298 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Fibbttibt 19, 1861. 
small variegated Geranium plants, that ere long must be turned 
out into temporary beds to make way for others. Dwarf Kidney 
Deans just showing their leader have been transplanted from a 
box in which they were thickly sown into six-inch and eight- 
inch pots, putting four plants or so in a pot, taking care that the 
soil used was previously heated, and warm water used for water¬ 
ing, so that no cheek was given. Some previously potted, 
four plants in six-inch pots, were turned out without dividing 
the plants into part of a bed of soil, with warm leaves below 
and the advantage of a hot-water pipe at the side. These will 
succeed those now bearing. Sowed a handful more seeds in a 
portable wooden box, to come in again as succession. We use 
this mode instead of sowing at once in the pots for two reasons. 
First, economy of room, as the box that will hold seedlings for 
a couple of dozen of pots will require no more room than three 
or four pots, and room where heat is, even to a foot square, is 
never allowed to have a sinecure even for a day. Room! where 
shall we find room ? is the cry. Again: By not allowing these 
seeds when sprung to remain longer in the boxes than showing 
the second joint above the seed-leaves, or even commencing the 
third, they will stand thickly uninjured ; and when then trans¬ 
planted, a dwarfer habit is given to the plants, and the bearing, 
we think, for the room is more abundant than when the Beans 
are sown at once in their fruiting-pots. At this early season, 
this mode causes the plants to knot for bloom almost at once 
without stopping, which, though it increases the quantity to be 
gathered fr'>m a plant, lengthens the period before produce is 
gathered. In winter and early spring, therefore, we do not stop 
dwarfs; after March or so, we generally do; but then we do 
not put above three plants in an eight-inch pot. The seed-leaves 
after performing their office shrivel and drop. Two leaves 
appear at the next joint, and between them the stem. At present 
we leave all alone, because early produce is the chief object; but 
when heavy crops are wanted later, we nip out the point of this 
tiny shoot after it lias made a joint, and thus get fresh shoots 
from the axils of the leaves. 
Among all forced vegetables that are the better for being 
forced, these Beans take a first place. Unless in warm and 
dripping summers, it is rare that they are as crisp out of doors 
as when grown in heat; but, do what you will, it is always akin 
to danger to place them in forcing-houses, for if such a thing as 
a thrips, or an egg of one, be about the premises, there is a 
wonderful attraction between them and the leaves of the Beans : 
it is safest, therefore, to grow them in pits by themselves. One 
crop being cleared out, the place could be thoroughly cleaned 
and sulphur-smoked before planting another. 
I once practised an easy mode for a succession crop in a 
pit, that had a little bottom heat from leaves, and about a 
foot of light rich soil above them. There were two divisions 
in that pit; the second was planted just as the first began 
to show bloom. The plants were put in or seeds sown in 
rows 20 inches apart; and as soon as the first plants showed 
bloom, another row was sown between, and before they were 
big enough to need all the room, the first lot were first 
thinned and then removed, and then with a little fresh soil 
in the place, a third sowing was inserted between the rows, 
and so on, the one crop being ready to take the place of the 
other as the crop was gathered. By giving more soil, and rich 
waterings, and top dressings, we have also gathered the whole 
season, from April to Ootober, from one sowing, by constant 
pruning off barren and gathered-from twigs, and preventing 
one pod being allowed to swell above the size when it was fit for 
coolcing. They are never fit for that purpose when they do not 
break easily when bent. The sorts we pi*efer are the small 
Newington Wonder for cooking whole; and the China Dwarf, 
popularly called Robin’s Egg, for general purposes. We cannot 
say we find fault with Sion House Forcing, or Fulmer’s Forcing, 
and still less with the Cream-coloured dwarf, &c.; but for general 
purposes we prefer the above. 
Earthed up the first Potatoes in pots, and gave them a sunny 
spot in an average temperature of 55°. Placed a row of (hem 
in front of Peach-house, between low front wall and trees, there 
being three successions in that row, and planted a bed in 
a deep earth pit, placing about 18 inches of w r arm leaves at the 
bottom, and 6 inches of dry soil above them, the Potatoes 
4 inches apart in rows, 18 inches from each other, and.then 
covered with 6 inches more. These Potatoes were sprung']! inch 
or 2 inches previously, and only one, or at most two, shoots left 
to a set, or email Potato. The bed is covered with old si hes, 
just laid on a rail at back and front and will be protected from 
frost; and as soon as a straw or an evergreen wattled hurdle 
will do, the lights will be moved. 
Uncovered the Sea kale in the Mushroom-house, finding 
that what was put in last is coming faster than we want 
it, and we must be sparing until we see how the weather 
may yet treat our hardier vegetables. Spawned and earthed 
up the Musliroom-bed lately mentioned ; but as the heat is 
still regular, have not yet beat it firm down. Border in first 
vinery ranging an inch below the surface at 65°, put frames 
above the leaves placed there, put a layer of six inches of 
hot leaves inside the frames, after forking up the leaves on the 
border, on removing aside the cool surface, that removed being 
again banked against the outsides of the frames. These frames 
will do for striking Verbenas, Geraniums, and for starting 
Dahlias, and placing fresh-potted-off plants for bedding just to 
give them a start. If care is taken to give no more heat than 
the above, the roots of the Vines will be benefited, and the heat 
can thus be economised. Of course, we get more heat inside 
the box than in the Vine-border. Wheeled hot leaves mixed 
with a little dung to make a bed 20 inches high, on which to 
place a three-light frame, which, meanwhile, will be filled with 
plants, and by the time we get more fermenting material the 
plants will be moved, and the bed raised for Cucumbers or 
Melons. Saved a part of the hottest and best of the heap, 
turned it carefully, watered it where dry, and then covered all 
over with a couple of inches of long litter, to assist it to heat 
nicely and sweetly. This will be used for the first leaf-and-dung- 
bed for two lights, which we mentioned some time ago as de¬ 
signed for Cucumbers; but as it was formed chiefly of leaves, 
the heat was never, except in warm nights, hot enough for Cu¬ 
cumbers, scarcely rising above 50° in cold nights, though covered. 
That was, therefore, filled with cuttings of Geraniums, Verbenas. 
Lobelias, &c., which have done, or are doing, admirably, and will 
bear being taken out by the time the dung-heap is nice and 
sweet to permit of the bed getting a fork over, adding a foot or 
so in height, and keeping a foot or so of the sweet on the top. 
The little healthy Cucumber plants now in small 60’s, may have 
another shift, where they are in a brick pit heated by hot water, 
and where, also, some will be planted. By keeping the plants 
where they are until they even fill six-inch pots no harm will 
accrue, and we can thus keep them in a small space before 
planting out, or growing them in large pots. 
I sometimes meet instances of people, who are as hard up for 
room as I am, turning out their Cucumbers and Melons when 
they have only a rough leaf or two, and then filling up the frame, 
pit, or house, with all sorts of plants between them. Where 
practicable, I prefer keeping these plants, Cucumbers, &c., in a 
light, or a couple of lights, by themselves until they are some 
size, and thus we can give them a cosy corner, keeping the other 
places designed for them finally filled with whatever we deem 
| necessary, and getting these removed before giving the space 
almost entirely to the Cucumbers. Something like a system of 
this kind is the most economical, and best every way for the 
health of the plants. Even a pit or a frame may be made to 
hold as different plants as either of these lights by having 
moveable divisions of light boards, or even, calico, &c., be¬ 
tween the lights. Last season we were called on by a young 
ambitious gardener, who was in a sad pickle with his Cucumbers. 
He had put out three two-light boxes, six lights in all—all he 
had for that and many other purposes. The first light showed 
that the best policy would be to begin afresh—the miserable little 
things would have been better in small pots, and less than half 
a light would have held them all; and owing to want of heat 
and cramming the beds with Calceolarias and other things 
hating much heat, the whole were a mass of vermin which smoking 
seemed unable to subdue. With the manure at his command, 
two lights were as much as should have been attempted at first, 
and there the other plants should have been kept until a second 
was ready; and the second woidd have raised plants for the 
third. By this means he would have had a good succession of 
Cucumbers, and the hardier things could have been moved under 
shelter first, and the next hardiest taken from the last frame last, 
so that the Cucumbers put out strong might have had the place 
pretty well to themselves. Of course, we would not object to a 
few plants that liked heat being struck in a corner, but we rarely 
see plants turned out small do well when the bed is crammed 
over with other things. Gathered first Black Prince Straw¬ 
berries. 
The frost last night was severe, but the north wind, and skiffs 
of snow, and the clear sky, gave all due notice.— R. F. 
