284 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 4, 1889. 
the flowers occasionally when the pollen is ripe, and where fine fruit is 
wanted it is desirable to thin the flowers, leaving from eight to a dozen 
on a plant, and selecting the boldest for retention, which are usually the 
first to expand, the centre fruit of the truss being usually the largest, 
and not unfrequently cockscomb-shaped. It is also advisable to thin 
the fruit after they are fairly swelling. We find that if we have a dozen 
or more fruit to a plant, about one-third are fairly good fruit and the 
others small, the total weight being no more than when the fruits are 
thinned to half a dozen. Fruits of 1 oz. weight are useful, but the larger 
the better, though we have not had them exceed 2 ozs. weight from pots, 
and only once had twelve fruits weighing a pound before June. Colour 
must accompany size in a forced Strawberry. This makes Sir Charles 
Napier so esteemed for market, and La Crosse Sucr6e will bring more 
per pound than President. There is no question that appearance has a 
great deal to do with fruit whether for home use or marketing. The best 
all-round Strawberry for late forcing or outdoors is Sir Joseph Paxton, 
but it is not suitable for very early forcing. We have only been able to 
•grow a limited number of Noble in pots, and are so satisfied with it that 
we shall increase it for the purpose. It sets, swells, and colours well, 
the fruit being of good even size and fair quality. 
The great secret in forcing Strawberries is keeping them properly 
■supplied with water. They should be examined twice a day, and in 
bright weather three times, and any wanting water must have it 
liberally, giving liquid manure two or three times a week when the fruit 
is swelling. There is nothing like slow and progressive growth for 
Strawberries up to and past the flowering, then they will swell in a high 
temperature and moist but not very confined atmosphere. Hard forcing 
does not suit such varieties as Dr. Hogg and British Queen, they with 
Cockscomb being the best late varieties for forcing, and of the highest 
quality. President is an excellent sort for home use, but we got very 
poor returns for it from the salesmen. Our best Strawberry this year 
■so far is Yicomtesse Hericart de Thury. We grow Strawberries in all 
■our fruit houses, and have two shelves in each house. One shelf is 
occupied with an early variety, and the other with a midseason sort, or 
a midseason and late variety respectively, so that there is no break in 
the succession. In the later plants the trusses are coming strong, and 
■with them green aphides, which must be kept under by fumigation. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
Herbaceous Borders. —All the more vigorous and spreading kinds of 
plants, notably Phloxes, Pyrethrums, Japanese Anetnones, Delphiniums, 
Asters, and Hemerocallis, soon exhaust the ground in which they are 
growing, and also become too crowded unless lifted, divided, and re¬ 
planted in newly enriched soil. The old clumps are especially liable to 
collapse in a dry summer, and never produce such a long succession of 
fine flowers as are obtained from more liberally treated young plants. 
This work can be done now with safety to the plants operated upon, and 
without injury to the other occupants of the borders. The least that 
can be done is to thin the crowded clumps and to give all a good 
•surface manuring. The whole of the borders may well be dressed with 
cither short manure or abundance of good leaf soil, lightly forked into 
the surface in either case. Any of the commoner border Carnations 
•and l’icotees wintered under glass ought now to be hardened and 
planted out, either in beds or the mixed borders, and so also should 
Antirrhinums, Pentstemons, and the strongest of the Hollyhocks. 
Hardy Ferns. —-These move best just when the young fronds 
commence unfolding, and all alterations and improvements in con¬ 
nection with the hardy fernery ought to be completed early in April. A 
good collection of hardy Ferns artistically grouped is quite a feature in 
a garden, and even a few groups of the commonest Athyriums, Lastrreas, 
Polystichums, and Scolopendriums near the dwelling house or in 
various shady nooks are most effective. Large clumps of these can be 
found and moved with a shallow ball of soil and roots in numerous 
country districts, and also quite a collection of deciduous and ever¬ 
green Polypodiums, Aspleniums, Blechnums, and Cystopteris. The 
Athyriums succeed best in a loamy soil to which leaf soil has been 
freely added, and require a cool sheltered position. Blechnums are 
much more robust, and will thrive in the most exposed positions. A 
mixture of peat and loam best suits them. The Cystopteris should 
have a shady position, and these thrive best on or among stones. 
Lastrseas are not at all fastidious, the Filix-mas varieties especially 
succeeding in almost any soil, and will stand very rough treatment. 
Lastrrea dilatata varieties are most at home on mossy shady banks, and 
a mixture of loam and leaf soil suits them well. Osmunda regalis 
grows most vigorously in peat and loam and when assigned a moist and 
cool position. Deciduous Polypodiums require a certain amount of 
shade, but not much moisture, while the evergreen Polypodium vulgare 
varieties succeed best when their roots have access to a stony clayey soil 
and a dry situation. They spread most rapidly over stones and old tree 
stems. The Polystichums generally require a rather strong loamy soil 
with plenty of stones mixed with it, and should have a well-drained 
and lightly shaded site. Scolopendriums succeed in a variety of positions 
and soils, but are most quickly established in good loam and leaf soil, 
and should have abundance of water when growing. A number 
of choice hardy Ferns can be bought at a comparatively cheap rate, 
and these add greatly to the attractiveness of a well-arranged fernery. 
Care must be taken to prevent their being quickly smothered by their 
more robust neighbours. 
Gladioli. —This beautiful class of plants can now be bought so very 
cheaply, especially if names can be dispensed with, that no garden can 
be said to be complete without a large or small collection of them. By 
starting a few in 5-inch pots in frames, planting more in the open now 
and again a month hence, quite a long succession of spikes can be had. 
The common varieties of the Brenchleyensis type will do well in 
almost any soil, but as a rule Gladioli pay well for any little extra 
pains taken with them. If any manure is employed this ought to be 
buried 10 inches below the surface, and the ground should be well 
worked prior to planting the corms. Drills may be opened for them or 
holes made, where each corm is placed. If the soil is stiff or lumpy 
a spadeful of fresh loamy soil might well be given each corm, but in 
most cases all they receive is a little silver sand, this quite surrounding 
them, about 2 inches of fine soil being placed on the top. If planted in 
beds they may be arranged about 15 inches apart each way, or more 
space may be given, and Mignonette sown among them. Gladioli are 
also most effective in small groups in mixed borders, or in a single line 
near the back of a long ribbon border. Those started in pots, to be 
planted out before they are much root-bound, and all should have 
water given them in hot dry weather, a mulching of manure being also 
beneficial. A stake should be placed to each before the flower spike is 
far advanced. 
Seeds to be Sown under Glass. —It is now time to sow. Asters, of 
which there are a great variety. These may either be kept in separate 
colours or mixed. The seed germinates most surely when sown in pans 
or boxes of light soil and placed in gentle heat, and it will also grow 
well when sown on beds of soil enclosed by a frame on hotbeds. Stocks 
in variety may be similarly raised, and these are equally numerous. 
Zinnias, Helichrysums, Sunflowers, Japanese Maize ought also to be 
sown now in gentle heat, and it is not yet too late to sow Phlox Drum- 
mondi, Senecios, and Dianthuses. The more choice Godetias are 
frequently raised under glass and planted out. It is yet too early to sow 
Ricinuses, Marigolds, and Amaranthuses, these growing very rapidly, and 
if raised early may be spoilt before they are put out. Seeds of Mignonette 
and Sweet Peas might also be sown in small pots and placed in heat to 
germinate, the plants, duly transferred to the open ground, being 
considerably earlier to flower than those raised in the open. 
Seeds to be Sown in the Open Borders. —During the early part of 
this month, or when the ground is in a suitable condition, a variety 
of annuals ought to be sown, either in patches or lines as required. 
The soil should be very finely divided, and if this cannot be accom¬ 
plished fine sandy soil ought to be used, both below and above the seeds. 
It is a great mistake to sow any very thickly, crowded plants flowering 
for a short time only. All should be arranged according to their cata¬ 
logued heights, and duly labelled. The kinds that may be sown are 
Aiyssums, Asperula, Bartonia,. Cacalia, Calandrinia, Calendula, Cam¬ 
panula, Candytuft, Centaurea, Chrysanthemum, Clarkia, Collinsia, 
Convolvulus, Coreopsis, Erysimum, Eschscholtzia, Eucharidium, Eutoca, 
Gilia, Godetia, Gypsophila, Hawkweed, Helichrysum, Hibiscus, Jacobaea, 
Kaulfussia, Larkspur, Leptosiphon, Limnanthes, Linaria, Linum, Lupine, 
Malope, Mathiola, Mignonette, Nasturtium. Nemophila, Nigella, Nolana, 
(Enothera, Sweet Pea, Phacelia, Poppy, Sanvitalia, Saponaria, Silene, 
Sphenogyne, Sunflower, Sweet Sultan, TropseOlum, Valerian, Venus’s 
Looking-glass, Virginian Stock, Viscaria, Whitlavia, Xeranthemum. 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
A Late Spring. —We never had less new growth in our garden at 
this date, and the first crops will not be ready at the time we usually 
have them. 
Spinach. —This vegetable is so useful that we have it all the year 
round. The plants raised from seed sown last August are fresh now, 
and they will be retained until the spring-sown plants are yielding. 
We have tried all known varieties of Spinach, and for summer use find 
none to equal the well known round-seeded variety. This should have 
been sown twice in March, and it may be sown twice in April, and 
twice in each month until August. As the season improves it attains 
maturity fast, and it should never be sown as a staying crop on the 
best of the quarters, but a great deal of it may be secured from between 
rows of Peas, fruit bushes, and odd corners. 
Asparagus. —We cannot see any heads yet, but they may soon be 
expected, and no time should be lost in putting the bed in good order 
for bearing. This may be done by cleacing all weeds and refuse from 
the surface, breaking the crust slightly, sprinkling it with a mixture of 
soot and salt, or guano and salt, and then placing a layer of short 
manure over the surface. Where new beds are to be formed from 
purchased roots these should be ordered at once, and planted immediately 
on their arrival. , 
Stimulating Cabbage. —We are pleased with the appearance of 
our spring Cabbage. Some of them will be ready for cutting by 
Easter, but we fear many are backward, and as it is very desirable that 
they should be ready as soon as possible now, we advise that a'l back¬ 
ward plants be treated to a stimulant. There is nothing so quick in its 
action as nitrate of soda. A handful is sufficient for three or four 
plants. It should be scattered round them, drawing a little more soil 
to the stems with a drag hoe. If nitrate cannot be had a little guano 
may be used, and, failing all artificials, give them a little soot. We have 
still our old Cabbage of last year on the ground. They have plenty of 
green tops, and in all cases where vegetables are scarce they should be 
retained and used as required. 
Planting Potatoes.— Many of the earliest are planted, but the 
second early varieties are not, and the planting of those may be com¬ 
pleted at once ; then plant the late ones. For many years we have 
had all our Potatoes planted by the middle of April, and we cannot 
improve on this. Those of the Ashleaf type may be planted at a distance 
of 18 inches from row to row, and 1 foot from set to set. Others a 
little more luxuriant in top-growth may be allowed 3 inches more, but 
