442 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
March 9, 1895, 
THE CULTIVATION OF 
EARLY VEGETABLES. 
(i Concluded from page 426.) 
Cauliflowers. 
For the first crop a sowing should be made about 
the third week in August on a warm border ; as soon 
as the plants are large enough to handle they should 
be pricked out in frames, about 3 in. apart each way 
to stand the winter. In very severe weather mats or 
litter may be thrown over the frames, but on mild 
days the lights should be taken off so as to give as 
much air as possible. About the middle of March 
they may be planted out about 2 ft. apart, care 
should be taken not to injure the roots when taken 
from the nursery bed. These will be found to 
succeed the late Broccoli, and there will be no fear to 
have them about the latter part of June. As to the 
varieties, I like the Dwarf Erfurt, as it is a beautiful 
close white head, and if in good ground a good size 
is attained. A pinch of Veitch's Autumn Giant 
sown at the same time is very valuable to follow this 
sort. Broccoli is a variety of Cauliflower, and only 
differs from it in hardiness ; there are many varieties. 
Seed should be sown in March to come for use in 
early spring, and mostly everybody has his special 
varieties, but the sorts I generally grow are Veitch’s 
Self-Protecting, Snow's Winter White, Knight s 
Protecting, Cooling's Matchless, Wilcove’s, and Late 
Queen. 
Carrots. 
These require a warm, light, rich soil trenched two 
spits deep in autumn, and some well-decayed manure 
put in the bottom. If this is not done in autumn it 
is better not to add dung, but select a rich piece of 
ground for them, as freshly applied dung is liable to 
cause their growing forked and to expend themselves 
in fibres, also to the attack of the wireworm. A dish 
of young Carrots is generally appreciated, therefore 
they pay for a little trouble. A slight hot-bed 
should be made in January; if a light or two of a 
brick frame can be spared so much the better. 
After allowing for sinking put about 6 in. of fibrous 
loam with a little leaf-mould sifted together. The 
surface should be about 8 in. or 9 in. from the glass ; 
sow the seed in drills about 8 in. apart. Champion 
Scarlet Horn or Nantes are good varieties. To 
follow those in frames a sowing may be made in 
February on a warm border of the same sorts in 
drills about 1 ft. apart. Here also Veitch’s Model is 
a good one, especially if wanted for early exhibition, 
when holes should be made with the dibble about 
xo in. deep and 4 in. to 6 in. apart. These should 
be filled with fine soil. Here I like a little loam and 
leaf-mould with plenty of sand, seasand if procur¬ 
able, also a small quantity of fowls’ dung, sifted 
together through a fine sieve. Be sure and have the 
holes filled ; I used to use a small stick to work it 
to the bottom with. When about an inch from the 
top put three or four seeds in each hole, cover with the 
same soil, and when the plants are of a good size 
thin to one in each hole. 
Broad Bean. 
Respecting the Broad Bean, the soil should vary 
with the seaon ; for winter standing and early crops 
a rich dry soil is best for them, as if too moist the 
seed is apt to decay, whilst a cold bottom and more 
tenacious soil is best for early spring and summer 
sowings. Some people sow in November, but I 
don't often put in any until January. Seville Long 
Pod and Leviathan are good sorts for exhibition, 
otherwise I should recommend the Windsor varie¬ 
ties. 
Tomatos. 
As we have had a paper on these I need say but very 
little. To get early Tomatos a little forethought is 
required. Some sow seed in autumn, but unless a house 
can be allotted to them I do not think there is much 
gain, as this can only be done in large establish¬ 
ments. Seed sown early in January in a hot-bed or 
warm house, and well attended to, yield the best early 
crop, as the plants are much stronger. They should be 
kept in a moderate growing state, but do not overfeed 
them. A good turfy loam is the best soil for them, 
with a solid bottom. I have seen good crops of 
Tomatos grown on slate slabs with very little soil, by 
a friend of mine, and I do not remember his ever 
having that dreaded disease by this method. A good 
circulation of air on fine days is most essential, with 
a dry atmosphere at all times. As a rule, Tomatos 
are allowed too much root run which causes rank, 
sappy growth and often ends in failure. 
Cucumbers. 
As we recently had an evening on hot-bed making, 
I will confine my few remarks to house culture, but 
as I hope there is an evening in store for them I 
shall say but very little. If Cucumbers are required 
very early they must be started in accordance. I 
find that about Ladyday is the time, as a rule, for 
the first demand ; therefore I generally get them by 
that time. To do this seed should be sown early in 
January, in a temperature not less than 70®. Cucum¬ 
ber houses differ very much, as do all other houses, 
but the best is a span-roofed sunken pit, with a path 
in the centre, and a bed on either side, with a flow 
and return pipe under the soil, and the same above 
both sides, and ventilated on the top. As a rule 
wood is used for the bottom over the pipes ; when 
this is ready for soil about 12 in. of decayed cow 
dung may be put in with advantage. The best soil 
is a turfy-loam from a stiff red clay subsoil, and the 
hillocks should be from 12 in. to 15 in. deep, and be¬ 
tween them I like to put a 3 in. drain pipe upright 
from the bottom. This, in my opinion, gives a won¬ 
derful relief to the bottom heat, also helps to keep 
the bottom of the soil from getting too dry. When 
in a growing condition they require more air in the 
day time as the sun gets more power, and healthy 
plants will bear the full light ; if they droop under 
its influence while air is given freely you may guess 
that something is wrong with their roots. Fresh 
plants should be raised at once to supersede them in 
case they do not recover. 
Globe Artichokes. 
These in some places are prized and looked upon as 
one of the best products of the garden, although I 
know of places where you may see plants in an odd 
corner of the garden merely for ornament, never 
thought worth using. But I believe they are despised 
for the want of knowing and the proper way to 
use them. I remember a dish being sent to table for 
dessert once. The Artichoke, like many other good 
vegetables, gets a bad name through a bad cook. 
There are two varieties, the French, which is green 
and the scales spreading, and the Globe, which is 
tinged purple with the scales incurved. They like a 
rich, loamy soil and a damp bottom, but here 
they will not survive a severe winter. If possible to 
obtain it plenty of seaweed, or any other manure 
containing common salt, is very beneficial to them. 
Tne best way to propagate them is by division of 
the roots, which should be done every five or six 
years, as the best and earliest crowns are got from 
beds from two to five years old. I do not advise taking 
the whole bed up for division at once, but a few 
plants every year. The beginning of April is the 
safest time to do it; those plants would throw up 
heads in autumn, whilst the old beds would com¬ 
mence in May and onwards. I do not remember 
ever seeing a dish shown at Exeter in a collection of 
twelve dishes of vegetables, whilst at Taunton, 
formerly, you would scarcely ever see a prize 
collection without them, and there is only a week’s 
difference in the shows. When exhibiting here, I 
have brought them, but have always been advised 
not to put them up. In winter they must have a 
little protection. I generally put some ashes around 
them and cover with stable litter. As at Pynes, I 
have a great demand for them. In fact, I cannot get 
too many. 
I fear I have overrun my time. I have omitted a 
few small things, such as Cabbages, Onions, Turnips, 
and others. I believe we have heard about them 
before ; at any rate, most of us are too well 
acquainted with their culture to want much said 
about them. I should like to have said a little on 
garden soils, but that must be done at some future 
time. 
-«*•- 
LAPAGERIAS. 
These beautiful plants are among the very finest 
of our greenhouse flowering plants suitable for the 
decoration of pillars or trellises in our cool plant 
houses. Curiously enough, however, while their 
wax-like blooms are always in great demand, it is a 
comparatively rare occurrence that we come across 
plants which are in a really healthy and satisfactory 
condition. More often than not, the specimens we 
meet with present a half-starved and wholly unhappy 
appearance that would lead us to suppose that their 
cultivation is but little understood, or that their 
wants are in some way neglected. 
In the majority of instances, the ill-health of the 
plants and their consequently dilapidated appearance 
is directly attributable to the unwelcome atten^ 
tions of insect pests, more particularly thrips, green 
fly, and mealy bug, which seem to consider the 
Lapageria as their lawful prey, and act accordingly, 
to the no small discomfort of the plant itself. Once 
these insects effect a lodgment, it becomes a matter 
of extreme difficulty to dislodge them, a great deal 
of time and trouble being requisite. This, perhaps, 
gives us the key-note to the want of success in Lapa¬ 
geria culture in establishments which are chronically 
short-handed, and where during a particularly busy 
period many things are neglected or insufficiently 
attended to. 
Although their culture in pots may produce 
fairly good results, it is not a method which we 
would particularly recommend, planting out in a 
specially prepared bed being by far the more prefer¬ 
able method of procedure. In making up such a 
bed, one of the most important considerations is the 
drainage, and no pains should be spared to make it 
as perfect as possible, for upon the proper per¬ 
formance of this duty much of the question of 
failure or success hereafter will depend. The pro¬ 
posed bed should also be enclosed either by a brick 
wall or by slates so placed that the roots of the 
plants are kept within bounds. The compost should 
consist of a large proportion of peat and a small 
quantity of good fibrous loam—if such is obtain¬ 
able—if not, it had better be done without altogether 
rather than employ inferior material. A liberal 
addition of sand and a quantity of charcoal and 
mortar rubbish should be added and the whole well 
mixed together. It is not advisable to add any 
artificial manures to the soil, as these are much better 
applied when the plants have got well established in 
their new quarters. The next important point is to 
choose strong, vigorous plants to start with, as it is 
worse than useless to waste time by planting poor, 
puny weaklings which never give satisfaction. 
The supports upon which they are to be trained 
is also a matter of great moment. A trellis formed 
of stout twine is, in all cases, the best, as the young 
growths take to it in a kindly manner. We have 
seen copper wire used, also, with fairly good results, 
although the expensiveness of this would, in many 
cases, be sufficient to prevent its use. Galvanised 
iron wire is the worst of all, and should never, under 
any consideration whatever, be employed. A cool 
greenhouse temperature will suit Lapagerias admir¬ 
ably, and they will even stand several degrees of 
frost during winter without sustaining harm. Shade 
from the direct rays of the sun during summer 
is also an essential. 
As soon the plants start well into growth in the 
spring the syringe may be brought into play pretty 
vigorously, and an abundant allowance of water at 
the root throughout the growing season is of the 
greatest importance In fact, too much strese 
cannot be laid upon the great necessity of an 
adequate water supply, without which it is futile to 
expect success. The tying-in of the shoots as growth 
goes on must be attended to at intervals, and should 
in no case be neglected until the growths have 
become twisted and matted together in a manner 
that precludes the possibility of disentanglement with¬ 
out injury to the tender points of many. As soon as 
the flowering season commences, which it usually 
does about July, and lasting well on into the autumn, 
many of the growths may be unfastened from their 
supports and allowed to hang down. The effect 
produced by a house of healthy Lapagerias thus 
treated is truly magnificent, and well repays any 
extra trouble that might have been taken with the 
plants. During the autumn and winter months, less 
water will, of course, be necessary at the roots, 
although they must never be allowed to get too dry. 
Pruning should be conducted in the early spring, 
just as the plants are starting, and should consist in 
the thinning-out of the weak and spindly growths 
and the removal of those that have already flowered. 
Insect Pests. 
As has previously been stated the Lapageria has 
very many enemies among the various hordes of 
insects that attack our favourite plants, and steps 
must be taken to put a check upon their unwelcome 
attentions. Green fly will often cause trouble during 
the spring months and should be treated by giving 
several fumigations on consecutive evenings following 
these up by thoroughly good syringings. Thrips will 
often cause more trouble, although the fumigations 
will in a measure put a stop to their operations. It is 
advisable to start the year with a clean bill of health 
