January 30, 1904. 
THE GARDE NINO WORLD. 
91 
fermenting material in the propagating house until germina¬ 
tion takes place, when they must be brought up to the light. 
Cover with a sheet of glass, over which place a piece of brown 
paper, or a. layer of moss to prevent evaporation. But little 
water will be needed until the seedlings are up. It is best to 
water the soil before sowing the finer seeds, as then no more 
will he required till after the see>dlings appear, whilst with 
others a good watering through a hne-rosed can may be given 
immediately after sowing. 
Edging Plants.—These comprise such well-known subjects 
as Panicum variegatum, Pilea muscosa, Isolepis gracilis, Lyco¬ 
podium in variety, and Tradescantiasi The plants that have 
been retained through the winter will have become shabby, 
and it will be good policy to strike a good hatch of cuttings 
of each at this time; these will in time provide other healthy 
cuttings for spring propagation, and when sufficient st-ock has 
been worked up the old plants may be destroyed. All these 
plants are of ineistimablei value for the edgings; of stages in 
plant houses as well as for decorating in the dwelling. Another 
pretty plant for the above purpose is Sibthorpia europaea 
variegata, and I find it thrives well in the temperate; stove'. 
K. M. 
The Kitchen Garden. 
The land generally is in a very wet and soddened condition, 
consequently seed-sowing should be deferred in the open till 
it is in a more workable condition. 
Peas. —Make a good sowing in boxes, and raise under glass, 
such as a, cool orchard-house or cold frame. Unfortunately, 
much of the seed is in a very unsatisfactory condition this year 
■owing to the continuous wet last season, and it will be found 
to germinate much more readily in 'this way than if sown in 
th© open ground. Mix up a moderately light, porous com¬ 
post, and do not over-water. The great improvements effected 
in the quality of early Peas during recent years is very marked, 
so much so that the old round-seeded kinds are _ scarcely worth 
cultivating, two of the very best that I know being Early 
Morn and E. Beckett, the last named being very hardy, very 
quick to mature, and the quality is unsurpassed. Those sown 
last autumn in pots and boxes are now getting well advanced. 
Give a severe thinning, so that the plants do not become over¬ 
crowded, as nothing will be gained by this. Add a little fresh 
soil by way of earthing up, and support with a few birch twigs 
to keep them in an upright position, and strictly avoid over- 
forcing, which would he fatal to good results. 
Broad Beans. —As with Peas so with these, the improved 
long-podded forms being far superior to the old type of M,aga- 
zan, Leviathan being a capital Bean for early work. Sow pre¬ 
cisely in the same way as Peas, allowing sufficient space between 
each seed to lift carefully, and plant in the open, in due. course. 
Cucumbers. —As the days lengthen these will cause much 
less anxiety, and, providing one has a. good command of heat, 
these will begin to grow, and plants which have been fruiting 
during mid-winter, if in a healthy condition, should have as 
much of the old wood removed as possible, and with care will 
quickly become vigorous and bear freely much in advance of 
young plants. Give a good top-dressing of leaf-soil and light 
fibroin loam, adding a little reliable artificial manure; warm 
to the same temperature as the house before applying, and 
damp the paths down with good manure water during the after¬ 
noon. Successdonal plants should now be put out on well- 
prepared beds, and carefully tended by way of training and 
stopping the young growths, and do not over-fruit them before 
they become quite strong. 
French Beans should have a temperature of about 65 deg., 
raising them as near the glass as possible. Plants which are 
in bearing should be liberally fed with manure water, and the 
foliage thoroughly syringed twice daily to ward off attacks of 
red spider, and a most humid atmosphere must at all times 
be maintained. Further sowings should be made about every 
ten days to keep up an unbroken supply. We entirely depend 
on Canadian Wonder for sowing under glass. Being a vigorous 
grower, it is just what is required during the short days of 
winter, and we find it sets, its fruits most freely. 
Asparagus. —This will now be found to force most readily on 
mild -hot-beds and continue to give good heads for a much 
longer period than if subjected to a strong heat; and by having 
a good supply of portable frames one may go -on cutting if 
small quantities are introduced according to the demand till it 
is ready in the open. After the plants become exhausted, ..m 
same frames and sites make ideal beds for successional Potato- 
crops without any danger of their becoming too heated—often 
a great danger in cultivation of these on hot-beds. 
Box up more Tarragon, Mint, and Chervil, and bring along 
gently in a cool house. Make small sowings of Cauliflowers, 
Lettuce, Parsley, and Red Cabbage in seed-boxes, and raise 
in a very gentle heat. E. Beckett. 
Aldenham House Gardens, Elstree. 
Hardy Trees and Shrubs. 
Hamamelis japonica. —So much has been written and said 
of this beautiful shrub that one would expec-t to see it grown 
far more largely than at present; and, though it was introduced 
from Japan over forty years ago, this Witch-Hazel is only found 
in the most representative collections, whereas it certainly de¬ 
serves to be in every garden. The pale yellow flowers were 
fully expanded with us before Christmas, and are still in ex¬ 
cellent condition, which proves that they are not in any way 
affected by the weather. The petals are twisted, and several 
flowers are produced together at intervals along the' branches, 
a well-flowered specimen being a very beautiful sight. When 
planting this Hamamelis it should be afforded an open position 
in a good loamy soil if possible, though it will succeed in the 
majority. As this shrub is a, slow grower, and takes some 
time to make a specimen of any size 1 , no pruning should be 
practised, and after once planted it should be left undisturbed. 
H. arhorea, the Tree Witch-Hazel, is also a most beautiful 
winter-flowering shrub, which generally opens its flowers before 
the preceding, but this year, for some reason, it is later. The 
flowers of this species are a deeper yellow than H. japonica,, and 
the crimson centre is more conspicuous. This is a stronger 
grower than the first named, but the same remarks apply as 
•to its treatment. There is also a, species which flowers in the 
autumn, and though not so 1 showy as the above species, yet it 
is a desirable shrub. This is the American Witch-Hazel, II. 
virginica. 
Pillar Ivies in the Shubbery, —The practice of growing 
Ivies on poles or pyramids in the shrubbery borders, is; one that 
has up till now received but, scant attention, and yet, when 
well grown and pleasingly associated with the other occupants, 
there is nothing which calls forth more admiration. It is in 
winter, when there is so much bareness on, every side*, that these 
evergreens are most noticeable, and those who have not 
attempted their culture in this way will, I think, be more -than 
satisfied with the results if they do, as there is nothing I am 
acquainted with which gives so much satisfaction throughout 
the winter months. 
The method of culture is very simple, and entails but little 
labour, which in many place® is a consideration. For growing 
the plants some medium-sized poles from 6 ft. to 10 ft. in 
length out of the ground are very suitable, and in some cases 
tree's which are to be cut down can be utilised with advantage. 
The poles should be let into' the ground sufficiently deep to 
ensure their being quite firm, and if supports or stays 1 are 
placed round the has© these will add considerably to t-hei 
appearance. The best, time for planting is during the early 
spring months, but if the plants are obtained in pots the 
work may be performed at any time; and 'in the case of the 
choicer varieties some' little attention should be paid to the 
preparation of the soil. If the ordinary garden soil is un¬ 
suitable, some of a loamy nature should be added, and for the' 
green-leaved varieties it will not matter if the compost is 
fairly rich, but for the variegated kinds a poorer soil is advis¬ 
able, as this will improve the variegation. The growths should 
