604 
THE GARDENING WORLD. Ma ? 18 > 1901 ‘ 
SALADS. 
We are not like our neighbours across the Channel 
—a salad-eating nation ; doubtless it would be better 
for us if we were, as far as our health is concerned. 
In England the majority of amateurs who conduct 
their own gardening operations do not often indulge 
in the luxury of salads, from the simple reason that 
they are deficient in the knowledge of how to pro¬ 
duce the ingredients. Salads supply the frame with 
many elements that are essential for the preservation 
of good health. This week I shall enumerate a few 
of the principal plants, and endeavour to give a few 
hints on their cultivation. Lettuce, Onion, Mustard 
and Cress, Cucumber, and Tomato, form the chief 
basis of all good salads. 
Lettuce.— With the amateur as with the profes¬ 
sional salad grower, these form the chief ingredients 
for summer salading. Lettuce will not thrive in 
poor soil, neither should they be planted where they 
will receive any shade, but in a position exposed to 
the full sun for as long as possible. There are two 
divisions, the Cos and the Cabbage. The Cos seems 
a general favourite when in a large state, but the 
Cabbage Lettuce is useful ; even when quite small, 
the thinnings from the seed bed, when washed, are 
very tasty. For early crops they should be sown in 
boxes and pricked off into a warm border, and pro¬ 
tected from severe cold. The best method is to sow 
them in drills, and then thin them out to the proper 
distance, as when transplanted they often have a 
tendency to run to seed, especially the Cos variety. 
As soon as they reach a good size they should have 
their tops tied with a piece of string or bast, but not 
too tightly ; this enduces them to produce a better 
heart than when left to themselves. Where they are 
to be grown, especially the seed bed, the surface of 
the ground should have a copious dressing of soot 
and lime to prevent the depredations of slugs, &c., 
which always have a special liking for the tender 
young leaves of Lettuce plants. For early use there 
are none to beat Early Paris Market in my estima¬ 
tion, either for earliness, flavour, or easy cultivation. 
Before planting out Lettuce, the ground should be 
deeply dug, and if poor, enriched with a dressing of 
well decayed stable manure. 
Endive.—These are nearly related to the Lettuces, 
but have a much more bitter flavour. By blanching 
them this is done away with, and they are nutty and 
tender. They require treatment similar to the 
Lettuce. A sowing should be made in the spring 
for summer use, and then in succession for later 
requirements. The mossy curled variety is the 
favourite with most English growers. Care must be 
taken that they do not suffer from drought in the 
summer or they will be sure to fail. When they 
reach the desired size afloiver pot should be inverted 
over them, covering the hole in the bottom with a 
piece of slate, or a box may be utilised so that 
several are covered at once. Whatever is used it 
must be something that will thoroughly exclude the 
light. It is essential that they should be perfectly 
dry when covered, or they will soon rot. The best 
time to do it is in the afternoon of a hot day. 
Dandelions — This is such a plentiful subject that 
its utility is generally overlooked. It delights in a 
moist situation and a rich, deeply dug soil, as it is a 
plant that sends down a tremendously long tap root 
when in a good position. Like the Endive it has a 
very bitter taste when green, but loses it consider¬ 
ably when blanched. Many people enjoy the flavour 
of it when green, and seeing how largely the plant is 
used medicinally, it must be a useful article of diet. 
It is sometimes blanched by tying up like a Lettuce, 
or under a flower pot, but the simplest way is to 
select a dry day and then place a slate on them. 
Tropaeolums. — The Nasturtium of our flower 
gardens is generally looked upon as a decorative 
plant only, but it can be grown for utility as well as 
beauty. The young leaves give a very refreshing 
flavour to a salad, the young seed pods also if not 
allowed to grow too large, when they become too 
sharp to be pleasant. The young leaves are often 
eaten by people who recognise this plant as edible 
between bread and butter. It likes a sunny position, 
and unless one of the dwarf Tom Thumb varieties, a 
suitable place should be provided for it to climb up. 
It may be grown with good effect as a screen on 
sticks, in the same manner as Peas. It requires 
plenty of moisture, and like all other ingredients of 
salads, a rich light soil; for if they do not grow 
freely, the foliage is tough and unfit for eating. 
Tomatos.—These are very popular subjects for 
salad making, but they are too often bought in the 
market when they could be easily grown in large 
quantities at home. They require a sunny position, 
and do well nailed up to a wall or fence which helps 
them to ripen their fruit by reflecting back much of 
the sun’s heat during the day, and keeping them 
warm at night. They prefer a light well drained 
soil ; if deficient in lime it should be supplied with 
a good dressing of old mortar rubbish. It is often 
said that a gardener’s work is a work of sacrifices, 
and nowhere does that apply more than in Tomato 
culture. If a good crop is desired, the plaDt requires 
constant mutilating; only the one main stem must 
be allowed to go away ; all the side shoots must be 
constantly pinched out as soon as they appear. As 
soon as the plant has produced four or five bunches 
of fruit the main stem also must be cut back to 
within two leaves of the top bunch. This induces 
the plants to throw their vigour into the formation 
of fruit. Sometimes after the stem growth has been 
checked the leaves have a tendency to grow to a 
large size and thus cover the fruit, and prevent the 
direct rays of the sun from reaching them ; this should 
be prevented by shortening in the leaves or by tying 
them back. Some amateurs go to the extreme and 
almost denude the plants of foliage, thus spoiling the 
flavour of the fruit, for it is in the green leaves that 
the sap has first to be elaborated before going into 
the fruit. It is safe now or will be a week later, to 
plant out the young plants, keeping a sharp eye 
through for a snatch of frost, which would immedi¬ 
ately kill them if not protected. Always keep them 
well supplied with water when swelling their fruit, 
or it will ripen prematurely. The red varieties have 
the best flavour, but the golden ones look very nice 
mixed with them in the salad bowl. 
Cucumbers. — One of the best and easiest to culti¬ 
vate is the outdoor variety known as the ridge. The 
flavour is much better than those which are grown 
indoors. All it needs is a warm sunny position and 
a soil containing a good quantity of old stable 
manure for the roots to ramify in. They should be 
stopped at about every fourth joint by having the 
ends pinched off. Of course when grown in frames 
they can be obtained over a longer period but they 
require a little more attention to grow them satis¬ 
factorily. 
Mustard and Cress.—These are perhaps more 
extensively grown by amateurs than any other of the 
salad plants,especially by the lady amateur. Perhaps 
it is because she sees the result of her work quicker 
in these seeds than in most other slower growing 
kinds A difficulty is oftea experienced in the hot 
weather in getting it to grow to a reasonable height 
and thus free itself from grit, &c. To prevent this 
trouble the soil should be light, rich, well pulverised 
and kept well moist. The Cress seeds should not be 
buried, but only pressed down with a slate or board ; 
those of the Mustard should be ODly just covered 
by a little very fine soil. They should always be kept 
heavily shaded, and until they have germinated com¬ 
plete darkness will be found to be beneficial. 
Onions.—Most people love Onions but do not care 
to say so. Certainly the smell of them is offensive 
after eating, but a few youDg ones should be 
included in every salad as they greatly improve the 
flavour. For salad purposes they may be sown ia 
succession on a small piece of well worked ground and 
pulled as required. In conclusion I would advise all 
who grow their own salad ingredients not to gather 
them before they are required, as the fresher they 
are the better they taste. — Hortus. 
Correspondence. 
Questions asked by amateurs on any subject pertaining 
to gardens or gardening will be answered on this page. 
Anyone may give additional or more explanatory answers 
to questions that have already appeared. Those who desire 
their communications to appear on this page should write 
“ Amateurs' Page " on the top of their letters. 
Dwarf Japanese Trees. — F. P.: In a good position 
in a light window, which you say you possess, they do 
well. They do not require any special treatment, only 
careful watering. They are usually very expensive, 
but a good specimen for a window may be obtained 
through a good nurseryman for about £i. We 
should not advise you to shift it yourself into the 
Japanese bowl in which you wish it to grow, but 
entrust this operation to some experienced pro¬ 
fessional gardener. 
Heavy Soil.— S. : You are wrong when you 
suppose that a heavy soil is not much good. We 
should prefer a heavy soil to a light one on taking 
possession of a garden, for this reason : light soils 
are very often poor, and are known as hungry soils, 
because the water passing through them quickly 
washes down any manurial agents that are applied 
to such a depth that they are useless for most plants. 
To improve your soil, give it a thorough dressing of 
long dung for the first season. In the following 
winter give it a good quantity of lime or broken 
mortar, which must be worked well into the soil. 
Road sweepings also may be dug in with advantage. 
With a course of this treatment you will find that 
your soil in a year or two will be something to be 
proud of. It will not be hungry and will not get too 
dry in summer or too sodden in winter. 
Disfigured Branch Tips.— House : The trouble is 
doubtlessly caused by a very small mite, especially 
as you say you have frequently examined the affected 
parts and can see nothing to cause it. Many large 
establishments are troubled with this and perhaps 
your plant has been near some that are affected. 
Isolate it immediately, as it soon spreads on toother 
plants, and give it a good syringing with extract of 
Quassia, or if not too large it may be dipped bodily 
into the liquid. Whichever method is adopted, see 
that the affected parts are thoroughly wetted. 
Azalea mollis .—Planter : They are perfectly 
hardy in the southern counties. They should be 
planted out as soon as they have finished flowering 
and kept well supplied with water during their first 
season until they are well established. They like a 
light position ; one in a dwarf shrubbery exposed to 
the sun will suit them. 
Apricots Dying Back .—Anxious : The reason for 
this has puzzled many scientific men. We believe 
it can be prevented by giving the trees generous 
treatment and seeing that the wood is well ripened. 
Woodlice.— Pest: The best way to capture them 
is by halving Potatos, scooping out the inside and 
placing them amongst the pots. They will congre¬ 
gate in large numbers in such a trap and may be 
brushed off into boiling water. If they are outside, 
a few pots with a wisp of hay in them will answer 
the same purpose if placed at the base of the plants 
which they attack. 
Recently flowered bulbs.— J. P .: The pots 
should be placed in a sunny position and be kept 
well watered and supplied with a little liquid 
manure occasionally. When they show signs of 
resting, water should be gradually withheld, and 
then early in the autumn they may be transferred to 
the border or wherever it is desired they should be 
naturalised. 
Holy Thistle.— F. H. : The proper name of this 
plant is Silybum Marianum. It is one of the many 
plants to whose history a legend is attached. The 
story says that a drop of the Virgin Mary's milk fell 
on the leaves of a plant and since then it has always 
borne the characteristic milky marking on the foliage. 
It was at one time cultivated for culinary purposes, 
the heads being treated like those of Artichokes. 
It is found growing wild in waste places, but it is 
not indigenous to Great Britain. 
Rose Galls .—Country : The peculiar mossy growth 
often seen on wild Roses in the summer is caused by 
a small insect, Rhodites Rosae. When cut open 
they will be found to contain numerous cells, in each 
of which is a larva or a pupa which eventually 
emerges as a four-winged fly. 
Date Palm.— J. S : The name of this useful Palm 
is Phoenix daclylifera. In its native country nearly 
every part of it is utilised by the natives. It seldom 
grows over 30 ft. under cultivation in this country, 
but in India it attains the height of 120 ft. 
Wood Ashes as Manure.—IF. IF.: Many soils 
are greatly enriched by applications of wood ashes, 
