Jone 23. 18*7. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
501 
were the “ Horticultural Register,” edited by Paxton and 
Marnock, and the “ Floricultural Cabinet,” conducted by 
Joseph Harrison. The first weekly paper was the “ Gar¬ 
deners’ Gazette,” projected by George Glenny; this 
appeared in 1837. It was conducted in a bad spirit, and 
was remarkable more for its personalities and abuse than 
for any real benefit it was to horticulture. The manner 
in which it was edited afforded a golden opportunity for 
a rival, and this very soon appeared in 1841 as the “ Gar¬ 
deners’ Chronicle,” projected by Paxton and Wentworth 
Dilke, with Lindley as Editor. This may be said to have 
been Lindley’s first connection with gardening literature, 
unless we except his “Theory of Horticulture,” which 
appeared in 1840, and that is as much botanical as horti¬ 
cultural. In 1848 “The Cottage Gardener” was first 
published, and eventually was much enlarged, appearing 
as “The Journal of Horticulture.” The whole of the 
periodicals that appeared prior to the “ Gardeners’ 
Chronicle” have disappeared, and their places have been 
supplied by successors, which by the ability with which 
they are conducted have raised our horticultural press to 
a high position in the periodical literature of the world. 
It will be conceded, too, that this gardening literature 
has contributed in no small degree to the wide and ever- 
widening interest that is taken in the cultivation of plants 
and crops by almost every section of the community. 
PLANTING IN SUMMER. 
When is the best time to plant the various kitchen garden 
crops, that, from time to time, require removal from the seed bed 
to the quarters where they are expected to remain for permanent 
use ? This is a question that has several times been asked, and is 
one to which anything but a general answer can be given ; for, 
although it is customary to say, “ plant out after rain,” the many 
failures we see from so doing would seem to imply that the advice 
must be acted upon with caution, or, in other words, it must be 
qua'ifi.d to suit the circumstances of the case. We have all seen 
fine young batches of Lettuces planted out in their final quarters, 
disappear within a very few hours after ; and beds of tender 
annua’s have sometimes suffered a like fate, more especially if they 
be margined by a considerable breadth of grass, which forms a 
lurking place from which foraging parties of their enemies make 
nightly sallies, and carry away all that is most valuable. Now, this 
drawback amounts, in some instances, to the entire loss of a crop, or 
several crops in succession ; nor are protective measures so effective 
as could be wished : it therefore becomes the inquiring mind to 
weigh well the benefits of planting after heavy rains, and the evils 
to which the system is exposed. We have been so situated, as to 
find it almost impossible to save our Brussels Sprouts, Greens, &c., 
which it is customary to plant out early in June, if we planted 
them out in wet weather ; we, consequently, adopted the other 
extreme, and planted them out when the ground, as well as the 
weather, was very dry, and usually with great success. The reason 
was obvious—a stiff, retentive soil is the one most favourable to the 
production of slugs, the enemies of almost all young and tender 
vegetation ; while a soil of an opposite kind is one of the best 
antidotes to their increase—the sharp, gritty particles of which a 
sandy soil is composed being at variance with the locomotive powers 
of slugs, and they are less able to crawl about in search of food, 
and do not, consequently, exist in such number as in the more 
adhesive loams, better known, in garden phraseology, as heavy 
soils. 
Now, as the slug exists in the stiff soil to a more dangerous 
extent than in the dry, sandy one, we may reasonably infer that 
the planting operation ought to be done on the stiff soil in dry 
weather, in order that the plants may escape the ravages they would 
be subjected to were they planted out whilst it was wet, and appa¬ 
rently favourable to the plants growing well. A few dull days in 
the midst of dry weather, are to be preferred, and to such plants as 
those of the large Cabbage family, which root rather deeply, there 
is seldom that lack of moisture, in such soils, as to render more than 
one watering necessary; while, on the dry, sandy, or gravelly soils 
of some districts, they would want that assistance almost daily, in 
order to support themselves against the drying influence by which 
they are surrounded. 
Now, in planting out crops on these two soils, it is easy to see 
hat two different courses must be adopted—the.stiff, retentive one 
tmust be planted in dull, dry weather, and when the surface of the 
ground is tolerably dry ; while the sandy, or gravelly soil must be 
planted, if possible, in a showery season, in order that the plants 
may derive the full benefit of that agent on which they must look 
as affording them the most important portion of their daily food— 
i.e., atmospheric moisture. These reasons being given, it is easy to 
see when the best time has arrived for planting out the various 
Cabbageworts in summer. 
It is next a matter of inquiry as to their size, and other parti¬ 
culars, and this is, also, tolerably easy to define ; for a small, delicate 
plant, with its leafstalks elongated, so as to be unable to support 
the broad portion of its leaf, is not at all likely to withstand the 
sunshine of midsummer, nor the drying effects of the dog days ; 
but such an one may be able to endure the change which is rendered 
comparatively easy, when performed at a time when both the ground 
and the atmosphere is saturated with moisture ; it then speedily 
accommodates itself to the altered circumstances of its position, and 
those leaves, which, at planting out, were unable to hold up their 
proper side to the sun, quickly recover strength to do so, and that 
before any serious harm takes place from their reversed position, for 
the latter was done while the sun had, comparatively, little chance 
to injure them, the air being moist, &c. Let it be observed that 
this operation must only be performed on such ground as is tolerably 
free from such pests as prey on the young plant, otherwise its 
delicate condition, when in the state we have thus described, will 
speedily tempt them to its destruction. There is a class of plants 
less robust than the Cabbageworts, and equally, if not more, agreeable 
to the stomach of the voracious slugs ; these must be differently 
treated, for they cannot well endure the scorching sunshine that the 
others can, neither are they so deep-rooted as to penetrate below 
its influence ; with these, therefore, some more stringent means 
must be adopted to drive out, or keep at bay, those enemies they 
are so likely to suffer from. Usually, repeated workings of the 
soil will effect that purpose ; but when that has not been accom¬ 
plished, the addition of something or other as a repellant to them ; 
for this, nothing is better than soot or wood ashes, which, besides, 
are excellent manures ; but, in addition to their use, the ground 
must be made very fine, and, if it be very dry, it ought not to be 
planted immediately after being watered ; but after the top has got 
a little dry again, and when the plants are put in, and, if needs be, 
watered, take the precaution to scatter some dry ashes, or other 
offensive substance, over the ground, to repel the invasion of the 
enemy. By this means it is likely the plants will get hold enough 
with the moisture which there exists to withstand the more trying 
part of the season without having recourse to the watering pot, 
which too often invites the depredators. 
During the spring, when the slugs were making sad havoc 
amongst many crops, our Peas were saved by removing all rough 
and cloddy lumps from near them, and supplying their place with a 
finer material, to which lime, soot, or ashes had been added—the 
distastefulness of these latter substances kept the enemy away 
until the plant outgrew their attacks. Beds of Carrots, too, are 
especially favourites with them ; and we know of many one who 
had to sow again, and blaming their seedsman, had to submit to a 
very late crop ; whereas the fault lay with their own want of care, 
or, it might be, want of means ; for the season was very awkward, 
so that the proper working of the ground, which ought to have 
been proceeded with at various times during the winter and early 
spring, was sadly impeded by the unfavourable state of the weather ; 
but when anything like a smooth surface was obtained, with a fair 
average depth of friable soil below, we do not see any reason why 
a “ good plant ” of Carrots might not fairly be looked for, as 
repeated dustings of lime, commencing about a week or so after 
sowing, ought to preserve the crop, unless under circumstances 
peculiarly favourable to their enemies. For instance, we dislike to 
sow Carrots after a Cabbage crop, the latter harbouring so many Of 
these voracious vermin, which only retire underground during the 
daytime, to come out at night on their marauding excursions. To 
stop these gentry, it is necessary to seal up, as fast as possible, their 
place of abode, and a fine state of the soil will usually effect this 
object ; many will still escape, and these must be deterred from 
committing any ravages, by their journey being made as distasteful 
as possible. t . . 
As much of the after success of a plant depends on its deriving 
all the advantages it ean at planting time, and consequently avoid¬ 
in'* all the evils, it becomes a matter of importance to select the 
most fitting time on which to perform these various operations ; 
and not only that, but to watch them sedulously afterwards for 
some time. It is worse than useless to say that everything depends 
on the watering pot, for be assured of it, that cold well water 
(perhaps hard too), is just as likely to do harm as good, more 
especially when given in daily deluges. Much as our ulant-growing 
