JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 22, 1887. 
548 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Asparagus. —Our second plants of this which were placed in to 
force are now ready for cutting, and we shall have abundance at Christ¬ 
mas. Just now it is the most acceptable of all vegetables, and a few 
dishes give much satisfaction. Where the kitchen garden is of good size 
it pays well to raise a quantity of roots from seed annually and force a 
like number of matured crowns. They are not ready for forcing until four 
years old at least, and when beds or plantations become old the roots 
may be all taken up and forced. Our November-forced produce is some¬ 
times not quite so strong as that grown in the spring months, but it will 
grow as freely and strongly in January as in February and March, and 
those with roots to force may begin at once, as the produce now will be 
double the value of the later crops. The best mode of forcing has been 
detailed in a recent number. Asparagus plantations in the open are 
apt to be neglected in winter. We have often seen them with the old 
stems adhering to the roots in March. This is a bad practice, and must 
never be tolerated by those who wish to have good Asparagus. Clean 
all such beds at once, and if there is not enough manure to spread over 
the surface place a forkful over each root. 
Brussels Sprouts. —These are now doing good service in the 
kitchen. They are turning out well, and we consider them one of the 
best of all open air winter vegetables. The side leaves are now be¬ 
coming yellow up to near the top, and these are more injurious than 
beneficial to the plants. They should all be removed, but do not disturb 
the green top, which acts as a protector to the sprouts below, and when 
all have been used the tops may be cut oil and used as well. 
Seakale and Rhubarb. —Both of these are being forced freely, 
and produce will be plentiful at Christmas, but the first supplies will soon 
be over, and if there is plenty of roots do not fail to start some more 
to succeed the last that were put in. Both kinds of roots should still be 
lifted and forced in a dark warm place. As soon as the Rhubarb has 
all been gathered the roots are of no further use, but it is different with 
the Seakale, and if these are taken care of they will again make good 
plants. 
Celery. —Much Celery is grown for use in the autumn months, but 
it is at this time of the year and on throughout the winter that it 
becomes most useful in the pantry as salad, and in the kitchen stewed. 
In the latter way it is a delicious vegetable, and it is altogether so 
valuable, that all who possess a few trenches of it should do their 
utmost to preserve it as long as possible. Hitherto we have not had 
sufficient frost to injure the foliage, and it is still fresh and green, but 
severe frost is apt to make tbe growth pulpy, and after that it is only 
the part that is well buried by earthing that is sound. It is better to 
prevent the foliage being too much injured, and on the first indication 
of severe frost a good quantity of straw or bracken should be spread 
over the whole of the plants. When it thaws and the weather is fine, 
this covering may be removed and placed between the trenches ready to 
be applied again when necessary. 
Broccoli. —We do not remember a more favourable autumn for 
Broccoli than this has been. We are cutting several dozens of heads 
weekly. Yeitch’s Self-protecting Autumn variety was the first to 
afford heads early in November, and although this is not yet over, 
there are others ready, and amongst these Osborn’s is fine, and Sutton’s 
Winter Mammoth excellent. Should frost, however, become general, 
they will cease to do so well, and all that are ready should be used 
with care. Do not send any more to the kitchen than are actually 
wanted, and store all the surplus heads that are ready for cutting 
Cut them with 6 or 8 inches of stem attached, trim some of the leaves 
off this, and insert the stem in damp sand in a cool rather dark place. 
We fill several of our cutting boxes with sand, place a dozen or more 
Broccoli in each, and then move them into a suitable place. We have 
pulled up the plants altogether, tied a piece of twine round the stem, 
and hung it head downwards in a cool shed, but they do not keep so 
well in this way as with the stem in damp sand or leaf soil. If stored 
before becoming too large, or before frost injures them, they will remain 
good for a month or five weeks. 
Root Stores. —When roots are stored that are slightly damaged 
they may not begin to decay at once, but they are sure to do so before 
the winter is far advanced, and the present is a good time to examine 
all roots. The best way is to turn them quite over and re-store, and as 
they are moved throw all bad ones to one side. Onions are not keeping 
so well as we have seen them do after a far less maturing season. The 
earlier varieties are showing a disposition to grow, and when this 
happens they become useless. Any in this condition should be removed, 
and those which are still sound should be placed in a very cool situation. 
A high temperature is ruinous to them. White Turnips of large size 
should be drawn and placed in a cool shed under a covering of straw. 
Swedish Turnips are best left in the ground until far into spring. 
Spring Cabbages. —These are very promising, and as all the blanks 
were filled some time ago our plantations are quite full, but where there 
are still vacancies in the rows they may be filled at once, and a small 
handful of soot should be sprinkled round the stem of each plant. If 
the soil is dry and a little earth can be drawn to the stems all along the 
rows it will assist them greatly when frost comes. 
Salads. —A great deal of these will now be wanted. Lettuce and 
Endive in frames remain fresh and sound. It is important that they 
be kept from damp. Sow Mustard and Cress, as they may always be 
had quickly in a little heat when other salads are scarce. Radishes, in 
the open air ought to be plentiful and good in all gardens. Our China 
Rose variety, sown in September in long rows between Strawberries, is 
now as fresh, crisp, and good as any Radish could be in the most favour¬ 
able month in the year. 
Winter-sown Peas.— Last winter we made one sowing of Peas in 
November, one in December, and one in January, and those sown during 
the second week in December did best, as thej r were the most robust in 
growth and the first to pod in the spring. We, therefore, did not sow 
any Peas in November this year, but a good sowing will be made during 
the second week of December, and we would advise all to try a few rows at 
this time. Only the very earliest varieties, such as Ringleader, William I., 
Sutton’s Earliest Blue, or Carter’s Lightning should be sown. Manure 
the ground well, do not crowd the rows on each other, as they require 
all the light and sun available, and sow in drills 4 inches deep. After 
opening the drills tread the part where the seed will rest firmly, as they 
make the best growth in firm soil, and after putting the soil back over 
the seed surface it with a sprinkling of finely sifted ashes. The young 
plants will push up through these, and slugs and other depredators will 
not trouble them. 
Grub Antidotes. —Everyone who has owned a kitchen garden for any 
length of time soon finds that grubs prove troublesome and destruc¬ 
tive to some crops. This applies particularly to Carrots, Onions, Parsle 
and some others, and wherever their presence is suspected in the ground 
intended for these crops in the coming year an antidote should be 
applied. Gas lime, soot, and salt are three of the materials we use, but 
the first and the last do not suit the crops if applied immediately before 
sowing, and the best way of using them is to dig them into the soil at 
this season, and then the ground will be in splendid order for the crops 
by March or April. As in the case of the other lime we never weigh 
our gas lime as to the rate per acre, but put it on to suit the case, and a 
light sprinkling is sufficient to destroy almost all grubs. The same 
remarks apply to salt, but soot may be used more liberally. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Peaches and Nectarines. — Earliest Hovse. —Cease syringing the 
trees when the flowers show colour, maintaining, however, a moderate 
moisture in the house by damping the floor on bright mornings and 
in the early part of bright afternoons. The temperature may be main¬ 
tained at 55° by day, 50° being sufficiently high for the night, and if the 
temperature falls to 50°, and in very sharp weather to 40 p , it -will be 
more an advantage than otherwise. Examine the inside borders, and 
give, if necessary, a thorough supply of water at a temperature slightly 
in advance of that of the house. 
Second Early Haase. —The trees for affording fruit at the close of 
May or early in June must have their final dressing if one be necessary, 
be tied to the trellis if not already done, and the border inside well 
watered. The house should then be closed, employing no fire heat 
except to exclude frost, damping the trees and house in the morning and 
early afternoon of bright days. Fire heat must not be applied by day 
to raise the temperature above 50°. Protect the outside border with 
dry fern or litter, and if means are at command for throwing off heavy 
rains or snow it will be desirable to employ them. 
Succession Houses. —Push forward pruning and dressing trees after 
loosening them from the trellis, cutting out any weak attenuated wood, 
and where crowded thin well, leaving space between the current bear¬ 
ing wood for training in that intended to displace it. Secure the 
branches at once to the trellis, leaving space in the tree for the swelling 
of the shoots— i.e„, secure loosely. The surface soil should be removed 
down to the roots without disturbing them, and give fresh material— 
good turfy loam with an admixture of well-decayed manure, about a 
fourth, and a twentieth of bonemeal, not covering the roots more than 
2 or 3 inches deep. Carefully examine the inside borders, as dryness at 
the roots will cause the buds to fall later on. 
Houses which are to be started early next year should have the frost 
merely excluded now, completing the needful operations in cleaning, 
pruning, dressing, and tying the trees in later houses. Although the 
trees when at rest should lie kept cool and dry it is not desirable to 
expose them to many degrees of frost, indeed frost should for the most 
be excluded. 
Pigs.—T rees in unheated houses should be unloosened from the trellis 
or wall, have the branches tied together in convenient bundles, and be 
covered with a single thickness of mat and then some dry straw or Fern 
a few inches thick, securing with tarred string, mulching over the roots 
with some short rather littery material to a depth of not less than 
6 inches, which insure safety to the roots, whilst the covering with straw 
or other material will not only insure the branches against frost, but 
tend to a more complete state of rest. 
Unsatisfactory Trees. —This may arise from various causes. It is 
usually on account of the soil. It may be too rich and loose. A dressing 
of lime an inch thick may be pointed in as deeply as the roots will per¬ 
mit without disturbing them much, and after resting a time and when 
in good order tread it firmly. If the trees make long-jointed wood the 
better plan is to lift them carefully and replant, making the soil more 
