90 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 2,1888. 
varieties, and the cultural care exercised, the Potato crop would be 
in great jeopardy at the present time, and 1888 would probably 
have to be added to the disease years of the past ; as it is, we hope 
for a better record. 
CABBAGES FOR SPRING. 
fP Every garden owner tries to have Cabbages for the early 
spring, but all do not succeed, and this is why I am devoting a 
chapter to the subject. The Cabbage is a favourite vegetable in 
market gardens, aristocratic gardens, and with amateurs and cot¬ 
tagers. All that has been written on it would fill a large volume, 
but I venture to think that something can yet be said, and the 
subject is seasonable at the present moment. 
It is often said of extensive classes of vegetables, such as Peas, 
Radishes, Potatoes, &c., that two or three dozen names do not 
represent more than half a dozen varieties ; but in my opinion this 
does not apply to Cabbages. I do not know a class of vegetables 
more distinct, and anyone growing from twelve to eighteen varieties, 
as I have done, can readily see that they vary much, not only in 
appearance, but also in the time they take to gain maturity. There 
are very short and compact-growing ones, of which Ellam’s Early 
is the best type. Then we have medium ones and others which 
gain a great size with loose leaves before they heart. The latter 
are never early, but do well as second or third earlies where space 
can be devoted to them. Ellam’s is undoubtedly very early, but it 
is rather too small to suit some growers. Early York, once a 
favourite Cabbage, is not in favour at present, and never will be 
again. It is too tall, and is very apt to “bolt” or flower before 
hearting. We have lost more of it in this way than of any other 
variety, and they differ much in this respect. We have had whole 
rows of some varieties run to seed prematurely, where others close 
to them were not in any way noted in this respect. All points 
considered we are greatly in favour of Webbs’ Emperor as an early 
Cabbage. It has a capital constitution, it is medium in strength of 
growth, compact, produces a neat conical head, and is exempt from 
“ bolting.” We depend on it as a main crop variety. In the spring 
just past we tried amongst others a new American variety with 
high recommendations, but it turned out one of the most mixed 
and useless we ever had. It is cases of this kind that induce us 
to recommend growers to adhere largely to some well known and 
thoroughly tried sort. When you see a Cabbage produce many 
large loosely arranged leaves it may be concluded that it is not 
good for early spring, and only those which grow compactly from 
the first are likely to prove useful. 
So much for varieties ; now for the time of sowing. Here we 
come to a question of the greatest importance. It will never 
answer to sow Cabbage seed early in July to make sure of the 
plants being ready in good time. Neither will it do to sow the 
seed very late in autumn; indeed, chance sowings must be avoided, 
and the greatest attention must be given to particular dates. We 
have tried them at all times, from the last week in June until the 
middle of September, until we have ascertained without doubt that 
the last week in July and the first week in August includes the 
period when spring Cabbage seed may be most successfully sown. A 
day one way or the other does not make much difference, and very 
little attention need be given to sowing in north or south, as at 
this season young Cabbages will grow as fast in Scotland as they 
will in the south of England, and all Cabbage seed sown now will 
produce plants that will be in good condition by November. It is 
at that time their wintering begins, and if they are dwarf and 
robust then they are sure to be in good condition for heading in 
the early spring. 
A half-ounce or 1 ounce packet of seed will produce sufficient 
plants to fill a large quarter. Indeed, either of these quantities 
would be enough for a cottager’s or amateur’s garden of the ordinary 
kind, and 2 ounces of seed would supply a large garden. The whole 
may be sown at once. Let the ground be well manured and forked, 
and sow in a bed about 4 feet in width. Do not put the seed in 
rows, but sow broadcast very evenly and not too thick, or when 
the plants come up in close masses they are apt to suffer before 
they are ready for planting out. A little soil should be thrown 
over the seed from the sides of the bed, and then beat it level with 
the back of a spade. The young plants will be through the soil in 
a week, and I have known birds pick them up at this time. They 
sometimes destroy a bed before one knows they have noticed it, 
and a little lime or soot should be sprinkled over the plants as soon 
as they appear. If this does not check them place a net over them, 
and keep it on until the plants are several inches high, and on no 
account allow the plants to fail from neglect, as if those fail that 
were sown at the proper time later ones would not be so suitable 
for the spring. I have known caterpillars destroy some of the 
plants too, and they must also be checked by hand gathering. In 
four or five weeks hence the plants will be ready for putting out 
in their bearing quarters^and selecting a proper position is of some 
importance. Remember they will be the earliest vegetable crop in 
the garden next spring, and they should have a very warm sheltered 
position. A moderately rich soil suits them better than too much 
manure, as this only forces them into a luxuriant growth in the 
autumn, which they cannot sustain throughout the winter. In fact, 
I do not like to see the spring Cabbages too large in November, 
and prefer them very sturdy and close in the leaves. They are 
best too -when very dwarf, and when allowed to remain in the seed 
bed until they have stems about 1 foot in length is ruinous. Such 
plants are blown about in the winter time, and never succeed.. 
Although I recommend that the seed be all sown at one time, the 
Cabbages may be planted at different times. We generally make- 
three plantations ; the first as soon as the plants can be conveniently 
handled, the second three weeks afterwards, and the third early 
in the following spring. Should the weather be very variable the 
second plantation may be the best, or vice versa. As a rule, we 
plant at a distance of 20 inches between the rows and 18 inches- 
between the plants. They are put well into the soil, and the soil 
round each is trodden firmly, as they root much more freely and 
securely when in firm soil. Some plants may fail in the rows- 
before the winter is over, and these blanks should be filled from the 
seed bed.—A Kitchen G-ardener. 
STATICE PROFUSA. 
Tnis Statice is one of the most useful of summer and autumn¬ 
flowering plants ; under fair cultural treatment yielding better 
results in the shape of a continued supply of bloom than can be 
had from most plants. As an exhibition plant its merits are 
well known, the same specimen, if kept in good condition, being 
available for show purposes from April or May until autumn. Its 
great merits as a house plant are not, I think, so well known, but 
according to my experience no flowering plants stand employment 
in rooms better. It occupies much the same position as Aspidistras 
amongst foliage plants for good behaviour under a long-continued; 
course of room decoration. 
The culture is so . simple that it would hardly be worth while 
stating particulars were it not that, like all other plants, it shows a 
decided preference for little attentions, which make all the difference 
between securing good healthy plants and those that are not so 
presentable. Taking a cutting in spring (a side slip broken off a 
shoot is best) I find it root quite freely inserted among the sand 
in a propagating pit. Cuttings also strike readily in a stove inserted 
amongst the sphagnum in baskets of Aerideg, &c. When well 
rooted place these into 3 or 4-inch pots ; a compost of turfy loam 
and fine cowdung suits them well in all stages of growth. Pot 
rather firmly ; keep the plants growing freely in a warm tempera¬ 
ture, with plenty of water at their roots, and all flower growths 
pinched off as they appear. A shift into a 6-inch pot will be 
required during the summer, and if well treated the plants will 
commence flowering the following spring, and may be kept in good 
health in the same pots by means of surface dressing of manure for 
a few seasons. However, where young plants can be conveniently 
raised annually these will be better. 
The main thing to be observed with these young plants is never 
to allow them to stop growing summer or winter until wanted to 
flower. A winter temperature of 50 c to 55° is not too high 1 for 
them. If specimen plants are wanted quickly continue shifting them 
into larger pots—a 9-inch size will suit them the second season, and 
an 11-inch the third, after which biennial shifts will do, or the 
plants may be allowed to remain in the same pot for several years. 
The other cultural requirements are seeing that no flowers appear 
until specially needed, that the plant continues growing without, 
check (though during winter only slowly), and to keep the foliage 
free from red spider, which latter sometimes attacks this plant. 
Our plants are freely watered, and during the summer and autumn 
months are supplied with manure. We cut spikes of flowers as 
wanted, and others are thrown up to take the place of those so 
removed. This plant will stand a low winter temperature, but it 
is not good for it; the lowest is 45°, and in February a little heat is 
of the greatest advantage in seciu-ing a finely bloomed Statice through¬ 
out the season. It may be added that in repotting the plants the 
stem should not lie buried, but, on the contrary, kept rather up¬ 
front the soil.—B. 
A DISASTROUS FRUIT YEAR. 
The present season may well have this term applied to it, I 
write from observation of a wide district and reports from others. 
1887 was a splendid season for maturing fruit wood. Grand results 
were anticipated from this, but I fear in the majority of cases these 
