Jinniry 2 180). ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
3 
cent, commission on all the sales of garden produce effected, the home 
consumption being exempted. This is best for the master and fair 
to the man. Growing for sale, including the all-important details 
of finding the best markets, packing and booking, entails very 
much extra labour and worry for the gardener, but if he has a 
direct interest in the success of the undertaking he will never 
slacken in his attention to the work, but, on the contrary, there is 
every probability of the oavner of the garden being a great gainer 
rather than a loser by the bonus given. The sum (2s. in the pound) is 
not one penny too much, and ought to be unstintingly granted to 
-every private gardener who markets surplus produce, no matter in 
how small quantities. 
I propose to treat on flowers that I have found can be profit¬ 
ably cultivated, giving the requisite details. It will be found that 
the most prominence wilt be given to plants producing white 
flowers, the demand for these being far in excess of coloured 
flowers generally, though there a few of the latter that pay well. 
What I have found the most profitable are Tea Roses, including 
the very popular Marechal Niel, Eucharises, Pancratiums, Chrys¬ 
anthemums, Christmas Roses, Bouvardias, double white Primulas, 
Richardias, Violets, Cyclamens, Stephanotis, Carnations, Spiraeas, and 
in a lesser degree Lilies of the Valley, Roman Hyacinths, 
Tuberoses, Camellias, Azaleas, Double Zonal Pelargoniums, white 
Begonias, Clivias, Allamandas, Gardenias, Poinsettias, Adiantums, 
Lilium candidum. Mignonette, and a few Orchids.—M. H. 
NOTES ON FORCING VEGETABLES. 
French or Kidney Beans. 
The Kidney Bean, being a native of India, is only had in perfec¬ 
tion with us in the warmer months of summer. It cannot be 
wentured in the open air till all chance of spring frosts is over, and 
it is sometimes cut down very early in the autumn just when 
perfecting its crop. Especially was this the case with us in 1888, 
when the plants were killed by frost on October 1st. It is a vege¬ 
table that is much esteemed, and cannot be had too early ; but it 
is not so easy to force as some others. For early forcing it re- 
•quires a high temperature—viz., from 60° to 70°, never falling 
below 60°. It is very liable to be attacked by red spider, and a 
■constant use of the syringe must be maintained. They must never 
be allowed to suffer through having insufficient water at the roots, 
or red spider is sure to appear. If this pest attack the plants they 
should be well syringed with water mixed with sulphur and soft- 
soap—2 ozs. of the latter and I oz. of sulphur to a gallon of water, 
the plants being laid on their sides while syringing them. 
For early forcing the plants should be grown in 8 or 9-inch 
pots. Some growers raise these Beans in 60-sized pots, and after 
•they are well up shift them into the size just named. But I prefer 
placing them in their largest pots at once for two reasons—viz., it 
saves time ; and when they are raised in 3-inch pots, if they are 
mot repotted as soon as the roots touch the sides, they soon become 
root-bound, and they receive a check from which they do not 
quickly recover. Some leave room for a top-dressing ; but this is 
mot necessary, as they will do quite as well without. 
The soil should not be too strong, a compost of equal parts of 
leaf mould and loam, with plenty of sand and a sprinkling of char¬ 
coal dust, suits them well. A little of Thomson’s, or any approved 
artificial manure, given when the plants are fruiting and watered in, 
will help to lengthen the fruiting period. As the spring months 
advance Kidney Beans may be grown in Melon houses and heated 
pits or frames, with or without bottom heat. Of course if bottom 
heat can be had so much the better. We plant in our Melon 
houses at the beginning of February, raising the Beans in boxes 
on hot-water pipes, but they may also be raised in 3-inch pots and 
planted out. As the Beans advance in growth they should be 
supported by twigs or sticks. Sow some at intervals to keep up 
the supply. As pits or frames are cleared of early Potatoes they 
may be filled with Kidney Beans, and thus the supply can be 
kept up till they can be gathered from outdoor plants. The best 
sorts for forcing are Osborn’s Prolific and Ne Plus Ultra. 
Rhubarb. 
Rhubarb is found to be much improved in flavour by being 
blanched, as well as effecting a saving of sugar in rendering it 
agreeable to the palate when served. According to the doctrine 
of Knight, Rhubarb, like most other perennial herbaceous plants, 
contains within itself during winter all the organisable matter 
which it expends in the formation of its flowerstalks and leaves, 
and requires neither food nor light to enable it to produce either. 
All it requires are heat and moisture. The roots of Rhubatbdug 
tip entire at any period after the decay of the leaves of the 
preceding season, and taken into a forcing house, there placed upon 
ihe surface of the borders in a convenient place and supplied witk 
plenty of water, will produce a reasonable quantity of leafstalks 
for use during the winter months. 
Those who have a Mushroom house will find it a very con¬ 
venient place for forcing Rhubarb. By putting a few roots in 
(according to the demand) about once a month a supply will be 
forthcoming all the winter. Another excellent way to force it 
after the month of February (where plenty of stable manure can 
be had) is to prepare manure or manure and leaves the same as for 
a hotbed, and wheel it on the beds where the Rhubarb is growing, 
first covering the stools with forcing pots or anything that can be 
had to keep the manure a sufficient distance away to permit the 
leafstalks being thrown up freely. The manure should be placed 
on and round the pots to the depth of a foot or 18 inches, so as to 
pi’olong a gentle heat, and in a short time plenty of Rhubarb will 
be fit for pulling, and will continue to be thrown up tiU it can be 
had without artificial means. 
Seakale. 
Few vegetables are improved more by cultivation than Seakale, 
and few are more useful for forcing. Like the Rhubarb it is 
easily managed, and can be forced in a variety of ways. I have 
forced it in champagne cases on the top of a saddle boiler. The 
roots were placed closely in one ca.se among soil and another case 
placed on the top to insure the growth being blanched. Very good 
Kale was thus produced, which gave much satisfaction. It can also 
be grown in 16-sized pots, with an inverted pot the same size over 
it, placed in a forcing house under a stage or in any convenient 
place where a temperature can be maintained at from 50° to 60°, 
It also does very vrell in the Mushroom house in company with the 
Rhubarb placed near to the hot-water pipes, taking care that it has 
sufficient water. If roots (the quantity according to the demand) 
are placed in at intervals of two or three weeks a constant supply 
will be had through the winter months. Seakale roots should be 
dug up about the end of October and placed in ashes in an open 
shed or some convenient place in readiness for taking to the forcing 
house as required.—G. Hilton. 
INSECTS OF THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
^Continued from page 375.') 
A LARGE family of small moths is that sometimes familiarly 
called that of the*bell moths, because when we see them at rest upon 
palings they assume the bell shape. Often do we notice them 
flying in little parties during the twilight of summer or autumn, 
though some take their excursions in the brightness of noon. 
Also we name them the Tortricidse, which we may I’ender “ the 
twisters,” derived from the habits of the caterpillars, as they twist 
or bend the leaves and shoots of their food plants to afford them¬ 
selves shelter from their foes and the weather. Most of them 
choose for their food the leaves of trees and a variety of wild shrubs ; 
only a few of them trouble us in the flower garden. Certain 
species of the family are unfortunately too well known as enemies 
to our fruit trees, and their particular mode of life renders it 
difficult to deal with them effectively, and yet avoid all damage to 
the tree or plant upon which they feed. 'To only a small number 
of these and their lesser brethren, the Tineidse, have English 
names been attached ; these are not usually appropriate, sometimes 
even ridiculous. 
There is a silvery grey, narrow-winged moth, expanding about 
an inch, and very active, which is so frequently to be seen in our 
gardens during the summer, and is named Pyralis glaucinalis. It 
would be a natural conclusion that it fed, as caterpillar, upon some 
garden plant, but it is not so, as the Nettle affords it nutriment, a 
plant which has no business to be in any garden as a resident. A 
late-feediiig caterpillar, noticeable in September and October, which 
produces the moth called Ebulea sambucalis, occurs upon garden 
Convolvuluses ; sometimes drawing the leaves together, its proceed¬ 
ings are not very observable at first. It is pale green, lined with 
white or pink, and if alarmed, drops suddenly from the plant. 
The Honeysuckle is a plant much infested some seasons with 
caterpillars, as also with aphides. When it should be full of flower, 
the shoots and leaves may be contorted in May and June by the 
caterpillar of Tortrix xylosteana, a pretty little creature, of a dull 
olive green, having whitish spots with black centres. By judiciously 
shaking the shoots the caterpillars may be made to fall from their 
retreats, each hanging by a thread, and can thus be captured. The 
moth flies in July. Another foe to the Honeysuckle feeds on the 
leaves later, about August, this is Grapholita albersana. It is a 
greenish grey colour, with a yellow head, large for the body, and 
shield or plate behind it, hlack dots are placed from head to tail in 
pairs. In feeding this caterpillar selects two full-sized leaves, and 
binds them together with silk, then remains hidden until it has 
eaten the upper surfaces, when it migrates. We see the moth 
