8G 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January SO, 1890. 
moved, and then store anew. Onions that are beginning to sprout 
should be discarded, and the soundest of the bulbs placed on one side for 
late use.—M. 
NOTES ON FORCING VEGETABLES. 
Caclii'LOWer?.— The Cauliflower is one of the best of vege¬ 
tables, and very highly esteemed, especially if it can be had early. 
It is true that there are some good late Broccolis so late that there 
need be but a short interval between them and the early Cauli¬ 
flowers out of doors. But in some districts in the north, and 
especially in this part of Lancashire, Broccolis are sometimes 
destroyed by severe frosts and continued wet weather. ■! may say 
the sorts that I have found stand the weather best here are Sutton’s 
Late Queen, Leamington, and Knight’s Protecting. This winter 
up to the present Veitch’s Model and Gilbert’s Late Queen are 
standing well. 
But to return to the Cauliflower. It is by no means difficult 
to have fine heads fit for use quite a month or six weeks earlier 
than they can be had out of doors, provided a pit heated by hot- 
water pipes or a sufficiently deep frame can be spared for them. 
The seed should be sown in the end of August or early in Septem¬ 
ber, and when strong enough should be lifted and wintered in a 
cold frame. 
In the beginning of February or earlier the pit or frame should 
be prepared by placing a thick layer of manure over the bottom, 
then place over this about a foot depth of fibry loam, or the best 
soil that can be had. If manure cannot be had some approved 
artificial manure should be well forked into the soil before planting, 
and a little sprinkled round the plants and watered in on two or 
three occasions during their growth will prove very beneficial. 
When the pit is ready to receive the plants lift them carefully 
with a trowel from the frame in which they have been wintered, 
and plant them in rows 2 feet apart, and 18 inches or 2 feet from 
plant to plant, then water with a pot without the rose, and if the 
work has been properly done they will have received little or no 
check, and will grow away. Begin with a temperature of 50°, 
gradually rising to 60° with plenty of ventilation on all favourable 
occasions. As they advance in growth they should never be 
allowed to suffer through insufficient watering. As the heads are 
forming liquid manure should be given about three times a week. 
In about three months after planting nice white heads may be 
looked for. Early London and Dwarf Erfurt are good sorts for 
early w'ork. 
Peas. —Few attempt to force this vegetable to any extent. They 
are, however, sometimes grown on the border of a Peach house to 
a limited extent, and found to produce their fruit tolerably well. 
Anyone attempting to force them in this way should give them all 
the ventilation possible without injuring the Peaches in order to 
have them sturdy. 
We do not advocate growing Peas in this manner unless they 
nre specially wanted, but they may be wdth advantage brought on 
under glass for planting out as soon as the weather is deemed 
suitable. For this purpose some use turf, some pots, and others 
boxes, and Peas may be forwarded very successfully under all the 
different modes. 
I prefer narrow boxes 8 or 10 feet long with holes in the bottom. 
'They are only temporarily nailed—that is, the nails are not driven close 
in, but sufficient is left to be taken hold of by a pincers, so that 
when thej^ are taken to the drills where they are intended to be 
grown, the boxes laid on their side by the drills, the nails can 
easily be pulled out, the bottom off they are placed in the drill and 
the sides lifted over the tops. In this way the soil is not broken, 
and the plants receive no check. There are plenty of early varie¬ 
ties, the thing is to find out what sort does best in the soil and 
district. I have found Teitch’s Selected Extra Early do well here, 
followed by William I. Peas forwarded in this way should not 
be brought on in too strong a heat, or they will be drawn up 
weakly. The thing to aim at is short sturdy growth. They should 
be well exposed before being planted out.— G. Hilton. 
ALLOTMENTS. 
I KNOW very little of the terms of the recent Allotments Act, 
but if as I have been informed that under the stipulations it affords 
reasonable facilities for respectable and industrious working men 
to acquire a piece of land for their own use at a reasonable rent, it 
rests entirely with them to prove that it is of real benefit. First 
of all, a rnan ought not to aspire to a larger holding than he 
pn conveniently attend to, as one man’s spare time for such work 
is no guide to that of another, and a small plot well cropped and 
otherwise well attended to is much more creditable to its occupier 
than a larger one where slovenliness is conspicuous ; besides, the 
quality of the produce is of treble value. And, again, it is very 
unjust to the hard-working man, whose plot may be in the best of 
order, to see his neighbour’s plot overrun with weeds, the seeds of 
which are blown in all directions. A periodical inspection by those 
in authority would do good, warning such as neglect them that they 
run the risk of having to quit their holdings. 
Allotment holdings are not new in the country, because many 
landed proprietors have for years set off a convenient portion 
of their land for the purpose ; and one of the best that I know 
in the south of England is on the Chilston Park estate, the 
property of Mr. Akers Douglas. There is a field of about 
twenty acres, irregular in shape. It has, however, been squared off; 
with cart roads running in two or three directions for the con¬ 
venience of occupiers, and the laud laid out in half an acre, quarter, 
and one-eighth acre portions, with paths of convenient width 
running between each. I have known this as an allotment field 
for over thirty years, although I am told it has been known as such 
for more than twenty years beyond that time, but the system of 
inspection above described has always existed and worked satis¬ 
factorily. The rent charged is at the rate of 32s. an acre free of all 
taxes. The 11th of October is the time for changing or reletting. 
The soil is principally a light sandy loam overlying a thick bed of 
red sand, consequently it is much improved by the addition of road 
sidings and plenty of manure, yet the soil is not difficult to work. 
For one to notice, as I have done, the difference between the 
ideas and methods of cultivation and cropping twenty or more 
years ago, and at the present time, it is remarkable to see the 
improvements that have taken place. At the former time and for 
years after little besides Potatoes and Turnips were grown until 
the soil became “ Potato sick,” and crops were very poor, but now 
all things are changed for the better. The ground is well manured, 
as during recent frosty and moonlight nights I saw several men 
and boys wheeling out the manure there. During the day others 
were digging the manure in, but it may be as well to enlighten my 
readers upon the subject of how the manure is obtained. First of 
all is by careful collecting of manure from the highways, which is 
mixed with road sidings, mud from ditches, ashes, and other refuse, 
together with a good portion of pig manure (as most of them keep a 
pig), and a quantity of lime added, which is frequently turned before 
using. A few join together and purchase a quantity of London 
dung, which they get down by rail to within half a mile of the 
field at the rate of 4s. per ton, while some purchase a few bags of 
“wool waste” of 5 cwt. each. This has been found a most last¬ 
ing manure, and is used more for fruit trees, but is too expensive 
for general purposes. 
Now about cropping. This is done in a more practical way 
than formerly, for while most of them grow a variety of vegetables 
as well as Potatoes for their own use, others grow Mangold Wurtzel, 
Swede Turnips, and cattle Carrots, and then market their produce, 
yet several have planted their holdings with Gooseberries, Black 
and Red Currants, all of which they sell. 
One man, Collins by name, planted his half acre with Straw¬ 
berries and Raspbei’ries, a quarter of an acre of each, and according 
to the returns he showed me for last year they must have paid him 
handsomely. His account was a little over a ton weight of Rasp¬ 
berries and just under a ton and a half of Strawberries, all sent to 
the London market. On two mornings I see he sent as many as 
fifty-two pecks at a time of Strawberries, and several of forty, 
thirty, and less. The sorts are Sir Joseph Paxton, President, and 
Trollope’s Victoria, while of Raspberries he grows only Carter’s 
Prolific, a sort much sought after in this locality. The whole 
plantation is three years old, and looks promising for the coming 
season. When asking the man about the preparation of his land 
he said he only dug it deeply, but added plenty of manure, and 
since that has attended to surface hoeing and mulching, never 
digging amongst them. He also added that with the planting and 
subsequent use he had applied sixteen tons and a half of London 
dung alone. Although it was an exceptionally good year for small 
fruits, especially Strawberries, yet I must give the man credit for 
his venture, and wish him success in the future. The land being 
light the great enemy to ward off: is red spider, which quickly 
attacks them, where, as is the case, there is no water to be obtained, 
hence the reason for mulching so heavily. —Tiiojlvs Record. 
EARLY CAULIFLOWERS. 
Seed of Suttons’ First Crop sown the first week in February and the 
plants grown sturdily will produce white compact heads the size of a 
pint basin by the first week in June. For two years I sowed to succeed 
plants raised in the autumn, but the autumn sowing foilowed those 
sown in February, consequently I have discontinued sowing in the 
autumn. I use a box 12 inches by 16 inches and 3 inches deep filled 
with soil ; fow the seed thinly, and place in gentle heat. As soon as the 
seedlings appear the box is removed to a shelf in a greenhouse close to 
