490 
Till! GARDENING WORLD. 
March 30, 1895. 
THE CULTURE OF VEGE¬ 
TABLES. 
('Continued from p. 469.) 
The Onion. 
This, like the Potato, is a most important and highly- 
prized vegetable, and well worthy the attention 
accorded it. The splendid examples so often seen 
at exhibitions seem to have given some people an 
idea that it is a great waste cf time and money to 
grow such large specimens, as they do not keep, are 
strong in flavour, and in fact good for nothing, ex¬ 
cept for the show board. No greater mistake than 
this could possibly be made, because these large 
Onions make a splendid dish when boiled and served 
whole, besides being much milder in flavour than 
the ordinary ones. For flavouring purposes the 
ordinary ones are, however, supeiior to them, being 
much stronger. 
The soil for Onions should be rather stiff and 
heavy, and can hardly be made too rich. It is a’l 
the better if it is trenched in the early winter 2 ft. 
deep, adding plenty of well-rotted farmyard manure 
between the spits, and leaving the surface as 
rough as possible for the weather to break up 
and pulverize. In the winter and spring, soot and 
salt should be sown over the soil freely, and if the 
weather is favourable in March, a heavy coating of 
wood ashes should be forked in, and the seed sown 
thinly in rows 15 in. apart. The best method of 
ob'aining the large specimens is by sowing in boxes 
or frames under glass at the end of January or the 
beginning of February, the seedlings, when fit to 
handle, being pricked off into frames, a space of 3 in. 
between the plants being allowed, and kept growing 
on until the second week in April, when they must be 
hardened off and planted out in rows 18 in. apart 
and 9 in. between the plants. By this means double 
the weight of the ordinary crop can be obtained, and 
this is a great consideration in a small garden. 
Winter Onions are often a valuable crop, materially 
assisting as they do to extend the season. These 
should be sown in the ordinary way in August, and 
transplanted in February. The main crop should 
be thinned to 6 in. between the plants, and the soil 
between the rows frequently stirred and kept free 
from weeds. As regards varieties they are numerous, 
but Cranston’s Excelsior is possibly the best all round 
Onion grown. This variety I prefer to the popular 
Ailsa Craig, for although there is little difference in 
appearance between the two, the former is a much 
freer seeder, consequently much better value can be 
had for the money, as good seed of Ailsa Craig is a 
scarce commodity and an expensive one. In many 
gardens the Onion maggot is very destructive, and 
hard to get rid of once it gets a footing. A good 
preventative, however, is soot, which should be sown 
over the soil once a week all the season. Petroleum, 
diluted in soap and water is also useful if sprinkled 
frequently over the crop by means of the syringe. 
Peas. 
To have green Peas as early in the season as possible 
is the desire of all gardeners, and various are the 
methods employed for the carrying out of this pur¬ 
pose. The first of these is to sow in November, the 
second to sow as early in January or February as 
the weather will permit, and the third to sow in pots 
under glass, transplanting out as soon as it is safe to 
do so. Personally, I prefer the latter method as 
giving the surest crop. In any case, a warm border, 
sheltered from the cold winds and facing south, is 
preferable. A soil rich in potash, lime, and plenty 
of soot being also added, is best for Peas 
Successional sowings every fortnight are also 
necessary in order to keep up a constant supply, 
and if the soil is very light, trenches prepared as if 
for Celery will answer well, filling these up with de¬ 
cayed vegetable humus which has been decomposed 
with lime for preference. 
The seed should be sown very thinly, and staking 
will be necessary as scon as the plants are well 
through the ground. A sowing of soot or lime 
along the lines will also help to ward off most of the 
attacks of the many enemies of the Pea. If pods of 
extreme size are required topping should be resorted 
to tejond the second truss of bloom, and plenty of 
water and liquid manure should be poured into the 
trenches. Mulching is a matter of considerable 
importance to the Pea crop, and should always be 
practised, in dry seasons particularly, whilst in wet 
ones this practice has the advantage of allowing the 
crop to be gathered without working the soil into a 
mud in v et weather. 
The Pea requires a considerable amount of water, 
and should never be allowed to become dry at the 
roots. This, in my opinion, is the true cause of the 
mildew evil. The varieties of Peas are legion, and 
although generally no great advance has been made 
in the earliness of the crop the marrowfat section 
Ins made a steady advance, and is now on an 
equality with the round-seeded varieties. Therefore, 
there is little r.ced to include anything but the 
marrow fat sorts, as it is well known that the quality 
of the latter is much to be preferred. Care must be 
taken not to sow too early, and for first crops I 
would advise the use of the refuse from the potting 
Lench or wood ashes as a covering for the seeds- 
This will serve to keep them somewhat drier, and 
they will not be so liable to rot where this precaution 
is taken. For the earliest crop Chelsea Gem, 
Sutton’s May Queen, and English Wonder are good 
reliable varieties; for main crops, Stratagem, Duke 
of Albany, and Sutton’s Magnum Bonum are 
excellent; whilst for late purposes Ne Plus Ultra 
and Sharp's Queen cannot be beaten. 
Runner and Dwarf Beans require similar treat¬ 
ment to the Pea, but should not be sown so early, 
the last week in April being quite soon enough, as 
they are so liable to be cut down with late frosts. 
The dwarf varieties form an excellent winter vege¬ 
table when grown under glass, and may be had from 
the time the crops are finished outside until they 
come in again the following season. Nine-inch pots 
is a good size to use, or they may also be success¬ 
fully grown if planted in boxes or frames. Probably 
mar London the fog is the greatest enemy to those 
who grow French Beans under glass for winter use. 
Ne Plus Ultra and Canadian Wonder are two of the 
best varieties, and Sutton's Prizewinner and Tender 
and True are also excellent sorts. 
The Broad Bean is also a useful vegetable and is 
easily grown, as it is very hardy. For an early crop 
a sowing should b3 made somewhat thickly on a 
warm border in November, and the plants lifted 
carefully and transplanted in rows in rich soil the 
following February. By this meins they can be had 
much earlier than when sown in pots or boxes and 
transplanted. A succession may be easily kept up 
by frequent subsequent sowings. Pinching the tops 
should receive attention, as this will serve the double 
purpose of inducing the pods to grow to a larger 
size, as well as to prevent attacks of the blight, which 
is so very difficult to eradicate when once established. 
The 1 ong podded varieties give the best return, 
Aquadulce being an especially good sort. 
Carrots, Beetroot, and Parsnips. 
These all came under the same heading, as their 
culture is much the same. Here again, as with 
other vegetables, deep culture pays. The soil should 
be trenched to the depth of 2J or 3 ft., and, if 
possible, laid up roughly for the winter. No 
raw manure should be used, or forked and scraggy 
roots will be the result, but wood ashes, lime, or soot 
form excellent manures to mix with the soil. The 
usual method of growing these crops is by sowing the 
seed in rows, afterwards thinning the plants to the 
necessary distanca ; but to any one who is pressed for 
space and has a determination to keep the kitchen 
pot boiling, other measures have to be adopted, so 
that the greatest weight and the best quality of roots 
may be taken from the ground. Instead of sowing 
in the ordinary way, holes should be made with an 
iron bar and filled with sifted wood ashes and soil 
well mixed, adding a little soot. The holes for 
Parsnips may be made 2.J or 3 ft deep, and for 
Carrots and Beet about a foot less. A few seeds 
should be dropped on the top of each hole, and when 
large enough, the seedlings should be thinned to one, 
leaving the strongest. 
It will be noticed that in sifting the soil nothing 
is left to obstruct the root from going straight down, 
and it will be found that nearly every one will develop 
into perfect shape and size, every inch of ground 
thus being made to give a heavy return. Parsnips 
should be sown in February, using The Student or 
Dobbie’s Selected ; and Carrots in March for the 
main crop; but, although succession sowings of 
varieties of the Horn type should be made from 
February to July, these will be found to be exceedingly 
useful for pulling from when the roots are young. 
Sutton’s New Red Intermediate and Veitch’s Match¬ 
less are hard to beat, and for forcing and early 
drawing, few are better than Early Gem. Beetroot 
should be sowm about the first week in April, but 
the Turnip-rooted variety may be sown on a warm 
border a little sooner to get an early crop. Prag- 
nall’s Exhibition and Sutton's Blood Red are 
excellent varieties if obtained true to name. 
(To b} continued). 
-- 
•Hardening Miscellany. 
IRIS RETICULATA. 
Some ten years ago, or more, this Iris was most in 
repute for cultivation on the rcckwork, but as time 
goes on it has been more and more plainly demon¬ 
strated that it is well adapted for forcing for con¬ 
servatory and cool house decoration, like older and 
better known bulbs everywhere utilised for this 
purpose. The dark violet-purple segments, with the 
bright golden blotch on the falls, with the violet 
blotches on the lower part of the same, give a charm 
to the whole flower, whose decorative value can 
hardly be over estimated. There are a few varieties 
of it in cultivation, differing chiefly in colour, but in 
our opinion none of them surpass, even if they 
equal, the type in intrinsic beauty. I. r. Krelagei, 
sometimes named I. r. purpurea, has slatey-purple 
flowers, quite distinct from the original, and most 
appreciated by those who grow a collection of 
bulbous Irises fer the sake of variety and contrast; 
but its lack of the delicate and pleasing odour 
possessed by the type is a point against it. The 
dwarf habit of the netted Iris is a distinct recom¬ 
mendation in its favour, and particularly to those 
whose accommodation for tall or large plants is 
limited. 
VIOLET CELERY WITH LARGE STALKS. 
It appears that a new race of Celery with short 
stalks and strong ribs is being developed upon the 
Continent. A short time ago a variety was put into 
commerce under the name of Pascal, which has 
numerous, short, thick, dumpy leaf-stalks forming a 
clump. It has been well tried in cultivation, and 
has proved the best short Celery for the open 
border, and is very green, but blanches easily and 
keeps well. A new variety with violet leaf-stalks 
has just been put into commerce by MM. Vilmorin- 
Andrieux et Cie., Paris, and is figured in the Bulletin 
d'Arboriculture for March. It surpasses Pascal (from 
which it was derived) in the bulk and substance of 
its enormous petiole;. The new variety is expected 
to displace the Celery known as Violet de Tours, so 
generally cultivated, yet found to be surpassed from 
all points of view. The new Violet Celery with 
large stalks develops rapidly without ever growing 
or becoming spongy as it gets old. 
PARISIAN DWARF BEAN. 
Our contemporary the Bulletin d' Arboriculture (speaks 
very highly of this variety of Dwarf or Kidney Bean ; 
and anything that succeeds in passing the Halle or 
Covent Garden of Paris, is sufficient proof that it is 
possessed of appreciable qualities. It had scarcely 
made its appearance in the Paris market when it 
was received with great favour. It is a dwarf variety 
and extremely vigorous, with very long, straight, 
thick pods of an intense green, marked with some 
black stripes, which disappear in cooking. The pods 
get large enough for use about six days in advance of 
the ordinary varieties grown under the same condi¬ 
tions and sown at the same time. It is most con¬ 
venient and suitable to use them while yet quite 
young, and the seeds but little advanced. An illus¬ 
tration in the periodical above quoted, shows a dwarf 
plant bearing an abundance of long, narrow, straight 
and shapely pods. 
TUSSILAGO FARFARA. 
Of all our British wildlings this plant is one of the 
most conspicuous from the earliness of its flowering 
season. Even now, undaunted by the severity 
of the late winter, its bright yellow flowers 
are covering many of our hedge-banks and pieces of 
waste ground as with stars, all the more noticeable 
from the fact that they appear before the leaves, and 
because they are the only common wild flowers that 
have as yet put in an appearance. The Coltsfoot, as 
it is commonly called, is very partial to stiff, clayey 
soils, although it is not at all particular where its lot 
is cast, as it proves a troublesome weed in most, if 
not in all, parts of the country, also ranging through¬ 
out Europe and Central and Russian Asia, well-nigh 
to the Arctic Circle in more or less abundance. But 
weed or not, its presence is welcome, telling as it 
does of brighter days and more genial weather yet to 
come—a veritable harbinger of spring. 
