November 1, 1888. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
413 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Winter Radishes.— In many cases it is a difficult matter to keen 
up a supply of Cucumbers, Lettuces, Endive, and other salad plants 
throughout the winter, but Radishes may be secured by all, and a few, 
when gathered daily, always give satisfaction. At present we are 
gathering the Red Globe in good condition. It will last into November, 
and the China Rose will then come in. The former are swelling freely, 
and therefore the last sowing made three weeks ago will be ready about 
January j but, as a rule, all Radish seed is sown too thickly. They come 
crowded, and the tops screen the roots so much that instead of bulbing 
they only remain thin and unfit for use. They will do this in summer, 
but they are more inclined to it in autumn and winter, and the rows or 
bed should be thinned before the plants injure each other. Every plant 
ought to stand clear of its neighbour, and when this arrangement is 
carried out in good time each one may be sent to table. 
Protectors. —Of late the weather has been excellent, but a severe 
frost may occur any time in November, and all should be prepared for 
this. See that a good supply of covering material is convenient to be 
used at an hour’s notice. Bracken is our favourite protector for ground 
covering, and we often place it over framelights and handlights as well. 
We cut several waggonloads of it in the park, and store it in an open 
shed when it is dry, and we find it invaluable before the winter is over. 
When it is spread over the crowns, of Salsafy, Parsnips, Radish, and 
Celery, it prevents the frost penetrating the soil and preserves the 
vegetation. Mats are also useful in this way, but only old ones should 
be used for ground covering, as the wet soon causes good mats to decay. 
They do not suffer so much on frames, and as a substitute for them we 
have had some light hurdles made and filled with drawn straw. These 
keep out a great deal, of frost. Ashes keep the frost out of the soil 
remarkably well, and if a layer is spread along each side of the rows of 
any kind of roots the frost will not readily penetrate to them. 
Stored Onions. —These are not keeping so well as in some former 
years. Some which appeared to be quite matured and likely to keep for 
many months have sprouted at the top. This is particularly the case with 
those that are thick in the neck, and as their growing produces a certain 
amount of moisture in the heaps the whole should be turned, and every 
one that shows any disposition to grow taken out. Spread the sound 
ones well out and admit abundance of air. 
Cattliflowek. —As is usual at this season Veitch’s Autumn Giant 
3S heading excellently at present. As an autumn Cauliflower it is 
unique, but we find it turns in more quickly than it can be used, and as 
this may not be the case long, as a severe frost may check them, the 
surplus heads should be preserved. We have saved them from a slight 
frost for many days by half breaking some of the large leaves and 
turning them over the heads, but this does not check their developing, 
and when full grown or of good size the best way is to cut them with a 
good piece of the stem attached, trim the bulk of the leaves off and 
insert them in boxes of damp sand, leaf soil, or ashes in a semi-dark 
place where they will be cool but free from excessive damp, where 
they will remain good for three or four weeks. Care must now be 
taken that young Cauliflowers, plants in frames and handlights are not 
caught by the frost. Protect them at night when necessary, but do not 
be afraid to admit abundance of air to them on all favourable oppor¬ 
tunities. 
Storing Carrots. —At one time in the growing season, about July, 
our main crop of Carrots showed indications of being attacked by 
grubs, but a sprinkling of lime from the gasworks was at once thrown 
over and soon washed in by the rain, and at the present time this crop 
is one of the finest we have ever had to store. They are large, well 
formed, and bear very slight traces of having come in contact with 
worms, and generally Carrots are good this season ; but they should not 
be left much longer in the ground, as when rain saturates the soil it 
may cause many of them to make a second growth, and then the best 
of the roots will split. This should be avoided by lifting them at once, 
rubbing the bulk of the soil from the roots, and cutting the stems away. 
They should then be stored in sand or ashes, where they will be 
sheltered from wet and frost. As a rule we store them with their 
crowns projecting outwards, and when any show signs of growing the 
young growths can readily be brushed off. Late grown Carrots that are 
not fully grown now may be left in the ground and drawn as required, 
as they will not be harmed by the weather. 
Parsley.—a supply of this should be kept in hand for the winter. 
It is in daily demand, and its failure is as much felt as any crop we 
know. Where the plants have grown luxuriantly many of the first 
formed leaves have become brown, and the whole of these should be cut 
off, washed clean of grit, and then dried. If hung up in bunches in 
the kitchen, or broken and put in wide-mouthed bottles, it will be 
found of much use throughout the winter for seasoning. Let the 
growths that remain on the plants be well exposed to keep them hardy, 
and should severe frost set in cover them with bracken, mats, or glass 
lights. Where there is a good little bed it is often convenient to place a 
frame quite over it. Should it be necessary to grow Parsley plants in 
pots they must be kept in a cool house or frame, as a close warm 
atmosphere does not suit them. 
Kidney Beans. —Both the Dwarfs and Runners in the open are 
quite over, and many of them were destroyed before they had finished 
flowering ; but those under glass are growing freely, and they should be 
syringed on fine days, and the temperature in which they are growing 
should not fall below 65°. When grown in a low temperature at this 
season they are apt to assume a scraggy habit, from which it will be 
difficult to force them later on. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Gardenias.— Cuttings that are rooted may be placed in 3-inch pots, 
m which they will make useful little plants for a good start early in 
the year. Pinch the shoots as they grow to induce them to branch. 
Cuttings may still be inserted, by which a considerable gain is effected 
over propagating in spring. When rooted grow them in an ordinary 
stove temperature. If gentle bottom heat can be provided all the 
better ; this is not really necessary. Place the earliest plants in brisk 
heat and they will quickly swell their flower buds. The latest will do 
in a temperature of 55° ; they are easier and more safely retarded now 
than when their flower buds have commenced swelling. 
Ixoras. —Cuttings that are well rooted in thumb pots may be placed 
into 3-inch pots, in which they may be allowed to produce one good 
truss, or they can be pinched to induce them to produce two or more. 
If the latter it will be necessary to place them in 5-inch pots when they 
have filled the others with roots. Water these carefully as well as 
established plants, and do not administer water that is of a lower tem¬ 
perature than the house in which they are growing. Arrange the plants 
rather close to the glass, so that they can enjoy abundance of light to 
harden and ripen their wood. 
Coleuses.— Keep these in a temperature o£ 60°, and insert cuttings 
in small pots at intervals of a few weeks where highly coloured little 
plants are appreciated for decoration. Cuttings should be rooted for 
this purpose in 2-inch pots ; they will root freely enough on a shelf in a 
temperature of 60° to 65°. For this purpose only highly coloured 
varieties should be grown, and the cuttings should be strong and well 
furnished with large leaves at the base. They are ready for use directly 
they are thoroughly rooted, which saves time over inserting small 
cuttings, and then having to grow them on until fine foliage is de¬ 
veloped. 
Tradeseantias. —Cuttings of the variegated forms of these should be 
inserted thickly together in 2 and 3-inch pots directly the stock plants 
have shoots long enough. These root freely in any warm moist position. 
Few plants look better than these when used with Mosses and small 
Ferns on the dinner table or any other position in which plants of this 
nature can be employed. The plants should never exceed 5 inches in 
height, therefore it is necessary to strike some every few weeks. Our 
stock plants are from cuttings inserted thickly in boxes, and for many 
purposes plants raised in boxes and lifted out will be found very useful. 
- Euphorbia jac fuinitsflora .—Plants that are in a backward state of 
growth should not be kept too warm, or they will continue to grow and 
fail to flower satisfactorily. Expose them to full light close to the 
glass, and admit air daily when the weather will allow of this 
being done. The night temperature should not exceed 55°, which will 
bring the growth to a standstill. The wood will harden and flowers in 
plenty will be the result. 
Centropogon Lueyanus. —Keep these plants in a temperature of 55° 
at night, and give air daily when the weather is mild. They are most 
effective for grouping when allowed to carry one or two good shoots 
only in 1 or 5-inch pots. These can then be so arranged when in flower 
that the flowering portion of their shoots will stand or arch well above 
surrounding objects. Plants with a number of shoots have a heavy 
appearance, and are too stiff and formal when trained round stakes. 
Si 
IE BEE-KEEPER. 
SECTIONS. 
I am sending you to-day, per parcel post, one of my new glass 
sections I have mentioned previously, filled and finished off by my 
stock of Punic bees between October 15th and 27th. This section 
is not up to the mark, as these bees soil their combs with propolis, 
or, in fact, anything sticky ; still, it is better than I expected, and I 
consider very passable ; in fact, I saw much worse at Nottingham 
Show with prize tickets attached. You will see that this section is 
not ornamented with anything ; it is sufficiently beautiful in itself 
without any other manipulation. 
Anticipatmg the inquiries as to what these sections will cost, 
allow me to state that I intend by drawings and instructions to put 
it in the way of every bee-keeper to make his own by the fireside in 1 
winter time with tools that will not cost more than 2s., and if he- 
requires help and has any children over eight years of age he can 
let them make the sections just for amusement. If he prefers to 
buy them I think plenty will be glad to sell him a thousand ready 
cut for 10s. As for putting together, they can be done much 
quicker than wooden ones. Then see, too, how all stains and 
propolis can be cleaned off, crated, and sent to market in a style 
that no one can resist buying. 
A noted authority recently said that glass was a most unsuitable 
substance to make sections of. Does this one look as if it was ? 
I hope to show that glass is the best substance we have for sections, 
and wood one of the worst. In glass, the bees, as will be seen, 
readily fill up the cells next to it, as the walls are equal to wax 
ones for holding honey. In wood, instinct teaches them that it 
will absorb the liquid honey and so cause the combs to detach from 
