April 11, 1805. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
311 
with well decayed manure and part of the soil taken from the trench, 
bringing the whole level with the surface. The plants ought to be placed 
1 foot apart, and thoroughly watered in. 
When the plants are making free growth the ground should be 
mulched with long litter to prevent the moisture escaping. About once 
a week liquid manure should be given. About seven weeks before the 
show preparation should be made for blanching. After all uselers 
leaves and side growths have been removed, take long strips of brown 
paper and bind this round the plant, not too tightly. This will be 
found an excellent substitute for soil, as no worm or slug marks will 
be found, and the blanching will be more effectually completed. It is a 
difficult matter to say which are the best varieties to grow, as I think 
with Celery it is more a question of good culture than variety. The 
varieties that I grow are Sutton’s Solid White, Major Clarke’s Red, and 
Sulham Prize Pink. 
Leeks require much the same cultivation as Celery ; the only differ¬ 
ence ii in the blanching. After they are planted in the trench paper 
■collars should be put round the neck of each plant, to prevent the soil 
reaching the centre of the Leek when earthing up, also to help to keep 
the leaves in an erect position till once the blanching is completed. 
When the Leeks have started to grow freely, draw up these collars once 
a. fortnight, at the same time adding more soil until the blanched parts 
are about 12 inches in length. They like abundance of liquid manure, 
and should never be dry at the root. Of varieties Sutton’s Prizetaker 
and The Lyon are both popular. 
Carrots, Parsnips, and Beet. 
The system that I adopt to have these clean and straight and of good 
flavour is as folloivs :—In the early autumn the ground is thoroughly 
trenched to the depth of 3 feet, but no manure given. In the early 
spring the soil is forked over and rolled firm, then with a round iron 
bar holes are made about 3 feet deep and 6 inches wide at the top for 
Parsnips, and half that depth and width for Carrots and Beet. These 
holes are filled up with a mixture of burnt soil, wood ashes, and a little 
soot put through a fine sieve, with an addition for the Parsnip of a little 
decayed manure, and dropped into the bottom of the holes. 
At the proper season for sowing four or five seeds are placed on the 
top of each hole, and the young plants are thinned to one when large 
enough to determine which is the best. By this method there are no 
atones or rough lumps to obstruct the tender point from going down 
straight, and no fresh manure to induce forking near the surface, and 
yet there is sufficient nourishment in the mixture to sustain the plant 
during its growing season. As an experiment I had some holes made 
5 feet deep, and some of the Parsnips measured ■! feet 7 inches, which 
shows the depth they will go if they only get the opportunity. 
Parsnips are best sown as early as the state of the soil will permit, 
Carrots not before the beginning of April, and Beet the last week in 
that month or first week in May. As regard varieties of Parsnip The 
Student is best, while for Carrots New Intermediate, and Beet 
Pragnell’s Exhibition and Blood Red. 
Tomatoes. 
Tomato seeds should be sown in a little heat, very thinly, about the 
beginning of March, and when the young plants are fit to handle, potted 
in 3-inch pots, and immediately they are realy for another shift into 
■5-inch pots. For exhibition they are best grown in an intermediate 
or a cool house, where they can enjoy abundance of air. It is a mistake 
to have the soil too rich to begin with, and if they are to be planted out 
better have poor soil and moderately firm, as they make shorter jointed 
wood and set freely. They are best trained to a single stem. 
When a good crop is set thin out all deformed fruit, when feeding 
■may commence. It is a good time then to give them a top-dressing of 
manure, and when the crop is swelling freely, ample liquid manure 
should be given to encourage the fruit to swell to a good size. Very 
often it is found difficult to have sufficient fruit ripe at once for certain 
shows. Any that would be too early should be packed in tissue paper 
and sawdust just when beginning to colour, and stored away in a dry 
room. In this way they keep in sound condition for a month or more, 
and will be found in perfect condition when they are taken out. As to 
variety, none excels Perfection when in good condition.— James Gibson. 
—(^Read at a meeting of the Croydon Gardeners' Mutual Improvement 
Society). 
SUPERNUMERARY VINES. 
Where new vineries are made or old ones replanted a good oppor¬ 
tunity occurs for the employment of supernumerary canes. There is 
more advantage in having a double set of rods in a vinery than many 
persons appear to think. When extra canes are planted there is not the 
necessity for cropping the main Vines so heavily, and they must thus 
benefit by the indulgence. Presuming the border is inside the house all that 
is required is to add a few feet to its width for the extra Vines. Lean-to 
vineries of good width are the most suitable for this douole cropping 
method. 
Where the border is, say, 10 feet wide, the Vines intended for per¬ 
manent occupation are, as a rule, planted within 6 inches of the front 
wall and the supernumeraries 5 or 6 feet from them. Instead of 
cutting down the latter, as is usually the custom with the former, at 
least 4 feet of cane is retained. If the Vines are extra strong a couple 
of feet more may be left, securing them to stakes up to the wires under 
the roof. Growth is confined strictly to the uppermost shoot on the 
cane, and this after the first season’s growth may be shortened to from 
3 to 6 feet, according to their strength. Tuese canes will provide at 
least half a dozen bunches the following year. Such a crop of fruit 
must be an advantage, and in the meantime the more closely shortened 
permanent rods are being strengthened. As these extend upwards the 
temporary Vines will require some of the lower spurs cut off annually 
to give additional light and space to the main rods. The supernumeraries 
are made to fruit further upwards yearly until they are finally ousted by 
the permanent Vines requiring the whole of the space. 
In more instances than one I have fruited these extra Vines for 
eight years, and with such results as to justify a continuation of the 
practice described. Varieties that ripen heavy crops of fruit satisfac¬ 
torily with a minimum of labour expended are the most suitable, such 
as Black Hamburgh, Madresfield Court, Alicante, and Lady Downe’s, 
with Foster’s Seedling as a white variety.—E. M. 
From Mr. J. H, Hislop I have received one of his specially designed 
9-inch flower pots, which is fitted with a water-holding rim inch wide 
and 1 inch deep. By keeping this rim full of water earwigs are prevented 
crawling on to the plants. If these pots can be sold at a reasonable price 
they should be a boon to Chrysanthemum cultivators. Earwigs have 
wings, and sometimes use them, but the common mode of travel is by 
crawling. The rim around the pot would easily be kept supplied with 
water when applying it to the plants. During hot weather the water 
would evaporate, but this would ooviously be advantageous to the plants 
rather than otherwise. 
Decorative Chrysanthemums. 
Many varieties of Chrysanthemums of great beauty are not large 
enough for exhibition stands, but their value ought not to be overlooked 
for house decoration. Among them are the following 
Mrs. Conway. —Soft yellow in the centre, fading almost to white at 
the tips ; truly a charming variety. Dwarf and free. 
Gcetano Guelfi.—A.% a white flowering decorative variety this is un¬ 
excelled ; the narrow, twisted, drooping florets render it quite unique. 
Terra cotta and old gold colour, flowers of medium size, 
with drooping florets. 
Charles Blioh.—Oae of the best of yellow flowering varieties for 
decorative purposes. 
Mr. T. W. Sanders.—A. handsome variety with long drooping florets ; 
the colour, a soft shade of canary yellow, is most pleasing. 
H. Shoe smith.—Lig'a.t buff yellow with gracefully drooping florets. 
Challenge.—A. late flowering American variety that should prove 
valuable ; the colour, deep yellow, is most desirable. 
Marie Louise.— white, drooping florets ; late flowering. 
Souvenir de Madame Rwffier.—Intensely rich crimson or wine red 
florets, which recurve gracefully, 
a. Everard.—Ttr& plum coloured florets are quite distinct from any 
I know in the whole of the Japanese section. 
W Firkins. —A lemon coloured sport from Bouquet des Dames, which 
is in itself a serviceable variety ; much better cultivated in Scotland 
than in England. 
George Goodson.—A. golden yellow bronze shaded sport from La 
Triomphante, of compact growth and free flowering. All the above 
belong to the Japanese section. 
The N.C.S. Jubilee Exhibition. 
I observe that the Society purpose offering most valuable prizes, to 
be competed for in 1896. This early notification of the course the 
schedule will take is commendable, and will serve to put rntending 
exhib’tors on the ll^li vice as to the behaviour of the newer introduc¬ 
tions in the various sections. Such experience will enable them to 
master any peculiarity of treatment required. I am pleased the single- 
flowered section is given such a prominent place as this early notice 
sueeests. If the Committee can see its way clear to issue the prize 
schedule early in December at the latest, it will have done a good 
deal toward insuring success, and clearing itself of the remark often 
heard, “ What is the use of sending out the schedules so late as this I 
One does not know what to grow.” 
The note I have penned herewith is the more justifiable when we 
take into consideration the fact of_ the Society offering prizes for 
varieties in cultivation when the Society was first established. I trust 
the Committee will make itself perfectly clear on this point as to 
how the sorts are to be included or stipulated for. would be a 
city if such a point was left to mere guess work. Of this, though, 
I do not doubt. From what I have heard I expect to see not only 
a moat liberal, but a model prize schedule.—E. Molyneux. 
