April 20, 1889. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
531 
when it will remain as a film of moisture round and 
adhering to each grain of soil, from which it is taken 
up by the plant as required. On the other hand, if the 
water remains in volume, the roots become submerged ; 
air which is essential to their well-being cannot reach 
them, the tissues become distended, the leaves turn 
yellow, the soil becomes sour, the roots decay, and the 
plant finally dies. 
The exact amount of water to supply must be learnt 
greatly by experience, for each species and variety often 
requires a special treatment, some plants having a 
resting season in which water is nearly or entirely 
withheld, while plants like Erica Cavendishianum 
would succumb in a very short time if kept dry at the 
roots. Most water is wanted during the growing season, 
and less as the leaves become old and cutieularised. 
There are exceptions to this rule, as in the case of the 
Lettuce previously referred to. No plants, except 
aquatics and the like,requirethesoil to be more than fully 
moist. Generally a plant should be watered when on 
the verge of becoming too dry. Close observation will 
soon teach one when the plant is in this state, and may 
be tested by the weight of the soil, its colour, and the 
ring of the pot when sounded—the colour and general 
appearance being the quickest, and the ring of the pots 
the surest method. 
Never let a plant flag, as it is the death of many. 
■Water thoroughly at each application ; nothing is more 
treacherous than driblets, the surface only being moist 
while the bottom is dry, and the ball at length becomes 
so dry that water will not penetrate. When a plant is 
found to be in this state, submerge it in a large tub, 
and let it soak for several hours. The weight of water 
will be able to force out the air lodged between the 
particles of soil. 
-- 
CULTURE OF VEGETABLES.* 
The varieties of vegetables are so numerous now, and 
so many growers have their special favourites among 
them that it is difficult to say anything fresh on the 
subject of their culture. The production of these 
crops, however, is a matter that greatly affects our 
relations with our employers, and I shall endeavour to 
show by the following remarks that the aim of every 
gardener should be to supply his employer’s table with 
as much variety as possible, and that of the finest 
possible quality. But to maintain a supply all the 
year round, and to be able to give a frequent change, 
demands forethought and energy from first to last; and 
we must start right if we hope to make a good finish. 
This brings me to point number one, which is, that we 
must see that the soil is in as good a condition as we 
are able to bring it before the seed is sown. We will 
suppose that it is the beginning of November, and the 
first thing to do will be to look round and decide where 
we intend to grow the different kinds of vegetables the 
following season, because we must prepare our soil in 
different ways according to the crop we intend to sow 
there, and must avoid as much as possible sowing or 
planting the same kind of vegetable on the same 
ground two years in succession. 
For Peas, Onions, Carrots, Beet, Turnips, Parsnips, 
and all the Brassicas, we cannot get the manure in too 
soon, nor use too much of it. Next it is desirable that 
the ground be double dug or trenched, but if the sub¬ 
soil is very poor do not bring it to the surface, rather 
allow it to remain where it is, merely forking it up and 
working some manure in with it as the work proceeds. 
Should a dry season follow, the roots will penetrate 
deeply, and so save a large amount of watering. 
Ridging on our heavy soil I find most beneficial, 
provided we move all the soil, as it exposes a larger 
amount of surface to the action of the frost, &c. Now 
let ns look at the different varieties which I have 
found do well on our heavy soil, and Peas naturally 
come first. We begin with American Wonder, Ring¬ 
leader, William I., Duke of Albany, Prizetaker, Ne 
Plus Ultra, and Walker’s Perpetual Bearer ; but if I 
were limited to three varieties only they would be 
William I., Duke of Albany, and Ne Plus Ultra, and 
by sowing a succession of each they may be had from 
June to October. Potatos come next, but for these we 
use no manure at all, the heavy dressing given for 
the previous green crop being unexhausted, and I 
find them do well without it. As to varieties among 
early kidneys I find Mona’s Pride yields the most, and 
the best flavoured samples, followed by Beauty of 
Hebron, Duke of Albany, Lady Truscott, Schoolmaster, 
Chancellor, Magnum Bonum, and Vicar of Laleham 
the last of all. 
*A paper read by Hr. E. Chadwick, gardener, Hanger Hill, 
at a recent meeting of the Ealing Gardeners’ Mutual Improve¬ 
ment Society. 
Parsnips are very useful, and often provide an 
agreeable change when green vegetables are scarce. 
Hollow Crown and the Student are the best. Carrots 
were a very unsatisfactory crop with me when I first 
went to Hanger Hill, and I had often to sow two or 
three times and then only secured half a crop, but by 
perseverance the difficulty has been overcome, and we 
can now look upon the Carrots as one of our best crops. 
The sorts we grow are Early Horn, James’s Intermediate 
and Sutton’s Red Intermediate. By applying soot, 
burnt ashes, and gas lime, we are able to fight the 
wireworm, and so secure a good supply. Of varieties 
of Beet, Henderson’s Pine Apple Short Top and Sutton’s 
Blood Red do the best with us, and of Onions for 
spring sowing we select Rousham Park and Reading 
Improved, and for autumn, Giant Rocca and White 
Lisbon. Celery is a very important crop, and to get it 
crisp and good from October to the end of March 
requires constant growth and plenty of water. We grow 
Solid White for early work, but for the main supply I 
find nothing stands better than Leicester Red. Celeriac 
I have found a very useful vegetable for a change, and 
I hope to grow it more extensively. Beans do well on 
the heavy soil, and Beck’s Green Gem, Green Windsor, 
Seville Long-pod and Windsor give us a good supply. 
Of Dwarf French Beans we grow Ne Plus Ultra and 
Canadian Wonder both for forcing and out of doors; 
and as a runner Bean we grow Girtford Giant, which 
is both prolific and of good flavour. Turnips are a 
very precarious crop with us, some years being so much 
better than others, but the last few seasons we have got 
on better through giving a good dressing of soot and 
lime before and after sowing. Our best sorts are Six- 
week, Snowball and Jersey Navet, for summer sowing, 
and Chirk Castle Black Stone for standing the winter. 
Of the whole Brassica tribe there is nothing so 
prolific, or which repays us better for the extra trouble 
we take with it than Brussels Sprouts, and Sutton’s 
Exhibition we find does best with us. We sow under 
a hand-light on a manure bed in January, and prick 
the seedlings off as soon as they are large enough, and 
allow no check in their growth. Of Cauliflowers—and 
who ever gets tired of them ?—Early Loudon is sown, 
to stand in frames and plant out in the spring, and 
Dean’s Early Snowball is sown in the spring and 
follows close behind, Eclipse comes in next, and 
then Veitch’s Autumn Giant, which gives a supply 
nearly to Christmas, when the Broccoli will come in, so 
that should the winter prove not too severe we get a 
supply that is useful and good. The varieties we have 
proved are Sutton’s Michaelmas White, Snow’s Winter 
White, Veitch’s Self-Protecting, Leamington, and 
Cattell’s Eclipse, which last, however, on light soil I 
find does best. The Purple Sprouting Broccoli must 
not be forgotten, as it yields a large return of service¬ 
able food. 
Cabbages form another important crop, and it is 
important that we should have them early and late ; 
Ellam’s Early Dwarf, Sutton’s Main Crop, and 
Wheeler’s Imperial, with the Rosette Coleworts, give 
a supply for the year. Of Savoys, Early Ulm and 
Sutton’s Golden Globe are our favourites : the latter I 
cannot speak too highly of, being both good in size 
and quality. The last of this section, and not the 
least in favour, are the Kales, which come in at a time 
■when other greens are scarce, such as the Tall Curled, 
Cottagers’, and Asparagus Kale. The last named I 
would strongly recommend to all, as it is very hardy, 
gives an excellent supply, and is very late, keeping on 
till the spring Cabbages are ready. 
Tomatos now form a very important crop in the 
garden, though most of them are grown under glass, 
yet, by getting the plants early and strong against a 
wall they come on well in a good season. Sutton’s 
Earliest of All, Carters’ Perfection, Hathaway’s Excel¬ 
sior, and Dedham Favourite are all good for outdoors. 
Asparagus must not be forgotten, for that delicious 
vegetable is always acceptable, and we have for years 
now discarded the old and barbarous practice of digging 
out the alleys in the autumn, and throwing it on the 
top of the bed. All we do is simply to place some good 
rotten manure from a hot-bed on them for the winter, fork 
over the beds very lightly in the spring, rake the rough 
material into the alleys, and fork over ; then by giving 
a dressing of salt about every fortnight we get an 
excellent supply. In bringing these remarks to a close, 
allow me to add that nothing should be wasted in the 
garden. All the rubbish that it is possible to bum 
should be so treated, and the ashes be used on the crops, 
which will be greatly benefited. Sweepings, &c., that 
will not burn should be thrown into a heap, with lime 
or gas-lime, and allowed to lie for twelve months ; it 
will be very serviceable in the winter to wheel on to the 
ground for Potatos. 
otes from Scotland. 
—-j-— 
Vegetable Notes. —Among Broccolis which we 
planted in a plot last season, to prove their hardiness 
and general usefulness, none have proved more satis¬ 
factory, as a late kind, than the old well-tried Cattell’s. 
Forming a short and sturdy growth, with leaves 
compactly clasped in a firm ball, they present a solid 
heart like a good Cabbage. Out of a few hundreds, 
none have failed, while others (some of which are 
characterised in catalogues as being the “hardiest in 
cultivation ”) are very blanky and not likely to be so 
late as they are described. As it is so difficult to get 
Broccolis true to name, it would, we presume, not be 
an untoward speculation for firms to make specialties 
of valuable kinds. We know it is a practice by some 
to raise seed and harvest it, retaining a monopoly of the 
kind ; and although this may appear at first sight to 
be a selfish whim, we look upon it in an opposite light, 
and esteem the practice as a public benefit. Among 
Celeries which have stood unprotected without a single 
loss of a head, are those which we have before made 
mention of—viz., Major Clarke’s Solid Red and Dwarf 
Incomparable. The latter has many synonyms, but 
this strain (Turner’s) we first saw many years ago at 
Orchardleigh Park, in Wilts, where it was cultivated for 
the first time by the late Mr. W. P. Ayres. We 
know some private growers save their own stock of this 
most useful Celery, and wise they are, as to get the real 
hardy dwarf kind is often as puzzling as tantalising. 
The only Lettuce which has at all proved worthy of 
the labour of cultivation is the old Brown Bath Cos— 
Dutch, Hammersmith and others of fame for their 
hardy character are almost nil —and the late period in 
the season before this variety shows a tendency to 
seeding, renders it more valuable than any kind with 
which we are acquainted. It may be premature to 
speak of Cabbage, but Mr. Ewan’s is the most 
promising, none having been lost, but a week or two 
hence will prove which have the strongest proclivity of 
reproducing themselves. Brussels Sprouts have been 
extra good, as we have sent to day (April 9th) a good 
gathering for family use from plants which we 
commenced picking from the third week of last 
September ; and the best this year are Downie’s Scotch- 
saved and Dalkeith. We do not object to large sprouts 
when they are solid, sound, and green.—-if. T. 
Spring Flowers.—Often where large quantities 
of bulbs and other plants have to supply flowers during 
winter and spring, after being forced by artificial heat, 
they are cast off as worthless, but it is well known 
that if they are not likely to be worth the trouble of 
saving for potting again to do duty next year (the 
supply from the continental firms being so cheap), they 
can be turned to excellent account for spring gardening 
purposes, as may be seen in many places—not the 
formal planting in beds, pretty as that often is, but in 
deciduous plantations, where herbage is scanty during 
winter, and the spring flowers have it all to themselves 
for a time. During March and onward inflorescence 
may be of the most charming description. We have 
seen Belvoir at its best, and grand, too ; but in 
positions of more humble and obscure character one 
may often witness sights so pleasing that they are often 
called to remembrance, and the hope indulged that 
they may be witnessed again. Such w T as our pleasur¬ 
able experience after visiting Brentliam Park, near 
Stirling, a few weeks ago, where Mr. McLeod, the 
intelligent gardener, makes a specialty of turning his 
forced bulbs to the best account, and glades under 
tall trees at the time of our visit were charming, Snow¬ 
drops, Crocuses, Daffodils, &c., being in beautiful 
profusion. This is the kind of spring gardening we 
have always admired. Although Orchids are not a 
specialty now at Brentham, the display of flowers in 
the woods at this beautiful suburban residence will 
always be attractive and pleasure-giving in a large 
degree. Though the fine Orchid houses as we have 
already observed are not gay with Cattleyas, Lcelias, 
Dendrobiums, &c., which were so long the pride of the 
worthy proprietor at Brentham, and such as inspired 
the cultivator of them (Mr. McLeod) with enthusiasm, 
there are other items of interest, and well managed too. 
The fine Camellias, Azaleas, Acacias, Lapagerias among 
pot plants, and the dense clusters of Peaches and 
Nectarines which had so profusely set in the fruit 
houses could not excite our admiration higher than the 
surfaces densely clothed with spring flowers, so informal 
and natural-looking. We have many hundreds of pots 
which have served their purpose for forced bulbs, anp 
the display at Brentham suggests the idea of “go and 
do thou likewise.”— M. T. 
