March IG. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER, 
4G9 
time when it would be useless to attempt to blanch them, 
as tho top would rise too quickly, be apt to be stringy, and 
on the whole not so good as the green growng top out-of- 
doors. In winter they are preferred by many even to Sea- 
kale. Darkness, and a heat from 50° to 55°, produce 
them in great perfection, such as in a slight dark hotbed, a 
mushroom-house, &c. Nothing more is required than to 
get the turnips from the field, with the top uncut, and when 
stuck among soil or litter the head will soon push, and 
should be cut when about six inches long. A second or 
third crop may be taken, but the first is always the strongest 
and best. Besides, if long cut, the turnips are robbed of 
their nourishment, but if cut only once, the turnip is little 
more injured than it would be in the field by the end of 
March or the beginning of April. I have tried various 
kinds, but all others are either bitter or insipid, except 
Swedes. Their blanched tops, as a winter dish, are really 
delicious. 
2. Black Prince Strawberry. —I mentioned, in an article, 
last autumn, how well this did for a late crop out-of-doors; 
how scarce I was of it for an early crop; and how I shifted 
some, potted them, plunged them in a little heat, keeping 
the tops cool, hoping that thus time might be gained, and 
that these plants might be induced to bear an early crop. In 
this I have, to a certain extent, been disappointed. My Keen's 
Seedling, potted early in small 48’s, have beat them hollow. 
I intend, therefore, to give them a fairer chance next 
season, by early potting, as that I have long found to be 
the great essential, along with early maturing of the bud, 
for early forcing. Besides being less fruitful with me than 
Keen's Seedling, they seemed more tender, and more liable 
to insects. All this I mostly attribute to their late potting, 
and mean to give it another limited trial, as some of my 
friends have had good crops since the new year. I mention 
this chiefly to show that no doctoring of the plants in 
autumn will compensate for the want of early potting and 
early maturation of the buds. At this season, and onwards, 
plants will do pretty well when lifted and potted, and put 
with or without pots into moderate hotbeds. The extra 
heat, in these cases, should, for the first ten days, tell 
chiefly on the roots, by allowing a stream of air to pass over 
the tops. On the whole, though I value the Prince, unless 
for an early crop, I would nevor think of substituting it for 
Keen’s Seedling. 
3. Tobacco. — Thanks to sulphur fumigations, these 
Strawberries are the chief thing on which an insect pre¬ 
sented itself. I sent for some strong shag, and they sent 
me what I believe they call bird’s eye, and it seems to be 
pretty well “ all in my eye,” as far as the fat flies are con¬ 
cerned, as they look just about as stupidly comfortable next 
day as a man who has half smoked himself blind. Now, 
if two smokings, at most, will not make them all tumble 
from their perch, a person would extirpate them cheaper by 
using his fingers and soot and lime-water from a syringe. 
I cannot say I have been thoroughly satisfied with any 
substitutes for tobacco. The question, however, is well 
worth a friendly ventilation; first, as to the materials that 
have been successfully used as substitutes; and, secondly, 
as to the best and cheapest tobacco for the purpose, and 
where that is to be conveniently obtained; a hint not un¬ 
worthy the tobacco manufacturer, as an article that would 
quickly destroy insects, and not hurt tho plants, would meet 
a most extended sale; what is sold as shag in the grocer’s 
or tobacconist’s retail shops being so different in its quality. 
All beginners should use it rather weak at first. 
Cauliflower. —This was mentioned last month, but it and 
Snow's Brocoli will now be getting on the wane. The latter 
is one of the best helps the gardener ever had. Sown in 
March and April it will produce beautiful, white, firm heads 
from the end of October. The frost came upon me sooner 
than I expected, and I covered it up where growing with 
litter and refuse hay, and I have had a good supply to the 
present time. 
5. Ehubard and Sea-kale. —Where there are no means of 
forcing these out-of-doors they may easOy be forwarded by 
taking the roots up and placing them in soil in any dark 
place, with a temperature ranging from 50 u to G0° ; and 
these roots, cut to pieces and planted out in April or May, 
will bo fit to force again in the second season. R. Fish. 
AGRICULTURAL AND HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY OF INDIA.— Dec. 1853. 
The following donations were announced:— 
1. Seeds of the 1 Cabbage oil,’ and blue dye plants of the j 
Chinese, and seeds of four varieties of Melons. Presented j 
by Mr. R. Fortune. 
The following is extract of Mr. Fortune’s letter respecting ! 
the above seeds 
“ The Cabbage oilplant forms one of the staple productions 
in the Provinces of Chekiang and Keang Soo during the 
winter and spring months, and is highly valued by the 
Chinese. I believe the Chinese kind is considered more 
productive than any of our European varieties, and it is pos¬ 
sible it may be better than those at present cultivated in 
India. At all events, I send it round for trial, and venture to 
suggest its being sent to a district where oil of this kind is 
produced. The“Tein Ching” (Isatis indigotica') is the plant 
which produces the Shanghae liquid Indigo, a substance 
largely used in this part of China, where blue cotton cloth 
is in great demand amongst the masses of the people. The 
four varieties of melon are also sent for experiment. They 
are valuable in China, not so much on account of their 
flavour as their productiveness, and they grow luxuriantly 
without that care which it is necessary to bestow upon 
English melons introduced to this country. In the summer 
months the markets are abundantly supplied with these 
fruits, which are, in fact, the apples of the country, and are 
eaten by the natives much in the same way as we see apples 
in country towns at home.” 
The following communications are also submitted.— 
1. From W. G. Young, Esq., Under Secretary to the 
Government of Bengal, furnishing extract of a letter from 
Mr. R. Fortune, dated 18th July, seeking more precise in¬ 
formation regarding the Chinese green vegetable dye, to 
which the attention of the Society was called by Mr. Henley, 
in March last. 
2. From R. Fortune, Esq., dated Chusan, 18th July, on 
the subject of obtaining seeds, plants, &c., for the Society. 
With reference to the above two communications, it was 
agreed, on the recommendation of the Council, that a copy 
of M. Person's Memoir, published in ‘ Les Comptes Rendus,’ 
sitting of the 8th October, 1852—on the green vegetable 
dye of the Chinese, be forwarded to the Government of Ben¬ 
gal for Mr. Fortune’s information. Further, that the sum 
of £50 be placed at Mr. Fortune’s disposal, to enable him to 
meet all expences, export freight, connected with the Socie¬ 
ty’s requisitions for plants, seeds, &c., and that the P and O 
Company be solicited, as a special case, to forward such boxes 
of plants as Mr. Fortune may send from Shanghae free of 
freight to the Society. 
DOMESTIC ECONOMY. 
There is a great want, at the present time, of good publi¬ 
cations relative to “ common things.” Lord Ashburton and 
others are most wisely making an effort to have a know¬ 
ledge generally diffused of those “ things, ” for they include 
all that i3 useful in our every-day life. That effort is much 
impeded by the want of appropriate publications, and we, 
therefore, are glad to meet with one which is quite suitable 
to the purpose. It is written by Mr. Tegetmeier, so 
favourably known by his communications to our columns, 
and is entitled A Manual o f Domestic Economy : with Hints 
on Domestic Medicine and Surgery. It is very small, very 
cheap, and very sensibly written; indeed, it may be fairly 
characterised as being common sense applied to common 
things. The following extract from it is a fair specimen, 
and is especially deserving of general circulation at this 
time of dearness: 
“ Wheat and its Preparations. —Tho variety of wheat 
chiefly cultivated in Great Britain is that termed Lammas 
or winter wheat, being usually sown in September or 
October. Spring wheat, so named because it is sown at 
that season, is less productive. 
“ Wheat is one of tho most nutritious of tho corn plants; 
before being ground, the grain contains from twenty to 
thirty per cent, of nutritive substances, chiefly gluten. 
When ground into fine flour, it is not so nutritious, as a 
