February 18, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
131 
had ample evidence since that it is futile to hope for the absence of 
slugs during the coming season, particularly the black one, which is so 
destructive to vegetation and so difficult to destroy. I hope that my 
experience may not prove general. 
In old gardens, and where the soil is heavy, they seem always more 
abundant than on lighter ground, causing much inconvenience, and 
unless there is time for handpicking in early morning and late evening 
there is hopeless chance of keeping them to small numbers so long as 
our summers are the same as those of the two last years. I notice in 
last week’s Journal a correspondent writes in a very hopeful strain of 
the chance of a partial riddance of slugs on account of the low tempera¬ 
tures experienced during the present winter, but one must not take a 
verdict from such slender evidence as their absence from paths in mild 
weather in winter furnishes, or disappointment will be sure to crop up 
a short time hence, when rain showers are frequent, and vegetable and 
other seeds are pushing through the soil. The frost penetrated deeply 
and gave but slight warning, but slugs remain living witnesses as to its 
ineffectuality of putting an end to their existence, so that gardeners are 
left to deal with them as best they can or as individual conveniences 
dictate, and in many establishments time can be ill spared for a daily 
search among the crops for the purpose of destroying them, a remedy, 
however, more valuable than dusting frequently with substances like 
soot and lime when it can be adopted.—W. S. 
PARSLEY ALL THE YEAR ROUND. 
The Parsley is one of those popular herbs which are used in every 
household, and for various purposes commands a ready and remunera¬ 
tive sale during the interval from Christmas up to the middle or end of 
May. Before and after the above mentioned dates it is in equal 
demand, but being fairly plentiful then, the price realised is small, 
except where large breadths are grown specially for marketing in large 
towns. Then it will yield a fairly good return for the space and labour 
devoted to its culture. However, it is chiefly as a kitchen garden 
plant that I shall treat of it in this paper. 
Parsley makes a very telling edging for kitchen garden walks, that 
is, growing alongside the permanent edging of Box, flints, or tiles, and 
in such positions, as well as in rows 1 foot apart, in borders 8 to 12 feet 
wide, in front of walls or fences having south, west or east aspects. 
However, market gardeners necessarily grow large breadths of this 
much sought after herb in the open field. Parsley will succeed in any 
kind of fairly rich soil between light and heavy in texture, the site 
being, as already stated, well exposed to the south, west or east. In 
private gardens a good supply of curled Parsley throughout the year is of 
great moment, as all professional gardeners know by experience. Every 
year we hear and read of failures in the culture of this very “ homely ” 
plant, failures which, perhaps for the first time, awaken the cultivator 
to a sense of the real value of having a a good supply of this seasoning 
plant, and the necessity for considering or learning how this can best 
be done. The details are not far to seek. Due regard should in the 
first place be paid to the preparation of the ground and sowing the 
seed, and afterwards to carefully tending the cultural requirements of the 
plants. 
As a matter of course, the ground intended to be cropped with 
Parsley should, if necessary, be dressed with well decayed manure and 
dug, the soil trodden when dry enough not to stick to one’s boots, 
raked level, and surface-dressed with fresh soot before drawing the 
drills, 1 foot apart and 1 inch deep, either for the reception of the seed 
or the transplantation of the seedling plants. The latter is the prefer¬ 
able method of procedure to follow both for early and successive crops. 
If the ground is naturally stiff it should, in addition to giving it a 
coating of manure of the description indicated, be dressed with leaf 
mould, burnt earth, or any other light vegetable substance that may be 
at hand, and be ridged in the autumn, levelling it down when dry, a 
few days before sowing or transplanting in spring. 
Two or three sowings in the year will be ample. The first should be 
made in heat towards the end of January or early in February, sowing 
the seed somewhat thickly in an ordinary sized cutting box, efficiently 
drained and filled with light sandy mould, and covering it lightly with 
some of the same compost, making it firm before and after sowing with a 
piece of board. Then water through a fine rose, cover with a square of 
glass, and sufficient moss to exclude light and air, and place the box in a 
forcing house or hotbed, where in due time the seedlings will appear, 
when, of course, the moss should be removed and the glass tilted a little. 
Shade with paper during the brightest part of the day for a few days 
until the seedling plants become inured to light ; afterwards gradually 
hardening them before transplanting out of doors. The second sowing 
should be made in March in a warm corner out of doors, and the third 
about the middle of July. Where the above-mentioned accommoda¬ 
tion does not exist excavate a space of 9 or 12 inches deep, and 18 to 
20 inches square under a south wall or fence, and fill it with horse 
droppings, or a mixture of hot dung and leaves if the droppings are not 
at command, covering this with 4 or 5 inches deep of fine, light, rich 
soil ; and in this sow the seed in the manner indicated, and cover it with 
a square or two of glass, protecting from frost with a mat, fern, or 
litter. As soon as the plants appear a little air should be admitted 
to them to ensure a sturdy growth, gradually increasing the amount 
given until the young plants are finally transplanted. This should 
be done when they are a couple of inches high, setting the plants with a 
pointed stick, either in single rows on each side of walks or in a border 
in rows 1 foot apart and 6 or 7 inches from plant to plant in the rows, ' 
make the soil firm about the roots in planting, afterwards watering 
through a fine-rosed watering can to settle the soil about the roots. By 
sowing a small patch of seed and subsequently transplanting the seedlings 
space is greatly economised, as the piece of ground intended to be 
cropped with Parsley may not be ready for six or nine weeks after the 
time the seed should be sown, therefore it will be readily seen that the 
system recommended has special advantages over the older method. 
Moreover, Parsley transplants excellently if the operation is per¬ 
formed in showery weather and care is taken that the roots are not 
bent in the process. I may here say that some people are very 
superstitious about transplanting Parsley, fearing that something 
bad would befall them in consequence thereof. This, of course, is all 
nonsense. I have followed the method of procedure recommended above 
during the last twenty years with the most satisfactory results, and 
have been the means of inducing hundreds of others to follow the same 
practice with equally satisfactory results. The last planting or sowing 
should be made in a warm and sheltered situation—all the better if in a 
border under a south or west wall, where the plants can be easily pro¬ 
tected from frost by an improvised frame and shutters, fern, long litter, 
or any kind of protecting material. 
In the event of there being a long spell of hot, dry weather, the 
plants—especially if they are growing in a rather light well-drained soil 
—should be frequently watered at the roots, otherwise they make a 
very meagre growth, which will become a prey to mildew. The plants 
should also be kept free from weeds, and have the soil between the rows 
stirred frequently during the summer and early autumn months with 
the Dutch hoe, and old or damaged leaves should be removed as soon as 
they appear to make room for the development of fresh ones, which will 
spring up soon after the old or coarse leaves have been cut over. 
Grubs of various kinds sometimes work havoc among plantings of 
Parsley by eating the top and roots of the plants. The Onion 
maggot being the most destructive. The attacks may be effectually 
averted by strewing fresh soot over the ground just before sowing the 
seed or transplanting the seedlings, and scratching it into the ground 
with a rake. There can be no room for doubt in the mind of any 
practical gardener or farmer as to the value of soot as a fertiliser and 
purifier of the soil when properly applied. I annually surface-dress with 
soot ground being prepared for Parsley, Carrots, Parsnips, Turnips, and 
Onions, and to the efficacy of these dressings I attribute our perfect 
freedom from blemished roots, as few insects of any kind are found 
in ground so dressed. Worms and grubs, as a rule, are only found 
in impoverished soil and ground rendered foul by over-liberal coat¬ 
ings of rich farmyard manure, in which ground grubs and large fat 
maggots are to be found in plenty, as the condition of the root produce 
of such land amply testify. Mildew in Parsley, as in other crops, is 
caused by either excessive heat and dryness at the roots, or by an 
excessively cold and moist atmosphere prevailing during the summer 
months or a portion of them. The leaves most affected should be picked 
off, and the others dusted while damp with flowers of sulphur.— 
H. W. Ward, Castle. 
AZALEAS. 
The first monthly meeting in 1892 of the Sheffield, Hallamshire, and 
West Riding Chrysanthemum Society was held at the Orchard Street 
Museum on February 10th, when Mr. W. Hannah, gardener to T. Wilson, 
Esq., Oakholme, Sheffield, read a brief but interesting paper on “ The 
Azalea.” He first alluded to the merits and usefulness of the Azalea for 
producing bloom from November to May and June with a sufficient 
stock of plants and suitable varieties. He then touched briefly in 
detail on the three methods of raising Azaleas—namely, by seeds, 
cuttings, and grafting. He advised growing Azaleas in a cool house, and 
condemned the system of placing them outdoors in summer, as he 
considered it was the cause of many losses as well as sickly and 
unhealthy plants. As Mr. Hannah is a most successful grower his 
remarks had considerable weight. An interesting discussion followed, 
in which information was asked on the best time for potting Azaleas, 
and the treatment required by imported Azaleas immediately on being 
received ; also on ensuring buds being set early. In reply Mr. Hannah 
said, the way to get eaily flowers was to have early flowering varieties. 
Some were very much earlier than others. Stella was a very good 
variety, so was Mrs. Turner. It was impossible to get the variety 
Brilliant in early. Chelsoni would bloom early. He advised potting 
after blooming. 
Mr. Collier said, one of the earliest varieties he was acquainted with 
was Narcissiflora, a pure white very double variety, resembling a double 
Narcissus. It was earlier than Deutsche Perle. It sets its buds early, 
and blooms in November without any forcing whatever. To have 
Azaleas early in bloom they must make their growth early. He warned 
amateurs against allowing their plants to become dry, but if that ever 
did occur the best way to soak the ball of roots was to plunge it in 
water and let the plant remain some hours. 
Mr. Haigh thought Mr. Hannah had given the essence of Azalea 
growing. He had had many opportunities of seeing his plants, and 
during the season he could always cut abundance of bloom. With regard 
to the treatment of imported plants, Mr. Haigh advised that they be 
potted as soon as possible on arrival. They are then furnished with a 
good ball of fibrous roots. If this ball of roots is dry soak it in water 
and allow it to drain, and then pot. If peat is not at hand leaf mould 
will do as well, but it must not be the fermented kind. Take care not 
to have the pot too large. Many amateurs err in three ways. They use 
