable to plant before April. I have in previous years 
set out our stock in clumps in borders. In addition to the usual 
winter double digging and dunging given to the borders for other 
occupants, soil was taken out in spring where the Gladiolus clumps 
were to be planted, and about a barrowful of fresb loam, dung, 
and soot was placed in each hole, mixing the natural soil slightly 
with it. From six to twelve corms were planted in each hole so 
prepared. This is a plan I can recommend to growers of small 
quantities as yielding excellent results with little labour. Our 
collection is getting somewhat large now, and I grow them in 
lines in a prepared piece of ground, but it is possible the clumping 
system may be reverted to. 
In preparing for growing them in masses in lines or beds the 
ground is trenched about 2 feet deep, turning over the bottom of 
the trench and adding dung ; I to 6 inches of dung ought to be 
worked in whilst the trenching proceeds—I prefer a mixture of 
manure from the stables and cow houses. Fresh soil added to 
the bed is always beneficial. Before the time for planting out 
arrives a dressing of a couple of inches in depth of old Mushroom 
bed manure should be worked in to the depth of 7 or 9 inches, 
mixing the manure well in. This dressing is of great benefit to 
the plants in the earlier stages of growth. Draw* the rows 
15 inches apart and deep enough to allow a layer of coarse sand, 
and the corms to be 4 to 5 inches below the surface when covered. 
As growth progresses a surfacing of horse droppings which have 
been prepared by heating in heaps will be of much advantage. 
The way I have supported our plants this season was by placing 
strong stakes 20 feet apart in the rows and running a strong 
string from stake to stake about 2 feet above the ground level. 
The spikes were then securely tied to the string. I found this a 
neat and effective mode of support, and that it took very much 
shorter time than it would to put single stakes to each plant. 
Growers for exhibition generally give quantities of liquid 
manure to their plants. I am very doubtful if it is necessary ; it 
certainly is hurtful to the stock. Our plants were only watered 
once about the end of August, and very many spikes were pro¬ 
duced with from ten to thirteen flowers open at one time and 
fresh. Dewy nights and warm days is the weather which pro¬ 
duces the finest spikes. A newspaper fixed like one of the caps 
common on the 5th of November on each spike as the first flowers 
open, gives sufficient shelter to those intended for exhibition. 
Spikes at their best may also be kept for a few days in a cool 
cellar ; they can also be forwarded by cutting and placing in 
bottles of water in a hothouse. Those which have only three 
blooms open can be expanded in a cool room, but the individual 
flowers are not so fine in this case. Some of the old varieties are 
still the best, such as Shakespeare, Madame Desportes, Madame 
Basseville, Meyerbeer, and Octavie hold their own against most 
of the newer varieties. “ D., Deal," is still working amongst the 
Gladiolus. We will doubtless hear what his experience has been 
with them, and the varieties he considers best in time for buyers. 
—R. P. Brotherston. 
VEGETABLES IN 1880.—No 2. 
TOMATOES. 
No vegetable ever became so rapidly popular in our gardens 
and markets as the Tomato. True, it is not a new introduction ; 
but until very recently it was only cultivated by a few, and 
growing it for market was hardly ever thought of. Now the 
demand for Tomatoes is not confined to large towns, or their 
cultivation to large gardens. A few years ago all the varieties in 
cultivation might have been counted on the fingers of one hand, 
but now they are nearly as numerous as of Melons or Potatoes. 
There is hardly a gardener who has grown them for a year or two 
but now grows one of his own “ raising ” or “ improving,” and 
many nurserymen give long lists of Tomato names. After trying 
a score or more “ varieties ” and “ selections ” I have come to the 
conclusion that good varieties might still be counted on the fingers, 
and for ordinary cultivation and general supply a few really good 
varieties will prove more satisfactory than a large and mixed 
collection. 
Trophy, in its original form, is still one of the best. It grows 
robustly, fruits freely, is of good shape, attains a large size, and 
possesses fine flavour. Criterion is another fine easily-managed 
variety, and so is Carter’s Greengage. The former is a very deep 
salmon colour ; the latter is bright yellow, and for flavour un¬ 
equalled. These three most distinct and meritorious varieties 
should be grown by all who cultivate Tomatoes. Stamfordian is, 
according to my experience of it, straggling in growth, shy in set¬ 
ting, and. very uncertain in fruiting—that is, the fruit does not 
come in clusters like the others, and those which do swell have 
become all shapes and forms. Some are of fine shape and splendid 
size for exhibition purposes, but except for this it will not 
repay the grower. Nesbit’s New Victoria and all those of the 
“ Cherry ” section are very ornamental and useful where Tomatoes 
are valued for dessert; but for general or extensive kitchen use 
they cannot be recommended. Large Red, a very free-fruiting 
sort, is too much furrowed to commend itself. America appears 
to be the head quarters of the Tomato family, and I have more 
faith in good varieties coming from there than this country. 
A new one introduced from there this spring by Mr. Gilbert of 
Burghley, and named “ Paragon,” does credit to its name, as it 
seems likely to be one of the finest Tomatoes in cultivation. I 
have numerous fruits of it at the present time ripe against the 
open wall, and some which I cut measured 18 inches in circum¬ 
ference and weighed about 1 fb. each. 
Anyone with a good Melon pit may easily have Tomatoes all 
the year round, and those with no glass at all may have them on 
the open wall from the beginning of August for the next four or 
five months, as the supply of ripe fruit can be extended by cutting 
all the green fruit before the frost injures them, and hanging it up 
in a dry room to ripen gradually. I have had plants fruit very well 
-as standards grown here and there on a border and trained up a 
stake, but growing them against the south aspect of a dwelling house, 
glass house or wall is the surest place for them doing well. Good soil 
at the root and a restricted top growth produces good results ; 
when allowed to run wild they are useless. Some of my plants 
growing underneath standard wall trees are little more than a yard 
high with a single stem, and they are bearing as many as thirty- 
four good-sized fruits. To secure early crops the best way to grow 
the plants is in pots. Seed sown in January will soon germinate 
in a gentle heat, and the young plants produced being potted on 
as they become ready until they are in 8-inch and 10-inch pots 
will bear ripe fruit in April. They should be grown in a compost 
of two parts loam and one of decayed manure. Early in the 
season they must be placed in an unshaded position, and all 
superfluous growths be removed as they are formed ; other batches 
may follow in pots throughout the whole season, as this is an 
easy and profitable way of growing them at all times. My plants 
in pots are generally placed in corners about the houses where 
no other plant would pay for attention. Much fruit has been 
gathered this season again from plants in pots along the back 
wall of a lean-to vinery. Those with plenty of other means to 
grow them may laugh at placing them in such a position, but 
where houses are limited and it is desired to make as much of 
every corner as possible the plan will amply repay a fair trial. 
Where fruit is grown for everyday kitchen use it is necessary 
to try and have one lot succeeding another in a small continuous 
quantity; but when they are grown to preserve, excepting what is 
wanted occasionally for immediate use, one large quantity at any 
time will answer the purpose, and these may be gathered from 
out of doors if grown to come in about the present time. Working 
on this plan the earliest fruit will be had from plants in pots ; that 
for preserving from the open air, and the later supplies must also 
be had from indoors. These may also be grown in pots like the 
earliest, as they are always handy in them to shift from a cool to 
a warm corner as the weather may dictate ; but where an ordinary 
good Melon or Cucumber house exists they will do here better 
than anywhere else. They should be planted out in the bed like 
Cucumbers and trained thinly over the wires. Many do not cul¬ 
tivate Cucumbers after this time. Let them clear them out now, 
and if they have any Tomatoes in pots plant them in their place. 
Large Tomato plants may be transplanted in this way, and old 
plants if becoming exhausted in pots when planted out soon 
make fresh growth, and are far better for winter fruiting than 
tender young plants. I do not think this plan is often tried, but 
it deserves to be. Any temperature between 40° and G0° will 
answer in winter. Watering must be done carefully, and moisture 
should not be overabundant in the atmosphere. 
KIDNEY BEANS. 
Like Tomatoes these have been much finer out of doors than 
last year. Then Dwarf Beans did fairly well, but Runners were 
nearly a failure. This season both have been most abundant. As 
a Runner Carters’ Champion has done remarkably well, the blossom 
not dropping much without forming pods, as is frequently the 
case ; and the pods, besides being abundant, become of large size 
