■February 13 , 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
126 
■yivums doing remarkably well. The attempts at that sort of thing 
'in the London parks are simply “ abortions compared with those of 
Philadelphia.” Caladium esculentum was noted as singularly 
■effective, and beds of named Caladiums are fine in sheltered situa- 
'tions. Gannas are much employed. Double-flowered Zonal Pelar¬ 
goniums do magnificently, being masses of bloom, but the single 
are seedy. Fuchsias are done well, and are grand. Heliotrope is 
pefhaps finer there than anywhere, and no flower commands more 
■favour or deserves more. 
“ The “ homes ” are mostly verandahed, and clothed with 
climbers, as Passifloras and Honeysuckles ; but Vines are the great 
ffeature of American “ homes.” They are used for covering 
trellises, forming arbours essentially for shade, being accorded 
every cultural attention in order to have a crop of fruit. American 
•varieties are grown, the European sorts being grown under glass, 
•and are miserable examples. Fruit, however, is not much grown 
t(or forced) under glass. Good early Peaches are grown under 
glass in pots around Boston, Alexander and Hales’ Early being the 
•principal varieties. 
Vegetables are much in request, Asparagus being the first in the 
market, as there are no winter vegetables, except of course roots 
•and preserved. Cauliflower is the most esteemed of early summer 
vegetables. The seed is sown in heat in February, kept there, 
pricked off when in rough (second) leaf 3 inches apart, and kept 
in heat until established, then hardened off in cold frames. When 
large enough to plant out they are put out in frames in rows 
2 feet apart, and 18 inches asunder in the rows. The bed is formed 
•of manure, with 4 inches thickness of loam over it. The plants 
are protected from frosts and sharp winds, but air is given on all 
favourable occasions, so as to insure a sturdy growth. The surface 
of the bed is mulched with cow manure, and the plants well 
■supplied with water and liquid manure. If the plants have a 
tendency to draw up in the stem, and run to leaf instead of form¬ 
ing heads, a knife-blade is thrust through the stems vertically, to 
-check the growth and induce the early formation of heads. Snow¬ 
ball in an esteemed variety, which comes in early in June. The 
heads are highly prized and priced, good examples bring 35 cents, 
•and superior often 50 cents. All the seed is imported. 
Early Peas are good, and follow Asparagus, the New York 
gardeners being expected to have with certainty Pears, new 
Potatoes, and Sweet Corn by the 4th July, as it is Independence 
Day, the great holiday of the Yankees. Peas are no good in 
summer, but they are useful in the fall. The “run” in summer 
is on Lima Beans, tho bean being used green, not the pod as here 
with Scarlet Runner and French Beans, and the Beans are also 
used when mature. Dwarf and Runner Kidney Beans do well. 
Haricot Beans are grown for the seed, and the pods pass muster 
•upon occasion of scarcity. Two crops of Cabbages are grown. 
The first is raised in heat similar to Cauliflower in February and 
March, but instead of placing them out in frames they are planted 
outdoors after being hardened. Another sowing is made late in 
July or early in August, planting out at the end of that month or 
early September for autumn and winter use. The plants are lifted 
in early winter, and are stored in dry earth in cellars, all the 
outside leaves being removed, the heads being available for use 
through the winter, and keeping them in good condition until 
spring. 
The Lima Bean is tender, not being sown until the second or 
third week in May, a rather warm and dry situation being chosen, 
the greatest care being given to keep the seed right side up— i.e, 
the root downwards. A hillock is raised, placing about half a 
barrowload of manure to each, covered with sufficient soil to sow 
the seed in. A stake 8 feet high is placed in the centre of each 
hillock, the hillocks being 4 feet apart every way. Three or four 
seeds are placed around each stake, and thinned to two plants ; but 
this is an extravagant plan, though the results are superior to the 
ordinary method of placing eight to ten beans in the hillocks, 
which ordinarily are not manured, about 3 inches from the stake, 
and when showing the runner the plants are reduced to five or six 
to each hillock. The Beans are highly esteemed when boiled 
similar to Green Peas, and served with melted butter. When dried 
the Beans are soaked in water overnight, so as to soften them 
before boiling. 
Squash seed is sown on hillocks 10 feet apart, with half a 
barrowload of rotten dung to each, just covering with soil for 
sowing the seeds, three or four being placed in each hillock, thin¬ 
ning to two. Melons and Cucumbers are treated similarly, only 
the Melon hills are 6 feet apart and the Cucumbers 4 feet. The 
Melons grown are Cantaloupe, Water Melon, and Citron, the Citron 
keeping good until Christmas, and as far north as Maine. 
Tomatoes are extensively grown, being raised in heat from a 
sowing made in March, grown on, and strong plants are placed out 
in May 3 feet apart every way, two or three stems being allowed 
to-each plant, stakes being used in some instances, but generally 
not, as the plants grow much more woody and bear up better than 
in England. Fruit of 1 lb. and over are not uncommon, the red 
sorts are chiefly grown, the yellow being rare. 
Lettuce seed is sown in late August or early September, and 
good Lettuces are had by Christmas, which keep all the winter, 
but tbe ambition is to get good heads in spring, the plants having 
nice heads at Christmas, affording splendid ones in March and April. 
The plants are of course grown in frames and protected. A suc¬ 
cession is maintained by a later autumn sowing, wintering in 
frames, and these keep the bowl going until the spring-sown come 
in. In summer there are no Lettuces, it is too hot and dry. 
Celery is grown largely, the ground being heavily manured. A 
drill is made with a plough at every 3 feet, and the plants placed 
out 8 inches apart, which is not done until they are large, the tops 
being cut off, watering well after planting. No attempt is made at 
blanching until about five weeks before being required for use, and 
then all at once. Before winter sets in the Celery fit for use is 
lifted, not retaining any earth to the roots, storing away in sand or 
dry earth in cool dry place, but safe from frost. For late use the 
Celery is grown in butts, covered with straw before seveie weather 
1 foot thick, with boards to throw off wet. There are ventilators 
along the butts at every 10 feet. The Celery is, of course, earthed 
before being covered, and it keeps first rate and is used in spring. 
Radishes are grown in frames for early use, and sown outdoors in 
spring and fall. 
Egg Plants are much esteemed, the fruits being fried, and have 
a pleasant flavour. The seed is sown in March in heat, pricked off 
in seed boxes, and the seedlings planted out in May 2^ to 3 feet 
apart, the ground having been well manured. Capsicums are 
treated similarly, only planting them 2 feet apart. The pods are 
used green, sliced, with vinegar, salt, and pepper. 
Roots do well, particularly Potatoes, of which there is none 
better than Myatt’s and Early Rose, with Magnum Bonum and 
Fluke. The fancy sorts are much the same in America as England, 
things to talk and write about, a kind of “ seven-days wonder.” 
Onions do capitally, also Beet, and Carrots with Parsnips. Globe 
Artichokes are no good, but Jerusalem are particularly fine in crop 
and quality.— Utilitarian. 
(To be continued.) 
CARNATION SOUVENIR DE LA MALMAI30N. 
(^Continued fromi)age 105.') 
The time for the next layers to be made will be from July to 
the beginning of September. The sturdiest plants will be produced 
from those layered out of doors, and at the earliest time mentioned 
it is advisable to root them in the open. The later will be, how¬ 
ever, much better for the protection of sashes. Under these roots 
are formed very rapidly, care being always taken to keep the soil 
equally moist, and a little shade from sunshine is also advantageous. 
The best of these plants grown and repotted until 7-inch poos are 
reached, produce capital single-stemmed plants, which bloom from 
spring until the end of summer. Weaklings should be pinched. 
These are capital for producing big plants, and must be kept 
growing s’owly through the winter, repotting when necessary, and 
treated to another pinching during summer, when fair-sized 
plants in 9 or 10-inch pots will reward the cultivator the second 
ye-ar. It may be noted here that two-year-old plants produce 
better blooms than younger ones do. They are not any larger 
certainly, but are more compactly built and of better shape. 
As to the best compost, I find they thrive very well in one made 
of one part yellow loam, one part hotbed leaves and flaky leaf soil, 
and half a part of sand. I never add dung, but feed mainly with 
superphosphate applied at short intervals as a surface dressing. In 
potting the soil is not made very firm, and I have found firm potted 
plants do less well than those which have been less firmly potted. 
Dryness of the soil is very bad. In a fairly moist condition the soil 
is alive with rootlets covered with the finest of root hairs, and 
drynesi means the destruction of every one of these at the expense 
of the quality and size of the flowers and the health of the fo'iage. 
One of the great features of Malmaison is the extraordinary size to 
which the blooms expand, but the largest blooms can be secured 
only by limiting the number left to develop. A Malmaison in rude 
health continues to produce fresh crops of buds in succession from 
the base of the older buds, and if these are left to grow without 
thinning it is impossible for the healthiest plant to bring any of 
them out to a large size ; it is therefore absolutely necessary to 
disbud, and the stronger the plant the more disbudding must be 
done. A good bloom should be about 4 inches across. The biggest 
I have ever had was exactly 6 inches, but extra large ones are about 
5 inches, so that it will be apparent that thinning is as necessary for 
Malmaisons as for any other flower if big blooms are wanted. 
