226 
FHE GARDENING WORLD 
December 12, 1891. 
ON CROPPING SMALL 
GARDENS. 
In a paper read recently at a meeting of the Gala¬ 
shiels Horticultural Association, by Mr, Collins, 
gardener at Walkerburn, the writer recommended 
that the cultivation of a small garden should be 
considered a pleasure, especially by those engaged 
in other occupations. On preparing the soil he 
recommended that it should be deeply dug, as that 
gave the roots more room, and also retained damp 
in dry weather, and, of course, manuring was an es¬ 
sential. The common custom of cottagers was to 
dig and plant in spring, and to get this done in a 
hurry at once, but that was a mistake. The true 
method was to obtain a succession of crops. If they 
wished nice juicy Cabbages, they should sow a pinch 
of seed such as “ Cocoanut " in the latter end of July, 
and another pinch about the middle of August. As 
soon as they could handle the first sowing they 
should prick out as many as they had space for about 
2 in. apart. About the middle of September they 
might have a piece of vecant ground, say after 
Potatos. This should be well dug and manured, 
and the Cabbages transplanted 9 in. apart, in 
rows 20 in. from each other, and by the middle of 
May they would be fit for use, when every alternate 
Cabbage should be cut as required. The later sow¬ 
ing would be ready to transplant in spring. Another 
pinch of seed could be sown in April to succeed 
these. 
In small gardens late Cabbage? took up far too 
much room, and often hearted badly, but a few 
Savoys or Brussels Sprouts were useful and stood the 
frost well. These could be sown in August, or, if for 
later use, in March. Broccoli was rarely seen in a 
cottage garden, but a pinch of a late kind, or even of 
the sprouting sorts, came well in at a time when vege¬ 
tables were scarce, and should be sown in April or 
early in May, and would be fit for use during May 
or June, and when cut could be succeeded by Leeks 
sown with Turnips. The Winningstadt Cabbage 
could be planted after Broccoli for a late supply, and 
came in well in early winter. Curly Greens was a 
good crop after Potatos. If planted early in August 
they would attain a good size, and stand frost better 
than older plants. Spinach sown in August would 
furnish pickings in early spring, and the ground could 
be cleared off in time for Cauliflower or Cabbages to 
cut in autumn. Then again a row or two of Kidney 
Beans or Scarlet Runners sown early in May formed 
a good change in vegetable food. To grow Celery 
did not require the labour usually expended on it. 
A pinch of seed sown in a flower pot in April and 
placed in a frame, or even in a window, could be 
pricked out into a box or sheltered corner outside, 
and when large enough could be planted in June or 
early in July. In planting lake a few inches of soil 
from a space, say 2 ft. in breadth, then dig in some 
manure, and in this space plant three rows with nine 
inches between the plants, and keep well watering 
with soap suds or manure water ; tie up occasionally 
with matting, and put a few inches of soil between 
the plants and you will have good Celery, although 
you won’t have the coarse, hollow-stemmed, over¬ 
grown rubbish found at horticultural shows. 
Parsnips were very nutritious and useful in winter, 
but they and Carrots required a deep, sandy soil. 
The latter if carefully watered with soot water or am- 
moniacal water for two weeks about the end of June 
and beginning of J uly would not be likely to suffer from 
maggots. Shallots could be grown in time to clear 
off for a bed of winter Onions, which generally with¬ 
stood the maggot better than spring sown ones. Re¬ 
garding the cultivation of Leeks, he condemned the 
system of growing for shows as a waste of time. Such 
heavy weight Leeks were fitter for the dunghill than 
thehuman stomach. He did not recommend Potato 
culture in small gardens, except a few of the earlier 
kinds which could be cleared off in time to allow for 
another crop, but Peas and Broad Beans, in moderate 
quantities, were more profitable, and could be cleared 
off to make way for other crops—Curly Greens for 
instance, or early Cabbages. Dwarf or medium Peas 
were best for small gardens as they did not shade 
plants near them. A few yards of early Milan or 
white Dutch Turnip if sown in March would come 
in about the end of June; and a pinch of Golden 
Ball in April and another in May, with a few yards 
of Swedes sown in the end of May would make a 
good supply of Turnips. Two or three roots of Rhu¬ 
barb sheltered with an old barrel or box and a few 
leaves to keep out the cold would give an early pick¬ 
ing or two long before it could be grown in the open. 
A few Lettuces and a box or two of Cresses which 
could be put into any odd corner were also desirable. 
Mr. Collins then proceeded to treat of the cultiva¬ 
tion of small fruits. Black Currants and Raspberries 
would grow tied to the fence. For Gooseberries, he 
recommended that young bushes should be planted 
3 ft. apart, with the centre shoot tied to a stake 3 ft. 
in height. When the side shoots grew their points 
should be pinched about twice in the season to make 
the bushes compact. This would soon result in nice 
little pryamidal bushes requiring no pruning. Red 
Currants could be well grown in a similar way. To 
prevent the ravages of caterpillar on Gooseberry 
bushes they should, several times a week, about the 
middle of June, examine the leaves near the base, and 
they would probably find a few leaves with a number 
of small punctures on the upper surface, due to young 
caterpillars. These leaves they should pluck off and 
destroy. In concluding, Mr. Collins said to ensure 
the full advantage of continual cropping it would be 
necessary for the cottager to lay out some plan for 
his garden, and there should be as little trampling on 
the soil as possible. Also all decaying vegetation 
matter should be buried. 
APPLES FOR AMATEURS. 
(Concluded fromp. 216.) 
Fruit Room and Storing. 
How often, even in large well-known gardens, do 
we find a poor makeshift structure for the preserva¬ 
tion of fruit, after all the expense and trouble of 
producing it. What credit is it to an employer, what 
encouragement to the grower ? A good room effici¬ 
ently constructed may be some little outlay at the 
beginning, but if properly done it will last as long as 
any of the surrounding buildings. I recently con¬ 
structed one on the following lines, at the back of a 
north wall, some 45 ft. long and 12ft. wide to 
accommodate fruits from newly planted trees ; the 
ground was taken out sufficiently deep to allow of a 
doorway, 6 ft. 3 in. deep, at the same time giving a 
good pitch to the roof which is of thatch. The floor 
is of concrete throughout; there is abundance of 
ventilation at each end, and shutters to keep out 
frost. The windows open outside and the shutters 
inside. The shelves are of beech wood smoothly 
planed, with the edges evenly bevelled to prevent the 
fruit becoming bruised. The shelves on one side are 
2 ft. wide and 18 in. apart from top to bottom of the 
room ; on the right I have one long continuous 
bench with bins underneath, to hold fruits in large 
quantities. From this room we, this year, had fruits 
until July, and have even now some Wellingtons in 
good preservation. In storing be careful to pick all 
fruits as they approach maturity; if they part 
readily from the tree the gatherer will be all right. 
Do not become alarmed at a few stray ones dropping 
from the trees. The period of gathering is a busy 
and interesting time for the grower ; he has then as 
it were the reward of his labours for the past season. 
The fruit should be placed gently in shallow boxes 
with a layer of wood wool at the bottom to prevent 
them becoming bruised. None that have dropped 
or are in any way bruised should be placed in the 
store room with the good ones. Be careful to keep 
the varieties separate, and arrange the best as 
near together as possible, it will prove interesting to 
visitors. 
Insect Pests. 
A long paper might be written on this subject 
alone, as we do not yet appear to have any very 
definite authority as to the best means of eradicating 
them. The Royal Agricultural Society of England, 
in their Journal for June last, published a very inte¬ 
resting description of them, and gave some good sound 
advice which it would be well for the grower to make 
himself acquainted with. Speaking from my own 
experience the best and safest remedy which I have 
used is softsoap and quassia, one ounce of each to a 
gallon of water ; boil the quassia until it sinks, after¬ 
wards adding the softsoap when cooling. A quantity 
of this mixture should be in readiness to use at once 
when the pests are first discovered and then at 
intervals of ten days afterwards for winter moth. 
Do not wait until they are actively at work, but re¬ 
member that prevention is better than cure. The 
same remarks apply to aphides. They must be kept 
down, otherwise it is impossible for the trees to 
thrive, and in my opinion it is only by a constant and 
unremitting use of insecticides that they can be 
successfully dealt with. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM 
NOTES. 
A Plea for Hirsute Chrysanthemums 
When Mrs. Alpheus Hardy first appeared it created 
quite a sensation amongst lovers of this useful class 
of plants; and everywhere, but especially in this coun¬ 
try and America, the phenomenon was spoken of as if 
it was quite a new or even unique occurrence 
amongst Chrysanthemums. This is by no means 
the case, for several varieties show it to a greater or 
less extent amongst Chrysanthemums belonging to 
different sections, from Pompons to incurved varieties 
and Japs. Some Pompons are pubescent on the back 
of the florets, and this is also the case with the re¬ 
flexed Cullingfordi, which, in several parts of the 
country during the past season, has exhibited a 
departure from the type, developing fewer but 
coarser and longer bristles on the back of the florets. 
The same peculiarity occurs in several of the varieties 
that have originated either directly or indirectly from 
Princess Teck, including Mrs. Norman Davis, 
Charles Gibson, Lady Dorothy, &c. The bristly 
appendages are generally few in number, and arise 
near the tips of the florets, but on jthe outer or 
reverse surface; they are not always present how¬ 
ever, some blooms on the same plant being quite 
smooth. An old, incurved Japanese variety named 
Chang, with orange head slightly tinted with red, is 
distinctly hirsute. 
Mrs. Alpheus Hardy is jcertainly the finest and 
most attractive of the newer kinds, but its constitu¬ 
tion is so poor that it will to a large extent drop out 
of cultivation in a few years, and is no doubt con¬ 
signed to the background in many establishments 
already. Before this is done however, those con¬ 
cerned in the production of new varieties should 
endeavour to get a pure white variety with the 
constitution of Louis Bcehmer. That would 
undoubtedly again raise the status of the plumy or 
hirsute varieties for decorative as well as exhibition 
purposes. Louis Bcehmer has shown that anyone 
can grow it, and that good cultivators can get it to a 
size large enough for any purpose. A great cry has 
been raised against it on 'account jof its variability, 
general lack of any decided colour, and on account 
of its peculiar form. Tastes may differ and so do 
Chrysanthemums, and Louis Bcehmer is certainly 
distinct, a fact which should tell greatly in its favour 
nowadays when so many varieties exhibit a jsame- 
ness which is most bewildering. The duty of raisers 
now is to produce hirsute varieties of more decided 
and telling colours from plants Jiaving the robust 
constitution of Louis Bcehmer. 
A bronzy yellow variety with globular heads and 
regularly incurved florets, and named H. Ballantine, 
is described as a yellow Louis Bcehmer. The narrow 
florets would point to such an origin. The heads are 
bronzy when they first expand, but they ultimately 
become sulphur yellow, and are distinctly plumy. 
Another new kind named W. A. Manda is described 
as a yellow Mrs. Alpheus Hardy. The florets are 
broad, incurved, and the outer ones more or less 
twisted and interlacing with one another. The 
leaves have a thick and leathery texture, showing 
some evidence of good constitution, but another year 
will be necessary to prove the value of both the sorts 
here named for decorative or exhibition purposes. 
Another new hirsute variety quite distinct from the 
above is Mrs. George Daniels; it is a Jap, with 
heads of medium size, and rosy purple, spreading 
florets that are paler or silvery on the reverse and 
plumy. Further trial is necessary to determine what 
its characteristic features will be.— Chrys. 
-- 
POLYPODIUM FOSSUM. 
In gardens this Fern is occasionally seen under the 
name of Pleopeltis fossa, but Pleopeltis and several 
other generic names are now included under Poly¬ 
podium simply as sections of that genus. The 
fronds vary considerably in form, some of them being 
quite entire, while the larger ones, which are 12 in. 
to 15 in. long, are more or less deeply pinnatifid or 
lobed with linear segments. They are leathery in 
character, rich dark green, and the undivided middle 
portion, with the other leading features, give this 
Fern a characteristic appearance. The apex of the 
frond sometimes becomes bifid or even tasselled, 
especially in large well grown specimens. It is 
recommended as a basket plant, but may also be 
planted on rockwork, as is done at Chelsea in the 
nursery of Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons. 
