6 2 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 30, igog. 
The Flower Garden. 
Sweet Peas. 
Soils which are close and clayey require 
a good deal of working before they are suit¬ 
able for growing Sweet Peas in during the 
summer months. It is not advisable to sow 
seeds in stiff ground very early in the year, 
but crops may be obtained from it almost as 
early as from lighter loam, if the young 
plants be put out in April from pots. 
But in the meantime the clayey soil must 
not be neglected; it should be duly pre¬ 
pared. 
I find good rotted manure one of the best 
stimulants for Sweet Peas during their early, 
stages of growth, and later in the season' 1 
superphosphate of lime may be used. People 
who have not deeply trenched their soil in 
readiness for the Sweet Pea crop should do 
Fig. 1. When forming new flower beds a 
garden line fastened to two sticks, A and B, 
is useful for making curves and circles. 
The edge of the verge should be cut as shown 
at C, and not slanting as shown at D. 
so at once; the ground should be loosened 
quite two feet and a half deep. Others who 
have autumn-trenched the ground should 
forthwith break it up again if it be of a 
clayey nature. The bottom portion of the 
soil must be well broken apart, but the 
surface lumps are best left intact at pre¬ 
sent so that the frosts and weather generally 
may have a beneficial effect upon them. 
New Flower Beds. 
Many readers of The Gardening World 
will be contemplating the formation of new 
flower beds on their lawns. Now, the ex¬ 
perienced gardener quickly sets to work and 
marks out the form of each bed, but the in¬ 
experienced person finds it a difficult matter 
to satisfy himself. And if the beds are to 
be made in the lawn itself it is very impor¬ 
tant that neatness of work be the rule, other¬ 
wise the lawn will present a very mangled 
appearance. 
Some lovers of summer flower gardens pre¬ 
fer complicated designs, but as a general 
rule, round, square, and oval-shaped beds 
are, in every way, the best. It is easier to 
make them, plant them, and maintain them 
in first-class order throughout the whole of 
the year. 
Fig. 1 shows how to use the garden line 
for marking out circles; it is also serviceable 
for marking out oval-shaped beds and square 
ones. Having decided upon the position of 
the new bed, drive in the garden line peg in 
the centre at A and then let out the line to 
half the full width of the bed as shown at 
B, and then mark the circle on the lawn, 
keeping the peg B perfectly upright all the 
time. After this is done you must follow 
the mark made with the edging iron, driving 
in the tool straight down, as shown at C, 
and not in a slanting direction as shown at 
D. 
If you do not require the turf for other 
purposes, you may bury it a but first take it 
up and chop it into small pieces before you 
do so. Deeply trench and liberally manure 
the soil at once, then it will be in grand con¬ 
dition for the planting of the summer bed¬ 
ding subjects when the time comes. It is 
better to do this now than to leave such im¬ 
portant work until the actual time comes for 
the planting. 
Dahlia, Tuberous Begonia, and Canna 
Tubers. 
It will be well to be sure of the safety of 
these very important tubers in their winter 
quarters. Growers choose various places in 
which to store them, some prefer lofts, and 
others sheds. The Tuberous Begonias are 
mostly kept in boxes under the stage of a 
greenhouse, where they are generally quite 
safe from frosts, but not always from drip¬ 
ping water from the stage plants. The 
Dahlias and Cannas should, be well covered 
with dust-dry soil or sand, and some litter. 
The latter alone, unless it be put on very 
thick and close, does not prevent frost reach¬ 
ing the precious tubers. A thorough exam¬ 
ination of all stored roots should be made 
this week. 
The Fruit Garden. 
Planting Bush Fruits. 
Although the autumn is a more suitable 
time for the planting of bushes of Goose¬ 
berries and Currants than the early part of 
spring, it is not always convenient for such 
planting to be done. Take advantage of the 
first fine days now and get all the bushes 
you intend to plant put in. 
Fig. 2 shows how to mark out the posi¬ 
tions for the bushes. By adopting this sys¬ 
tem every bush gets the n\aximum amount of 
light, sunshine, and air, all of which are 
essential to the maturing of the wood and 
buds. The bushes in row A should not be 
directly opposite those in row B. Goose¬ 
berries should be 4 ft. 6 in. apart in the 
rows and the latter 5 ft. asunder. 
Fig. 2 shows how to -plant bush fruits in 
rows. The bushes, in row A should not be 
directly opposite those in row B, and so on. 
Red and White Currants should be 5 
apart each way, and Black Currants 5 ’ 
apart in the rows, the latter being 51 ’ 
asunder. While the plants are young t 7 
will appear to be too far apart, causim 1 
waste of space, but when fully grown it v 1 
be found that they are not. More fruit v 1 
be gathered from three dozen bushes 5 
planted than from four dozen bushes occu . 
ing the same space. Furthermore, while 3 
trees are small, Spinach, Lettuces, Anemor , 
and similar crops may be grown betw. | 
them without injuring them in the least . 
gree. Do not be content to simply plant • 
bushes in shallow tilled soil, but have s 
latter deeply trenched first, as deep diggi • 
afterwards cannot be done without injury > 
the roots, but manures may be applied at a • 
time. 
Manuring Established Bushes. 
While the ground is dry or frozen, whi 
good manure on the quarters in readiness J 
pointing in when the frost has gone, 
forthwith in the absence of frost. 
The Kitchen Garden. 
South Borders. 
Very soon many kinds of vegetable see 
will be sown in the open borders. Enth 
siasts are already turning their attention 
the matter. When the sun shines one notic 
Fig. 3. Prepare south borders noiy /. 
Carrots in rows, as shown at A, and Lettuc , 
and Radishes broadcast, as shown at B. 
the extra warmth it has, and on sheltere 
borders which are veritable sun traps tfc 
earliest crops should be grown. 
Fig. 3 shows a border sheltered from th 
north winds by a wall. The soil should t 
dug and enriched with very good, wel 
rotted manure, then it will be ready fq 
drilling for early Carrots, as shown at . 
and at B, between the drills, and after th 
Carrot seeds have been sown. Lettuce an 
Radish seeds should be thinly sown an 1 
raked in. All three crops mature early, th 
Radishes and Lettuces first, and then th 
Carrots, so that the border is soon availabl 
for succession crops. 
Celery. 
Sow a pinch of early white Celery seed 
in a pan or flower pot, and cover with a loos 
square of glass and a sheet of brown paper 
Place the seed vessel on a mild hotbed in . 
frame, and seedlings will soon appear. 
Cucumbers. 
Where hotbeds are available Cucumbe 
seeds may now be sown. Use a light soi 
and give water very carefully, as the seed:, 
rot in a too moist soil, and seedlings damp 
off also. 
Protecting Material. 
Mint, Asparagus, early Potatos, and simi 
lar crops growing in frames, should be duly 
protected from frost. When the mats are 
not in use suspend them from a line and sc, 
keep them dry. Also have all straw as dr) 
as possible. 
Foxglove. 
