Jan. 17th, 1885. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
315 
logged. A year or two ago we had not sufficient pots 
for our bedding Pelargoniums, so were perforce com¬ 
pelled to do without them and make the best use we 
could of moss in the manner described by Mr. Gilbert. 
We adopted the plan, not for one season only, but for 
two, the last one, however, I should say reluctantly, 
for we had resolved not to again attempt it, and this 
principally on the ground of the time and labour 
required. The time taken up in mossing the plants 
and tying each with a piece of matting took us about 
as long as it would have done to pot three plants, and, 
instead of the work being performed in a week, it took 
three weeks, and in our case it did not prove nearly so 
satisfactory. I contend that the pot system has more 
to recommend it than might be supposed or it would 
not be so generally adopted, and, if my advice is 
worth any tiling, I would say to all those who can, Get 
pots and use them.— C. Warden. 
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Euphorbia Jacquiniae flora. — Allow me to 
supplement the list of midwinter flowers published 
in your issue for January 3rd by naming Euphorbia 
Jacquinifeflora as a very handsome and serviceable 
one. We have some half dozen plants in 4-in. pots 
(cuttings taken in the summer) plunged in cocoa-nut 
fibre refuse in a Cucumber-house, that have an average 
of 15 ins. of flower growth upon each single stem, and 
nothing could be prettier to brighten up a dull day. 
A few years ago we had a fine old plant in a pine 
stove planted out in a sort of slate trough, which gave 
us capital returns in the way of cut flowers. Since 
then, owing to alterations in the houses and other 
causes, the plant has died. Before this season we 
lost several plants, which I attributed to over-watering. 
Euphorbia Jaequiniaeflora is impatient of being over¬ 
potted as well as over-watered, but with judicious 
management it will prove itself to be the best winter 
stove flowering plant we have.— T. Simcoe, The 
Gardens , Lake House, Cheltenham. 
Fruit Culture under Glass.— Vines. —All vines 
which have not already been pruned should be so 
treated without further delay. The laterals should be 
cut back to within half-an-inch of a good plump bud, 
irrespective of its distance from the main stem; 
removing at the same time with the knife all the 
intervening buds, excepting the one close to the base, 
which should be allowed to form wood for next year, 
when the shoot from which it sprung should be cut 
out as soon as the bunch of Grapes is removed from 
it. This done, remove all loose bark from the 
rods, and wash the latter well with a stiffish paint 
brush and soft soapy water (at the rate of 4 ozs. to the 
gallon), taking care in dabbing the brush and soapy 
water into every crevice of the spurs not to damage 
the buds in doing so. Prior to doing this, the glass 
and wood-work (the latter with soapy water) should be 
thoroughly washed, as also should the brick-work be 
washed with hot lime. The vines having been hung 
horizontally together over the front pities, the surface 
of the border should then be pricked over more or less, 
according to the position of the roots, the loose soil 
should then be removed, and be replaced with the 
same quantity of a compost consisting of three parts 
of good loam and one of lime rubble and wood ashes 
well incorporated, following this with a surface 
dressing of a couple of inches thick of horse-droppings, 
and a good soaking of tepid water before the house is 
started. 
Peach-trees. —The sooner trees in late houses are 
pruned, washed with soft-soap and water if necessary, 
and tied in proper positions to the trellis the better. 
I need scarcely say that as much of the old wood as can 
be dispensed with should be cut out, as well as 
superfluous young shoots, and some of those left 
should be shortened back to a wood-bud where 
necessary to secure a balance of growth in the 
individual trees. This object should never be lost 
sight of in pruning trees of any description. The shoots 
should be thinned out to from 4 ins. to 6 ins. apart, 
and these should be trained at the same angle on 
either side the centre of the tree, and should not be 
tied too tightly to the wires, otherivise they will not 
have room to grow without sustaining injury by the 
ties.— H. W. W. 
The Kitchen-Gardener’s Calendar.—Weather 
permitting, make a small sowing of Nantes Horn 
Carrot on a south border, in drills about 1 in. deep 
and about 1 ft. apart, scratching a surfacing of fresh 
soot into the ground with a rake before doing so. It 
will enrich the ground as well as render it distasteful 
to wire-worms, which are sometimes very destructive 
to this crop. In a like situation, sow a pinch of seeds 
of Early London and Veitch’s Autumn Giant Cauli¬ 
flowers, Early Ulm, and Drumhead Savoys, Snow’s 
Superb Winter White Broccoli, Large Carentan Leek, 
green and white Paris Cos Lettuce, Grand Admiral, 
and All the Year Bound Cabbage-Lettuces, and Aigburth 
Brussels Sprouts, in beds 4 ft. wide, and having alleys 
1 ft. wide between each. Cover the seeds lightly 
(about a quarter of an inch deep) with soil from the 
alleys, which should, if not already so, be broken fine 
before putting it over the seeds, and afterwards be 
raked and patted gently with the back of a spade to 
compress it. 
Peas.—Make a good sowing of such varieties of 
Peas as Carter’s Telephone or Culverwell’s Telegraph 
thinly (about 3 ins. to 6 ins. from seed to seed) in 
drills (running north and south) 3 ins. deep, and 8 ft. 
to 10 ft. apart, the intervening spaces to be afterwards 
planted with three to four rows of Cauliflowers. 
Make a planting of the largest of the autumn-raised 
Cabbage plants in a favourable situation in rows at 
from 20 ins. to 2 ft. asunder, and the same distance 
apart in the rows. Cover Seakale andBhubarb crowns, 
first with a little wood or coal-ashes, and afterwards 
with a few inches thick of either long manure or half 
decayed leaf-mould as a protection from injury by 
frost. And for a like purpose, as well as at the same 
time to manure the soil, lay on a surface-dressing of a 
couple of inches thick of leaf-soil on herb-beds. 
Forcing Department. —See that the supplies of 
Asparagus, Seakale, and Rhubarb are kept up by 
putting fresh roots of each into frames, or whatever 
convenience there may be at hand for their growth, at 
intervals of a fortnight or three weeks. The same 
remarks are also applicable to French Beans, Mustard 
and Cress (seed of the last two should be sown in 
boxes every week), Mint, and Tarragon.— H. W. Ward. 
Broccoli and Cauliflower all the Year 
Bound.—In reply to your request at p. 293, for 
information upon the above important vegetables, I 
beg to send you my experience. This place is situated 
in a high, cold and exposed part of North Yorkshire. 
The soil is of a strong argillaceous nature, therefore 
adapted for the growth of Broccoli, although not so 
well for Cauliflowers except in warm summers, such 
as that of last year. During the past two and-a-half 
years, we have not been a day without one or other, 
and to obtain this, we grow the following varieties 
with very satisfactory results—viz., Veitch’s Extra 
Early Forcing and Walcheren : these are sown about 
the middle of August, and duly planted under hand- 
lights in a warm sheltered corner. Extra Early 
Forcing is not much known, nevertheless it is a distinct 
and valuable variety, dwarf and compact in habit. 
The heads are close and as white as snow—in short, 
it is a real gem either for a gentleman’s table or exhibi¬ 
tion purposes. It comes in about a week or ten days 
before Walcheren. A sowing made in January 
under glass of the same varieties make a nice 
succession, for the latter part of June and July, 
then a bowing out-of-doors in March of Walcheren 
and Dickson, Brown & Tait’s Eclipse carries us 
into the autumn. I prefer Eclipse to Autumn Giant, 
inasmuch as it contains all the good robust, hardy 
qualities of the Giant without its strong flavour. 
Another sowing of these two sorts made early in 
April with the winter Broccolis takes our supply 
well into November. Then comes in one of the 
most valuable additions that has been made to 
Broccoli in modern times, viz., Veitch’s Self Pro¬ 
tecting. This fine variety bridges over the season 
betw'een Cauliflowers and Broccoli of the old stamp; 
it may be had in use from October to January, and 
is then succeeded by Snow’s Superb Winter White, 
which is in turn succeeded by Cooling’s Matchless, 
Leamington, and Ledsham’s Latest of All. This last 
is a very excellent new variety, but with me not so 
late as Veitch’s Model, which might be described as 
a dwarf and compact form of the Wilcove. In every 
sense of the word it is a model late Broccoli that 
lasts until the middle of June, when Cauliflowers 
again become plentiful. So close and compact are 
the protecting habits of this kind that during spring 
it might easily be taken for some kind of Cabbage, 
reminding one of Gilbert’s Chou de Burghley, but, 
unlike that variety, you may rely upon getting one 
hundred excellent heads of Broccoli from one hundred 
plants.— James Mclndoe, Hutton Hall, Guishorough. 
Allow me to supplement Mr. J. Knight’s list of these 
vegetables by naming the Westwood Park as one of 
the best Broccolis I have ever grown for use during 
May. If I have a fault to find with it, it is that of 
turning in too quickly, so that if any large quantity is 
planted they are all ready nearly at the same time. 
This would be no fault, however, in the eyes of a 
market-grower. Carter’s Champion and Carter’s 
Summer come in about the same time, but I never 
could make out much difference between them. These 
come in about the end of May and beginning of 
June. Then one of the best varieties, which will 
carry us well into June, is Ledsham’s Late White. It 
is impossible to say too much in favour of this sort—a 
comparatively new one. A few years ago I grew for 
two seasons a variety named Saunder’s Mammoth 
Autumn Broccoli, whether the one mentioned as being 
sent out by Messrs. Sander, of St. Albans, I am 
unable to say, but the name was spelt as I have put 
it, and it was said to have been grown for some years 
by a market-grower. I have quite forgotten which 
firm sent it out. It was a splendid large-headed and 
white sort, but too large in growth to please, so I have 
lost sight of it. I find the same fault in Veitch’s 
Self Protecting. The same firm’s Autumn Giant 
Cauliflower is good, but many of the plants are apt to 
come blind. A very fine one that I have grown for 
several years as a companion to this, and following it 
closely, is Dixon’s Eclipse; in fact, I like it better, 
for although the head is not so large,.it grows more 
evenly.— B. Steveris, Paston. 
- ->$*- - 
Anent Parsley.—I have read with much interest, 
in last week’s Gardening World, “M.’s ” method of 
keeping up a continuous supply of Parsley, and shall 
try his plan next autumn, though I have a very 
successful way of my own for keeping up a supply 
of good, fresh Parsley all through the winter and 
spring. My plan is this : I sow the Parsley seed, 
Moss Curled variety, the last week in August, making 
a band 6 ins. broad and 12 yds. long down one side of 
a border in the kitchen-garden. As winter approaches 
and bad weather threatens, I place over my Parsley 
Pea-guards, which have been previously covered with 
strong canvas, and then oiled. By this simple means, 
my plants are preserved in perfect condition, and 
ready at all times, no matter what the weather may 
be, for culinary purposes or for garnishing. During 
favourable weather, the Pea-guards are just lifted oft 
to one side, and replaced as occasion may require .— 
Tom Jerrold. 
The French Vintage in 1884.—The official returns 
as to the vintage in France last year show that the 
total yield was 782,566,335 gallons, or 27,000,000 
gallons less than in 1883, but 90,000,000 gallons 
more than in 1882. The yield was larger in thirty- 
nine departments than in 1883, notably in the Gers, 
the Pyrenees, Orientales, and several other depart¬ 
ments in the south ; but it was much smaller than in 
the previous year in the north-east and the east, owing 
to the severe frosts of the early spring. The ravages 
of the Phylloxera diminished the yield in several 
of the southern departments, and about 120,000 acres 
of vineyard had to be rooted up in the course of the 
year. More than 60,000,000 gallons of “ wine ” were 
made from Raisins, mostly imported from Greece, and 
from the lees of the Grapes after they have been 
pressed. Upon the other hand, there is a slight 
increase in the quantity of wine made in Algeria, 
upwards of 18,000 acres having been planted in vines 
since the beginning of the year. It so rarely happens 
that Apple-trees “bear” a large crop two years in 
succession that it is not surprising to find that the 
cider crop, which reached the enormous total of 
540,000,000 gallons in 1883, was not quite half as 
much last year. 
