76 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 27,1887. 
history ” there given is true in all but the point at issue. The plant from 
which a pip, and subsequently an offset, was sent was brought by Mr. 
Campbell along with others for the late Mr. Jeffreys and himself from the 
stock of Mr. Cunningham, when, after his death, his collection was being 
sold under the direction of Mr. Waterston of Paisley. The tally bore 
“ Seedling, Green-edge,” and Mr. Campbell has always acknowledged the 
flower to be Cunningham’s. Whether such an avowal was made or not 
when the plant was sent to your correspondent, it is clearly right that 
an addendum to the history should follow. The writer of it would possibly 
bear with equanimity the distribution of an avowedly *• third-rate” flower 
under his name without his sanction—probably not. 
Growers of Auriculas take a pride in having their collections correctly 
named as to both the varieties and their raisers. You may therefore 
admit the following correction and remarks. In the Auricula election 
(Journal of July 2nd last year) among the white-edged varieties will be 
found Mrs. Campbell (Campbell). This is wrong. The Auricula of that 
name was raised by Cunningham, again on the best authority. “ A de¬ 
scriptive catalogue of 280 show Auriculas,” in a cotemporary magazine 
nearly five years ago will be well known. I have spent not a few spare 
half hours over it. Old fogeys may be likely to agree that the descriptions 
are well nigh as misleading as reliable. Were they correct the old standard 
sorts should ere now have been utterly routed by the numerous lauded 
novelties. Have they ? Is there yet any likelihood of the grand old 
fellows striking their flag ? Not that I am aware of, and I have bloomed 
a good number of the later additions, and have seen, I may say, the very 
latest obtainable sorts. Of these perhaps more by-and-by. Meantime, 
in that list Bradshaw’s Tidy appears as a white-edge. Unless that be a 
mistake (if so, a correction may have been given that I have not seen), 
others as well as I who have it as a self are wrong. I have tried without 
success to get a trace of Lightbody’a Sir Colin Campbell, one of .the 280. 
If there be such a variety, is it known in the land of its reputed raiser ? 
A solution of the difficulty has been offered, that, like the hero himself 
this and Lord Clyde are one; but the dates and descriptions appended 
indicate different flowers. Information would be welcome. 
The following occurs in the same contemporary of date May 15th, in the 
past year :—“ Sophie Dumaresque, probably raised by Chapman, but Mr. 
Me klejohn could not say for certain who raised it.” It is surprising that 
Mr. Meiklejohn was ever in doubt on this point, but even his latest cata¬ 
logues were incorrect, this variety being given as “ Lady Sophia,” with 
Dumaresque as the raiser. He knew that this was an error, a good many 
years before his death at any rate, but neglected to have it corrected. 
Lady Sophia (not Sophie) Dumaresque was raised by Lightbody, and is 
generally given correctly in catalogues. Such “faults” as that in the 
above name may be trifles, but what is the use of originating and perpetu¬ 
ating even these ? I again ask for information. Did Chapman name his 
plants “ Marie ” and “ Sophie ” ? If so, well 1 If not, what next ? 
“ C mservateur,” and “Sylvie,” and “Monsieur le Docteur Kidd ” ?—A 
Northern Amateur. 
WQKK.foi(theWEEK.. 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Manures. —First-rate vegetables cannot be grown in any garden 
without a liberal supply of mannre. Whem the soil is new, or before it 
has produced any great crops, it will often do very well without manure, 
and we have often had the finest of Potato crops from newly broken up 
ground, but Cabboges, Cauliflowers, Sivoys, Onions, and Celery soon rob 
the soil, and successional crops can only be obtained by adding manure 
before sowing or planting. The best of all kitchen garden manure for 
crops generally is that from cow sheds, and the next is stable manure. 
A mixture of leaves and light materials are well enough for producing 
roots, but they do not possess the power of developing and maturing a 
high class crop. Market gardeners always take good care to deal largely 
in manure, and private gardeners would like, as a rule, to follow their 
example in this respect, but many garden owners seem to think that they 
should receive the most remunerative crops from their gardens with the 
smallest possible expenditure for manure, and we would say briefly that 
no man can accomplish this. We do not approve of that commonly 
recommended article, “ well decayed manure,” as a great deal of the 
virtue has passed away from such material, but manure only slightly 
decayed is what we use and recommend. 
Tilling the Soil. —Many of the quarters are now becoming 
vacant. Those dug roughly in the autumn have been pulverised to ad¬ 
vantage by recent frosts, and as other pieces may still come under the 
same influence no time should be lost in digging and trenching them. 
This is one of the greatest aids to good results and economical labour, as 
ground that has been well frosted is always more friable and easier 
worked than that which is not exposed to the frost. 
Asparagus. —Forcing this is becoming more easy weekly, and the 
roots when placed in the bed of the Cucumber pit, or on a hotbed, pro¬ 
duce heads for the table in ten or twelve days. A constant supply will 
not fail to give satisfaction to all. In mild springs it is astonishing how 
early the heads in the open beds begin to grow, and it is a great advan¬ 
tage always to top-dress them before growth begins, and the present is a 
good time to do so. We are greatly in favour of early dressing, and 
practise it with good results. Where there are a quantity of young one 
or two year old roots they may also be dressed, as they will absorb the 
manure, and it will strengthen them for a good beginning, whether they 
are transplanted further on or not. 
Seakale. —Hitherto we have been lifting these roots for forcing, but 
this is stopped, and forcing will now only be done on the ground where 
the roots are growing. They are now easily managed in this way, and 
the produce will be superior to that from the lifted roots. 
Spring Cabbage. —These look promising, and as they will now be 
one of the first crops to gain maturity in the open all possible help should 
be given them. When the ground is free from frost and snow fill any blanks 
which may have occurred, sprinkle a little soot or a small quantity of 
guano round each plant, and earth up slightly. 
Winter Spinach. —The frost has dealt so severely with this that it 
has almost disappeared, and the other day when an old man, who has 
been thirty-five years in the garden, was digging close by he was very 
anxious to extend his operations over the Spinach piece; but this should 
not be allowed, as, although the plants do not appear serviceable at the 
present time, the roots are all right, and when the spring comes they will 
afford a good supply of letves long before the plants raised from spring- 
sown seed are ready, and we always find the winter Spinach roots most 
useful in April and May. 
Stored Roots. —These must'not be neglected, and it is just about 
this time that many of them begin growing again or decay. Where fresh 
growths are springing out from the crowns of Carrots, Beetroot, &c., 
break the whole of them off, and in turning them over to do this remove 
any root that shows signs of decay. A thorough overhaul now will keep 
them right until spring, whereas neglect at this time may cause many to 
decay prematurely. Our Salsafy and Parships are still in the ground and 
keeping well, and none of them will be lifted and stored so long as they 
remain sound and do not grow too much. We turned all our Potatoes in 
November and again this week, but it will be necessary to go over them 
oftener now that the spring months will be in favour of their growing. 
To allow cooking Potatoes to form long shoots spoils them as much as it 
does the seed tubers, as sprouted Potatoes soon deteriorate in flavour. 
Early Leeks. —Where it is desired to have Leeks of a very large 
size by August, or for the autumn shows, the seed should be sown at 
once, and our favourite variety is Sutton’s Prizetaker. This is a 
grand Leek. A few scores of plants will be sufficient for the early 
batch, and if a little seed is sown in a 6-inch or 8-inch pot the 
plants may be raised in this way. The soil in which the seed is 
sown should be rich and firm, and not more than a quarier of an 
inch of soil should be spread over the seed. It will germinate in a 
temperature of 60° or 65°, and as soon as the plants can be handled 
they must be transplanted to shallow boxes, giving them good soil and 
placing them 2 or 3 inches apart. They may be kept in these until 
they are planted out in April or May, and if liberally treated they will 
be specimens 3 lbs. or more in weight by the middle of August. 
Raising Peas under Glass. —In backward localities, where un- 
genial springs are common, the open air Peas do not always grow freely at 
first, and it is a good plan to raise the early batch under glass. We have 
tried all ways of sowing the seed, and only practise and recommend one 
now. This is to take a number of 3-inch pots, place a few leaves in the 
bottom of each, three-parts fill them with good soil, place a number 
of Peas in each, and cover firmly. They are then stood in any pit or 
house where there is a temperature of 60°, or a little more, and the young 
plants appear in a week. By keeping them rather cool and near the 
glass they grow robustly, and if sown now the plants would be in excel¬ 
lent order for planting out by the 1st of April. A few hundred pots of 
Peas will make several good rows when planted out. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Peaches and Nectarines. — Earliest House .—Disbudding is a 
process that requires to be done cautiously, especially with early forced 
trees. Commence by taking a few forerigtit shoots first, then proceed in 
a similar manner with the others. Care must be taken to leave a shoot at 
the base of the present bearing shoot, to supply its place next season, and 
another must be left on a level with or above the fruit to draw the sap to 
the fruit ; the upper shoot should have its point pinched out at the third 
leaf, unless it be necessary for the extension of the trees, when it should 
be trained in its full length. If the irees are not full-sized, the shoots 
necessary for the formation of the trees must be trained 12 to 15 inches 
apart. Instead of disbudding extensions—shoots not required for laying in 
to f >rm the bearing wood of next year—pinch the superfluous shoots at 
the third leaf, and to one afterwards, and they will form spurs. The 
bearing shoots on extensions must be 15 to 18 inches apart, it being of 
primary importance in the cultivation of the Peach and Nectarine that 
the shoots be trained so as to admit of the foliage being fully exposed to 
light and air ; theref ore avoid overcrowding, and the questionable practice 
of leaving shoots that must be removed at a more advanced stage of 
growth. When the fruits are Bet and swelling, give an occasional syring¬ 
ing in the early part of fine afternoons ; but avoid heavy syringings at 
this stage, as the foliage is tender and evaporation not great. Sufficient 
moisture should be maintained in the atmosphere by damping the pith 
and border in the morning and afternoon. When the fruits swell and are 
too thickly placed, remove a few of the smallest and those on the under 
side of the branches, but do not thin them too severely—thinning, like 
disbudding, should be done gradually. If fermenting materials have been 
