502 
[ December 8, 1892. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
preparation consists in turning out a spit of soil where each row 
is intended to be sown. Then the soil in this narrow trench is dug 
over, the Peas sowd, and covered more or less deeply according to 
the time of year. The space between is then dug, and sown with 
such crops as Spinach, Lettuce, or Turnips, which invariably do 
best throughout the summer months when sown in freshly dug 
soil. The later crops of the latter named are sown as Potatoes are 
lifted, the ground receiving no other preparation than smoothing 
any irregularities. Although the ground for Cabbages and Cauli¬ 
flowers cannot be too well worked before planting, I do not favour 
loosening soil for Broccoli. Neither do these require any manure, 
though on one occasion I secured a crop by applying such late 
in the autumn. This particular case was one in which the 
plants made no growth, and would have been on the whole a 
failure if a good dressing of manure had not been applied. 
Brussels Sprouts are a most important crop with us—small hard 
sprouts and plenty of them. The ground for these does not 
require to be dug. Our crop has been grown on the same spot for 
ten or a dozen years, and in that time only once has the soil been 
loosened. The method pursued is to set out the young plants in 
the furrows, thus changing the exact position yearly. An 
occasional dressing of cow manure is spread over the ground. In 
some soils this practice might not succeed, but it yields us an 
unfailing supply of the right kind of sprouts. Leeks have become 
an important vegetable of late years. The best method with these 
is to apply a very thick dressing of cow manure to the ground 
some time in the spring, and to dig this in just deep enough to be 
out of reach of the roots of the young plants when put out in the 
summer. Leeks require to be grown quickly in order to be really 
good. To Celery the same remark applies, and manure must be 
used in the same way. 
In all cases where manure is necessary it is the best plan to 
apply heavily, say at the rate of 40 tons per acre as a minimum. 
The after result is that several crops can be taken off the same 
pisce of ground without adding more manure, and in many cases 
without doing more than loosening the soil sufficiently to allow the 
young plants to take root. At the same time every gardener 
ought to have command of fertilisers to apply as required. Super¬ 
phosphate of lime i 3 the cheapest of all, and in some soils is the 
only one that it is necessary to apply. A very slight dressing is all 
that is required to make a notable increase in the size and quality 
of the crop. For Cauliflowers and Lettuces in early summer, 
.a Bprinkling of sulphate of ammonia or nitrate of soda is effective 
and works wonders in a very short time. No winter crop should 
be dressed with either of these, at least if necessary they must 
be applied in the summer, as in the case of Celery which ought to 
be dressed only when planted. My plan is to get the trenches 
ready, the manure dug in, and lines drawn off. Then the manure 
is sown thinly along the surface of the bed to be planted ; and 
in planting out the Celery the manure is sufficiently worked into 
.the ground. 
For Celery and Onions I have employed at various times super¬ 
phosphates alone, and also in combination with sulphate of 
ammonia ; the latter also alone, basic slag alone and in combination 
with the sulptate. The latter mixture ha 3 yielded the best 
results. The way it is used is to sow the slag flour first and then 
the sulphate, as the two when mixed run together at once. Where 
these manures are employed lime is not required. Lime should 
po employed cautiously, as it destroys the nitrogen stored in 
,the soil. A large amount of caustic lime is present in basic slag, 
as much as 75 per cent, in some kinds, and this is always more than 
.sufficient for a series of two or three crops. I have had quite as good 
crops from a dressing such as recommended above as from one of 
an expensive proprietary manure sown alongside, with the advan¬ 
tage of early ripening of the crop so dressed with the former. A 
quarter of Onions treated as above will be in first-rate condition 
for Cabbages. A slight loosening of the surface soil is all that is 
Required to prepare it for the latter crop.—B, 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
Having arrived at the resting period of most hardy florists 
flowers, we have time to review the work and experience of the 
past year, and to formulate our plans for next season. We have 
about twelve weeks to pass quietly, and then we start again with 
renewed vigour and determination to excel our past efforts. I am 
confident that florists’ flowers are coming to the fore again. I 
venture to say the modern school of florists will proceed on broader 
lines than their predecessors. Take the Carnations, for instance ; 
the border varieties have become very popular. Anyone who saw 
the last Carnation exhibition at the Drill Hall could not fail to 
notice this. I have little doubt we shall see the competition improve 
yearly. 
In the Auriculas, again, the popularity of the Alpine classes 
cannot be denied ; their culture is steadily increasing, to the detri¬ 
ment of the show varieties. It is not enough nowadays that a plant 
is difficult to cultivate, or that everything must be in a subordinate 
position to mere form, to constitute a florist’s flower. 
Again, we turn to the Pansy. Who will venture to say this 
flower is not rising again ? The recent formation of a Pansy 
society for London is sufficient evidence in itself to prove its 
increasing popu'arity. I am looking forward to their first 
exhibition, for I know the future of the society is in the hands of 
an energetic committee, with the assistance of Mr. G. M’Leod. 
But will they take up the show Pansy ? I fear not, but rather the 
fancy varieties, with their relatives the Yiolas. It will be interest¬ 
ing to watch the movements of this society for a year or two. 
The modern Cactus or decorative Dahlia bids fair to eclipse the 
show forms in a few years, unless a reaction sets in. As garden 
flowers they are certainly more suitable for modern tastes and 
requirements. 
One dare hardly draw a comparison between the Chrysanthe¬ 
mums of the past and those of the present. I met an old grower 
recently who was bemoaning public taste of the present day ; he 
was one of the choice spirits who used to meet at the east end of 
London with the late Mr. Shirley Hibberd, “ Daddy Broome,” 
George Taylor, and others, in the early days of Chrysanthemum 
growing. He was a successful exhibitor of trained Pompons in 
his day.— James B. Riding. 
PRICES AND QUALITY OF APPLES. 
Tiie actual price yielded by the fruit from the trees of Domino 
referred to on a former occasion was 4s. 6 d. per bushel. There is 
a difference between 43 . Gd. and 6 s., but there is a still greater one 
between 4s Gd. and 2s. Why do we find Apples giving a profitable 
return in one case but not in another ? I write “ profitable ” 
advisedly, for 4s. Gd. per bushel is a paying price, and when it is 
considered that the fruit is gathered from trees growing in an 
exposed position where few others would succeed the figure reads 
still better. 
Mr. Kruse thinks that Apple growing is only likely to pay the 
large grower with abundance of capital. This is a most 
disheartening reflection, for it means that, as in so many other 
things, special individual skill is to be swamped by large accumu¬ 
lations of wealth. But is so miserable a conclusion justifiable? 
Emphatically no. One of the largest fruit growers in Kent told 
me a few weeks ago that too many Apples were being grown, that 
they hardly paid now, and that in a year or two, with planting 
going on at its present rate, there would be gluts of fruit, and 
heavy losses. As illustrative of his remarks, he stated that this 
autumn such leading varieties as Ecklinville, Stirling Castle, and 
Lord Grosvenor had only brought 2s. Gd. a bushel, and at such a 
price it would not pay to invest any labour on pruning, manuring, 
and other cultural matters. So far some justification of your 
correspondent’s conclusion. But compare it with the report of 
another grower ; and, mark this, a grower with not a sixth of 
the land under his management that the other has. No. 2 has 
secured 63 . per bushel average price for Ecklinville, Lord 
Grosvenor, Stirling Castle, Mank’s Codlin, and others, the 
varieties including the same as in the other case. 
Again I ask, Why the difference ? The soil may not be quite 
the same, despite the fact that the two farms are not far apart ; 
but so far as my observation goes, the one is favoured just about 
the same as the other. We must therefore look beyond that. It 
is methods of culture that explain the extraordinary variation in 
the returns. The one grower thinks he cannot afford to give the 
trees any attention, notwithstanding the fact, which is well known, 
that his working capital is large. The other does afford it. His 
trees are models of admirable management. They are pruned on 
the simplest of all systems—that of restricting them to a few 
widely disposed branches, thinning-out instead of cutting back the 
superfluous growths. The cost for labour in this direction is small, 
for the work is straightforward, and is quickly done. Light and 
air have free access to the trees, and their growth is sturdy, firm, 
and well matured. Then prompt and efficacious remedies are 
applied for keeping insects in check. In this respect, as in others, 
an endeavour is made to keep abreast of the times, and every new 
discovery is fairly tried. Turning to the soil, its treatment is such 
that the 100-acre farm resembles a huge garden. Weeds and 
noxious growths are kept down, the surface of the soil is stirred 
to facilitate the ingress of air, check the too rapid evaporation of 
moisture, and disturb lurking grubs. Last, and perhaps most 
important, judicious feeding is practised. Trees that are w r ell 
weathered have an Increased tendency to fruitfulness from the 
harder and better ripened character of their growth as compared 
