JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March IS, 188«. 
and in many instances preferred to Seakale. Owing to the drought 
last season many gardeners are at their wit’s end to meet the 
demands for vegetables. I would advise such to procure some 
sound Swedish Turnips, and three parts bury them in light sandy 
soil in their Mushroom house or any warm dark place, and they 
will soon be rewarded with some beautiful dehcate tops, which will 
compare very favourably with Seakale. Select roots with entire 
crowns, or they will throw up a quantity of small shoots instead of 
one large one.—J. H. W. 
PROTECTING FRUIT BLOSSOM. 
So.ME years ago when living in what might be considered a 
favourable climate we did not think it necessary to protect Plum, 
Peach, Apiicot, Nectarine, Pear, and other fruit tree blossom on 
the walls and some standard trees. Sometimes the crops were 
good, but in other seasons they were not. This did not satisfy us. 
We required a good crop every year, and the trees, although not 
highly trained, were in good health. It was not disease that made 
the crops deficient, but after adopting a careful system of protect¬ 
ing the blossom we proved conclusively that non-protecting had 
been the sole cause of our crops not being uniformly good. 
Apricots are amongst the first fruit trees to flower, then come 
the Peaches and Nectarines, and finally the Plums and Pears. We 
have bad the Apricots in flower in February, and they are always 
in by March. The weather then is often most unfavourable, and it 
is not always good in Apiil. Indeed, it is no use depending on it 
being good when the trees are in bloom, and protection should 
always be applied, let the weather be what it maJ^ If it does good 
in bad weather it certainly does no harm in genial weather, and it 
is most important that it be applied in time. The great point is to 
place the protectors on before the flowers are opened, and allow 
them to remain on until the fruit is formed. 
Old fishing nets are cheap enough, and they form excellent pro¬ 
tectors. A double net will insure us a crop of fruit. Where wide 
copings top garden walls suspend them from the front of these and 
secure them at the bottom. If they will not reach down all the 
way tie pieces of string here and there to them and attach these to 
pegs a few feet out from the bottom of the wall. If they will 
reach down to the ground peg the net to the soil. They must 
never be allowed to flap on the trees. This will injure the blossom 
as much as exposure. Where the coping is short and does not 
admit of the net being kept away from the trees use poles to keep 
it off. If these are placed against the wall at intervals of 5 feet 
or 0 feet and kept 3 feet to 4 feet out at the bottom the net may be 
stretched along and tied to them in such a way as to keep quite 
clear of the flowers. This is our plan of protecting fruit trees, and 
it is effective.—A Kitchen Gaudexek. 
SIX GOOD BEANS. 
T'C These are not all of the same class. I do not know six good 
Broad Beans, six good Runner Beans, nor six good dwarfs, but for 
aU that I can recommend six good Beans, and they will consist of 
two Broad, two Runner, and two dwarf varieties. There are more 
"than half a dozen varieties to be found in each of these sections in 
the seed lists. Indeed, collectively, I know thirty-one varieties, 
but they wdl bear weeding severely, and my present half dozen are 
worth inspection and trial. 
Broad Bean Sevili.e Longpod.— I name this because it is 
amongst the earliest of all, and it is very prolific. It is very hardy. 
It may be sown in the open in any of the winter months, and by 
sowdng in February we have had it ready in May. The pods are 
from 9 inches to 10 inches in length ; they are narrow, and well 
filled with delicate beans that are much valued as a first crop. For 
early shows this Bean is very suitable, and a dish of long tender 
pods IS very attractive. 
Bko.cd Bean Aquadui.ce. —It is not generally known that 
this is a splendid Bean, but I have grown it for ten years, and it 
has alw'ays proved true and fine. It is one of the largest of the 
monster-podded varieties ; I have gathered pods of it 16 inches in 
length. When going to see a friend of mine last year I took a pod 
this length to show him. He asserted I was “ trying it on ” with an 
artificial construction, but when he opened it and eleven fine beans 
rolled out, he understood it better. It is curious that this fine 
variety is no one’s “ specialty,” and yet it is undoubtedly the finest 
of all Broad Beans. 
Runner Bean L.cxton’s White Czar. —I may say at the 
outset this is the largest of all Runner Beans, and it is also the 
most prolific. I have gathered pods of it 14 inches in length, and 
they will all average 10 inches. As a rule they are produced in 
clusters of three, four, and five, and to see a row of it in full bearing 
is a grand sight. It is as hardy as any other, and gi’ows very freely. 
To see the stems and leaves do not give any idea it is such an 
uncommon bearer, but when in fruit it attracts everybody. Some 
object to large-podded Beans; I do not, because so long as the 
large pods are young they are as good in every way as the smaller 
varieties, and I should never wish to meet with a better flavoured 
Bean than this variety. 
Runner Bean Mont d’Or or Butter Be.an. —The Butter- 
Bean is distinct from all others. It is just as hardy, and may be- 
sown at the same time and in the same manner. The pods are 
quite pale in colour, perfectly stringless, and remarkably fine in 
flavour. They may be cooked whole, when they form a delicious-, 
dish, and I am surprised this variety is not more grown. 
Dw.vrf Bean Cooling’s Ne Plus Ultra. —I have tried every 
Bean I could obtain for forcing, and I find this the best. It is- 
very compact in growth, enormously prolific either under glass or 
in the open, and it is earlier by many days than any other sort. It 
is pale yellow in the colour of the seed, and there is no mistaking^ 
it. The pods average 4 inches in length, and the prolific way they 
are produced is very remunerative. 
C.VNADiAN Wonder. — This is a well-known dwarf French 
Bean. It is useless for forcing compared with the preceding, as it 
grows too tall to be easily accommodated, and it is not half so- 
prolific under glass as it is in the open. As a dwarf Bean for open 
air culture it has no equal. It grows robustly, fruits profusely, 
and produces the most handsome pods of aU dwarf Beans. In this 
respect it has no rival, and I have often wondered to whom we are- 
indebted for it. It is capital for exhibition, grand for the table,, 
and it should be gi-own by aU.—J. MuiK, Margam. 
FALLACIES IN GRAPE CULIURE—LIME. 
Grape-gro-wing has been quite revolutionised within the last- 
quarter of a century. It has not only improved, but extended to a. 
degree little contemplated, and our thanks are due to the larger 
cultivators for recording their experiments, successful and other¬ 
wise, for the benefit of the small growers who have not the means 
to experiment for themselves ; but I question the usefulness of 
some of the modern doctrines. I a'lude to the lime theory. Lime- 
has been used in vineries for many years, but applied to the walls 
as whitewash, and I am inclined to think this is still the best place- 
for it, although I am aware in some instances excellent Grapes 
are grown where it is reported lime has been extensively used ; but 
it is also a fact, as I will hereafter show, that equally fine Grapes 
are grown where lime is not used. In order to substantiate this I 
will review a few of the most successful instances that have been 
recorded during the last twenty-five years. Since [tl at time Mr; 
Merec ith was on the pinr acle of fame ; he was the pioneer of the 
great growers. The secret of his success was supposed to be the 
extensive use of crushed oyster shells and the favourable atmo¬ 
sphere of Garston, which is during a “nor’ wester” somewhat 
briny. Very little, if any, notice was taken of his fine loam andi 
the improved structures at command ; and not a few gardeners re¬ 
counted the frowns of their employers because Grapes equal to- 
Meredith’s were not forthcoming from antiquated ill-constructedi 
flue-heated places better adapted to destiov vegetation outright 
than for producing Grapes of any sort. Unfoitunately it ofteu 
happens that emph-yers compare productions without considering, 
advantages. 
We will now take the case of Mr. Lane’s of Berkhamstead,. 
-ivhere another wrinkle was supposed to be gained in connection 
with the fine Muscats grown there about six'een or eighteen years- 
ago. The secret of success was supposed to be the abundant water 
supply to the roots. It soon become generally known that aspring; 
of cold water bubbled up at the foot of the Vine bolder, which pro¬ 
duced a mania for the water pot. As some of us yo’ingsters can 
testify, it soon become common practice to deluge Vine borders ; no 
matter whether the soil was open or retentive, or the border 
drained or clogged, on the water had to go, with results that might 
be expected—wholesale shanking. 
A few years later we had another surprise. Mr. Hunter of" 
Lambton Castle Gardens came prominently to the front as a pro¬ 
ducer of fine Grapes, a position he still retains. There the largest 
Black Hamburgh was produced, and the reported successes was. 
attributed to the enormous quantities of warm liquid manure 
applied to the borders. Little or no notice was taken of other 
advantages, such as new and improved structures, well-drained new 
borders, &c. More recently we have had the magnificent Black 
Hamburghs from Eastnor to admire. The secret of this success 
is, I think, more to the point, as Mr. Coleman recommends those 
anxious to imitate them to use good loam and crop lightly, but 
there may be more important lessons to learn at Eastnor, but I 
think Mr. Coleman’s advice is worth accepting. I think the above 
are as go( d representative instances of successful culture without 
the use of lime as can be found with the use of lime. 
