168 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
December 11. 
weight of pine-apples. Several would weigh 7£fbs. each, 
and none would weigh less than 4^fbs. [Since our 
notes were taken Mr. F. has exhibited four or five of 
the best at Regent Street, and we are happy to observe 
that they quite came up to the point of weight we 
calculated them at]. This is, indeed, a triumph in 
Queen Pine-apple growing. The plants had been first 
grown in pots, and when they had reached their full 
size for fruiting, they were planted out in loamy, rich 
soil, in the pit, upon a heated bed. This method com¬ 
bines the old plan of growing the plants in pots, and 
the plan of planting them out, first originated, we 
believe, by Mr. Hamilton, of Stockport. From Mr. 
Fleming’s great success, it may be fairly granted that 
this is the best mode of growing them. 
Grapes. —These were very excellent, but, perhaps, not 
more so than might be seen at other places. Two 
varieties were pointed out as being very superior. The 
one named Charlesworth's Tokay is superior to the 
highly-esteemed Muscat of Alexandria in hanging very 
long upon the tree in perfect preservation. The other 
was named the Dutch Hamburgh, much superior to 
the common Hamburgh, being better flavoured, and 
thinner skinned, and also larger berried. Both are 
truly desirable. T. Appleby. 
{To he continued.) 
THE KITCHEN-GARDEN. 
Savoys. —This useful vegetable, which at this season, 
and afterwards, is much in demand, may be kept in a 
good useful condition by adopting a very old-fashioned 
plan, which we remember in our young days seeing used 
rather extensively with Scotch Cabbage; it is simply 
pulling the plants up and burying them in the earth the 
reverse way they were before, the roots sticking upwards. 
It is surprising how long they will keep in that way. 
That onward progress winch nature has destined for all, 
first to maturity, and then to decay, is, to a certain 
extent, retarded after the first of these positions has been 
attained, and that tendency which the plant has to 
burst asunder those beautiful and intricate folds, of 
which the “ head ” is composed, is completely checked by 
our process, and though a few of the outer leaves may 
suffer from its altered position, yet nothing like to the 
extent they would have done if left exposed to the 
vicissitudes of freezing and thawing. The best medium 
we ever had for keeping them was a heap of peat earth 
that lay in a dry sheltered corner of the compost yard; 
but they will keep several days, and we might say weeks, 
hung up in a cellar, or similar cool place: at all events 
we strongly advise the young gardener to preserve a 
few in some of these ways. It is generally admitted 
that frost improves Savoys, while it is also too well 
known that a very severe season destroys them entirely, 
but a mild winter is equally against their keeping in 
good order for any length of time. Their growth, or 
progress, not being stopped, they burst so much the 
sooner, so that some of the contrivances mentioned 
above are more necessary in a mild season than in a 
severe one. We may add, that the Red Cabbage may be 
kept in a similar way with perfect success. 
Asparagus. —Where a regular supply of this vegetable 
is wanted from Christmas up to the time it comes in 
naturally, a succession of roots must be provided, pro¬ 
portionate to the demand, and, as the season advances, 
it comes into use with a proportionate less amount of 
forcing heat, or, in other words, the amount of heat and 
of time required to furnish a supply of useful heads in 
November, is at least double that which is necessary in 
March to accomplish the same object; this may be 
easily accounted for. A period of rest seems necessary 
for the well-being of all vegetation, and when we disturb 
that rest by such artificial means as those we adopt in 
forcing, we must expect offended nature to withhold 
some part of her assistance; the result is, our Aspara¬ 
gus is not so large in December as it would have been 
in May, if left undisturbed. Neither is it so large as if 
left to force by more gentle means, so as to come into 
use in March, our skill is, therefore, called into action to 
remedy this defect as well as we can, and watering with 
tepid liquid manure is resorted to with a fair share of 
success. Still we must not expect to have such fine 
heads at this early period as at a later one. A fresh 
batch of roots may now be put in motion, and whatever 
mode of heating may be adopted, let it, if possible, only 
commence by degrees with this vegetable, and do not, 
by any means, allow too much bottom heat at first. Top 
or atmospheric heat is of less consequence, it being so 
much modified before it reaches the root. About once 
every three weeks a fresh supply of roots will have to be 
put in, and afterwards, where its progress is more rapid, 
once a fortnight will not be too often. We place the 
roots on good garden soil, and cover with sifted leaf- 
mould, in which some salt has been mixed to expel 
slugs, worms, and other pests. 
Sundries. —We have little to add to our previous 
recommendations of storing away, and covering up such 
vegetables as the severity of the season renders neces¬ 
sary. Hoop over beds of Lettuces, and on frosty nights 
cover them with a mat. The same may be done with 
young Cauliflower plants not protected in any other 
way. Give pans of Mint, Tarragon, Parsley, &c., that 
have been placed in some warm corner, occasional 
waterings with liquid manure, and place a few of the 
earliest kind of Potato in some warm medium to pre¬ 
pare it for planting in a frame, and attend to Sea-kale, 
Rhubarb, &c., as directed in former Calendars. J. R. 
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. 
PLANTING POTATOES ON HEAVY SOIL. 
Not having seen in the pages of The Cottage Gar¬ 
dener anything about planting potatoes in cinder-ashes in 
the autumn, I will now give you my method of doing so, 
and will begin with the sets of the sorts you wish to put 
to this test. Spread the potatoes on some kind of floor, as 
this keeps them from fermenting, and in the first week in 
October look them over, and should any of them need cut¬ 
ting that is the time to do so,—spread them afterwards 
thinly on the floor—I mean the cut sets ; though the whole 
should be kept as thin as you can, and all of them on a dry 
floor until planted. Some time towards the latter end of 
November, look out a piece of ground, not under the drip 
i of trees, and if towards the south so much the better; fine 
it out the length you want, and three feet-and-a-half wide; 
cut out the alleys, and spread the earth level over the sur¬ 
face of the bed with the back of the spade; on this smoothed 
surface lay one inch-and-a-half of cinder-ashes, and upon 
the cinder-ashes place your sets. If you have any cut sets 
place them on first, that they may he planted by themselves, 
but do not let them touch each other, as they will emit roots 
before some of them are finally planted. Then begin with 
the whole sets of the same sort, and then any other sort, 
until all are placed. Over these sets strew two inches in 
depth of cinder-ashes, making it all level, and get some old j 
thatch or fight fitter ready to cover them over in case of | 
frost. Lay it thickly all over the bed and alleys too; this will i 
