296 
April 9, 1904. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
The Kitchen Garden. 
The kitchen gardener 1 will now find plenty to engage his 
attention for some weeks to> come ; indeed, so much so that he 
will hardly know in which direction to proceed first, and it is 
only by following a proper system of management that the 
utmost success can be achieved. 
p eas . —Lose noi time in getting those planted out in®' them 
permanent quarters' which have been raised under glass, first 
making quite sure that these have been thoroughly hardened. 
Always endeavour to stake at the same time, and where birds 
are troublesome, net also. Make successional sowings on well- 
prepared ground ini an open, position of the garden. Cartels 
Daisy, Telephone, Duke of Albany, and Webbs Stourbiidgei 
Marrow are all first-rate varieties for sowing at this date ; be 
liberal in the.distance between the rows. 
Broad Beans.—These should likewise be planted out from 
bones when about 3 hi high, and make further sowings in the 
open. 
Dwarf Beans.—Make a good sowing of Canadian Wonder m 
frames on a very mild hotbed about 18 in. from the glass. 
These will prove to be of much service just before those sown 
in the open will be ready for picking. Much less heat will 
now be required for any growing in pots or planted out. in 
heated structures. Frequent, doses of manure-water should be 
applied to all which are fruiting. Maintain a moist atmosphere 
and syringe thoroughly twice daily with tepid water. 
Carrots.—Another good sowing should be made at once on 
a warm border; both the stump-rooted and Improved Inter- 
mediate varieties may now be sown. Give a. good dressing of 
soot and wood-ashes at the. time of sowing, and unless the land 
is. ideal for Carrots and extra, good roots are required, time 
will be well spent in boring a few rows, and fill in with a. 
suitable mixture finely sifted, nothing being better than old 
soil which has been preserved from the potting shed. Place 
about half a. dozen seeds in each hole, and thin to. one at a ; 
station when in rough leaf. Air freely all which are growing 
under glass; a. moderate thinning only should be given at first, 
as the young tender shoots are always much appreciated when 
quite small, and if 1 judiciously pulled from time to time as re¬ 
quired will do the permanent ones no. harm. A slight dusting 
of soot and a small quantity of vegetable patent manure should 
be given, about every ten days and watered in during the after¬ 
noon. 
Turnips.—Make one more sowing of Carters’ Early Forcing 
in cold frames', air freely, and thin out. as soon as ready, to 
prevent the plants becoming drawn. Put. in. more seed of 
Early Milan on a warm border, and protect against birds. 
Lift any roots of very late autumn sowings', trim off and store 
in sand or ashes/ under a north wall, where these will last for 
some considerable time. I have for some years grown Webb s 
Prizewinner, a green-topped variety of great value, being the 
hardiest and best quality of any I am acquainted with for 
winter use. 
Celery.-—Continue to prick off successionial batches intoi 
boxes, and place the latter in cold frames or sheltered posi¬ 
tions where protection! can be afforded the young plants if 
necessary. Celeriac should he pricked off in thei same way. 
Lift any late-planted Celery, and place under a north wall; 
for salads it will be of service for flavouring purposes. Prepare 
trenches for all the earlier plantings as soon as possible. This 
work should never- be left till the last moment., as by exposing 
the soil to. the influence of the weather it. is rendered in a much 
more suitable condition for receiving the plants. 
Leeks.—Sow one mere pinch of seed for use next spring, 
and prick off either into' boxes or’ skeleton frames any which 
are ready. Those which are required for producing extra fine 
specimens next autumn should have the aid of glass for at 
least another fortnight.. Shorten back the leaves about every 
ten days. 
Winter Greens, which will include nearly all of the Brassica 
family, will now need to be sown for early work, making one 
more towards the end of the month or first week in next. 
Choose an open position, which has not been occupied during 
the past season with such vegetables. Mark out the desired 
number of beds, and scatter the seed thinly broadcast-; by so 
doing the extra work of pricking off the plants will be avoided. 
Coo'd netting .should be strung over the beds effectively to 
prevent tire destruction of the seed by birds. E. Beckett. 
Aldenham House Gardens, Elstree. 
Hardy Trees and Shrubs. 
For Pythias.-—During the earlier part of spring there are few 
deciduous flowering shrubs, if any, more beautiful than the 
Forsythias, and the ease with which they are cultivated recom¬ 
mends them for every garden., whether of large or small dimen¬ 
sions. Almost any soil suits them, providing it is broken iq. 
before planting, and all the better if some decayed manure is 
added; and though an open, sunny position is the best, they 
are not particular in this respect. The most beautiful variety 
is Forsythia. suspensia, but, unfortunately, it does not seem to 
be so well known as the inferior variety, F. viridissima, which 
is generally seen, owing to' the fact, perhaps, that it. was intro¬ 
duced in, 1845, nearly twenty years before the former. F. 
susipensa is a, slender-growing shrub, with the lower shoots 
drooping on the ground, and the beautiful pale golden, flowers 
are bell shaped and produced all along the stems-. These com¬ 
mence to open now, and last a long time in good condition. 
This species can also be used as a wall shrub and succeeds well 
on the north side, but. it never looks so. beautiful treated in 
this, way a.s when allowed to> grow naturally, so that the shoots 
can, fall about as they please. If the room can be spared, this 
shrub is magnificent for bedding purposes in the wilderness or 
similar position,, and when grouped in this way an effect is 
produced not easily forgotten. This species is also known 
under the/ names of Fortuned and Sieboldii, and the garden 
form intermedia, is not sufficiently distinct to. be recommended. 
F. viridissima differs greatly from the above in that it 
flowers a little later, and these are- deeper in colour. The 
habit is stiff and it forms a stout, close b-usb more suitable for 
growing as a single plant, in the shrubbery than treating in a 
similar way to F. suspensa,. 
F. v. variegata resembles the above in habit, and the foliage 
is pleasingly variegated. 
Audromedas.—Now is an excellent time to plant these 
beautiful evergreens, and the best results are undoubtedly 
obtained when several plant® are grouped together, and for 
planting in beds on lawns they arei well suited, being of neat, 
compact habit, and producing a, fine effect, when clothed with 
thei counties® numbers of flowers. One will be well repaid by 
giving the preparation of the site a little attention. The old 
soil should be taken out to the depth of at least from 1 ft. 
to 2 ft., and the drainage should be made perfect. An, ex¬ 
cellent, compost in which to. plant will consist of peat and de¬ 
cayed leaf-soil in equal proportions, with a, liberal quantity of 
sharp, road sand added, and when planting sufficient space 
should be allowed between each plant to give them a chance 
to- develop perfectly, so that replanting is not rendered ne¬ 
cessary. An excellent edging for the bed will be found in 
Erica oarnea. Some very desirable species of Audromedas 
are- A. speciosa., with its, two- varieties, cassinefolia and pul- 
verulenta, japonica, arborea, and floribunda. 
A. E, Thatcher. 
Aldenham Hou§e Gardens, Elstree. 
Headers’ Competition. —Particulars of weekly prize see 
centre page. 
