268 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 29, 1887. 
a practice afterwards followed by all, an extra prize being conferred 
to mollify my irritated feelinss. But when that true-hearted florist, 
Mr. Chas. Turner, then exhibiting, asked how such flowers were 
produced, it mattered little to me what minor lights thought. 
Now we come to the time, about 18G0, of the raisers of such 
flowers as Willingham Defiance, William Oats, &c. At the modest 
parsonage at Willingham, with its then rector, who had become 
enthusiastic in his love for his pets, they were grown and 
seeded in every corner. He was never tired of corresponding 
about them, and this must have been voluminous between Chater 
and him. Now comes the time when all the southern growers were 
defeated by Hawke ; Downie, Laird & Laing ; Mclndoe, then 
at the Archbishop’s. York and Bishop Auckland stand out 
pre-eminently as the finest shows of this flower in the kingdom. 
The very liberal prizes offered by that society for spikes and 
blooms. During the competition and in 1863 the writer of this 
grew and staged the flowers and spikes spoken of by “ W. D.,” 
which drew from my late friend, Lord Hawke, the remark, “ I will 
beat you next year if it costs me £100.” The next year came. 
Work triumphs sometimes over money, and it is recorded that it 
did so in this instance. 
The Hollyhock at present. The disease has cleared out many 
of the grand old sorts. In looking at the seedlings certificated last 
year as shown, I could, and did wish, in the name given to one of 
them, Revival, it might be such, but I am afraid from my own 
experience during the last twelve years, immediately we begin to 
feed the plants the disease appears, and in a few days we have, in 
moist weather, a mass of corruption. Single or semi-double sorts 
I find resist the disease much more than the full sorts, and are 
hardier, so are the buff and pink. There is no doubt about the 
disease being very contagious. I lost my first here by pur¬ 
chasing seed to produce small plants to graft on. A fresh start 
was made again, from a firm who says, “ They are clear.” This, I 
doubt, and I feel anxious about such grand old sorts as Hercules 
(Chater’s) which has no modern equal.— William Boston, Manor 
Farm Nurseries, Carthorse, Bedale. 
According to Mr. Dean’s request I have much pleasure in 
sending a list of the few old varieties I possess. Old Cygnet, 
with me better than any of the new whites I have yet seen ; Black 
Prince, beautiful colour and spike, but rather thin for exhibition ; 
Decision, puce, shaded salmon, very fine ; Purple Prince, grand 
spike ; Memnon, crimson ; Hercules, rosy salmon, fine spike ; George 
Wilson, good crimson ; and last, but not least, William Dean, 
peach colour, and certainly the best of the old varieties. Should 
w r e all hold to the good for another year I will be pleased to send 
Mr. Dean a box of blooms from any of these old favourites, if he likes 
to communicate with me about the middle of August. Perhaps it 
may also interest Mr. Dean to know the varieties I carried ofE the 
prizes with at our local show on Sept. 6th. They were as follows. 
For the best twelve blooms I staged Duchess, Mrs. Bruce, The 
Queen, Decision, Sultan, Mrs. Edwards, Lady Middleton, Cygnet, 
F. G. Dougal, William Dean, Mrs. Edgar, Mrs. Sharp. For the 
best six blooms I had Model, Mrs. Bruce, Jas. McDonald, Alba 
Superba, The Queen, Hercules. 
Now perhaps I may be allowed to ask Mr. Dean for a list of what 
he considers the best twelve leading varieties at the present time- 
As a florist, his services will, no doubt, often be called upon as 
judge at different shows ; he will therefore have been able to note 
a few of the best varieties. Such a list will be greatly appreciated 
by many amateurs like myself. It is through such notes that 
amateurs who have not the privilege of attending the principal 
shows are assisted in forming their collections. I hope, therefore, 
any other reader of the Journal interested in the Hollyhock will 
give us their experience. We have an election of Roses, Dahlias, 
Pansies, Carnations and Picotees, why not the Hollyhocks ?— 
G. Steel. 
ASPARAGUS CULTURE. 
( Continued from, page 193.) 
Autumn Treatment. —When the haulm is decayed or leafless 
cut it off and burn it. Weeds should be cleared off about the plants 
and the soil lightly stirred, adding soil, if necessary, so as to cover the 
crown 3 to 4 inches. Over each crown a little partially decayed manure 
may be placed, and cap-like so as to throw off the wet. This, however, is 
not a necessity, hut is good in clay soils in throwing off rain and snow. 
The mulching and weeds are to be turned under so as to improve the 
close surface, and on the open one the manure is placed vi hen con¬ 
venient. Avoid applying manure to a close surface, as a loose one 
has the benefit of rain, snow, air and frost, thereby securing the enrich¬ 
ing and ameliorating influences by which food in the soil is assimilated. 
Spring Treatment. —This consists in taking the littery material 
from over the crown, and seeing that the soil is fine and loose to a depth 
of about 3 inches. The remainder of the space is forked over and left 
rather rough, hut not so rough as to expose the roots. The object is to- 
let rain and air have a chance of entering the soil. In heavy sou it 
may be necessary to break the surface finer in April, hut in light soil it 
is unnecessary. Avoid raking, which injures the Asparagus, however 
much it may please the eye. 
Preparing por Cutting. —If bleached heads are wanted cover the 
stools to a depth of 8 or 9 inches with fine sandy soil, leaf soil, cocoa 
refuse, sand, or ashes early in April. The depth is inclusive of that 
over the crowns. This draws the heads up clear and white, and when 
the heads are peeping through, and have assumed the esteemed rosy 
purple or purple tips, the material is drawn aside, and the head broken 
off close to the crown. It snaps like a Carrot, therefore be careful to 
get a grip well down, or cut with a knife. These heads are esteemed by 
connoisseurs ; but the epicure requires quality or flavour along with the- 
blanching. To secure this the bleaching material must be applied a 
little at a time— i.e., when the heads appear give an inch depth, and con¬ 
tinue doing' this until the heads have the required length—viz., (> to » 
inches. This gives the requisite purple tips, and the lower part is more- 
tender and f uily flavoured. It can only, of course, be practised to the 
full extent on the first heads, but the closer it is done the more likely 
are the heads to please. The bleaching material must be removed, 
when it is done with, gradually. This will be about the beginning of 
June, as Asparagus connoisseurs are equally fond of Peas, clearing it all- 
away, leaving the crowns covered with 2 to 3 inches of soil. 
The heads of Asparagus are liable to be injured or destroyed by frost*- 
Flower pots with the hole stopped with hay are useful for inverting 
over them in case of frosty weather prevailing when the grass is coming 
up. They can be used at night and withdrawn by day. It insures full 
flavoured grass being had which otherwise is not attainable in frosty 
weather without employing glass and protection. I have found a little- 
coarse hay or soft straw useful, having the material dry and handy for 
placing over the heads in case of sudden frost. 
Cutting. —In the fourth year of the seedlings and third of the- 
planted roots the heads are fit to cut. They should not be less than 
6 nor more than 8 inches in length. Remove a little soil around the 
base with the Asparagus knife, so as to admit of each head being cut 
without prejudice to other rising heads, or the least damage to the buds- 
and crown. The hole should he closed again after cutting. The first 
heads are good, the second fine, and the third best of all; this in respect 
of their springing from the same crown or buds formed at the base of the 
respective haulm of the previous year. Two cuttings or at most three- 
may be taken, and then we must make a reservation. It is the third 
week in May in an early season, the last in May or first in June in a late- 
season. Let a good head then be allowed to grow, and get all that is- 
wanted to remain within a fortnight—viz., by early June in an early 
season, and by midsummer in a. late season. All other must be cut, 
keeping to the reserve growths. No other must be allowed, unless a 
stronger shoot spring from the base of any of the reserved growths- 
before midsummer, then cut the weaker away, and if a strong shoot spring 
from the base of any reserved shoot after June let both remain. The 
older growth may be cut away in favour of the more vigorous young 
growth, but it can do no great harm by remaining, and certainly will 
tend to maintain the activity of the roots. 
But it may be urged that few can afford to make a reservation so- 
early as the third week in May, or even late in that month or early June. 
Still cutting the finest heads, and making no reservation until the heads 
come weaker, is a sure road to exhaustion and inferiority of produce. It 
is one reason, too, why foreigners are able to supply the markets with-, 
earlier and finer produce. Under the best system at present all suitable 
“ grass ” is cut up to a certain time in June, generally ruled by the coming 
into use of Peas, and is the first to third week according to the season. 
It is not much later—ten days or a fortnight at most—than we advise, 
but there is a lot of difference in the time, inasmuch as all the best 
heads are cut, and the reservations are weaker. From this cause alone 
the Asparagus is often much weaker in the second than the first year of 
cutting. It not only weakens but it causes the Asparagus to come later 
for cutting. However, some will practise it so that I have only to say 
that the best shoots should be retained when the cutting ceases, leaving 
them sufficiently far apart that they will have space for development, 
keeping all weaker cut away as they appear. 
Cutting Early.— Cultivators of Asparagus are naturally anxious- 
to cut as soon as possible after sowing or planting, but I find the vigour 
of the plants is in proportion to that of the roots. In the third year, if 
we are determined to cut and not follow the procedure advised in that 
year, the first heads are good, their cutting causes other to spring sooner 
and better, and its cutting gives a third, and this may be even finer than- 
the second, due to the excitement given the roots by the spring of the 
heads and the more genial weather. The next head that appears is 
weaker. Let it grow by all means, but it will never make such fine 
buds nor give as fine “ grass ” afterwards as if the treatment had beers 
that advised for the third year By letting all the heads grow in the 
third year, and only displacing growths as succeeded by stronger we- 
attain to a much stronger haulm, so that the encouraging of grass up to- 
a certain point has a strengthening tendency, when by cutting it away 
the strong or succeeding growth is encouraged by the nutriment liberated 
and concentrated upon it.— G. Abbey. 
(To he continued.) 
