152 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
Nov. 8th, 1884. 
Vegetables : What to grow and how to 
grow them. —Among the vegetables cultivated by 
amateurs, Peas and Potatos take the lead, and I 
propose to give yon my experience with them, begin¬ 
ning with Peas. At this time of year, which may 
be called “ the fat catalogue season,” such large 
numbers are temptingly dangled before the public, 
that it is quite impossible for the uninitated to select 
the varieties which are most suitable for them to 
grow. 
Among Peas. —I look upon Laxton’s William I. 
as the best early variety. The true variety of this 
Pea, grows from 4 ft. to 4 ft. 6 ins. high. It is 
an excellent cropper, a green marrow, and the 
flavour all that can be wished for in a mid-season 
Pea. Carter’s G. F. Wilson is still to the fore, 
but variety being charming, I would add Sutton’s 
No. I., and for the latest crop, there is no Pea 
that can compare with Laxton’s “ Omega.” The 
three Peas above-named, grow from 4 ft. to 4 ft. 6 ins. 
high, and literally bear from top to bottom. The 
four varieties are ample for any amateur to grow, 
two being white marrows, and two green. The 
system of cultivation which I adopt in order to make 
the most of the land, is to take out trenches, manure 
them well, and dig up as if for Celery. Then setting 
the line along the middle, a shallow drill is drawn, in 
which I sow the Peas, about 4 ins. below the surface, 
of the land. Where birds are troublesome, I cover 
the Peas up with coal ashes directly they make their 
appearance, and as the plants grow through the ashes, 
I earth them up twice, so that when finished, the 
land is level, and the Peas are independent of the 
weather. Immediately they are ready for stakes, they 
should be put to them, and this is most important 
with early Peas. The cold north-east winds are the 
greatest enemies Peas have. 
Potatos. —Among the many varieties of Potato, 
and they are legion, I have only four to recommend 
to my amateur friends. The first early is still the 
Ashtop Kidney (the Wilson variety). This variety is 
dwarf, a marvellous cropper, and the best for use. 
The second, is the good old Myatt’s Ashleaf, which 
everyone knows is still to the front, where productive¬ 
ness and quality are the two main features. The 
third is a comparatively modern introduction, Snow¬ 
drop, but for large tubers, handsome in shape, and 
marvellous producers, I look upon this as the best 
second early in commerce; and last, but not least, 
the Magnum Bonum. These four are the pick of 
fifty varieties grown here, and I consider, for the 
generality of amateur growers, they are ample. 
To grow Potatos well, the best land is sandy loam, 
that is, light and silky, and the best way of preparing 
it is as follows:—In the autumn it should be well- 
manured, dug deeply, and laid up roughly, so that 
the weather may act upon it. When the time comes 
round for planting, it ought to be as fine as a bed of 
coal ashes. Shallow drills should be drawn, and the 
tubers be planted the first week in April, at not less 
than 15 ins. apart in the row. 
The proper preparation of the “ sets ” for planting, 
has a most important effect on the crop. For the 
two early varieties, we set each Potato on end, in old 
Orange boxes, keeping them cool, but out of the reach 
of frost, and when April comes round, we find the 
sprouts as thick as one’s little finger, the tuber 
perfectly solid, and in the very best condition for 
putting into the land. They are carefully laid down 
in the drill, and when well up, are earthed right over¬ 
head, making all secure from the frost. While the 
Potatos are growing, the ground about them should 
be frequently hoed. I must here remind the reader 
that the two early varieties must all be lifted and 
stored before July 30th, when all will be well. I may 
add, that we grow early Potatos largely here, and it 
is my practice to lift them early. They will then last 
well up to Christmas, when the late ones follow.— 
R. Gilbert , High Park Gardens, Stamford. 
Storing Echeverias in Winter. — I have tried 
to store these away in sheds, by building them up 
against a wall opposite the light, but not with 
successful results. I cannot spare frames for them, 
but devised a plan last autumn that succeeded admir¬ 
ably, and which I intend to follow this season. I 
procured some boards about 6 ft. long and 1 ft. wide, 
and when the plants were taken up and removed to 
the potting shed, they were divested of their lower 
dead leaves and off-sets, and any long stem-like 
roots were cut off. They were sorted out into three 
sizes, and each kept separate. We then laid a row 
edgeways all around the board, making in fact a 
little wall in the same manner as they are bedded 
out. We pack them as close together as we can get 
them, and fill in the centre and between the roots 
with a little fine sifted earth. In this way several 
hundreds can be packed in a close compass. The 
boards so filled, were placed in a Peach-house for the 
winter months, and the convenience of having them 
stored in this way is great, because we can move 
them about easily when we are cleaning, or when 
they require change of position. When the bedding 
season comes round, the boards are carried to the 
flower-garden, and the plants parted and planted out. 
They will grow together during the five months they 
are on the boards, and require very little water, as 
damp is their great enemy.— T. W. 
Chrysanthemums. — I was never more struck 
with the richness and variety of colours displayed in 
exhibitions of Chrysanthemums than in the present 
year. They are the beau ideal of an amateur’s 
plant, easily propagated, easily grown, requiring little 
or no heat to grow them to perfection, and amply 
repaying the cultivator for the care and attention. I 
would advise amateurs who intend to grow more 
extensively next year to secure strong cuttings or 
plants as soon as convenient, to put single cuttings 
into 60-pots, and place them in a cold frame. Care 
should be taken to preserve the correct names. The 
least troublesome way of growing them is when 
planted out in a sheltered border, where, if the loam 
be good, they make more vigorous growth than in 
pots. Towards the end of September they can be 
moved into pots, and placed for a few days in the 
shade. A dull day should be chosen for the operation 
of lifting and potting. A few of the lower leaves will 
probably turn yellow, but these can be removed. The 
plants must not be allowed to suffer for want of water, 
and might occasionally have a dose of weak liquid 
manure.— L. E. 
Rock Roses. —The Bock Bose is Cistus as well as 
Helianthemum, and it represents a set of very 
handsome flowering-shrubs of great beauty, that can 
be commended to the attention of amateur gardeners. 
The time of the year for planting has come round, 
and the genial rain on Sunday evening will put 
nurserymen and gardeners both on the alert; and any 
work of this land should be done while the ground is 
workable and before it becomes thoroughly saturated 
with wet. One of the best known is the Gum cistus 
(C. cyprius), a free-growing shrub that produces large 
white flowers, with dark-purple blotches, extremely 
showy, but of short duration. But this is compensated 
for by the fact that it is a very floriferous subject. For 
a few years I had a plant of this growing against a west 
wall in a forecourt garden, and when in full bloom it 
was the wonder of the neighbourhood. Alas ! the 
severe frost of 1881 killed it out-right; but then it 
was in a very cold and exposed position and in a stiff 
moist soil also, and I was very sorry to lose it. Then 
there is C. ladaniferous, which is very often confounded 
with the common gum cistus; this has large white 
flowers, but no purple blotches, so that it is easily 
recognized. C. laurifolius has white flowers also, and 
the red bracts of the buds are very showy, and it is 
altogether a very desirable plant. C. purpureus is very 
distinct, haring fine purple flowers with dark blotches. 
Then there is C. formosus, bearing bright golden-yellow 
flowers, with a dark spot on each petal. Lastly, is one 
named C. Florentinus, which I am not acquainted 
with ; but Mr. T. S. Ware describes it as a charmingly 
effective plant, of dwarf neat growth, and producing 
an abundance of pure white flowers ; one of the finest of 
the section, quite hardy, and exceedingly free-blooming. 
I made a great mistake in planting my Gum cistus 
in wet cold soil in an exposed position. The fact is, 
the plants will do well in almost any soil that 
tolerably dry, but they do not succeed in a wet one. 
The drier the soil and the warmer the situation the 
better do they seem to do and the more fully will 
they bloom.— R. D. 
Raspberry Baumforth’s Seedling. —This fine 
new variety can be recommended with all confidence. 
Amateur gardeners who are contemplating making a 
bed of Baspberries should plant this sort. It is a very 
fine red-fruited variety, a very free, and one might 
almost say, perpetual bearer; the plant of rigorous 
growth, and doing well in ordinary garden soil. If the 
plant costs a little more money than the ordinary red 
Baspberry, it is yet well worth the increased outlay. 
We have tried it, and can with confidence recommend 
it to our amateur brethren.— D. 
—— 
QUIET NOOKS AND DELLS. 
At Woolton'Wood, near Liverpool, the woodland 
part of Mr. Holbrook Gaskell’s garden is rich in 
pretty sheltered glades, ravines, caves and dells, 
beautiful at all seasons, and interesting to the visitor 
as giving a change from the ordinary garden scenery. 
But the utility and comfort of such pretty fern-clad 
nooks is known and appreciated to its fullest extent 
by the members of Mr. Gaskell’s family and their 
intimate friends only. There in that sunken rocky 
dell or quiet cave, still as though it were far away 
from the habitations of man, may be found a rest 
where the pleasures of a book or of silent thought may 
be enjoyed, without in summer feeling the oppressing 
effect of the heat or in winter the chill of the keen 
winds sweeping overhead. Far too few are such 
pleasant retreats in our gardens, and yet they can 
easily be formed, if but the mind be set to work to do 
it, and that too at a very moderate cost. Mr. Gaskell 
first got the idea by quarrying stone on his estate for 
the purpose of building rockeries and other uses, and 
afterwards planting the openings so made with Ferns, 
Foxgloves, Evening Primroses, Ac., arranging steps 
and seats in the stone, and making cascades, thus 
forming what no doubt the ladies of the family regard 
in the summer as quite the most enjoyable part of the 
garden. Our illustration gives a view of one of the 
sunken glades, a glance at which will easily suggest 
the enjoyment to be found there. 
——- 
WATER-LILIES IN WINTER. 
NvMPHiEA cgeeulea, N. Devoniensis, N. rubra, and 
other stove varieties have always been coveted plants 
among our amateur gardeners, and it is now no rare 
occurrence to see them well grown in gardens of very 
small pretensions, in some cases only a large tub being 
accorded to each kind, while in others, where happily 
a convenient tank is available, they are to be found 
sending up then- beautiful flowers and mingling them 
together. All generally goes well during the growing 
season, but in winter (the resting season) mishaps 
often occur. 
The losses are generally traceable to one of two 
causes: first, a too severe drying off; and secondly, 
a too low temperature. In many gardens a habit 
prevails of removing the plants from the water when 
they die down, and drying the tubers off until spring; 
but although this is carried out with fair success in 
many places, it is not to be generally recommended. 
A much safer plan will be found to remove the pots 
from the tank when the plants have thoroughly died 
down, and place them on or under the stage as may 
be most convenient, placing an earthen pan or saucer 
under each, and treating the plants as regards water 
like other pot plants, and not allowing them to become 
dry. If more convenient, they may remain in the 
tanks, the water being reduced. Cold destroys the 
resting tubers of the stove Water-Lilies quicker than 
anything else. They should, therefore, not be allowed 
to get below 65 degs. Fahr., but they will keep sound 
and good in any temperature between that and 85 
degs. 
Water-Lilies and all other water-plants detest new 
soil, and when they are potted into it (for instance 
