376 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
May 2,1903. 
WORK OF THE WEEK. 
The Kitchen Garden. 
At the time of writing these notes there is no improvement 
in the weather, severe frosts and cold, cutting winds prevailing. 
Reports reach me from nearly all parts of the country of its 
severity and the damage caused by it. What promised a few 
weeks ago to be an unusually early season has now proved to 
be quite the reverse. However,-all we can do is to ldok facts 
in the face and do our utmost, as far as possible, to make good 
our losses, and I trust the current month will prove a kinder 
one with the absence of May frost. 
Immediately the change takes place the kitchen gardener 
will be put to his wits’ end to know how to cope with the work 
and what to do first. Every endeavour should be put forth 
to make good failure by filling up the vacancies with store 
plants. Young seedling turnips growing on open borders are 
completely killed; fortunately, we have a good supply in cold 
frames, which will tide us over the difficulty, and all in such 
positions should be 'well thinned and aired freely, removing 
the lights entirely during favourable weather. Make a good 
sowing of some reliable variety, such as Snowball or Jersey 
Lily, on finely-prepared ground in the open, and apply a good 
dressing of soot and wood ashes before raking down. 
Beetroot. —Globe-shaped kinds in frames should be thinned 
to about 9 in. asunder, and air freely. The principal sowing 
should now be made on land which has been deeply worked 
but not manured. Both Dell’s and Middleton Park are excel¬ 
lent kinds, being of good quality, and when good strains are 
obtained create quite a pleasing effect in the vegetable quar¬ 
ters. Large growing kinds, such as Pragnell’s, are best left 
over for another ten days. Though a very fine variety— 
indeed, one of the best when of medium size—if grown too 
large it is worthless, and the same applies to all Beetroot. On 
stiff, hard soils it is almost impossible to grow Beet to perfec¬ 
tion, and when extra good specimens are required it will be 
necessary to bore holes, as advised for Carrots, and fill in with 
finely-sifted soil of a gritty nature. 
Leeks. —The earliest and principal batch of plants ought 
now to be well hardened and ready for planting in well-pre¬ 
pared trenches. Plant carefully, disturbing the roots as little 
as possible, and commence the blanching at once, drawing them 
up gradually till the length of blanched stem is accomplished ; 
this ought always to be done when quite young. The plants 
will derive much benefit if protected from cold, cutting winds, 
and the tops damped over with tepid water in early afternoon. 
Prick out later sowings 4 in. apart on a warm border for later 
supplies. 
Salsify may now be sown in drills, 18 in. apart, drawn to the 
depth of llj- in. on deeply-trenched land which has not been 
recently manured. The surface should be raked down to a 
fine tilth. It is always well to make two sowings of this—one 
at the beginning of May, and the other ten days later. 
Scorzonera, though not so- universally grown, is neverthe¬ 
less much appreciated by many, requiring the same treatment 
as Salsify. 
Cardoons —The trenches should have been well prepared 
for sowing the seed the first week in May. If sown much before 
this date many will prematurely run to seed. Plenty of room 
should be allowed these, and when more than one row is grown 
a distance of 5 ft. will be none too much. The seed should be 
sown in patches 20 in. apart, and thinned to one at a station 
when in the seed leaf. 
Vegetable Marrows.—The value of early marrows can hardly 
be over-estimated, and if these were planted and grown on 
mild hot-beds, as previously advised, they will now be setting 
their fruits freely, and, with a reasonable amount of care, little 
difficulty will be found in keeping up a constant supply. Sur¬ 
face dress the plants as they require it. Admit plenty of air 
when the weather is balmy, but syringe and shut up early in 
the afternoon, and when the plants are bearing heavily apph 
drainings from the farmyard well diluted. Pot on late: 
sowings to grow on near the glass in a temperature of abou 
50 deg. Make one more sowing. E. Beckett. 
Aldenham House Gardens, Elstree. 
Hardy Fruits. 
Forced Strawberries. —It is not in every garden such plant 
are available, or, if they were, it is not always they succeed 
though I cannot say such has been my experience—in fact 
quite the reverse—and we plant out about 400 each year, K 
Sovereign, President, and Leader all doing well thus treated 
Let the plant be well hardened before setting out in the ground 
which should be deeply dug and heavily manured, and avai 
from the shade of trees. It is absolutely necessary that tk 
hard ball of roots be thoroughly soaked through before plantin: 
out, as here I consider the fault often lies when failures occur 
First dislodge the crocks and loosen the roots a little, and : 
it is found the mass of hard soil is still on the dry side, nn 
merse them in a large tub of water for an hour before planting 
and should red spider be prevalent, dip the foliage in a thii 
wash of sulphur and water. Set out the plants 2 ft, apart ea-cl 
way, treading each one well with the feet, leaving a cavity o 
basin so that water can be applied, if necessary, before the 1 
get established, covering the ball 2 in. or 3 in. or so with soil 
It is a good plan to apply a strawy mulch from the stable oj 
cow-yard, though some gardeners procure their runners fron 
these plants, when such mulch would be in the way. I prefe 
to keep all these removed as early as they can be laid hold of 
thus throwing all the energy of the plant into building up stou 
crowns for next year’s crop. 
Keep seedling alpine varieties well ventilated, removing th 
glass lights when the days are mild, so that the plants may b 
well hardened by the end of the month for planting out i; 
beds, which should be manured and dug deep, a rather stii 
soil suiting them best. 
The Gooseberry saw-fly makes its appearance early tlii 
month, and the earlier they are battled with the less labour i 
entails. Examine the bushes every few days, and resort t 
hand-picking if the pest puts in an appearance, first spreadin 
an old sheet or a newspaper or two under the bushes, whe 
give the latter a shake, squeezing all between the finger an 
thumb that come- to hand, and looking well up under th 
foliage, where their hiding-place is. 1 Dusting with Helleboij 
powder will destroy them, but as this is a poison the frui 
must be thoroughly washed before using. 
Mulching.—Trees or bushes planted in autumn and mulche 
in case of hard frost should have such material scraped awa; 
and the ground, to a depth of 2 in. or 3 in., be pricked up wit 
the fork, so that the sun and air may aerate the soil, returnin 
a fresh, strawy mulch in a month or six -weeks’ time should dr; 
hot weather set in. 
Hoeing.- Take every advantage of dry weather by plying tl 
flat hoe between fruit tree or bush quarters, with a view t ; 
destroying seedling weeds, more especially among Strawben 
plantations, before laying down straw or other suitable mat- 
rial to keep the fruit clean when ripe. 
General Remarks.—Keep a sharp look-out for aphis oj 
Peach trees, and it is to be hoped warmer weather will have si 
in ere these lines get into print, so that the trees may l 
syringed with “ Abol,” or quassia extract, washing this o 
next morning with clean water. Continue the disbudding (1 
removal of surplus shoots, and these latter remarks apply tj 
the Apricot as well, rubbing off ill-placed shoots and thos 
coming from the front of the branches, reserving the best place, 
ones to be trained in as bearing wrnod, stopping at the thin 
or fourth leaf where no space is required to be filled in. Stubb. 
or natural spurs seldom require any pinching, these being easil 
detected, as they bristle with a number of small leaves simila 
to a rosette. James Mayxe. 
Bicton, Devonshire. 
