334 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Oc* ( bcr 20, 1687. 
keep the ground clean by hoeing, and keep all flower stems picked 
off, the plants will then make numerous shoots close to the soil and 
establish themselves well enough to begin. Pick the leaves at 
the end of the season. In the following spring, after hoeing 
between the plants, place on a thin coat of manure. The leaves are 
much smaller than the ordinary Spinach, but much more numerous, 
and if in gathering the largest are taken, the others will come on 
in regular succession. The plants can either be increased by divi¬ 
sion or seed, but the former is much the better and most expeditious 
way. The month of March or beginning of April is a fit time to 
make a plantation, and it should be removed about every third year. 
—Thomas Record. 
[The plant is Beta maritima, and the experience of our cor¬ 
respondent is both interesting and useful.] 
ORCHIDS AT MYLNHURST, ECCLESALL, SHEFFIELD. 
The owner and occupier of this fine place, Major Blake, J.P., is 
a great admirer of Orchids, and is fast forming a valuable and in¬ 
teresting collection, containing many choice and rare specimens, 
amongst which are two plants now flowering of the rare and beauti¬ 
ful Catasetum Bungerothi. These plants were purchased in the 
early summer fxom Messrs. Stevens as dry freshly imported pieces. 
One of the two has matured a very strong growth equal in size of 
pseudo-bulb to those the plant made in its native home, and which 
produced one spike carrying thirteen flowers. The other plant has 
made two new growths not quite so strong, one of which has two 
flower spikes and six flowers, the other two flowers. The flowers 
are very beautiful and singularly attractive, with the large shell¬ 
like lip, pearly whiteness of colour, and delicious perfume. The 
plant appears to be very free, and will certainly become popular 
as it becomes cheaper and more plentiful. Of Cattleya guttata 
Leopoldi, a fine var., obtained as dry imported piece in spring, is 
now flowering with two flower spikes, one spike having six flowers. 
Ltelia Perrini, obtained at the same time and in the same condition, 
is also flowering with two spikes. A plant of Lfelia purpurata, ob¬ 
tained dry at the same time with twenty old pseudo-bulbs, has thrown 
out ten good leading growths. Four plants of Cypripedium in- 
signe in 91-inch pots are very fine, having extra large foliage and 
an average of twenty fine flowers to each plant. Cypripedium 
Harrisianum, a smaller plant, has twelve flowers ; C. Spicerianum, 
four flowers; Laslia autumnalis, three very strong flower spikes ; 
Laslia albida, a plant in a 12-inch basket, has twelve strong flower 
spikes ; Odontoglossum Uro-Skinneri, just getting past its best, has 
had tw r enty-one flowers on one spike. 
Some fine Oncidiums are flowering. 0. Lanceanum has three 
spikes and eighteen flowers ; 0. crispum, imported dry in spring, is 
now carrying a spike of twenty flowers ; 0. tigrinum has an 
immensely strong spike ; 0. incurvum, very pretty, with seven 
flower spikes ; O. bicallosum, a very effective and beautiful variety, 
with bright golden yello'w lip and orange yellow sepals and petals, 
very crisp curly-looking flowers, 2 inches across, and a rich scent 
resembling Yiolets. Two large plants of Maxillaria grandiflora are 
laden with flowers, about twenty fully expanded on each. 
Lycaste Skinneri delicatissima is a very choice form of this old 
favourite ; a plant here with two leads is carrying five flowers. A 
number of good varieties of Odontoglossum Alexandra are flower¬ 
ing, also Pleione Lagcnaria, Dendrobium Deari, Brassavola 
Martiana, and numerous other good plants. Especially noticeable 
is the free-flowering character of the plants throughout the collec¬ 
tion, and which we think due in no small measure to the extremely 
light and airy houses in which they are growing. Mr. Hernott, the 
gardener, has also been remarkably successful in establishing 
newly imported plants, as many of those I have above referred to 
testify.—W. K. W. 
LONG DROUGHT AND ITS EFFECTS. 
Under the above heading (page 300) Mr. W. Iggulden treats the 
readers of the Journal to an interesting if not amusing recitation of his 
view's respecting the manner in Which a kitchen garden should be cul¬ 
tivated. If our friend is satisfied with the results secur. d at Marston 
by following the method of procedure which he advocates, well and 
good ; but he should not indiscriminately condemn that followed by all 
good kitchen gardeners who have the means at command, including the 
thirty exhibitors referred to, and who have at least given ample proof 
at most of the leading exhibitions of vegetables of the soundness of the 
practice which he would have your readers believe is faulty. 
1 Indeed, the magician must have waved his wand over the kitchen 
warden at Marston this year, for Mr. Iggulden informs us that Let¬ 
tuces Kidney Beans, and Teas have done best on the ridges between the 
Celery trenches during the past summer,” remarking that the Lettuces 
had “ no manure and little else but hard soil to root m, and yet they 
grew to a good size and did not bolt more quickly than usual Before 
I touch farther on this subject I should like to ask how far this state¬ 
ment is to be accepted as evidence in favour of his plea for surface cul¬ 
tivation. Again, we are told in the same and concluding paragraph ot 
what mav be termed Mr. Iggulden’s “ Jubilee contribution ” to kitchen 
gardeners at large, that “ our latest Peas were gatherci1 from rpw S grow- 
ing on unmanured and firm ground, and w'hich but for the birds would 
have continued to yield ” (?). The soil at Marston must indeed be re¬ 
markably fertile and moist, for rows of late leas sown presumably the 
first or second week in June in “ unmanured and firm ground during 
such weather as we experienced throughout the past summer months to. 
have v ielded one creditable gathering- of Peas, to say nothing about 
continuing to yield “ but for the birds.” The conclusions which all 
practical kitchen gardeners will arrive at after reading the above state¬ 
ments is that far better and heavier crops would- have been secured had. 
the ground been deeply dug and liberally manured before being cropped 
Does Mr. Iggulden mean to say that his remarkably heavy crop ot old 
Ashleaf Potatoes which -were lifted from a piece of undug unmanured 
ground, w'ould not have been still heavier and better in quality had the 
conditions under which they were planted been the reverse of those in¬ 
dicated 1 Potatoes we know, though smaller, arc always df better 
quality daring a dry summer. Although one would have thought na 
Potatoes which were “simply laid on the hard surface and moulded 
over” with the burning surface soil would, instead of producing " a re¬ 
markably heavy crop of rather ugly tubers,” have been slowly roasted 
during the past tropical summer, ■■ ■ - T 
Your correspondent says in substance that the practice of successful 
exhibitors of vegetables at'the leading metropolitan and provincial show’s, 
should not be accepted as evidence in the question of .“ deep, against sur¬ 
face ” culture in the kitchen garden. Why not / it. is the opinion and 
practice of men who have and do still distinguish themselves in the cul¬ 
ture of fruits, plants, and vegetables, which are especially worthy ot the-, 
consideration and emulation of all gardeners who not only wish to excel 
in culture, hut who also wish to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion oi any 
question arising out of the cultural details involved in those- subjects. 
Mr. Iggulden says, “ What about the amount of watering, Ac., expended 
over exhibition vegetables ?” What about it, indeed! Does’- not your 
clever correspondent and every other practical gardener well know tear 
any “ amount of watering ” with liquid manure and otherwise-at the- 
roots of vegetables, fruit trees, and plants with the view-of seeming the 
most satisfactory results from the ground cannot be looked upon other¬ 
wise than the right thing to do, whether the produce be lequirod tor ex¬ 
hibition purposes or for home use? He is quite right in saying that he 
“ may be blamed for calling prize vegetables at a first-class exhibition 
coarse,” because, as a rule, the produce in prizewinning collections- 
and single dishes of vegetables combine with size quality, lour corre¬ 
spondent must know very well that only produce of first-rate quality 
will find a place in the prize list at really good shows) and also he must- 
know that large specimens of Carrots, Cauliflower, &c., may be obtained 
without being necessarily coarse, although large specimens- ol kitchen 
garden produce, as a rule] are sent to and cooked for the servants hall r 
while the medium-sized ones are prepared lor the dining-room table. 
However. I would remind our advocate of -‘surface . tickling” that a 
large well-grown Carrot, Parsnip, .Cauliflower, or Cabbage, is not ne?cs- 
sao i 1 y tough and wanting in flavour, neither arc small specimens ot the 
kinds indicated which have been grown in 6 inches or 9 inches deep of 
loose soil resting on a hard pan of “undisturbed’ 1 fortile.soil necessarily 
crisp and full of flavour. When I tell Mr. Iggulden that an experienced 
man (French) cook with five assistants presides over the kitchen de¬ 
partment of the establishment which it is my privilege ami duty to- 
supply with all kinds of garden produce, he will, f think, readily admit 
that 1 am in a position to know what the likes and dislikesof good cooks, 
are in the way of vegetables. 
Our garden soil is light and rests on a gravelly subsoil, and is from 
2 to 3 feet deep. We trench a portion of-our kitchen garden to that 
depth annually, burying therein three good layers of stable dung as th& 
trenching is proceeded with, so that every six or seven years the whole 
of the garden .is trenched, and before the ground is cropped it receives- 
a good surface-dressing of wood ashes. In the trenched ground we plant- 
our autumn-raised Cauliflowers towards the- end o[ February and at 
intervals during the first three weeks in March between rows of Carters 
Telephone. Telegraph, Pride of (he Market, Stratagem, aiid other mid- 
season Peas in drills about 3 inches deep and 2 feet apart, and at the 
same distance in the row. As soon as the Peas appegi*a couple of inches- 
above ground they have a little soil drawn up to them or: each side and 
arc then staked in.the ordinary way. This done, a good mulching of 
dung to the thickness of 5 or 6 inches and about 9 inches wide is laid 
on each side the ranks of Peas. All our previous and subsequent sow¬ 
ings and plantings (for wc annually transplant a good number, of l'cas 
out of pots when about (i inches high) are treated in a like manner 
as regards the mulching of the rows. It may not be without intciest to 
Mr. Iggulden to know that from Peas treated as indicated we gathered 
ample"supplies to meet the requirement's of our establishment during the 
rjast- summer and up to the middle of last month, and we have now 
