April 14, 1900. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
519 
TOMATOS GROWN IN SMALL BOXES. 
The following plan is excellent and superior to pots 
for producing heavy cropsAssuming that plants 
in 5 in. pots are to hand, get some boxes (the size I 
use is 18 in. by 14 in., and 6 in. deep inside measure)' 
make a few holes in the bottom, and a layer of coarse 
coal ashes for drainage, also for the benefit of the 
roots, which cling to these, showing they find some¬ 
thing to their liking in them. Over this a layer of 
well-rotted manure is placed, which gives the plants 
food when they require it. Fill with soil to within 
2 in. of the top, which allows a top-dressing of soil 
later on when required. The soil used is two parts 
loam, one part sandy soil from the potting bench. 
To each bushel add a gallon of wood ashes and a 
little soot. Place two plants in each box, one at 
each end ; make the soil fairly firm, and add more 
soil as they fill the boxes with roots. Keep the 
plants near to the glass. Train them to single 
stems, pinching out side growths, and also the 
top of the plants when a good crop is secured. I 
also fertilise the flowers as they open with a small 
camel hair pencil, which always insures a good 
setting of fruit. Give manure water occasionally, 
and a sprinkling of soot and some well-known ferti¬ 
liser, and fruit of fine flavour and quality will be the 
result.— F. Mears, Surrey Villa, 43 , Dorf/tester Grove, 
Chiswick. 
-—, 
UP-TO-DATE WORK. 
All berried Solanums should be cut hard back if not 
already done. Azalea mollis and Ghent varieties 
that are past their best must not be neglected, or 
else poor results will follow next spring. Remove all 
fading flowers and seed pods so that the new growth 
can start away clean, using every care that the latter 
are not cut away with the former, as the growths 
appear quite close to the decaying flower truss. 
Shorten the strongest shoots of Libonias, and thin 
out weakly ones. This also applies to Coronilla 
glauca. Place all those plants above mentioned into 
a Peach house or late Vinery at work, keeping the 
same well to the light, plying the syringe well 
amongst them, and guarding against over-watering 
those that have been pruned. Reduce the ball of 
earth slightly, before new growth has much 
advanced, if repotting is necessary, but the Azaleas 
will thrive several years without the disturbance of 
the roots if an annual top-dressing is given them. 
Remove the plants to cool quarters as soon as 
growth is finished, previous toplacing them outdoors 
to harden the same. 
Deutzia gracilis requires the same treatment unless 
the grower makes it a practice to cut fairly hard back 
after flowering, but by doing this, such large speci¬ 
mens are not to be had, as if only a few of the 
strongest shoots are shortened a bit, and the weakly 
shoots removed from the centre. This is our treat¬ 
ment, and we have plants full of flower at the present 
time (April 6th). We only cut hard back once in 
five or six years, when the plants show signs of get¬ 
ting leggy or rough. These are kept in pots through¬ 
out the year, with an annual top-dressing and manure 
water from January to September. 
Staphylea colchica, after passing out of flower, re¬ 
quires the same attention as the hardy Azaleas. 
Spiraeas of sorts should be gradually hardened before 
exposing them outdoors, as the nights are very cold 
yet even in Devon. Hail and rain has been the order 
several days this week; the former generally fore¬ 
tells frosty nights. 
For a moment let us leave the plant department, 
and turn to the fruit where heaps of work stare one 
in the face. The succession crop of Strawberries 
requires thinning down to ten or a dozen fruits, on 
plants in pots 5^ in. in diameter, supporting the same 
with neat props, fork-shaped, so that the stalk does 
not get crippled, which would be detrimental to the 
swelling up of the fruit. Grapes that are to be ripe 
early in June require almost daily attention in the 
way of thinning, tying down or stopping, not neglect¬ 
ing water at the roots. Peaches must be well 
attended to in the matter of watering now they are 
stoning, tying in the growths and giving the fruit all 
the sun possible, and guarding against too high a 
temperature for the next month or so. Ply the 
syringe well amongst them twice a day, if not too 
dull and wet. 
The earliest Melons should be swelling freely now, 
and if not supported no time should be lost ere it is 
done. We find pieces of flat board, oak or deal, 4 in. 
to 5 io. square, J in. thick, with a hole scooped out 
in the centre that any moisture may escape, excellent 
as supports. They should have a small hole in each 
corner to take a strong string that is tied to the 
trellis. Plant out about once a month for succession 
up to the end of July. Cucumbers we relegate to 
hot beds from now up to the end of August, so that 
Melons can be grown in the house. Pinch all shoots 
one leaf beyond every Cucumber that shows, and 
reduce the fruits to one, where mote show, if size Is 
booked for; keep the frames closely matted at night. 
— J. Mayne, Bicton. 
Kltcfyen Garden Calendar. 
With more genial weather plants of all kinds will 
grow apace, more especially weeds. Whenever the 
weather is favourable the hoe should be run through 
the soil amongst all growing crops to keep down the 
young seedlings, as more can be done in an hour 
when the weeds are small than in a day if such are 
allowed to grow up and choke the plants. It is also 
a good plan to thin all crops early or so soon as they 
are out of danger of the ravages of birds and other 
foes. We have before drawn attention to this im¬ 
portant item in the cultivation of first-class vege¬ 
tables and here repeat the remark, as we are well 
aware that some are apt to let plants get choked in 
their early stages. 
Parsley.— Seed that was sown last autumn will 
by this have produced plants sufficiently large for 
transplanting. This herb always does best if 
allowed plenty of room to develop its foliage; 
the leaf-stalks are stouter and the foliage more 
useful for garnishing when grown in this manner. 
If planted a foot apart each way, the plants have a 
chance of growing much better than when cramped 
for room. Seed sown in the autumn will remain 
longer without going to seed than that sown in 
spring. 
Mint.— This herb is also much in request during 
spring and early summer months ; for this reason 
there should always be a good supply. The ground 
on which it is grown cannot be too fertile, there¬ 
fore a liberal manuring should be afforded. As soon 
as the young growths are a couple or three inches 
long they should be pulled up, when it will be found 
there are small roots attached to them. If these are 
planted five or six inches apart they will soon get 
established, and make fiDe beds before the end of the 
season. 
Peas. —Another sowing of these should be made 
for succession, choosing some of the best mid-season 
varieties for this sowing. Most people have their 
own ideas which suits them best, but we prefer the 
choicest marrow kinds that are of a deep green 
colour such as Stratagem, Veitch’s Main Crop, In¬ 
vincible, Telephone and the like. It will be necessary 
to sow the seed a little deeper when the ground 
becomes dry to ensure a more uniform moisture 
which will cause the seed to germinate more freely. 
French Beans. —In sheltered situations, where 
the soil is warm, and where protection can be 
afforded the plants as soon as they appear through 
the soil, a few rows of French Beans may be put in 
towards the end of the month. A good place is at 
the foot of a south wall, for there'is less risk of them 
suffering should a sudden frost make its appearance. 
For these early sowings, such varieties as Osborn's 
Prolific, Negro, Syon House, and others of that 
class are preferable, as they turn in more quickly 
than those of the Canadian Wonder type. A few 
pots could also be sown where room in a frame can 
be provided as they would make strong plants for 
planting out early in June, and would fruit before 
those sown in the open ground. 
Broad Beans.— To keep up a supply of these it 
will be necessary to make small sowings about once 
every two or three weeks. It is difficult sometimes 
to get good crops from sowings made in June and 
July, as the aphis is so troublesome. In dry seasons 
the plants are attacked as soon as they are through 
the soil. Tne long pod varieties seem more robust 
than the Windsor’s, so that where the ground is 
light these should be sown in preference to the 
others. Avoid sowing too thickly as this has a 
tendency to cause the plants to become weak. 
Broccoli.— These should be looked over daily, and 
if any heads are likely to be exposed to the weather, 
these should have a leaf or two bent over them. 
Pull up the stalks as soon as the heads are cut or 
they will rob the soil of much of its moisture. Any 
plants raised under glass with a view of being planted 
out, ought, if not already put in their permanent 
quarters to be transplanted without delay ; for when 
allowed to stand close together for any length of 
time they are sure to suffer. 
Pot out all tender plants such as Capsicums, Egg 
Plants, Vegetable Marrows, &c., before they get pot- 
bound that they may make A free healthy growth. 
There is a great advantage in having fine stocky 
plants for putting early in June, as such have a more 
favourable opportunity of ripening their fruit than 
small stunted ones that are not well rooted. Keep 
an eye to these while under glass as they are very 
liable to the attack of Aphis.— F.W.J. 
©leanings fit tun ffje Dud 6 
of Science 
The Scientific Committee of the Royal Horticultural 
Society had the undermentioned subjects before 
them on the 27th ult. 
Fringed Cyclamen.—Dr. Masters exhibited 
from the collection of Cyclamens brought by the 
St. George’s Nursery Co., Hanwell, to the Drill 
Hall, a leaf of their fringed Cyclamen, in which not 
only the flowers were fringed but the leaves were 
deeply lobed, and the lobes themselves were 
lobulate and bilobulate, the ultimate lobules being 
irregular in size, and, in some instances, shortly 
stalked, thus presenting an appearance similar to 
that of curled Parsley or of some of the varieties of 
Scolopendriums. It was stated by the raisers that 
the sub-division of the leaves was observed origin¬ 
ally on plants bearing flowers of the ordinary 
character, and subsequently on those which had 
fringed flowers. Continuous selection through some 
seven or eight years had, at length, resulted in the 
production of plants in which the foliage and the 
corolla were equally deeply fringed. 
Rose Leaves.—Some Rose leaves were sent for 
an opinion. They had been grown under glass, and 
presented no appearance of insect or fungus; but 
were thin in substance and partially destitute of 
chlorophyll, showing that the nutrition of the 
plants was impaired, but from what cause could not 
be ascertained. 
Vine Leaves, Diseased.—With reference to the 
samples sent to the last meeting from Gunnersbury, 
it was stated that in the opinion of Mr. Massee the 
appearances were consistent with the attacks of red 
spider or punctures of aphides ; but reference to 
Viala’s Maladies de la Vigne and Mr. Massee’s 
Text-Book of Plant Diseases showed that the spots 
were probably an early condition of Grape rot 
(Glaeosporium). The leaf-buds were observed by 
Mr. Massee to be infested with mites. 
Viburnum with Hypertrophied Branches.— 
A specimen was sent by Mr. Richard DeaD, who 
stated that the whole tree was covered, at intervals 
of a few inches, with globose, nodulated, somewhat 
fleshy excrescences, the size of a large Cherry and 
upwards. It was referred to Dr. William G. Smith 
for examination. 
The Story of our Downs.—” On the cretace¬ 
ous escarpment, the white quarries in the chalk are 
everywhere in evidence. Here and there, pagan 
tribes and Christian imitators have scraped out 
great white horses on the slopes, which are visible, 
as geological signals, fifteen or twenty miles away. 
Sheep are pastured on the plateau, which is set 
with the little huts of their guardians, quaint affairs 
on wheels, resembling bathing machines escaped. At 
times a wood of Beech and Ash has been spared, 
and the road goes straightway through it, much as it 
did in prehistoric times. In the barer landscapes, 
where the forests were devastated, in all probability, 
by Britons and Romans for their camp-fires, we may 
see the tumuli, the graves of ancient days, forming 
grass-covered hillocks, ten, twelve, or twenty of 
them at a time, set upon the wind-swept sky-line. 
Even where the plough has made a brown patch in 
this open country, a gentle swelling in the field, 
even when the sun is low, often reveals one of these 
’ barrows,’ which are doomed to disappear amid the 
farmland.” So writes Prof. Cole, in Knowledge for 
April, as he conducts the reader across the Downs. 
