August 11, 1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
125 
flower, which can be cultivated with considerable success, and all must 
be pleased who do succeed. 
The Trilliums are easily grown if you mark the place where they are 
before the leaves are gone, and take them up after the foliage has 
ripened. There are at least three species—T. grandiflorum, T. erythro- 
carpum (Painted Trillium), and T. erectum,and they are all so beautiful 
it is a wonder more are not bloomed in winter. 
Then the Cypripediums. I have three species growing in my 
garden—C. parviflorum (small yellow), C. pubescens (large yellow), and 
C. spectabile (pink, or pink and white). 1 have never flowered them in 
winter, but they adapt themselves so readily to the garden I take it for 
granted there can be no difficulty in so doing. I know t hat C. spectabile 
forms its buds late in the autumn under the old stalk, precisely as 
Arisaama buds are found, and that shows conclusively that one can be 
grown as well as the other. 
Coptis trifolia (Gold-thread) is very attractive, with its dark green 
leaves that shine in the sun as if wet with dew. The flower is pure 
white, and contrasts admirably with the beautiful foliage. 
Mitchella repens (Partridge Berry) is one of the most charming of 
all our winter friends, for we get the persistent foliage, and bright 
scarlet berries ; and then it blooms finely in the fernery (and oftentimes 
out), and we have a combination rarely found, and doubly welcome for 
its beauty and rarity. 
Pyrola (Wintergreen) buds in autumn, and blooms well. 
Violets are so abundant in variety, that we have only to choose for 
ourselves ; but with them, and in fact all that I have mentioned, we 
must make a study of their individual habits, and learn how much sun, 
light, moisture, &c., they require, and give them as fair a chance as the 
flowers we take from our gardens. I do not believe our native plants 
are harder to grow, or need more rest and care, than ordinary plants ; 
but do you think we should take as much pains to grow one of our 
native Cypripediums as we do some of the imported species that are not 
nearly as beautiful ? 
I have no doubt that many of our native shrubs .are as well worth 
growing, both for pleasure and profit, as the Deutzias, Spiraeas, and 
Azaleas. Amelanchier canadensis (Shad Bush) grows and flowers so 
freely, there can be no doubt'about cultivating it. 
Leucothoe racemosa, if only for its mythical relation, might be 
brought into notice. And what more lovely flower in winter than 
Rhodora canadensis, with its rose-purple flowers hi umbel-like clusters, 
blooming before the leaves appear. 
Azalea nudiflora, our pink or purple wild Azalea, grows well in our 
gardens, and blooms when the plants are small, as does, also, A. viscosa, 
the white variety. Both varieties are growing and blooming finely in 
two gardens near me, where there is more or less clay, which goes to 
show that they are not particular as to soil. What, therefore, is to hinder 
growing them under glass as well as the imported species ? I think, 
however, they should be taken up in the spring and grown through the 
summer and autumn, in order to obtain good results. 
Rhododendron maximum adapts itself readily to our gardens, grows 
as well as the kinds we cultivate in them, and is more hardy. Why not 
try and grow it for winter bloom ? 
And so the list might be extended to be quite as long as the list of 
the cultivated plants that will bloom weli in winter. You know, of 
course, I do not mean stove plants, but only such varieties as are ordi¬ 
narily grown in winter. Fashion is all-powerful, and if we-could make 
it more fashionable to wear, or to have on our tables, native Violets than 
the foreign varieties, how the greenhouses and florists’ windows would 
overflow with the modest flowers. Or the beautiful Azaleas, Arbutus, 
or Sanguinaria, instead of Marigolds and Sunflowers. As it is, 1! some¬ 
body’’ starts a fashion and everybody follows it. All the time we 
look eagerly for “ novelties ” from any source, at home or abroad, 
and too often we pay dearly for very little. Why, then, do we not 
begin at home, and see what can be done with our native plants ? 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Autumn-sown Cabbages. —These are favourites in all gardens, and 
wherever a good supply of vegetables is desired they must be grown. 
Their importance may not be considered at the present time ; but it is by 
April or May, when they are producing many tine heads, and there is 
hardly anything else in the garden, that they become so valuable. In 
summer the Cabbage is a common vegetable, and many might not care 
to have them then, but in the spring months they are welcomed on all 
tables. It is because of this that all should be anxious to grow 
them and have them good. We sometimes hear it said, “ My spring 
Cabbages failed, they were sown too soon or too late,” but those who 
grow Cabbages year after year should learn to avoid failures from such 
causes. In spring the season differs considerably in certain localities, 
but just now the weather is much the same everywhere, and there should 
not be any great difference in sowing the Cabbage seed. As to the 
proper time of sowing no one can say to a day, but the whole of the 
autumn Cabbage seed may be sown within a fortnight, beginning about 
the 4th of August and ending by August 18th. Those who sow a good 
variety during the time indicated will not fail to have plants that will 
bear at a time in spring when they are most valued. Webb’s Emperor 
is a favourite early sort of excellent quality, and there are others of con¬ 
siderable merit. In wet weather or in a wet season we sow the seed 
broadcast in beds 3 feet wide, but in this unusually dry weather we 
prefer sowing in drills, as we can open the drills to a depth of 2 inches, 
water them thoroughly, sow the seed immediately afterwards, and cover 
at once. The moisture is then retained, the seed germinates quickly and 
freely, and numbers of young plants are produced in spite of the dry- 
weather. Cabbage plants are often very expensive to buy in the spring, 
but with a little extra attention many of them may be saved. 
Turnips. —The weather is now as dry with us as it has been any time 
this season. Our late-sown Turnips do not grow satisfactorily. There 
are many blanks in the rows, and the young plants appear sickly. We 
shall not trust to them for our winter supply, and as soon as rain comes 
a large quantity of seed will be sown. The variety will be Veitch’s Red 
Globe or the American Stone, as it will be a great advantage to deal 
with a quick-growing variety. If the seed is sown before August is 
over, or even in September, they will have a good chance of gaining 
some size before November, and they will grow up to that time at 
least. 
Endive. —The earliest of these are ready for planting, but they will 
not be disturbed until rain comes. They may be late, but they would 
be later if transplanted now, as it would take them a long time to get 
over the check they would be sure to receive. Sowing more seed, 
however, should not be delayed, and if the drills are opened and 
watered thoroughly before the seed is sown, germination will soon 
follow. 
Plants Going Blind. — No one would think of planting out 
Broccoli, Savoys, and Brussels Sprouts, unless they possessed a good 
centre, but many of them lose this after being planted, and if anyone 
will look over their plantations of winter Greens they will find some of 
the plants only consist of a few outer leaves. They are “ blind,” and 
will never grow or form useful heads. We have known whole quarters- 
affected in this way, and some go in ail gardens. It is an insect that 
causes it, and we save our plants from it remarkably well by dusting 
them frequently with soot until they have gained considerable size, and 
then there is no danger of their failing. The soot plan should be intro¬ 
duced everywhere, and all the plants that have become blind should be 
drawn up and good ones planted -in their places before the season is too 
far advanced. Do not judge the plants by viewing them from the 
pathway, as it is only on close inspection that their deficiency can 
be detected. We have known many remain unnoticed until it was, 
too late to renew them, and blind plants very soon reduce the value 
of Greens. 
Spinach. —We have had none for some time. The dry soil defied us- 
and won. The seed germinated and the plants could be seen in the rows. 
but they never gained any size, and perished from drought. The want 
of it has not been felt, as other vegetables have kept the table well 
supplied, but as Spinach is a favourite vegetable at the table we supply 
we do not intend being long without it. We are just about to sow some of 
the prickly variety. A vacant piece of ground recently cleared of Peas 
will be dug over, the drills will be drawn for the Spinach on it before 
it dries, and this, with the addition of some water in the drills, will 
enable the young plants to make a good start, and they will most likely 
succeed, as the nights will soon become cooler, and this will be in favour 
of all very young vegetables. 
Cabbage. —Peas, Globe Artichokes, and some other vegetables have 
become scarce in many places owing to the drought, and a continuance 
of this may cause a scarcity of many things further on. The remains of 
spring Cabbages may not appear promising at present, but they always 
furnish a large number of useful sprouts, and until it is seen that 
autumn vegetables are likely to be plentiful do not throw the old 
Cabbage away. 
Eably Potatoes. —These are now matured. They are rather small, 
very numerous, and excellent in quality. Should rain come second 
growth would be common amongst them, but the best way of treating 
them is to dig them all up at once and store past. They are dry and in 
prime condition for storing, and the ground from which they are taken 
will suit other crops, which may be put in as soon as it rains. We have 
not seen a diseased Potato this season. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Peaches and Nectarines. —Early Houses .—The foliage of trees 
started in December and early January is now beginning to fall; the 
trees all the same must not lack moisture, affording water or liquid 
manure to weakly trees as necessary to maintain the soil in a moist but 
not a saturated condition, as if too much water is given when the trees 
are to rest and the weather continues hot the excessive moisture at the 
roots is apt to cause premature growth, which must be guarded against. 
It does not much matter about rain, as with it the air is correspondingly 
cool ; indeed rain has a most beneficial and invigorating tendency. As a 
safeguard against starting the bloom buds, allow such laterals as are 
green and unripe to remain as an outlet for any excess of aliment, they 
being equally effective in maintaining activity at the roots. Early- 
forced trees do not as a rule make strong growth, having generally a 
larger proportion of single fruit buds than trees grown under more 
