August 22nd, 1885. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
811 
The Kitchen Gardener’s Calendar. —Onions : 
The Onion crop is a beautiful one this season ; the 
bulbs, owing to the long spell of bright sunshine, are 
somewhat small, firm, and well ripened, and therefore, 
if taken up at once and exposed to the sun for a few 
days by spreading them out in widths of about 4 ft. 
with their roots facing southward, and afterwards 
be stored away while dry in a loft from which frost 
and damp can be excluded, they will keep well. They 
should be spread out thinly on the floor of the loft, or 
strung together by the withered tops, and be suspended 
from the roof. When storing the bulbs put all the 
small ones by themselves for pickling or culinary 
purposes, for which they are frequently asked in 
preference to larger ones. The ground cleared of the 
Onion crop should be got ready for the reception of 
Cabbages next month. For this crop we generally 
manure liberally, and trench deeply. 
Cucumbers. —This is a good time to make a sowing 
of Eollisson’s Telegraph Cucumber, which, in my 
opinion, is one of the best varieties for winter work, 
producing as it does handsomely-shaped and mode¬ 
rately sized fruits. The plant is also constitutionally 
good and prolific. Sow the seeds singly in 3-in. pots 
three parts filled with light mould, covering them 
lightly with the same, and either plunge in a frame 
in which there is a little bottom-heat, or place or 
stand the pots on a shelf under a square or two of 
glass in a stove. After the lapse of five or six days 
if the seed be good the young plants will appear, 
and these, when they have attained to a height of a 
couple of inches, should be top-dressed, and afterwards 
be shifted into larger pots as they require more room 
at the roots, until they are planted out or finally 
shifted into their fruiting pots or boxes, as the case 
may be, for which use an admixture of three parts of 
light loam and one part of peat. In a mixture of this 
description I have always found winter Cucumbers 
grow satisfactorily, more so, in my opinion, than when 
animal or other manure has been incorporated with 
the above ingredients. Moreover, stimulants can 
always be applied to the roots in a liquid state as the 
plants require it. Put small sticks to the plants (one 
to each) when sufficiently grown to require supports 
to prevent their being broken through vibration or 
other causes. 
Syringe the plants twice a day where hot-water 
pipes are at command, and shut up early in the after¬ 
noon, say at three o’clock. The time, however, of 
putting on and taking off airmust beregulated in accord¬ 
ance with circumstances existing in each particular 
garden and house, such as the aspect and construction 
of the individual house, inasmuch as one house may 
consist of a minimum of glass and a maximum of 
wood, and vice versA. These, however, are circum¬ 
stances with which all regularly trained gardeners are 
fully acquainted, and hence, as I have already hinted, 
there should be no hard-and-fast line drawn for the 
giving and taking off of air, but the operator should 
be guided solely by the weather and other con¬ 
ditions existing at the time. 
In tying the shoots up to the trellis leave sufficient 
space between the ligature and the shoots for the due 
development of the latter. These should be trained 
regularly, but not too closely over the trellis, so that 
individually they may be exposed to the influence of 
light and air, which will cause a consolidated growth. 
Aim at a night temperature of from 65 degs. to 
70 degs., 5 degs. higher by day with fire, runnning it 
up to 85 degs. with sun heat, and a free circulation of 
fresh air. Crop light rather than otherwise.— H. W. 
Ward , Longford Castle. 
-- 
Tomatos in Early Spring. —Will you allow me 
a little space in which to say a few words respecting 
a method of obtaining a good crop of Tomatos early 
in spring ? I have a greenhouse, 22 ft. long and 14 ft. 
wide, and economizing space is a sine qua non. I have 
therefore had wires stretched from end to end of the 
roof, and within 10 ins. of the glass. I make it a rule 
to sow my Tomato seeds about the 18th or 19th of 
August, so that there is ample time for the plants to 
become strong before the cold weather sets in. During 
the dull days of early spring the plants have copious 
supplies of water, and I cut some small tufts of turf 
and stand the pots on them, the grass side downwards. 
The plants have three shifts, first into sixties, then 
into forty-eights, and finally into sixteen-sized pots. 
The compost I give them consists of three parts of 
good loam to one of decayed cow-manure. In the 
month of March the plants will be coming into flower, 
and as fast as the flowers appear, and they are of good 
form, the camel hair brush is used to make sure of 
them setting. I commenced cutting on the second of 
April last, and had a grand crop, which was admired 
by all who saw them. I sowed seeds again on the 
3rd of February, and raised six dozen plants, which 
followed on in succession, but of course before I 
planted them out they were far advanced in fruit and 
flower. I have a good south wall that suits them 
admirably, and the sorts grown are the Conqueror 
and Chiswick Red .—A Subscriber. 
Onions for Autumn Sowing. —I should be 
greatly obliged if some of your practical readers 
would assist me with a little advice as to the best 
Onion for sowing now. The space I have available is 
limited in extent, so that it is the more important 
that the sort should be thoroughly hardy, the situa¬ 
tion being a cold one. The Giant Rocca, the Giant 
Zittau, Tripoli, Lisbon White, Trebons, The Queen, 
Early White Naples, and Red Globe, are all recom¬ 
mended, but I want to know which is the best. Last 
season I sowed the Queen, but the bulbs are too small. 
— J. C., Rochdale. 
SOWING AURICULA SEED. 
A friend of mine who is a cultivator of Auriculas, 
writing to me a day or two ago, states: “I have just 
sown some seed of choice Auricula, and it came up in 
nine days.” He adopts a somewhat novel method of 
raising seed. He takes good-sized flower pots and 
fills them half full of drainage ; over this he places 
some rough soil, then a layer of finer soil, and 
over this the very finest ashes he can procure from 
a blacksmith’s forge, and on these he sows his seeds 
very thinly, without covering them, and then stands 
the pots in pans of water. The seeds germinate 
quickly, but as soon as they are large enough to do 
so it is necessary to prick off the plants into fine 
soil, or they would soon decay if left too long among 
the ashes. The risk attending this method is, in my 
opinion, not counter-balanced by the rapidity with 
which the seeds grow. 
I adopt a different practice, though much along the 
same lines, and which, I think, is quite as successful 
in its results, if a little less rapid in action. I do 
not use the ashes, but a fine light sandy soil instead. 
The pots have a good depth of drainage placed in them, 
then some rough soil, then 2 ins. of light sandy soil; 
on this the seeds are sown very thinly, a little white 
sand is scattered over them, and the pots are placed 
in a cold frame with a piece of glass over each ; they 
are carefully shaded from the sun, and as soon as the 
seeds commence to germinate the pots are removed 
to a greenhouse, placed in pans of water, and no 
longer shaded. It is surprising tvith what rapidity 
the plants grow, and how quickly they increase in size 
When they are three-quarters of an inch or so across, 
they are pricked off into 4-in. pots of light soil, with 
plenty of sand and leaf-mould in it, about six plants 
in a pot, again placed in a cold frame and shaded 
until established, and here they remain until they 
flower. 
There are differences of opinion as to whether it is 
best to sow Auricula seed as soon as ripe or in the follow¬ 
ing spring, so much depends upon the attention given 
to the seedlings. It may not unreasonably be supposed 
that amateurs do not, as a general rule, give that atten¬ 
tion to seedlings that a specialist would, and thus it is 
that if the seed be sown in August, there is danger 
of the tiny plants receiving but scant attention, and 
many of them decay during autumn and winter. But 
if proper attention be given them, a good start is 
gained, as by March, when Auricula seed is generally 
sown, the plants will be of good size, ready for prick¬ 
ing off, if it was not done in the autumn, and this start 
is a decided benefit. 
I find it of advantage, when seeds are sown at this 
season of the year, to top dress the young seedlings 
in late autumn and again in early spring by sprinkling 
a little light soil among them. Even by means of the 
most careful watering the soil is apt to be washed 
away from the roots, and a little added—it should be 
very fine and light—is of substantial benefit. 
If the disappointment with the progeny be keen, 
every grower of Auriculas should raise a few seedlings. 
It appears a very poor and hackneyed remark to 
dilate on the pleasure which always attends on the 
raising of seedlings, but it is a great and interesting 
delight. To watch the plants peeping through the 
soil, to push them on into size with due care and 
attention, to carry them safely through the winter, 
and then to watch the throwing up of the flower 
trusses, and eventually see them crowned with an 
inflorescence either valuable or commonplace, is some¬ 
thing calculated to awaken gratification, and does do 
this in the case of many seedling raisers.— R. D. 
FLORAL DECORATIONS. 
At the Mayor’s dinner at Kingston-on-Thames last 
week, the decorations were entrusted to Messrs. T. 
Jackson & Son, whose work is thus described by The 
Kingston and Surbiton News :—- 
“ The entrance hall was grouped on each side with 
growing shrubs, while inside the lobby were several 
small collections, befittingly filling the several corners 
without causing obstruction or inconvenience, and at 
the same time contrasting most favourably with the 
surroundings, and adding brilliancy to the whole. 
Passing along by the staircase and passage, also highly 
decorated, into the Mayor’s reception room, the eye 
rested on a most unique and complete arrangement in 
one of the corners, while in front of the pilasters 
stood elegant and graceful Palms, Ferns, &c. ; Cocos 
Weddelliana, Dracasna australis, and Blechnum 
braziliense being most prominent. At the extreme 
end was a most meritorious collection of rare exotics, 
the admiration of every beholder. In the background 
were tall Palms, relieved by a grand weeping variety 
of Phormium tenax variegata; the original variety 
usually grows rigid and erect, but that under 
notice has a weeping character, which, combined 
with the various markings on the foliage, con¬ 
trasted effectively with Crotons Disraeli and 
Wiesmanni, Dractenas Goldieana and terminalis, and 
others. Lower down were three neatly-trained speci¬ 
men Heaths, two of Erica Marnockiana, the centre 
one being a grand piece of Aitoniana Turnbulli. The 
groundwork was composed of Adiantums, from which 
sprang several fine varieties of Orchids, notably several 
magnificent spikes of Saccolabium Blumei majus, one 
spike of which measured upwards of 2 ft. in length. 
There were also several fine Odontoglossum Rossi 
majus and 0. vexillarium, with Masdevallia Harryana, 
which were conspicuous by their extreme beauty. 
The whole was edged with well-grown examples of 
the loveliest of all the Maiden-hair family for this 
purpose, Adiantum graeillimum, and made a most 
effective arrangement indeed. 
“ Passing from here through the corridor to the 
dining-hall, everyone must have been impressed with 
the simple, but, at the same time, most unique 
arrangement brought about by the happy thought of 
utilizing as a boundary wall of this passage one side 
of a building, on which had previously been neatly 
and regularly trained the Vines growing there. 
Just at the present time the foliage is of the deepest 
green, and the small clusters of Grapes added to the 
novel effect. At the foot, on either side, were small 
decorative plants, so that the combination seemed 
quite a fairy scene, rather than the work of man. 
Thus was Nature adapted so naturally that even 
experts wondered and inquired how such an effect 
was brought about, while it formed a cool relief from 
the warm and magnificent dining-room, which was 
most elegantly arranged throughout. Every available 
space was here brought into use to add to the bril¬ 
liancy of the whole. In each of the corners were 
small groups; in other places Palms drooped their 
graceful foliage; while on either side of the Mayor’s 
seat were two groups of miscellaneous plants in semi¬ 
oblong form, and in each of which beautiful Orchids 
were very prominent. Saccolabium, Aerides, Oncidium, 
and Odontoglossum each by their beauty contributed 
their share; while Lilium longiflorum, Ixora grandi- 
flora, and the scarlet plumes of Clerodendron Kcemp- 
ferii, contrasted most favourably. On the ledge which 
ran the length of the dais on which the principal table 
stood, a handsome and varied collection of plants and 
shrubs was placed ; and in front of the ladies’ boudoir 
Hydrangea panieulata grandiflora, with Adiantum 
cuneatum, were largely employed. Mr. Puttick and 
Mr. Sheppard were mainly responsible for the beau¬ 
tiful arrangements, and Mr. Latham, from Messrs. 
Jackson’s gardens at Hampton Court, also assisted.” 
