February 6, 1892. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
355 
stems are slender and creeping, somewhat zigzag, 
and furnished with short branches that lie pretty- 
close upon the ground. It may be grown in pans, 
but appears to best advantage when planted so as to 
cover the stones of rockwork in a stove or interme¬ 
diate house. 
S. Vogelii.— Another name by which this is 
know in gardens, is S. africana, and is notable for the 
breadth of its triangular fronds, which are very much 
divided in the upper portion, while the lower part is 
unbranched, forming a sort of stalk. The species is 
well adapted for culture in pans, forming close 
masses, generally about 12 in. or 15 in. high, and in 
some respects resembling a Fern. It is a native of the 
Guinea Coast, Zanzibar and other warm countries, 
so that it should be accorded stove treatment in this 
country, with plenty of moisture during the growing 
season. Like most of the above mentioned kinds it is 
evergreen, and retains a healthy green colour all the 
year round.— Sela^inella. 
-- 
ASPARAGUS PLUMOSUS 
NANUS. 
Those who require large quantities of this, either for 
decorative purposes in pots or for cutting from to 
mix with flowers, will find that the best plan of raising 
it is from seeds. To obtain the latter a plant or two 
should be allowed to grow strongly and to form tall 
climbing stems, which may be trained up the rafters 
of a stove or pit, or upon the pillars supporting the 
roof of the house. Flowers and fruit are only pro¬ 
duced upon stems that are allowed to run up in this 
way. The latter should be allowed to ripen upon 
the plant and then separated from the pulp, after 
which they should be sown in pots or pans and 
placed in a pit or stove with a command of 
bottom heat to cause a more speedy germination. 
The seedlings require some little time to appear 
above soil, on account of the small size of 
the embryo and the growth, which must take 
place before the latter is able to leave the seed. 
Light sandy loam with a quantity of partly decayed 
leaf soil, will constitute a suitable compost. Very 
small pots will be quite sufficient in the early stages 
of the plant, and moreover, big shifts should never 
be given at any time, if it is the intention to keep 
the stems dwarf and spreading for decorative pur¬ 
poses. “Where large quantities are required for cut¬ 
ting from then it becomes a question of space as to 
what size the plants may be allowed togrow. The best 
and most compact shoots are obtained from healthy 
dwarf grown plants, about 12 in. to 15 in. high, and 
which in time will form compact spreading bushes, 
2 ft. to 3 ft. in diameter. From pieces like these one 
can cut and come again. The rootstock increases 
slowly and dislikes being disturbed, hence the reason 
why it is better to sow seeds than to divide the plant. 
If division is attempted at all it should be done while 
the plants are yet comparatively small. The foliage 
is more suitable for mixing with cut flowers than 
Maidenhair Fern, because more finely cut, and it 
lasts longer in afresh end green condition, in fact 
for several weeks together if properly treated.— J. 
* 
Sowing Early Vegetables. 
From observation I have come to the conclusion that 
many green vegetables will suffer from the late severe 
frosts, and have accordingly commenced to make 
provision for such a contingency by making up a hot¬ 
bed in a brick pit, on which in the course of a few 
days we shall sow seeds of Carrots, Radishes, Let¬ 
tuces, and Cauliflowers. Last year we followed this 
plan, sowing a true stock of the French forcing Car¬ 
rot obtained from Messrs. Veitch, which is so far 
superior to other varieties for drawing young that I 
am obliged to get it for the dining room. It comes 
perfectly round when treated in this way. Veitch’s 
Forcing Turnip Radish proved to be a very quick 
growing kind, coming into use in six weeks from the 
time of sowing. Hicks’ Hardy Green Cos Lettuce 
and Early Forcing Cauliflower were sown, a pinch of 
each round the sides of the frame, and subsequently 
removed elsewhere when the plants were large 
enough. By drawing the Radishes as soon as ready 
the Carrots had plenty of room to develop as growth 
proceeded. 
It is astonishing what a large amount of useful 
material may be obtained from a small frame when 
treated in this way. The Cauliflowers when large 
enough were pricked off into 60 pots, to be planted 
out in due time in the open border. The Lettuces 
treated in this way gave us a splendid lot of plants. 
It is wise also to raise a pinch of an early and quick 
growing Cabbage in a box under glass, as should the 
autumn sown plants be destroyed—as was the case 
last year in many places—the early sown ones come 
in most valuable, and they are greatly hastened in 
their growth if they can be pricked out into a cold 
frame for some time before being planted in the open 
border. 
A good plan to obtain a few early dishes of Broad 
Beans is to sow a box in a cold frame, and well 
harden them off before planting out on a warm 
border. These will come in quite a fortnight in ad¬ 
vance of those sown in the open air in February. 
Where space cannot be found for sowing early dwarf 
Peas in a cold frame, I have found the following 
method of treatment to answer well :—Sow on thin 
turves in any cold house, hardening them off well in 
due time, and planting them out at the foot of a 
south wall. The great thing to guard against under 
this treatment is dryness at the roots, especially when 
the plants are podding. Little Gem, American Won¬ 
der, and Chelsea Gem are all useful for this work, 
but last year the last-named gave the best results. 
Early Spinach should also not be forgotten, and if 
an old frame can be devoted to it, so much the better. 
Failing this a warm place in the open will bring an 
early supply should the autumn sowing come to grief 
from any cause.— Cm. 
Winter Vegetables. 
Your comments on Winter Vegetables in the num¬ 
ber for January 16th were well timed, and ought to 
stimulate young hands to give this most important 
matter greater attention. I believe the reason why 
northern gardeners often obtain a better reputation 
than southern ones is to be found in the circumstance 
that they pay more attention to the kitchen garden, 
as a natural result of their early training, which 
generally commences in that department, and this is 
as it should be. Every man who would deserve the 
name of gardener should have a thorough drilling 
under a good vegetable grower. The importance of 
this cannot be too frequently urged by those who 
have the welfare of the rising generation of gar¬ 
deners at heart. 
As the result of some years' experience, I venture 
to state my belief that more gardeners get into dis¬ 
favour from their inability to provide a good supply 
of vegetables and hardy fruits than from inferior 
management in any other department of gardening. 
There are those to be found who consider that vege¬ 
table growing requires no special training, but I have 
yet to be convinced that it does not require more 
skill and judgment to keep up a constant supply of 
vegetables than to grow a house full of stove plants. 
It is in trying seasons, like last winter and the pre¬ 
sent, when to keep up a constant supply of choice 
vegetables from January till Peas come in in the open 
air that tries the metal of a man, and young men 
should never overlook the fact that these require¬ 
ments are often insisted upon in places where the 
facilities for such work are very limited, as in my 
own case now. I had the advantage of serving under 
some first-rate kitchen gardeners in early life, and 
feel the greatest benefit now from the training then 
received. I would add, too, that I often feel grateful 
to one of the best gardeners I ever served under for 
impressing upon me the advantages of keeping a 
diary, and daily making notes of everything done in 
the garden and particularly with regard to cropping. 
I have found my old diaries of enormous advantage, 
and I derive the greatest pleasure from referring back 
to them. Lately I have succeeded in inducing my 
young men in the bothy to adopt the plan of keeping 
a diary, and I am sure they will never regret it.— Con. 
Spinach. 
Probably this vegetable may be regarded with in¬ 
difference by some who, if they recognised its valu¬ 
able properties, would appreciate an occasional dish 
of it more highly. In some instances, according to 
the .opinion of tbe medical profession, much benefit 
may be obtained from its frequent use, and it has 
been not inappropriately described as the scavenger 
of the human stomach. In many establishments it 
is in almost constant demand the year through, con¬ 
sequently extra large autumn sowings must be mafic 
in order to meet special requirements. Otherwise a 
too severe defoliation of the plants may occasionally 
be necessary, not to speak of the unenviable task to 
which the unfortunate individual entrusted with their 
manipulation may be subjected on a biting winter 
morning. Good judges of cooked vegetables soon 
get impatient of the produce from autumn sowings, the 
young and succulent leaves which the spring sowings 
afford being much more acceptable at the dining 
table. 
In order to encourage a rapid growth of these, land 
that has been deeply wrought and well enriched 
should be selected on which sowings are to be made. 
Poor and shallow soils will, in dry periods especially, 
be fruitful only of disappointment. The timely thin¬ 
ning of the seedlings to about 3 in. apart will greatly 
assist in developing the young plants, and we have 
always found that the time occupied in this work was 
profitably spent. With very early sowings we have 
occasionally had some trouble with birds picking up 
the seeds when these were just chipping, but since 
commencing to sprinkle the latter thinly with red 
lead this difficulty has been got over. Referring to 
varieties for spring and early summer use I have a 
decided preference for the Victoria, the leaves being 
much larger than the best I ever gathered from plants 
of the ordinary round seeded sort. For summer or 
autumn use the sort known as Spinach Beet is also 
very useful, the difficulty with bolting being entirely 
removed.— D. M., Ayrshire. 
- - - -S»- 
©leanings ftxmt f (13 Dxnrtfr 
Manures for Window Plants —Two composi¬ 
tions of manure with which to water pot plants grown 
in the windows of dwelling houses are indicated by the 
journal Lyon Horticole. The first emanates from M. 
Grandeau, and is as follows:—Nitrate of lime 600 
grammes, nitrate of potash 150 grammes, phosphate of 
potassium 150 grammes,and sulphate of magnesia 150 
grammes, making a total of 1,050 grammes. The 
second composition is attributed to M. Chanterelle, 
and includes the following : Nitrate of soda 750 
grammes, phosphate of soda 150 grammes, sulphate of 
potassium and of magnesia, at the rate of 25 per 
cent, of the potassium, 200 grammes, and sulphate 
of iron 10 grammes, making a total of 1,110 
grammes. (A gramme weighs nearly 95! grains troy.) 
The first mixture is rather expensive, but the second 
costs only about 3 Jd. for pounds. Either mixture 
should be used at the rate of 10 grammes to if pints 
of water, giving one application only per month and 
taking care not to sprinkle the foliage, which it would 
burn. 
Can Wireworms be Starved ?—This can be 
ascertained by two methods of procedure : in the one 
case the ground can be kept clear of all vegetation 
for a given period of time, that is, allowed to lie 
fallow ; and on the other hand the ground infested 
with wireworms may be sown or planted with some¬ 
thing upon which the grubs cannot, or dislike to feed. 
Experiments from this point of view have been 
carried out for some time past by the professors at 
the Agricultural Experiment Station, Cornell University. 
To imitate fallow, cages or cases were filled in some 
instances with sand and loam, in others with loam 
and leaf soil, and large numbers of wireworms 
placed in each. After periods of nine and ten 
months many of the insects were found alive, some 
in the larva and others in the pupa state, testifying 
that it is useless even to keep lying waste for a year 
in expectation of starving the enemy to death. In 
America the belief prevails amongst farmers that if 
the land is sown with Buckwheat the worms will 
perish of hunger or leave the field. Experiments 
showed that Buckwheat was to some extent effective, 
but some of the wireworms lived in cages containing 
Buckwheat only, for eight months. In Europe, in¬ 
clusive of Britain, crops of Mustard are believed to 
be distasteful to wireworms and to starve them out. 
In order to test this, experiments, extending over a 
period of two years, were made with the White, the 
Chinese, and Brown varieties of Mustard. The ex¬ 
periments went to show that wireworms could live 
for a year in soils containing no living vegetation ex¬ 
cept Mustard, and that they appear to live longer 
upon that kind of food than in cages sown with 
Timothy Grass and Clover. Rape is another crop 
which in England is believed to be distasteful to wire- 
worms, but in the American experiments it has 
proved to be no safer from the attacks of those 
insects than any other crop. It seems strange, how¬ 
ever, that Buckwheat should have proved parti 
effectual in that country. 
