942 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
December 9, 1905. 
severely “ cut up ” with frost, and the edging 
looks uneven throughout the summer. Box 
edgings are also often damaged through care¬ 
lessness in wheeling, barrows over them or 
through them. If it is necessary to pass over 
the edging with harrow-loads of manure, etc., 
for the vegetable quarters, a proper portable 
bridge appliance should be provided for such 
purposes. Herbert Morris. 
Turkey Court, Maidstone. 
Raspberries for Small Garden. 
The site for a Raspberry plantation should 
be an open one, away from the shade of tree®. 
The ground should be deeply trenched and 
heavily manured some time previous to plant¬ 
ing the canes, which can be done in October, 
as a few leaves on the canes will do no harm. 
The best way is to plant the canes in lines 
4ft. apart and 1ft. in the lines, straining two- 
wires across the garden for each line of canes. 
The wires can be fastened to either wooden 
stakes or iron ones. No fruit must be expected 
next summer, as tire canes must be cut down 
in February to within 6in. of the ground ; in 
so doing strong canes for the following season’s 
fruiting will be the result. Next autumn, 
when the time comes 1 to thin out the suckers, 
leave four or five to each stool, which can then 
be tied out singly on wires. The following 
are good varieties:—Superlative, Carter’s 
Prolific, Golden Queen, and Baumf orth’s 
Seedling. L. S. Small. 
Gladiolus delicatissimus. 
Among the early flowering section of 
Gladioli that named above stands out as one 
of the showiest and most beautiful. It is 
dwarf in habit, and of free flowering propen¬ 
sity, while the colour is most attractive and 
pleasing. On a clear white ground the bril¬ 
liant carmine markings show up to great ad¬ 
vantage, so that a clump of a dozen or so 
corms creates a pleasing feature during the 
early days of summer. In a cut state, too-, 
the spikes of bloom are highly decorative, and 
can be used with capital effect in schemes of 
table decoration. In addition to these good; 
qualities it may be said to respond excellently 
to slight forcing, and by potting early one 
may gradually bring on successive batches for 
furnishing conservatory or dwelling. A new 
form now exists under the name of G. deli¬ 
catissimus superbissimus, which differs from 
the former in depth of colour of the markings, 
and also- in the markings, which are spots 
instead of flakes. 
We observe that in some trade catalogues 
the subject of our note is termed synonymous 
with G. Blushing Bride. Hitherto we had 
been under the impression that the latter was 
of a very different colour, with rose markings 
instead of carmine. Probably some reader 
will be able to convince us whether or not the 
two are one. Heather. Bell. 
Wintering Dahlias. 
I think “ C. AY. Williams ” would find, if 
he stores the tubers in shallow wooden boxes 
(obtained from a grocer’s or other store for 
6cl.), packing them in fairly closely, but not 
allowing the tubers to touch anywhere, and 
giving a good layer of Cocoa-nut fibre refuse 
(both under and over the tubers) he will find 
them keep nice and plump, dormant, and 
fairly dry. The boxes should, of course, go 
into a frost-proof spare room or other place 
not too hot. A shelf high up in the kitchen 
is useful, as here the atmosphere is usually 
more moist with boiling, water, etc., than in 
a living room. Of course, they should be 
looked to occasionally all through the winter, 
and if they appear to shrivel unduly a sprink¬ 
ling now and then of chilled water (not even 
hot) will soon plump them up again. A slight 
sprinkle more frequently as .frosts begin to 
pass away will bring them into fine condition 
when starting time comes round again. I 
may add that 1 am surprised at the tubers 
rotting in a shed, as my own more common 
varieties have successfully passed through 
the last few very damp winters hi the borders 
with no protection (or ashes, etc.) placed over 
them. The- rare and expensive varieties it 
is, of course, necessary to either protect or 
lift, as an almost irreparable loss might 
occur during the course of one night, but in 
mild districts this is the exception to the 
rule. I wish “ C. W. Williams” better luck 
this winter than lie had last, as I know' how 
vexing such losses are. D. Y. E. 
ASPA RAGUS V ,S, 
I ' Supply. 
To secure a good supply of forced asparagus 
in winter the main essentials are, first, a good 
stock of strong roots ; and, secondly, suffi¬ 
cient artificial heat. The best flavoured 
forced asparagus is from hotbeds made of oak 
leaves and stable manure in about equal parts, 
thoroughly intermixed. The first bed' should 
be made in November, and a succession kept 
up from then till March The beds should 
be made of sufficient capacity to supply a 
steady warmth of 75deg. bottom heat, and 
this, with coverings, will give a top heat of 
from 60deg. to 65deg., with a rise in the day¬ 
time. As regards roots, some force their old 
beds, making a certain number of new beds 
each spring to take the place of those removed 
for forcing. But young plants of three or 
four years’ growth force most easily and give 
the best- result. When we know how many 
plants are wanted for forcing annually, it is 
an easy matter to provide them in succession 
year after year by calculating that so many 
rows across a particular plot of ground at 
16in. apart in the row, will provide the num¬ 
ber of plants wanted annually. 
The seed should be sown in March, in drills 
gin. deep and 3ft. apart. When the young 
plants appear, thin out first to- 8in. apart, 
and afterwards to- 16in., when the strongest 
can be distinguished ; or they may be left 
at 8in. apart the first year, and the second 
year when growth appears every alternate 
plant may be taken up and transplanted else¬ 
where. This is a good plan, as it is making 
the most and best of things. The first year 
a row of Lettuce, Cauliflowers, or some dwarf 
vegetable may be grown between the rows of 
Asparagus. The second year the Asparagus 
plantsi should have all the space for the full 
development of their growth. The land 
should be kept in good heart by top-dressings 
and mulchings, and everything should be 
done during summer to make the plants 
strong. In taking up the plants for forcing 
no unnecessary injury should be done to them. 
Some may think a root more or less cannot 
make much difference, but it is important 
they should be kept as perfect as possible. 
Forcing on manure beds is an easy matter ; 
there should not be much variation hi the 
result. In the shortest days more material 
should be used, as a little extra heat will be 
needed to start the roots and to' produce 
steady, continuous growth. In making up the 
beds they should be a foot wider than the 
frame on all sides, and from 4ft. to 5ft. high 
at the back, by 3ft. to 4ft. high at the front, 
according to season. As soon as the heat in 
the frame becomes genial, which, if the beds 
are made of equal parts of manure and leaves, 
will be as soon as fermentation sets in, 3in. 
of light soil should be placed on the bed, and 
on this the roots should be placed as close 
together as possible. When the frame is full, 
cover with 4in. of light, rich compost and 
give enough water to settle all down. Then 
put on the lights ; cover with mats at night 
and on cold days till the heads show through 
the soil. Ventilate a little to- give colour 
and flavour. 
New beds may be made up- as often as is 
necessary. As soon as one lot is done with 
and the plants taken o-ut of the frame, the 
beds may be planted with Potato® or sown 
with Carrots or Radishes. A lining may be 
placed round it and a fresh lot of Asparagus 
roots placed in it. In some places permanent 
beds are made, fitted with liot-water pipes, 
laid in brick chambers or in a bed of rubble, 
and on this a bed of rich soil is placed, strong 
Asparagus plants being, planted therein, and 
when strong enough for forcing a fire is 
lighted and lights put on. One boiler would 
heat quite a group of Asparagus beds, starting 
them in succession as required. The cutting 
must be discontinued before the roots are too 
much exhausted, and liquid manure used freely 
during the growing season. In May the lights 
may be taken away and: used for something 
else, or packed away dry till next season. As¬ 
paragus may be forced by having deep trenches 
lined with bricks- between the beds to be 
forced. The trenches at the proper season 
are filled with warm leaves and manure, 
frames and lights being placed on the beds at 
the same time. A bed or two may be covered 
with frames and lights without any ferment¬ 
ing matter. Simply shutting in the sunshine 
will hasten the Asparagus a good deal, and 
the produce from these will fill up the blank 
between the last forced bed and the first from 
the open ground. J. AV. J. 
-♦- 
One is often asked which is the best breed of 
poultry. The question is a difficult one to 
answer. But when one comes to narrow it 
down to which is the best breed for egg pro¬ 
duction, it becomes much more simple. I have 
kept various kinds of poultry and under very 
varying conditions, and after a long experience 
I unhesitatingly plump for the White Leghorn 
as the best ] wire breed to keep for egg produc¬ 
tion. The White Leghorn lays a large egg, it 
lays well in winter, and the egg is not a dead 
white, but nicely tinted ; this is a great con¬ 
sideration, as the majority of people prefer a 
tinted egg. It is a great delusion, but one 
strongly held, that a brown-shelled egg is richer 
ancl more nutritious than a white-shelled one. 
It’s nonsense. The colour of the shell has 
nothing whatever to do with the contents. 
Why Pure Breeds ? 
Is it really desirable to keep a pure breed ! 
some may say. * This depends on circumstances. 
If one is going to deal with the question simply 
and solely from the point of egg production for 
the market, then a pure breed is not the most- 
desirable ; but if 4 in addition to market demands 
one means to sell a few sittings at enhanced 
prices, then a pure breed is undoubtedly the 
best to keep. That being so then, the A) bite 
Leghorn comes an easy first in my opinion. 
