154 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
February 20, 1904. 
The Kitchen Garden and Frame Ground 
Work. 
Work must. be. pushed on this month as weather permits 
with more confidence .and activity, for winter is now being 
left behind and spring dawning upon us. Digging and manur¬ 
ing not already done must be pushed forward in earnest. 
Scrupulous cleansing is work of great importance for this 
month. The vigilant gardener will have abundance of pro¬ 
tecting material at hand, and will not be surprised by sharp 
weather. 
Early Peas may now be sown on a. dry, warm border, but 
in districts where the soil is of a cold, pasty nature no time 
or advantage would be gained ; it would be better to. delay 
the sowing for fully a fortnight longer, and make the first 
sowing in pots or old rain-water spouting, and plant out when 
the weather is more open and settled. It. is a. good plan when 
sowing Peas to have the rows far enough apart to. admit two 
or three rows of early Potato® 'betw'een every two rows of 
Pea® ; the latter will be of great value and assistance in ward¬ 
ing off late May frosts, which often do much damage to early 
Potato®. By practising this method abundance of light and 
air will be admitted to the Pea®. 
Rhubarb. —Where new plantations are intended to. be made 
on ground well trenched and manured last autumn, no tune 
should be lost, in getting this crop into position. Lift old 
crowns, and divide these, leaving one eye to each separate 
piece. Do not draw from these this season. 
Seakale. — If cuttings have not already been prepared to 
furnish crowns for forcing next season, they should be com¬ 
pleted at once, tied in bundles of twenty to twenty-five, and 
plunged in ashes or sand to be ready for planting in quarters 
by the end of March. 
Shallots, to grow well, must have rich ground, and plant 
early in rows 1 ft. apart, and bulbs: 9 in. asunder, pressing 
these firmly into the soil, but not. deep enough to bury them. 
Parsnips' should be sown as early as weather permits on 
deep, well-dug ground, that which was dug twice in the autumn 
suiting these best. If intended for exhibition, holes should 
be made and filled with prepared soil, allowing one plant to 
remain at each station. 
Parsley may be sown, towards, the end of the month, choos¬ 
ing a situation where it. can be easily gathered during wet 
weather; it forms a neat edging to. the garden path. 
Beans, broad and longpod, should be sown for the main 
crop supply. The: driest and warmest situation will prove 
most suitable for the. early sorts. Great attention will be re¬ 
quired in hardening off those sown last month in frames pre¬ 
paratory to planting in the open. The frame ground must- be 
kept clean and orderly, and plans laid for future work. This 
branch of the garden will play an important part in producing 
early supplies for the kitchen. 
Radish seed should be .sown, without delay; to be crisp and 
tender it must be grown rapidly. Give this crop the full bene¬ 
fit of air and sunshine. The long varieties are best for early 
Sowing. 
Lettuce. —Make another sowing of Golden Queen—a. variety 
invaluable for early work, and a- perfect picture when well 
grown in frames. Its golden colour is very effective, and 
quality .all that could be desired. 
Carrots must not be overlooked; .an early crop of these is 
always valued, and should be sown in nice light soil. 
Various summer and winter vegetable seed will need .atten¬ 
tion, and should now be sown in a frame. Cabbages are re- 
quired at all seasons ; a pinch of seed may be sown for summer 
supply of any approved sort. Cauliflower in variety should be 
got in without delay. Brussels Sprouts require a long season 
of growth to attain perfection, and should command a good 
position in the frame' ground to obtain .strong, sturdy, and 
early plants. 
Potato® planted early last month will require top-dressing 
with soil such as comes from the potting bench. Hotbeds 
must be employed for getting a continuous supply of Mustard, 
Cress, Mint, etc. Wm. Jas Pentox 
Studley Castle Gardens, Feb. 10th, 1904. 
The Cultivation of Begonia Gloire de 
Lorraine. 
After the flowering period of the Gloire de Lorraine the 
plants should be trimmed over and put on a. dry shelf for a 
few weeks to rest, and then shift to a warm, growing house for 
propagating. Cuttings should be taken from the base of the 
plant in February and March and put in a close frame 
in cocoanut fibre'. As soon as they show roots get them into 
small pots, and put them back in the frame for a few daA~s, and 
then get them on a warm shelf near the glass, and give a 
light shading fr om the direct rays of the sun. Keep pot ring 
as they require it, so a® not to allow them to become root 
bound, .and use the syringe frequently, so .as to keep a moist 
atmosphere', giving a temperature of over 60 deg., according 
to cu cumstances. Do. not allow any flower to' show until a 
month before you require them to bloom. You can flower 
them well in. 4-in., 5-in., 6-in., and 7-in. pots, according to con¬ 
venience'. We had some here in 6-in. and 7-in. pots, 2 ft. 6 in. 
through, and 7 ft. in circumference.' They were a mass of pink 
from October till January. To grow them a.s pyramids, keep 
the side growth pinched until you have' acquired the height. 
Use some strong thin stakes for the bush, keeping them well 
in hand. I or potting use a compost, of turfy loam two parts, 
leaf-soil and peat, silver sand, and a. little soot, etc. S. S. 
Rockery. 
I think the above-named subject one of the prettiest pieces 
of natural workmanship if properly made., and every gardener 
who. is a, lover of the profession ought to devote his spare time 
or summer evenings to. this class of plants, as they cover a 
wide area. Of course, every place is not the possessor of one 
of these tine old rustic relics. To name plants most suitable 
for these structures it would take a long time, but a. few may 
come in handy. When any plants are planted in the rockery 
plant them close on the back of the stones, so. a®, to. let these 
plants as they grow hang over them. The Aubrietia deltoidea 
purpurea,, also A. d. p. va.riega.ta, do well with their blue 
flowers. LeptO'spermum prostratum I count as one of the 
finest for rockwork, as the flowers are' a deep blue, and very 
showy when in bloom. Other useful plants are Lychnis Vis- 
earia, Phlox subulata, Primula capitata, Primula rosea, grandi- 
flora. Campanula mirabilis, Saxifragas, Sedums, Gentiana 
acaulis, Fritillaria aurea, Poilygonius affinei, Arabi.s, both double 
and single. All these plants, if arranged, ought to make a 
beautiful show throughout the summer. The above can be 
propagated by cuttings, seed, or division. Other pretty plants^ 
are Acaena microphylla., Acaena. Novae-Zelandiae, with their 
I netty reddish Thistle-like flowers, and well worth growing. 
Other useful things in a rockery are Ferns. Dwarf British one< 
look well dotted here and there. Polvpodiums, Aspleniums, 
Polyst,ichurns, Scolopendriini!, and Osmunda, regalis are well 
worth growing in a, rockery along with smaller fronds, such a® 
Vetera,ch officinarum, Asplenium marinum, Aspleniums, Tricho¬ 
ma,n-e®., and Asplenium font an um. All the .above belli to: 
beautify a rockery or wild garden. Something has to he. said 
of this beautiful plant, Cotoneasier horizontalis, with, its small 
leaves and small red fruits, and is well adapted for covering 
the stonework of a, rockery, as it, is in its glory when trailing 
along the ground at- its free will. Other useful plants are the 
Daphnes 1 . Daphne Cneorum, I), indica, alba, and D. rubra, are, 
I think, well worth growing for their bloom alone, a® it, is very, 
flagrant in spring - , and the berries are nearly as beautiful as., 
the flowers. Another beautiful bulbous plant is Colchicum 
autumnale when m bloom m autumn. Fi.itchwick, 
