September 22, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
259 
attacks of which they are liable when subjected to the somewhat close 
■warm temperature of a forcing house. 
Marguerites, Eupatoriums, Salvias, Schizostylis coccinea, and Deutzia 
gracilis, where planted out during the summer months, should also be 
potted in the manner indicated, putting tufts of the Schizostylis into 
4£-inch. and 6-inch pots, as these are the most convenient sizes for 
decorative purposes. The Schizostylis is an excellent decorative plant, 
the small spikes of Gladiolus-like scarlet flowers thrown up well above 
'the grass-like foliage show off to great advantage when associated with 
flowering plants of Bouvardia Humboldti corymbiflora (white), and 
such plants. By potting the Deutzias at once the plants have time to 
■thoroughly re-establish themselves in the pots before they have shed 
their leaves ; this is preferable to potting them immediately after the 
fall of the leaf for putting into the forcing house shortly after. 
In conclusion, it is very advantageous to all the plants named that 
they should have a good interval of rest before being introduced to the 
’forcing house, as better results are obtained. I may also add that the 
cultural remarks given above as to shading and watering at the roots 
are applicable to all the plants mentioned.—H. W. Ward. 
CABBAGES, SPRING versus AUTUMN PLANTING. 
The severe winters we have recently experienced have brought 
forcibly to the minds of gardeners the necessity of paying special 
attention to the production of spring Cabbages, and considering the 
probability there is of having another trying winter it behoves us to 
review the methods of procedure practised in the past, and to try if 
possible to improve upon them. One of the surest ways of doing this 
during such exceptional winters as the last two is to get the plants 
thoroughly established before severe weather sets in. Then, if they 
have been grown sturdily, they seem to be proof against any amount of 
frost. Should the weather, on the other hand, continue mild, a large 
percentage of such early plants will sometimes bolt. Careful cultivators, 
therefore, put themselves on a safe footing by making two or three 
sowings. 
Plants raised from the later sowings are usually put into their final 
■quarters as soon as they are large enough, which is often during October, 
and during a severe winter two-thirds of these late plants are killed. 
The practice of putting the early raised plants into their permanent 
quarters as soon as they are large enough is undoubtedly the best one to 
adopt in their case ; but I hold the opinion that later plants should be 
treated in a different way, so that we may ensure their safety in winter, 
and yet have them quite as early in spring—in fact, earlier than they 
would be if treated in the ordinary way. A good breadth of our earliest 
plants have already been planted out, and the remainder will be com¬ 
pleted in the course of a few days. Plants from the next sowing are 
just large enough for pricking-out, and the latest batch are now showing 
their first rough leaf. None of these will be planted in the open ground 
till spring. They will be pricked out on a warm sunny border, from 
4 to 6 inches apart, according to their size, and, judging from my experi¬ 
ence on a small scale last year, almost every plant will survive if a 
similar winter is experienced. These if lifted carefully with a trowel 
and put into their permanent quarters next February or March, as soon 
as the weather is favourable, will grow away unchecked till ready for 
use, and will follow the earliest-sown plants closely.—H. Dunkin. 
THE WEATHER OF 1892. 
The weather provides some interesting facts from time to time, as 
all will agree. The present year stands out as an exceptionally dry one, 
so far ; whereas in 1891 we had, up to the present date—September 16th 
—ninety wet days, and consequently 168 dry days, or less than a record 
—viz0-01 of rain, this year we have registered but sixty-six days on 
which rain fell; the number of dry days has consequently been much 
greater than last year. The total quantity of rain registered last year 
up to the date quoted was 1910, while this year we can reckon but 13-05. 
Curiously enough the month of August is noteworthy as being productive 
of more rain than any other month up to the present date in both years 
—viz., 6 69 in 1891, and 3 31 for this year. Last year this total was 
only topped once in any month—October—when 8-28 inch was recorded. 
There is but a short time left now for the average rainfall of this part 
to be made up, and we are considerably behind at present. Nov that 
harvesting is all but completed, a continuous rain for forty-eight hours 
would do good by moistening the soil to a good depth and rendering 
planting of trees a much easier and safer operation for those who are 
about to engage in the work. 
May has this year proved to be the driest month as yet; only 0 72 inch 
was recorded, this falling on two days only, which left us with twenty- 
nine dry days ; and as the three last weeks were exceptionally hot 
vegetation was impeded, especially the planting of flower beds. The 
greatest amount of rain which fell in one day was P07 inch on August 
27th ; the nearest approach to this was 0-71 inch on July 16th. It will 
thus be seen that rain here has been scarce, but when we were 
experiencing such drought in May farmers in some part 3 of England— 
for instance, Lincolnshire—could scarcely get on some of their land for 
days together owing to its wet state; they were envying the tropical 
heat here, and we lamenting the surplus rain they were experiencing. 
The month of February in both years was very far from fulfilling 
the old saw of fill dyke.” Last year not a drop of rain was 
registered during the month; this year but 0 99 was the total. 
Although we may not have had any day during the whole of the present 
year so hot as that registered on June 19th, 1891, when the maximum 
heat was 91° in the shade, we have certainly had many hot days and 
perhaps more regularity in the registering of hot days than in 1891. Our 
greatest maximum record this year was 89° on June 28th. 
Taken altogether we have had warm nights, although the thermo¬ 
meter fell unpleasantly near freezing point on four occasions. This 
month on the morning of the 8th it registered but 4° above freezing on a 
hill 395 feet above sea level. I should think in the near valleys it was 
but little short of actual frost. The 15th of June and the 18th of that 
month this year will long be remembered by some, the thermometer 
falling to 28°, working sad havoc with many crops, Potatoes especially.— 
E. Molyneux, Bishops Waltham. 
PENTAS CARNEA. 
When visiting the gardens at Parkside, Huyton, the residence of 
J. A. Wilcox, Esq , M.P., 9ome well-flowered plants of this most useful 
and free-flowering stove plant interested me very much, and led me to 
wonder why it was not oftener met with in places where tkere is rcom 
to grow it, for it is scarcely ever out of flower, and its beautiful lilac 
heads will vie with many plants taking up far more room, and far 
harder to cultivate. Although preferring early spring for the propaga¬ 
tion of this plant, still if cuttings of the half ripened wood can be 
secured now, there is no reason why a commencement should not be 
made. Either insert the cuttings separately in small pots in a mixture 
of leaf mould and sand, or place five or six in a 5-inch pot. Bemove 
the pots to a propagating case, keeping them fairly moist but not too 
much so, or the cuttings will damp to a great extent. In a few weeks 
they will be rooted, when they may be transferred to small pots, using a 
mixture of loam, leaf mould, and sand. If they are kept steadily grow¬ 
ing throughout the winter, and the points pinched out, they will by 
the turn of the year have grown into useful little plants, and may be 
removed into pots a size or two larger. In these pots a portion may be 
allowed to flower, and others may be kept pinched until about the end 
of June or beginning of July. By that time they will be ready fora 
shift into 8-inch pots, using for a compost three parts loam to one cf 
leaf mould and sand, with a little charcoal added. As the plants grow 
and the roots begin to fill the pots, a little liquid manure will help to 
strengthen them, and if they can be kept in a warm frame for a month 
or so during the summer so much the better, as it will harden the shoots. 
They should be taken into the stove for the autumn and winter, by 
which time the grower will be rewarded with abundance of charming 
flowers.—R. P. R. 
MALSHANGER PARK. 
This really beautiful place is the residence of \V. S. Portal, Esq , 
and through the kindness of Mr. Kneller, the gardener, I had the 
pleasure of going round the garden a few days ago. Good things are 
always to be found there well grown, but just now some are extra good. 
In a span-roof house is the finest crop of the best-shaped Tomato I 
have ever seen. The variety is Sharpe’s Plentiful, a greatly improved 
variety of Perfection. The fruit is hanging all over the home like ropes 
of Onions, of the most beautiful shape and colour. This house is alone 
worth a journey to see. Next comes a vinery, and as only one house 
can be devoted to Grapes, to keep up a supply as long as possible early 
and late varieties are grown in the same structure. Though not usually 
seen good together, I was surprised to see all finished and finishing well. 
Plenty of air and water are, I think, the secret. The next house is 
devoted to plants, and is just now full of really well grown Zonal 
Pelargoniums, which appear to be another of Mr. Ivneller’s specialities. 
Grand trusses of such varieties as Norah, Aurora Borealis, Kate Farmer, 
Mrs. Pearson, Queen of the Belgians, Plutarch, and Queen Matilda make 
a splendid display. Another small house is devoted to Cucumbers, 
planted with a variety of Mr. Kneller’s own raising, the result of a cross 
between A1 and Model. The plants are now a little pasttheir be3t, butthere 
is still plenty of fruit to show the excellence of the variety, which is very 
free, with a short neck and as straight as a gun-barrel. It will make a 
first-class exhibition variety. Mr. Kneller is to be congratulated on 
securing such an acquisition. 
As these notes were only intended to be short, time will not permit 
of a description of everything that is well done at Malshanger. Passing 
to the kitchen garden we came to the exhibition Onions, and wonder¬ 
fully well they looked. Mr. Kneller is a well-known expert at Onion 
growing, and it may not be out of place to mention that twelve Onions 
grown by him turned the scale at 30 lbs. His best varieties are 
Deverill’s Ailsa Craig, Anglo-Spanish, and Rousham Park. All kinds of 
vegetables are well grown, annually taking first prizes at the leading 
shows. Last year Mr. Kneller was successful in securing a valuable 
gold medal for a collection of vegetables at Reading. A very fine row 
of Scarlet Runner Beans attracted my attention. I found that the 
variety was another of Mr. Kneller’s careful selections, this time from 
Ne Plus Ultra. The young pods average nearly a foot in length. I 
believe the stock is likely to be distributed by Messrs. Sharpe & Co. 
Beautifully kept turf walks run through the centre of the kif chen 
garden, on each side of which is a fine collection of herbaceous p’ar.ts 
and annuals for cutting purposes. Very conspicuous are large plants of 
the Globe Thistles, Ecbinop9 Ritroand ruthenicus, Achillea,Eupatorium, 
and Golden Rods. A description of the charming flower garden sur¬ 
rounding the mansion, with the many fine views, must be left over for a 
future occasion.—G. Trinder, Dogmcrsfielfl, 
