888 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
October 24, 1903. 
Readers’ Competition—continued. 
sional watering of clear soot water and liquid manure, with a 
top-dressing of Clay’s fertiliser, about once a fortnight. 
All late plants should be in their flowering pots by August 
and the flower spikes neatly staked. About the end of Septem¬ 
ber the plants ought to be housed in their winter quarters and 
allowed to develop their blooms. During their growing season 
the grower must keep a sharp look-out for pests such as green 
fly or spider, which will quickly ruin the young plants. These 
pests are easily exterminated by “ XL All ” fumigator or insec¬ 
ticide. At times it may be necessary to pinch out the lead if 
the plants show no signs of making side growths ; this work 
must be done early in their growing season. Abundance of air 
should at all times be admitted. In order to get the flowers 
of good quality disbudding will have to be practised. During 
the winter months pay careful attention to watering, and see 
that none are watered unless well on the dry side, using rain 
water if possible. S. F. Donoghue. 
Bardon Hill Gardens, Headingley, Leeds. 
October 8th, 1903. 
Minor Vegetable Crops. 
Whore a supply of vegetables is wanted for the whole year 
round the resources of the gardener are fairly well taxed. Where 
the kitchen garden is ample there need be no trouble about 
quantity, but a little more variety would in most cases prove 
acceptable to all concerned. Where the family is somewhat out 
of proportion to the kitchen garden (which is not infrequently 
the case) any hints as to how both quantity and variety may be 
increased within a limited space, should be hailed with satis¬ 
faction, and it is with this conviction that I venture to recom¬ 
mend the cultivation of two or three vegetables that seem to be 
little known, but that are well worth a place in any establish¬ 
ment, especially in those with limited space, as the subjects I am 
to name all produce heavy crops comparatively on a given area. 
The first subject I mention is Spinach Beet. This Beet is 
grown entirely for its leaves, which are green in colour, and in 
taste they closely resemble ordinary Spinach. Its two chief 
recommendations are that its producing power is great, and it 
can be had right through the summer when ordinary Spinach 
is generally worthless. Of course, there is the New Zealand 
Spinach, but it is less productive and more troublesome in culti¬ 
vation. Spinach Beet should be sown about the middle of 
April and cultivated like ordinary Beet, except that the pro¬ 
duce will be improved by growing in a richer soil than is 
advisable for ordinary Beet. 
The next subject i mention is Seakale Beet, or Silver Beet, 
as it is sometimes called. This is a most valuable vegetable- 
Its leaves are fully as good a substitute for Spinach as those 
of the variety grown specially for that purpose ; but its chief 
value lies in the pure white succulent leaf stalks, which, as the 
name of the plant indicates, are used as a substitute for Seakale. 
It is quite as tender as real Seakale, and is free from that 
peculiar and rather unpleasant taint that is inevitable where 
fermenting materials are used for forcing Seakale and Rhubarb. 
By treating in exactly the same way as Spinach Beet, this vege¬ 
table can be had from July onwards till severe frost injures its 
succulent leaves. If left in the ground all winter it re¬ 
commences growth in April, and will continue to furnish a con¬ 
siderable quota for the vegetable basket till summer crops come 
in again. 
Space forbids me mentioning more than one other subject, and 
that is Asparagus Kale or Buda Kale. Seed of this useful vege¬ 
table should be sown at the same time as the late Broccolis, and 
receive the same treatment as that crop, except that they may 
be planted a little closer. About the end of March they will 
begin to sprout preparatory to flowering, and it is these young 
tender shoots that are cut, denuded of their leaflets, and sent to 
the kitchen to be used like Asparagus, which they much 
resemble if they do not quite equal. A planting will go on for 
several weeks. C. C. 
Cineraria stellata. 
Having heard of the different ways of culture of this beau¬ 
tiful and very useful greenhouse annual, I am just giving the 
very easiest and most successful way that I have grown it 
myself for a number of years, thinking that it will, if tried, 
benefit the readers of this most useful paper, The Gardening 
World, Cinerarias being one race of greenhouse, plants that, 
once got, one, with a little care, need never be without a good 
stream of beautiful colours in the greenhouse or conservatory 
from January to April, and, if required, May also. 
The first and one of the most particular parts is to clear an 
empty space, say under the greenhouse staging, so that there 
are plenty of light and air there. Then give a good sprinkling 
of sifted soil about 1 in. or 2 in. deep, and then pick out the 
best colours and healthiest plants, as they gradually fade, and 
stand them under the stage on to the soil you have ready for 
them until the seeds have dropped. Give them a shake and 
throw the old plants away, and then give a good watering under 
the stage with a fine rose can. Then after they come up give 
them an occasional water with the rose on to keep them moist, 
as Cinerarias must not be kept too dry or too wet, but with 
keeping moist they thrive well. Then when they have about 
three leaves on, pick them out with a small trowel or pointed 
stick. Then pot, not too firm into small 60’s with soil run 
through an inch sieve, with a good sprinkling of leaf mould 
and silver sand. Then stand them in a cold frame, give a good 
spray finely twice or three times a day with the syringe, and 
keep close from the bright sun for about three days. Water if 
required, and gradually put more air on. 
In a very short time they will want repotting, 48’s and 32's 
being an ample shift. This time soil should be two-thirds loam, 
one leaf mould, silver sand, and a little mortar rubble, not too 
coarse. To keep the soil open and sweet a little wood ashes 
would do no harm. If they are fresh, place them back in cold 
frame, still shaded from the bright sun ; then when they get we. i 
rooted give them medium strength soot-water about twice a week 
to keep worms, etc., out of the pots. If required, fumigate 
with “ XL All ” compound for green and brown fly. If the 
nights are warm during August and September, leave the lights 
off, a.s Cinerarias will thrive wonderfully if they can get the 
morning dew, so that shading is put on again before the sun 
gets too powerful, and that also keeps them sturdy and stronger 
than if the lights are kept on. 
Great care must now be taken to house the plants before 
severe frosts set in, as the least frost is fatal to all Cinerarias. 
If they are required for house decoration they will require 
potting again, but if they are for conservatory only another shift 
into 24-size pots will do no harm. Great care must be taken 
not to over water them during the winter months. In this wav 
I have grown them from 1 ft. to 4 ft. high, but I have found 
the best way is to let the plant get about 1 ft. high, then pinch 
the top out when the side shoots are showing, and by normal 
feeding you can get them 3 ft. high and 3 ft. through, which 
I think is satisfactory for amateur or otherwise, as I have never 
failed having a good display by growing them in the above way. 
C. W. Eustox. 
Access to Stonehenge.— The protracted and wearisome dis¬ 
pute over the public right of access to Stonehenge seems now tc 
be entering upon another stage, which one hopes may be iu 
last. The case, it is said, will come before the Courts next 
term, unless in the meantime the owner of the property, Si) 
Edmund Antrobus, intimates his willingness to accept a smalle: 
sum for the monument than the £50,000 which has been asked 
on his behalf. As the result of its appeal for assistance tc 
tc-st the matter in the Courts of Law, the Commons and Foot 
paths Preservation Society has received promises exceeding 
£1,600 towards the total guarantee fund of £2,000. The socier 
has made an offer to Sir Edmund that, if lie will agree to tin 
removal of the barbed-wire fence around the stone, and wr. 
place Stonehenge under the protection of the Ancient Monul 
ments Act, it will recoup him the cost incurred both in erectin 
and pulling down the fence. The effect of utilising the Ancien 
Monuments Act would be to throw upon the Government the ful 
obligation of guarding and preserving the monument, withou 
in any way affecting the owner’s legal interest in it, whateve 
this may be. 
The prize last week in the Readers’ Competition wa 
awarded to “H. Arnold” for his article on “Useful Coi 
servatory Plants,” page 869. 
