418 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
March 3, 1894; 
and ideas, inferences and statements may follow in 
the same line, enforcing the view, enlarging the field 
of inquiry, bringing about a ready assent and a 
conviction that the lessons you draw are the most 
correct, and need putting in practice as rapidly as 
possible with no unsparing hand. 
You say, " It is well known that for every 20s. 
expended in drink by the consumer only is. goes for 
labour.” I thank thee, Mr. Editor, for that word, 
and may I ask if you would occasionally use that 
same sentence as the starting point of one or two 
other articles bearing upon the same or similar 
subjects. Why, sir, since that is the case, is it not 
time that some scheme were started where labour 
would secure a better return for the amount of 
money invested. But, as you say, and truly, that 
"a huge brewery with a capital of some £ioo,ooo 
would probably employ loo men. Market gardens 
with such a capital would employ, perhaps, i,ooo 
persons.” There is no need of fresh schemes being 
started, they are at hand, they can be worked, and 
the whole of the produce obtained from such market 
gardening finds a ready sale in our large centres of 
population. 
When it is remembered that enormous quantities 
of Apples reach our shores every year, and from 
Covent Garden and other auction marts are sent all 
over our country, is it not the case that good English 
grown fruit would as easily find a ready sale, and be 
as eagerly sought for as its foreign rival. The time 
is near, perhaps more near than we imagine, when 
larger breadths of land must be devoted to fruit 
culture. By all means let us endeavour to keep our 
own market, and if this cannot be done by private 
enterprise, which I certainly think the better way, 
then let our County Councils, who have the power, 
devote some of the grant they annually receive to the 
formation of trial fruit grounds under the direction 
of their appointed horticultural teachers,determine the 
best sorts for any given district, and then recommend 
to the various districts or parish councils such sorts 
of fruits as are most likely to be successful in the 
larger or smaller holdings or allotments that will soon 
beat their disposal. 
It seems to me that there are tens of thousands of 
acres of land doing comparatively nothing ; rain, 
sunshine, frost, and snow each and all come in their 
turn, and the result is nil. With a climate such as 
prevails in the southern, western, and midland coun¬ 
ties, I feel confident that by system and method, 
results may be achieved that in a few years would 
startle us. I know land must be secured at a low 
rental. There must also be an assurance of co,m- 
pensation for disturbance, the thorough working of 
the land, a wise choice in the sorts planted, a care¬ 
ful and systematic method of culture, the gathering 
of fruit at right times, sorting and packing, and 
these two latter operations are perhaps as essential 
as any in the whole course. By packing, I mean 
some such method as Oranges are treated. If it 
pays to wrap every Orange in tissue paper, and so 
pack, that it shall not be bruised, so too with the 
best and choicest fruit grown at home. Thus 
treated, I think we might have better home grown 
supplies, at least at present prices, perhaps a little 
cheaper, but that is not the point. More labour 
would be engaged, the country districts more 
populated, and busy with a happier and more con¬ 
tented people, and an era of greater prosperity 
manifest among an ever increasing number.— W. 
Swan, Exmouth. 
-- 
VARIEGATED TOBACCO 
PLANTS. 
Hitherto cultivators of Tobacco plants for decora¬ 
tive purposes have been satisfied with the flowers or 
the handsome proportions of the foliage. Now 
there are two species, at least, with variegated 
leaves, namely, Nicotiana affinis, or the Night- 
scented Tobacco, and N. tomentosa, better known 
under the name of N. colossea, which was given to it 
when accidentally introduced in the live state and put 
into commerce. Both are perennial and can there¬ 
fore be propagated from cuttings. N. affinis is 
usually treated as an annual or biennial in this 
country, but it is nevertheless a perennial. Its long 
narrow leaves taper to both ends, and a well-grown 
unflowered plant makes a fine tuft of foliage, which 
is rendered more conspicuous by the broad, but 
irregular silvery-grey margin. The petioles are 
winged to the base. The habit altogether is very 
close and compact until the plant commences to 
flower, and when grown for the sake of the foliage 
the flower stem might be removed whenever it makes 
its appearance. 
On the contrary, N. tomentosa (N. colossea) is a 
comparatively recent introduction, and more valued 
for the sake of its foliage than its flowers. When it 
gets plentiful it will, no doubt, be largely grown for 
sub-tropical gardening, for which its huge leaves 
render it very well adapted during the summer 
months. When planted out the leaves attain a 
length of 3 ft. and half that width. This will be the 
case whether planted indoors or in the open ground. 
It is not every one, however, who can afford it the 
necessary space to attain these proportions under 
glass. Moderately strong plants could, however, be 
prepafed for planting out in beds when the weather 
becomes suitable; they then make remarkable pro¬ 
gress. The stems are of a shrubby nature, attaining 
a height of lo ft. or 12 ft. if grown to full dimensions. 
Under these conditions the plants can never be 
grown for the sake of their flowers, as in the case of 
N. affinis. The leaves are ovate and taper somewhat 
suddenly into a footstalk. 
In the variegated plant they are broadly and 
irregularly splashed or margined with pale yellow at 
first, but as the leaves attain full development this 
changes to a creamy-white, then a silvery hue. We 
noted moderate sized plants of both the variegated 
forms in the nursery of Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, 
Forest Hill. Whether they would succeed and 
prove ornamental for outdoor purposes remains to 
be seen when subjected to a fair trial. It is an 
experiment well worthy of a trial. The plants serve 
to show' the readiness with which cultivators take up 
and propagate any plant which exhibits variegation; 
and if there was no demand for these things the 
supply would soon cease. 
riE VESEMiLE eiiBiEli. 
Broccolis or Kales. 
As the time will soon be at hand for sowing these, it 
may be well to take into consideration which are the 
best varieties to grow, for as a crop to produce a 
bulk of wholesome green vegetable during winter 
and spring, there is no other of the Brassica tribe 
that will give the same bulk to the ground. There 
are now so many varieties that one is almost at a 
loss to know which of them to grow so as to have 
the best, unless they have given all a trial. Of the 
curled or Scotch Kale type, one known by the name 
of Sutton’s A I has proved the best with us. It is of 
robust habit, producing an abundance of tender 
leaves of a deep green colour, which if cut off close 
to the main stem and the midrib removed make a 
delicate dish when boiled. Sprouts afterwards grow 
in profusion all up the stems, thus giving a succession 
till quite late in the spring. Favourite is also 
another good variety of the Asparagus type which 
is perfectly hardy and of compact habit. The 
sprouts are of delicious flavour when cooked. Arctic 
Kale is a fine hardy sort of very dwarf habit, on 
which account it withstands the frost well. There 
is also a late form of this which does not go to seed 
so soon as the other, but it is not quite so hardy, 
for the tips of the leaves are apt to get injured in 
severe weather which renders them useless. The 
Sprouts, however, that are produced up the stems 
do not suffer, so that they are very serviceable after 
the others are all over. 
Of the variegated forms there is none that we have 
grown that equal Sutton's. These are dwarf, com¬ 
pact in habit, and have a variety of colours of 
various shades that none could help admiring them. 
Some have leaves, the stalk of which is a pale yellow, 
with a patch of the same colour on either sides, 
while their edges are spotted and mottled in a most 
peculiar manner. Others have dark purple and 
crimson foliage, which is so beautifully crimped as 
to represent the most exquisite curled Parsley only 
of a different colour. The light graceful drooping 
foliage of some render them very attractive. For 
table decorations at this time of the year few things 
are more beautiful, as the young growth is so very 
charming. They are useful also for decorating the 
flowers beds at this time of the year, when their 
various colours tell up wonderfully. 
For all ordinary purposes the first week in April is 
soon enough to sow the seed. An open spot should be 
selected for this, and when the plants are two or 
three inches high they should be pricked out about 
six inches apart each way, for by so doing they are 
kept dwarf and robust from the commencement. If 
possible choose a sunny spot on which to grow them, 
for the hardier they are grown the better will they 
be able to resist the severity of the frost. For several 
seasons we have grown them in an exposed place in 
a field with the best results. If planted about two 
feet apart each way they will not get overcrowded, 
unless the soil be very rich, in which case it will be 
better to give them another six inches each way. Do 
not cut the tops of them, but simply gather the out¬ 
side leaves in the first instance, for by removing the 
midrib, the rest will boil quite tender and be of a 
beautiful green in colour .—Kitchen Gardener. 
Keeping up a Succession. 
This, although to some a comparatively simple 
matter, because from long experience it seems to 
come natural to them, demands from others very 
earnest attention, or the probabilities are that some 
serious gaps in the supply will occur. One most 
important thing is to sow and plant the right things 
in their proper seasons, and another point is to sow 
or plant the right quantities. There are Lettuces 
and Cauliflowers which are apt to bolt prematurely 
during the summer months. Carrots in some 
gardens cannot be depended upon from a main 
sowing, owing to the ravages of the grubs. Onions, 
again, as regards the spring sowing, are often more 
or less a failure, owing to the maggot. Now in all 
these instances several small sowings will often 
secure better results than one or two larger ones. 
In the case of Onions where the spring sown crop 
is often a failure, the autumn one will generally 
escape the maggot, and enable the supply to be kept 
up. Carrots may be sown under glass in January, 
and small successional sowings made during 
February and March under glass, and then in the 
open till August. By these means a constant supply 
will be maintained of nice young roots during the 
whole year, where, owing to the prevalence of grub, 
it would be quite impossible to do it, and the pro¬ 
duce, although often small in size, will be much 
nicer eating than many of those from a main crop 
sowing. As to sowing Peas and Beans for early 
crops, on all medium and light soils, now is the very 
best possible time. On heavy tenacious land a fort¬ 
night or more later will be advisable, but no hard 
and fast line can be drawn to suit the requirements 
of all.—IF. B.G. 
' - 
LARGE RHUBARB. 
I REGRETTED to notice so excellent a gardener as 
“ Stirling ” apparently favouring the growth by 
cottagers of so huge-stemed and coarse a variety as 
Stott’s Monarch, because to them profitable. I have 
never yet been able to see how it can be well to 
advise cottagers to grow what ordinary gardeners 
reject. I always urge cottagers to ignore the big 
and coarse in favour of the best. Still farther, I 
urge that in the making of awards at cottagers’ 
shows to Rhubarb stems, that size should hav'e no 
weight as against stems of good colour, clean, 
straight and of even medium size; and after all for 
late pullings, where can be found a more profitable 
variety than is the Victoria. If blanched under 
tubs, or the roots be lifted and placed in some dark- 
cellar or shed in soil, the produce is always of the 
best and handsomest. The flavour is good and the 
colour delicate and beautiful. 
For first early purposes there is no better sort 
than Hawke’s Champagne. It is a first early, 
stems of good size, and of glorious colour, for 
colour is, in Rhubarb, an element of some import¬ 
ance. If to this be added the Victoria, all that can 
be desired is found. The coarse green Rhubarbs 
belong to almost barbarous tastes, and are in keeping 
with cattle Cabbages, gigantic Potatos, monster 
Turnips, etc. We want to better all that class of 
exhibits and on the principle of what is sauce for 
the goose is sauce for the gander, I prefer in relation 
to cottagers’ products that .they be judged on the 
same lines that gardeners’ vegetables are, or should 
be. Also that cottagers be encouraged to grow 
varieties or kinds of all things, that whilst giving 
good produce also furnish the best quality. The 
too common excuse, ” Oh, it is a cottager’s,” is 
putting the poor cottager on a low basis, literally 
assuming that he is of more vulgar clay or being. 
That sort of thing I detest, and hope never to hear 
of it again. Let us educate the cottager to appre¬ 
ciate the very best .—A . D. 
