396 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 7, 1889. 
CATTLEYA LUTEOLA. 
This is a very distinct species, and also very rare ; in colour it 
somewhat resembles C. citrina, but bears no other similarity, and 
we cannot do better than quote Sir Wm. Hooker’s description, 
which was prepared from a specimen in the then celebrated collec¬ 
tion at Tooting :—“ Our plant has an annulated branched rhizome 
about as thick as a duck’s quill sending down from beneath a few 
thick fleshy fibres, and upwards from the short branches elliptical, 
quite smooth, and compressed pseudo-bulbs, which bear one leaf, 
and while young are enveloped in a large sheathed, membranous, 
striated, sheathing scale. These increase in age, and eventually 
become oblong, nearly terete, and sulcated ; leaf about 3 inches 
long, thick, succulent, dark green, elliptical, veinless, with a deep 
notch at the apex. From the base of this leaf, at the top of the 
pseudo-bulb, arises the peduncle scarcely 2 inches long, enveloped 
entirely in a compressed membranous sheath, slit open on one side, 
four, five or more flowered ; flowers racemose, pale lemon yellow, 
small for the genus ; sepals and petals uniform, 1^ inch to 2 inches 
at the most long, oblong lanceolate, obtuse, a little waved, all 
spreading ; lip about as long as the segments of the perianth, 
three-lobed, velvety within, the side lobes elongated, incurved, 
meeting over the column, and forming a kind of tube ; the terminal 
lobe broad, almost orbicular, crisped and ciliato-dentate at the edge, 
column much shorter than the lip, semiterete.” It blooms during 
October and November. Native of Brazil. 1853.—T. 
TREATMENT OF SOILS AND MANURES 
AND CROPS. 
I have given the principal constituents of several manures. I 
will proceed with the various crops, the sowing, planting, and the 
preparation of the soil and the plots that they ought to occupy. 
I ought not to pass over two very valuable manures that often 
come within the reach of the gardener—viz., the deposit of a pond 
or the bed of a river. I would strongly recommend its use in the 
garden. The river deposit is very rich in all the mineral elements, 
and the pond, while also rich in them, still contains more organic 
matter, and both can be used upon any soil with great advantage. 
Road scrapings ought also to be used, particularly on heavy land. 
The refuse from ditches should be reduced to ashes before being 
used. To put my recommendations in my first article in a better 
light I will give what I have to say in as simple and practical way 
as possible. 
CAULIFLOWERS. 
The exact time of sowing must depend upon the locality ; the 
1st of August is a good time for the north, the 15th to the 25th the 
midlands, while the end of the month is suitable for the south. 
Sow the seed on a good open border. The soil does not require a 
special preparation ; it ought nevertheless to be well dug and 
rammed down firmly, the seed sown broadcast, raked in, and 
protected from the birds. 
One of the plots left vacant by Onions, Peas, Beans, or Celery 
should receive a good dressing of manure. That vacated by 
Celery will require less than the others ; provided it has been well 
done a simple dressing of lime will suffice, and in the other cases it 
ought to be applied with the manure. In both cases incorporate 
the manure and the lime well with the soil, as the greater the 
diffusion the more their value is enhanced ; in all cases trench the 
ground. I would sow Walcheren for this district the second week 
in August; as soon as they are large enough plant them out in the 
prepared piece of ground at half the distance required. In the 
spring thin to the proper distance and fill any of the vacancies left 
by the frost. These plants will form heads in May and June, 
according to the district. A good system practised in some parts is 
to plant a score in a handlight and transplant m the spring. The 
seed bed should not be destroyed till the plants are safely on the 
way, as any blanks can be refilled. Market growers and others 
around London plant Cauliflowers in a triangle, and place bellglasses 
over them. I recommend this in all cases where very fine early 
heads are required and glasses can be had. Allow the plants plenty 
of light and air all round, then they will not require transplanting 
in the spring. The bellglasses should be either tilted or taken off 
as the weather permits. It must not be lost sight of that the 
constituents of the Cauliflower are 21 per cent, of sulphuric acid, 
12 phosphoric acid, 20 soda, 11 potash, 20 lime, and that the nature 
of the soil is the index to its treatment as regards the manuring. 
If it is calcareous no lime is requisite, but if it is full of humus 
then apply lime. The finest Cauliflowers I ever saw were grown 
on a piece of ground where a quantity of night soil had been used 
together with some blood prepared in lime. 
At the beginning of February sow in gentle heat Yeitch’s Early 
Forcing Cauliflower. This is one of the finest varieties. It 
starts away readily when planted out, and seems to rejoice in the 
different changes, and races hard to come in before the autumn- 
sown Walcheren. When large enough prick them out or pot them, 
and stand in a cold frame. If sufficiently hardened and the 
weather permits plant out in the beginning of April on a good 
border, and another batch at the end of the month, on an open 
quarter cf the garden, to form a succession. At no period should, 
they be allowed to suffer either in the pots or boxes, and if supplies 
of cesspool water are given and they are hoed freely a good crop 
will be the result. 
The piece of land vacated by the crops already mentioned 
should be immediately manured and trenched. If no “ snatch 
crops ” are wanted sow with anything that will spring up, and grow 
during the early autumn months, and in the spring turn this in. If 
plenty of manure is at disposal, or a slight dressing of lime can be 
dug in which will decompose the green herbage, so much the better. 
Celery ground will not require trenching for Cauliflowers. The 
various sowings and plantings must entirely depend upon the 
requirements of the family. I would sow Walcheren upon a warm 
border at the beginning of March ; these will come in for planting- 
out in April, and for cutting in July, and August, and September. 
In April sow Yeitch’s Autumn Giant or any other variety for early 
autumn cutting at the end of August, in September, and beginning- 
of October ; Yeitch’s comes in excellently for this sowing, and would 
recommend it to those that have not tried it. During the middle of 
May sow r Autumn Giant for late autumn work. Where the first 
Peas are off in May or at the beginning of June it is not necessary 
to keep a plot of ground for this planting of late autumn Cauli¬ 
flower. Plant out during the end of June, always selecting showery 
weather if possible, but if not able to do so puddle the plants in- 
and keep the ground well hoed and watered until they are- 
established . 
One thing I ought not to pass over, that is the necessity of look¬ 
ing after the late Autumn Giant. It protects itself better than any 
other, but when pulled up in frosty weather with good heads and" 
laid in a shed out of the v r ay of the frost they will keep a month 
or six weeks and be none the worse for table use. Those not headed* 
enough should be placed in a frame, taken up with as large a ball as- 
possible, and if protected they will form good heads in January. 
Always plant 2 feet apart for a crop, and when trenching turn the 
manure in at the bottom. If the subsoil is very poor only bastard 
trench, and throw a few spadefuls over the surface, so as to 
gradually improve its depth ; lime has a wonderful effect upon bad 
subsoils. 
CABBAGES. 
Cabbages are almost always to be had in gardens in some fora* 
or other, but they are not all equally good ; the larger sorts are- 
more animals’ food than man’s, of the present age at any rate. 
The various plots cf ground mentioned in the treatment of 
Cauliflowers, together with the plots left vacant by Leeks,. 
Potatoes, Lettuces, or Kidney Beans, are suitable for Cabbages.. 
They like the good ground, and as the ash constituents of the 
Cabbage are identical with those of the Cauliflower, Broccoli r 
Brussels Sprouts, Savoy, and Kale, the analysis given will suffice 
for all. The ground should be supplied with lime if that is 
thought to be deficient, and in no case allow the doubt to go 
against the Brassica. As regards manure they more often suffer 
from too little than too much, and if the soil is well preparedj 
there will be no club or ambury. In this district club is much 
against the gardener securing good Cabbages and Cauliflowers, and 
The Grove kitchen garden particularly so, yet no cases of clubbing 
have come under my notice. I account for this by well preparing, 
the ground and giving the plots planted with the Brassicas a good 
coating of blood mixture prepared with lime and cesspool water in. 
a mound of soil. 
At the end of July or the beginning of August sow Yeitch’s- 
Earliest of All for early spring cutting. I have grown this sort, and 
it has given me great satisfaction. Sprinkle the seed bed with soot- 
and lime to prevent the attack of insects, and in September plant 
out some in a good open part of the garden. Nothing is gained by 
planting in close borders or corners ; of course, too exposed parts 
must not be chosen. The plants can be planted twice as thick 
as wanted, thinned in the spring, and fill all vacancies caused, 
by the frost. Keep the soil from getting battered down by 
occasional hoeing. This must be done, too, in the spring, and if a 
little soil can be drawn up to them so as to secure them against the 
winds they will make greater strides. I believe in clearing off these 
as soon as cut, or anyhow as soon as the next can follow. Some 
sharp winters do not leave any to be cut, and to prevent disap¬ 
pointment it is well to prick out fifty or a hundred plants as late 
as possible in a frame, leaving the lights off in all weathers- 
except when frosty. If a two-light frame can be spared plant one 
light with some from the August sowing, and during Septembers 
