March 23, 1895. 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
471 
HARDY FRUIT DARDEN. 
If proper advantage has been taken of the past 
favourable weather planting will now be about con¬ 
cluded. As soon as possible any of these newly 
planted subjects that have not received a mulching 
of manure should be attended to, or the drying winds 
will take a great deal of the moisture out of the soil. 
Figs. —In many places it is the custom to cover 
these upwithsome protective material at the approach 
of winter to preserve them from the effects of frost. 
If not already done such covering should be removed 
without delay in order that the trees may be pruned 
and trained. If proper attention has been paid to 
the stopping of growths during the previous summer 
their pruning will not take up a deal of time. Old 
branches that have become bare or that have exceeded 
their limits should be cut clean out to make room 
for the younger fruiting wood. If necessary, growths 
may be encouraged later on to come up from the 
bottom to fill up any vacant spaces that may occur, 
or to extend the spread of the tree. Remove all 
prunings to the rubbish heap as soon as possible, 
where, as soon as sufficient matter has been collected, 
fires should be lighted to consume them. 
Grafting. —Old or barren trees that have been 
headed back in readiness for grafting, may now be 
operated on. See that the knives which are to be 
used for the purpose are sharp, for it is of great im¬ 
portance that the cuts should be cleanly made, also 
that a supply of clay and of tying materials are at 
hand. Whatever particular system of grafting finds 
favour, the principle is the same, viz : that of bringing 
the cambium layer in both stock and scion into close 
contact, afterwards claying over and tying firmly to 
keep these layers of formative tissue in contact with 
each other. 
-•*-- 
TIE VEGETABLE DARDEN, 
Though the frost remained such a long time in the 
ground, the weather since the 7th has been such as 
to enable digging and sowing to be proceeded with 
without hindrance, which has considerably altered 
the aspect of the kitchen garden. Many of the 
plants raised under glass may with safety be trans¬ 
ferred to the open quarters if a little protection be 
offered till the roots have taken hold of the soil. 
Cauliflower that has been protected in cold frames 
during winter will be sufficiently hardy if it has been 
exposed to the full sun and air during the day to 
withstand any frost that we may now get, though 
sometimes we have cold east winds at night which 
pinches them sadly before root action is active. 
Should there be any signs of the plants suffering turn 
an inverted flower pot over them at night to ward 
off the cold. Peas that were raised in pots may 
also be planted out if evergreen boughs are stuck 
alongside the rows to shelter them for a few days 
till established. Peas treated in this manner are 
usually ready for gathering before those sown in 
the autumn. November sowings cut a poor figure this 
season, as most of them are sadly frosted, particularly 
on cold heavy soils. Cabbage that were raised under 
glass may also be planted out, but as these will still 
be tender it will be well to afford protection both 
from the bright sun and cold winds. Lettuce that 
have been afforded the protection of a cold frame 
during winter should be transferred to a warm border, 
when they will soon get large enough for use. Those 
raised from seed sown in pans must be well hardened 
off previous to transplanting, or they will suffer con¬ 
siderably when removed. Where large Onions are 
desired plants raised in heat should be well hardened 
before being planted in the open and care must be 
exercised when planting so as not to injure them. 
Seed Sowing. 
Seed sowing in general may now be taken in hand. 
Onions and Parsnips should be the first to receive 
attention. Many, no doubt, as the season is now 
getting advanced, will be in too great a hurry to put 
in the seed, not paying sufficient attention to pre¬ 
paring the ground. Where digging, if the soil is turned 
up in large spits and these are not thoroughly broken 
to pieces, cavities will be left between them which 
will not be filled up till there has been heavy rains. 
When the roots of Parsnips enter these it causes them 
to throw out fibres so that instead of having a straight 
clean root there are several unshapely ones. This 
is not so likely to happen when the ground is dug in 
the autumn as it becomes settled down before spring, 
when, if forked over and all the lumps are broken 
previous to sowing, the roots are able to push their 
way through the soil there being no impediments in 
the way to hinder their progress. With Onions it is 
essential that the soil be made firm on the surface, 
for if the seed be sown on loose ground the bulbs 
grow thick necked. Do not sow the seed too deep or 
too thick,and allow ample room between the rows for 
the hoe to be run between them with ease. 
Globe Artichokes. 
Remove the protecting material covering from these 
and loosen the soil round them that the heat may 
penetrate more readily. Plants have suffered con¬ 
siderably this season, and where suckers are wanted 
for making new plantations they may be hastened by 
covering the old stools with hand lights. This is a 
vegetable that is not well grown in all gardens, the 
reason, no doubt, being on account of the old roots 
being allowed to remain too long in one place. If a 
few roots were planted each season, these would take 
the place of those that are worn out, and better 
results would be had than by overcrowding with poor 
weakly suckers .—Kitchen Gardener. 
* 
Although the nights still continue cold and frosty, 
the days are quite warm and spring-like, and thus 
things are beginning to move at last in spite of the 
check caused by the night frosts. The beautiful dry 
weather we are now experiencing is most favourable 
to the pushing on of the thousand and one little jobs 
that always clamour for attention after the final 
break up of a long period of severe weather like 
that which has stamped the winter of 1894-95 as well- 
nigh unique. Forward the straightening of the 
grass edges, and attend to the rolling of walks and 
paths as opportunity presents itself. The drains and 
water courses should also be looked after now, for 
if left until presently they will stand a chance of 
being forgotten until a heavy downpour 
of rain suddenly brings to mind the fact that they 
are either wholly or partially stopped up, and thus 
much washing of walks will be occasioned that 
might otherwise have been prevented by the exercise 
of a little forethought now. 
Continue the war of extermination against all 
Dandelions and Plantains in lawns and roll occasion¬ 
ally, so as to allow the mowing machine to work 
with greater ease and effect presently. Push on the 
laying of fresh turf with all speed, as to get it com¬ 
pleted in time for the spring rains to assist it in 
establishing itself before the sun becomes too 
scorching. 
Climbers on Walls. —The covering of Russian 
mats or branches of evergreens with which these 
were protected at the approach of winter, may now 
be finally removed. The mats, after being thoroughly 
dried, may be stored away or put to other uses as 
circumstances require, but the evergreens should be 
burnt up out of the way at once, as they will be of no 
further service. Strenuous efforts should now be 
made to get the pruning and training of all the wall 
plants which have not yet been operated on com¬ 
pleted as soon as possible, more especially where, as 
is often the case, herbaceous borders run along at 
the foot. For these will need to be dug over, and it 
is not possible to do this before the trampling upon 
them is all over. 
Carnations and Picotees. —As soon as the soil 
is dry enough preparations should be made for 
planting these out. The ground which it is proposed 
they should occupy should have been well manured 
and dug during autumn, and the surface roughly 
thiown up for the frosts of winter to pulverize and 
sweeten. A good dressing of soot and wood ashes 
should now be given, and this well forked in a week 
or so before planting is actually commenced. 
Where large quantities of Carnations are grown for 
cut flower, the best plan is to allow about 15 in. be¬ 
tween the plants and about 18 in. between the rows, 
leaving room for an alley every three or four rows. 
Such a system affords the greatest convenience for 
the staking and looking after of the plants presently 
as well as for the cutting of the flowers. Choose a 
dry warm day towards the end of the month for 
planting, and give the plants a good watering in to 
settle the soil about them. 
©Iqaninga ftrorn fhq JPnrlti 
nf Science. 
Effect of Manures on Potatos.— The Technical 
Education Committee of the Wilts County Council 
continued their cultural experiments last year, and 
their use of various manures in the hand cultivation 
of Potatos at their allotment station, Christchurch, 
Warminster, Wilts, is full of practical interest to 
gardeners in general and allotment holders in 
particular. The land was laid out in plots, each of 
the area of a perch, as a ready means evidently of 
calculating the results. Four of these perches were 
treated with complete chemical manure, and gave a 
return of 1,070 lbs. of Potatos, equivalent to 19 tons 
2 cwts. per acre. Another four were treated with 
farmyard manure, and gave 1,015 lbs., or 18 tons 
cwts. per acre. Four of the plots received no 
manure at all yet they gave a return of 677 lbs., or 
12 tons ij cwt. per acre. The complete chemical 
manure therefore gave the best results, and was a 
mixture recommended by Dr. J. M. H. Munro. It 
consisted of a mixture of 5 2 per cent, of nitrogen, 
4 to 4 25 per cent, of soluble phosphoric acid, and 
4 to 4 5 per cent, of potash. The cost of this, 
including the mixing, did not exceed £3 5s. per acre, 
the amount applied being 12 cwts. Now it will be 
seen that this so-called complete chemical manure 
does not include the half of the elements of plant 
food, but only three of the most important and which 
are those most likely to be deficient in any given soil 
and for any particular crop. We are somewhat 
surprised that it should not have included lime, but 
upon reflection we remember that the most of 
Wiltshire is on a chalk formation, so that lime would 
be more than sufficiently abundant in most soils 
there. 
Varying quantities of complete Chemical 
Manure. —Two perches were dressed with complete 
chemical manure at the rate of 6 lbs. each, equivalent 
to 8 cwts. per acre, and this gave a return of 452 lbs., 
or 16 tons 2f cwts. per acre. Other two were 
dressed with 9 lbs. each, that is at the rate of 
12 cwts. per acre, and gave 460 lbs. of Potatos, 
equivalent to 16 tons 8£ cwts. per acre. In the third 
experiment, two perches were each dressed with 
12 lbs. of the manure, or 16 cwts. to the acre, and 
the return was 489 lbs. of Potatos, or 17 tons 9 cwts. 
to the acre. It will be seen that the heavier the 
dressings of manure, the heavier were the crops of 
Potatos. On the other hand, three contiguous plots 
were left unmanured, and the return was 10 tons 
17J cwts. per acre. 
Results from incomplete Manures— Six 
perches were set apart for experiments with the 
manure above-mentioned, from which one or other 
of the constituents were omitted. Two perches were 
treated with 3 lbs. each of kainit and superphosphate, 
omitting the nitrate. The returns were 321 lbs. of 
Potatos, equivalent to 11 tons 9 cwts. per acre. 
Two perches were treated with a similar quantity uf 
nitrate and superphosphate, giving a return of 392 lbs. 
of Potatos, equal to 14 tons per acre. The remaining 
two perches were dressed with the same weight of 
nitrate and kainit, and the return was 449 lbs. of 
Potatos, equalling 16 tons per acre. As a check 
upon the above, three perches were not dressed with 
anything, and they gave a return of 427 lbs , or 
10 tons 3J cwts. per acre. 
The value of nitrogen for Potatos. —If there 
had been any doubt of this the omission of nitrogen 
from the experiment above given would entirely 
dispel it. Where nitrogen was omitted the return 
was the smallest, and where phosphate was omitted 
it was largest, thus proving that nitrogen is the most 
important, potash the next in order, and phosphate of 
comparatively little value, except in combination 
with the other two. The omission of nitrogen 
brought the return of Potatos almost as low as in the 
unmanured plots. Even in the latter the crop of 
Potatos was remarkably good, and could only be 
accounted for by the careful tillage and spade culture 
to which the land had for some years been subjected, 
The average crop of Potatos for the county of Wilts 
is only 6 tons per acre. These experiments of the 
Wilts County Council are therefore object lessons of 
the utmost utility, and cannot fail to exercise a 
beneficial influence upon all cultivators of the soil in 
the neighbourhood of the trial grounds and even far 
beyond them. 
