ffnne 27, 1889. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
515 
too stout and strong-growing for that. Our plants are in baskets of 
•coarse fibrous peat, sphagnum, crocks, and charcoal ; but the bulk 
of the roots have their liberty. The plants are set on a stage along 
the front of the house, but a Ficus-covered low front wall shades 
the roots from bright sunshine, and no cold or drying winds reach 
them. They are watered very similarly to most other plants—that 
is to say, whenever the compost appears to be at all dry. In reality 
they derive their support principally from the atmosphere, and 
•evidently the position just suits them.—I. M. H. 
NOTES FROM A HERTS GARDEN. 
Early Peas.—W e had our first dish on June 3rd. The seeds 
“were sown in pots early in February, placed in the early Peach house 
until they germinated, then transferred to the second Peach house, and 
hardened in the third, finally planting them out from a late Peach 
house early in April, when they were about 6 inches high. They were 
put out in trenches, or rather an opening, trench-like, was made to 
Teceive them on a south border, the soil being rich and light (our soil is 
naturally a strong tenacious loam) in texture from dressings of manure 
and leaf soil. The rows were supplied with sticks at the same time, and 
=along the sides of the rows some sprays of common Laurel were inserted, 
stuck in the ground along both sides just outside the Pea sticks, and 
being 12 to 18 inches high they afforded protection to the Peas against 
winds, which is effected without drawing the plants up weakly. The 
variety we use and have done ever since it was sent out is Veitch’s 
'Selected Extra Early ; its compact and uniform growth, which attains 
do a height of 3 to 3j feet, renders it particularly desirable. The pods 
contain five to seven peas, and are excellent in quality. We might have 
gathered in May. but the fact is we experience more satisfaction from 
being able to follow on daily than having a very early dish with a 
break between. At the same time of sowing in pots we made a similar 
one on a south border, and the result is the pods are now (June 
14th) well filled— i.e., fit to gather. William I. is fully a week 
late, but it is well worth waiting for, and follows the very early 
sorts, of which Dickson’s First and Best, though it is getting old, 
therefore apt to be passed, is still one of the very best. The rows of 
William I. are simply superb. The haulm or straw is fully 4 feet high 
end the pods are large, plentiful, and filling capitally. We may be 
obsolete in our ideas, as we cling to Alpha as a first-class quality 
early Pea, yet it takes us up to the larger sorts by gradation of 
•quality, and there is certainty of crop as well, the pods invariably being 
well filled. 
Early Lettuces. —Our Lettuces are late. Wonders can be effected 
by frames or beds of fermenting materials, filling the inside so as to 
“bring the surface about-6 inches from the glass, but we have not frames 
•for everything. There is no need to make early sowings in frames 
"where proper provision has been made by autumn sowing for a supply 
-of Lettuces in spring, except under peculiar circumstances, or the 
•necessity of adverse climatic conditions, as we find the standard autumn 
-sowing sorts, notably that invaluable variety Bath or Brown Cos (black 
•seeded), overlap the early sown summer Lettuces in the open. We have 
•Golden Queen (Veitch’s), a small dwarf compact growing sort, which 
is particularly taking in appearance, having a somewhat curly aspect 
-similar to the Malta. The leaves are thick, very crisp, juicy, and tender, 
without a trace of bitterness ; in fact, it is delicate eating. It is 
very little larger than Tom Thumb, having very few outside leaves, 
••really all heart, just the thing to use whole or halved, and this from 
a late March sowing in the open was fit to cut early in June, Bath 
•'Cos being yet (June 17ch) first-rate. I can strongly recommend 
Golden Queen to those relishing an all-heart Lettuce of particular 
-delicacy. What its behaviour may be for autumn sowing in frames 
and wintering there for very early spring use I know not, but it 
•certainly is worth trial, as we get in this section— i.e., the Tennis-ball, 
the crispness of the Cos varieties, which is very different to the softness 
-of the All the Year Bound and Early Paris Market types, with the 
whole of the hardy varieties for standing the winter included, which 
-are anything but crisp. Perfect Gem follows Golden Queen in ten 
•days. It is compact in growth, forming a close firm head, deep green 
•externally, but inside ivory white, solid, remarkably crisp and tender, 
and of full but delicate flavour. It stands some time before running to 
seed ; indeed, it stands heat and drought better than any other summer 
Cabbage sorts. All the same, it is best taken at its prime, and it is well 
•to bear in mind that these Lettuces, good as they are, do not possess 
the merits of Malta and Neapolitan. 
Early Potatoes.—I am told there is none to surpass the old 
true Ashleaf. That may be so, but I have never found one that would 
give so early and full a crop of even and full-sized tubers as Veitch’s 
Improved Early Ashleaf. In fact, I have keen looking for the old true 
Ashleaf for years, and I was an observer and grower prior to the advent of 
the Potato disease. The true sort will certainly give five to seven tubers 
to a root, and a little earlier ; but the crop is nothing beside Veitch’s, 
Myatt’s, or Rivers’. The first named is the earliest and best cropping 
sort with us ; its tubers are more even-sized— i.e., there are not so many 
smaller “ chats'” as in Myatt’s Prolific, and it is ten days to a fortnight 
•earlier than Rivers’ Royal, with little more than half the top or haulm of 
the latter. Earliness is a point of some importance, and equally de- 
. monstrative is the quantity that can be had off a given space. All 
points considered, I award the palm to early kidneys, the rounds being 
quite secondary in an estimate of early varieties. Outdoors we com¬ 
menced digging Ashleafs on June 6th. 
Early Cauliflowers. —Perhaps our plan of wintering plants 
may be as old as the hills, yet we have not seen or heard of its being 
generally practised. In October, instead of pricking the plants sown in 
August in frames we place them in large 60’s or 3-J-inchpots singly, and 
plunge them level with the rims or a little deeper in leaf soil or cocoa-nut 
fibre refuse, and in a frame, according the usual treatment, not watering 
unless they become limp. By early April they are sturdy and fit for 
planting out, which being done with the ball entire the plants experi¬ 
ence no check, and they head a full fortnight before those that are 
lifted from the bed in which they have been pricked out. This saves all 
the bother of handlights, and the plants head quite as soon. Extra 
Early Erfurt is a fortnight sooner than Early London, and that is 
followed closely by Walcheren.— Utilitarian. 
LIN ARIA MACEDONICA. 
Many species of Linarias or Toad-flax, as they are often called, make 
charming plants when grown in pots for a cool house. The genus being 
FIG. 85.— LINARIA MACEDONICA. 
a large one, including both hardy herbaceous and annual kinds, it is 
rather difficult to make a selection ; but the subject of the accompany¬ 
ing illustration (fig. 85), Linaria macedonica, is highly ornamental, and 
might be used with good effect. It commences to bloom in early spring, 
and continues for a long time. Like most of the Linarias it is of easy 
culture, requiring only some rich soil and a light position in a cool house 
or frame. It freely reproduces itself from seed, growing about 18 inches 
