March 14th, 1885. 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
443 
scrapings mixed with garden-soil may be used. Mix 
a spadeful or two with as much sand to spread over 
the surface. 
A penny to sixpence per packet will purchase 
enough seed of the following good sorts of annuals :— 
French and African Marigolds, Chrysanthemum and 
Victoria Asters, Ten-week Stocks, Zinnias, Pyrethrum, 
Phlox Drummondi, Single Dahlias, Larkspiurs, Prince’s 
Feather, Single Petunia, and two or three sorts of 
Everlastings. Sow the seeds thinly in rows in the 
frame; lay the panes of glass over the top (placing 
two or three thin laths or wires to support them), and 
keep the frame rather close till the seedlings begin to 
come up. Afterwards give air, gradually at first, till 
they will bear all the glass off all day, except in 
stormy weather and during cold winds. A loose 
covering to throw over at nights will be useful. These 
seedlings, as they become large enough to handle, 
must be pricked off into boxes, or into a sheltered bed, 
where they can be covered up at nights and protected 
from the cold winds, till they are fit to plant out; but 
the Single Dahlias would do better in small pots than 
in boxes. 
More hardy annuals to sow now are :—Sweet Peas, 
White and Crimson Candytuft, Cornflower (blue), 
Virginia Stocks, tall and dwarf Nasturtiums, Migno¬ 
nette, Godetias, tall and dwarf Convolvulus, and 
Indian Pinks. The seed packets will give the height 
and colour of the plants, and their positions in the 
border can be arranged accordingly. The tall growing 
climbers will require sticks, or they may be trained up 
the wall. A Larch or Spruce top cut off and stuck 
into the ground with all the twfigs on, makes a pretty 
object covered with Sweet Peas and some of the showy 
Convolvuluses. 
Sow the very small seeds on the surface when it is 
dry, and just sprinkle a little sandy soil over and press 
down with a flat board or a spade. Larger seeds sow 
from J-in. to J-in. deep, not more. As the seedlings 
come up thin them out to 6 ins. apart if you want 
good plants, and transplant the thinnings in another 
place. It is a bad plan to try to save too many plants 
of a sort. The heap of spent manure can be dug into 
the ground next autumn, or if freshened up with some 
fresh litter or a barrow-load of short grass will heat 
up again and the frame may be further utilized for a 
Cucumber plant.— A. B. 
-hH- 
Calendula “ Meteor.”—To those who have not 
grown this popular modern annual, allow me to recom¬ 
mend it. For a golden-yellow bed from 1 ft. 6 ins. to 2 ft. 
high, or for planting out in the mixed border, I know 
of nothing better. Being a true “pot Marigold,” it 
will grow anywhere and in any soil, and its beautiful 
large double flowers cannot escape notice. The length 
of time it continues in flower, from June to November, 
renders it all the more useful. Seed may be sown 
now, either in pots or in the open border.— J. Knight, 
Bilston. 
-^- 
Propogating by Root-cuttings.—The pretty, 
though not very common, Verbena venosa, is an 
almost hardy plant, at least I have known it stand 
out of doors all winter when no very severe frosts have 
been experienced. If there are any old plants that 
have been planted out, they wall be found to have 
made long stolons, or under-ground shoots, which if 
cut up into lengths of 1| ins. or 2 ins. and laid over 
the surface of a pan prepared in the same way as for 
seeds, strewn over with a little sand, and then slightly 
covered with soil and placed in a warm pit, they will 
soon throw up shoots, which- should be gradually 
hardened off and treated in all respects the same as 
seedlings. 
Anemone japonica alba and rosea are amendable to 
precisely the same treatment. If desirable to increase 
the stock of these favourite flowers, and a good sized 
plant is available, lift it carefully and proceed to cut 
off all long and stoutish roots, which cut into lengths 
as recommended for Verbena venosa, and treat the 
same in every respect. 
Bouvardias of different kinds may also be propagated 
in a similar manner. Where there are good-sized 
old plants that have been cut down, the thinning out 
of some.of the strongest roots will do the plants no 
harm, and if treated to a little more warmth than the 
foregoing, but in other respects similar, they will 
yield a batch of nice plants.— W. C. C. 
The Kitchen Gardener’s Calendar.—Seeds of 
Connover’s Colossal Asparagus should now be sown in 
drills 2 ins. deep and 12 ins. asunder, in a border 
where the soil is of a light, rich and sandy nature, 
for transplanting the following year. Seakale seeds 
should also be sown, either in a nursery-bed, in drills 
2 ins. deep and 12 ins. apart, in patches (about three 
seeds in each patch, which subsequently should be 
thinned out to one, 6 ins. apart in the row), or in the 
situation in which the plants are ultimately to be 
forced, in rows 18 ins. apart, and 10 ins. to 12 ins. 
asunder in the rows, in light rich soil from 2 ft. to 
3 ft. deep. 
Plantations may also now be made from cuttings, 
which, if cut into lengths of about 4 ins. and 
placed in a box, intermixed with sand when the 
plants were taken up for forcing, last November, 
should be dibbled in from 10 ins. to 12 ins. in the 
rows, which should be 18 ins. from each other. 
These thongs, or root-cuttings, will furnish plants to 
be taken up for forcing next wunter, or they may be 
forced in their permanent situation by the aid of long 
narrow boxes (see p. 363) and fermenting material, 
and these should be set about 1 in. under the surface 
of the soil. This method of -working up a stock of 
Seakale (where the thongs can be obtained) is far 
preferable to that of doing so by seed. 
A sowing of Chervil should now be made in 
shallow drills; also another breadth of Turnips, 
Nantes Horn Carrot and Spinach ; another sowing of 
Carter’s Leviathan and Broad Windsor Bean should 
also be made in sufficient quantities to supplement 
the supply which previous plantings and sowings 
will yield. Draw a little soil up to early plantings of 
Cabbage and Cauliflower and advancing crops of 
Peas, which latter should then be staked—always 
placing the sticks close to the haulms on either side 
the row to prevent them from swaying, and with this 
object in view, put some small sprays between the 
sticks close to the ground. This will also be a good 
time to lay on a good mulching of rotten dung on 
either side of the rows of all Peas that are staked. This, 
in the meantime, will protect the Peas and the roots 
from sustaining injury from frost and cutting winds, 
and later on, when the labour necessary for doing the 
work will be even more in demand than it is now, it 
will conserve the moisture at the roots, thereby 
prolonging the gathering of Peas ten days or a fort¬ 
night in dry weather. 
Fobcing Department. —Sow seeds of Tomato, Ridge 
Cucumber, Vegetable Marrow, Capsicum, Celery, Bush 
and Sweet Basil, and Marjoram, and pot off and prick 
out in frames as soon as large enough to handle ; water 
and afterwards harden them off prior to being finally 
planted in their respective situations. Earth up 
successional plantings of Potatos in pots and frames 
by putting about 4 ins. thick of soil between the rows, 
and those that indicate dryness at the roots should 
have a good watering of tepid water sufficiently early 
in the day for the haulms to get dry before putting the 
mats and shutters, or other protecting material, over 
them in the evening. Make another sowing of French 
Beans in pots, or pits heated for the purpose, and 
top-dress plants resulting from earlier sowings as soon 
as they have grown 2 ins. above the rim of the pots, 
with soil about the same temperature and nature as 
they are growing in. Pinch out the points of the 
shoots to make them branch, and syringe the plants 
overhead morning and afternoon to keep them free 
from the attacks of red-spider as much as to promote 
a genial atmosphere.-— H. W. Ward, Longford Castle, 
Wilts. 
— a—- — 
Cropping a Garden-plot for Competition,— 
“ A Cottager ” (p. 430) will require some or all of the 
following vegetables :—Peas, Dr. McLean and Hun¬ 
dredfold ; Broad Beans, Seville long-pod; Runner 
beans, Champion; Beet, Dell’s Crimson; Cabbage, 
Enfield Market, Drumhead, and St. John’s Day; 
Carrot, James’ Intermediate ; Cauliflower, Walcheren 
and Autumn Giant; Celery, Sandringham Dwarf 
white and Manchester red; Leek, Henry’s prize; 
Lettuce, Paris White Cos; Onion, Bedfordshire 
Champion and White Spanish; Parsnip, Student; 
Turnip, Orange Jelly; Marrow, Moore’s Cream; also 
Parsley, Radishes, Mustard and Cress, and Potatos. 
Supposing the plot to have been well trenched or 
deeply and roughly dug up in the autumn, “ A 
Cottager ” must now proceed to get in his manure— 
pig-dung or night-soil dug down into the spit is good 
for Cabbages, Cauliflowers, and Broad Beans. Rich 
well-rotted manure dug in the top spit is good for 
Onions. The Onion beds when ready should be 
heavily trodden, and the seed sown and raked in at 
once, either broadcast or in drills; drills generally 
please the judges best. Carrots, Parsnips and Beet— 
sown early in April—will do best on ground that was 
manured last year; but very rotten short dung may 
be well worked in for them now, forking the ground 
over and over to mix it thoroughly, or the roots will 
fork. Sow these in drills 12 ins. apart. Peas and 
Runner Beans require plenty of good dung working in 
a spit deep; and Leeks and Celery the same, but more 
of it, and shallow trenches must be left open for them. 
The ground for the latter can wait till May, 
and seed of Leeks be sown at once in a box of 
rich soil, and grown on in a warm sheltered 
place, to be transplanted later on. I would advise 
“ A Cottager ” to buy his Celery plants, as 
they require a hot-bed to raise them well. 
Turnips will do best without manure if handsome 
shape is to be a consideration, and the tops will be 
finer too. Potatos should not occupy more than one- 
third of the plot, and I would not have more than 
two or three varieties — Schoolmaster, Magnum 
Bonum, and Snowflake are suitable kinds. They 
should be planted about the end of March, and if 
the ground was not manured in the autumn, some 
dung should now be spread in the bottom of the 
trenches. 
Peas, sow two rows in the third week of April, and 
two more in the third week of May. Broad and 
Runner Beans, sow at the end of April, to have a good 
show in August. Cabbages and Cauliflowers, sow at 
once in well-sheltered beds, and plant out about 
15 ins. to 18 ins. apart each way when large enough. 
Buy a few autumn-sown red Cabbage plants, as 
spring-sown ones do not heart so early or so well. 
Sow Parsley early in April in lines round the edges of 
the plot, and Radishes, Lettuces, and Cress at intervals 
all summer in the same situation. Do away with all 
seed-beds as soon as the plants are drawn out of them, 
and do not have an inch of bare ground. Keep the 
fork and hoe going to keep down weeds and to stir the 
surface-soil. Attend well to walks and borders, and 
allow no weeds or rubbish to be growing or laying 
about the plot. Stake Peas and Runner Beans neatly, 
and use plenty of manure-water to the growing crops 
of Cabbage, Cauliflowers, Leeks, and Celery.— 
Autlientes. 
- ^ - 
Prolific Mushrooms.—Having been requested 
to send you a few particulars about the above, I may 
say that the largest bunch we have had measured 
42 ins. in circumference, while others measured 36 ins. 
30 ins. and 28 ins. in circumference, containing from 
thirty to forty-five good sized Mushrooms, besides 
numerous “ buttons.” The best individual Mushroom 
weighed \ lb., and measured 6 ins. in diameter. The 
bed is in a cold shed, and was made last November. 
Spawned at about 90 degs., soiled and beaten down the 
same day, and a few T days after covered over with long 
clean straw. We commenced to gather in early in 
January. 
We always use the spawn as fresh as possible, using 
pieces about ins. square, and always put it in with 
a small hand-fork, about 2 ins. or 3 ins. below the 
surface, and beat the bed well down, and soil at once. 
We never get beds to bear so well, or last so long in 
heated Mushroom-houses, as those made in a cold 
place, and though they are somewhat longer' in 
coming into bearing we are amply repaid by the length 
of time they continue to yield. We make the beds 
deeper in a cold shed and use a good part of litter, 
turning the heap over a few times, but never spreading 
the droppings out, as I have frequently seen practised. 
The spavm used was supplied me by Mr. J. George, 
10, Victoria Road, Putney.—rV. F. Fuller, Idsworth 
Gardens, Horndean. [Mr. Fuller sent us a cluster, 
containing forty-three good sized Mushrooms, which 
amply bears out his statement as to the prolific 
character of the spawn, and the quality was first 
rate.— Ed.] 
