JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
103 
February  1,  1900. 
at  once,  let  the  successive  pieces  run  as  the  drills  will  be  drawn  later, 
i.e.,  the  long  way  of  the  plot. 
Time  of  Potting  on  the  Manures. — When  lime,  basic  slag,  or 
kainit  is  used  they  should  be  sown  broadcast  before  digging  in  the 
winter.  Superphosphate  should  be  put  on  just  before  the  first  sowing 
and  scuffled  in  with  the  hoe.  Nitrate  of  soda  and  sulphate  of  ammonia 
should  be  reserved  till  the  plants  have  made  a  leaf  or  two. 
Suitable  Crops. — Beans,  Peas,  all  the  Cabbage  tribe.  Parsnips, 
Turnips,  Potatoes,  and  Onions. 
Manures  Bequireo. — Nitrate  of  soda  or  sulphate  of  ammonia  to 
supply  nitrogen.  Basic  slag  cr  superphosphate  to  supply  phosphoric 
acid.  Kainit  to  supply  potash.  Lime. 
It  will  depend  on  the  amount  of  lime  in  the  soil  whether  nitrate  of 
soda  and  basic  slag,  or  sulphate  of  ammonia  and  superphosphate,  should 
be  used.  If  there  is  any  doubt  on  this  point,  an  even  slice  of  the  soil 
to  a  depth  of  9  inches,  and  weighing  at  least  a  pound,  should  be  sent 
to  the  South-Eastern  Agricultural  College,  where  an  examination  of 
the  soil  will  be  made  and  advice  sent. 
The  quantities  required  are  2  ozs.  per  square  yard  of  nitrate  of  soda, 
sulphate  of  ammonia,  and  kainit ;  4  ozs.  per  square  yard  of  basic  slag 
or  superphosphate,  and  1  lb.  per  square  yard  of  lime. 
Of  course,  many  other  manures  will  supply  nitrogen  and  phosphoric 
acid,  but  the  above  are  the  most  convenient. 
Plan  of  Experiment. — A.  Simplest,  4  or  5  plots  only. 
Plot  1. — Receives  nothing. 
Plot  2. — Receives  basic  slag  (or  superphosphate)  only. 
Plot  3. — Receives  nitrate  of  soda  (or  sulphate  of  ammonia)  only. 
Plot  4. — Receives  basic  slag  (or  superphosphate)  and  nitrate  of 
soda  (or  sulphate  of  ammonia). 
Plot  5. — Receives  basic  slag  (or  superphosphate),  and  nitrate  of 
soda  (or  sulphate  of  ammonia),  and  lime. 
Plot  5  may  be  omitted,  or  a  plot  may  be  added  which  receives 
dung. 
B.  More  complete,  6  or  7  plots. 
Plot  1. — Receives  nothing. 
Plot  2. — Receives  basic  slag  (or  superphosphate)  and  kainit. 
No  nitrogen. 
Plot  3. — Receives  nitrate  of  soda  (or  sulphate  of  ammonia)  and 
kainit.  No  phosphoric  acid. 
Plot  4.— Receives  nitrate  of  soda  (or  sulphate  of  ammonia),  and 
basic  slag  (or  superphosphate).  No  potash. 
Plot  5. — Receives  nitrate  of  soda  (or  sulphate  of  ammonia),  and 
basic  slag  (or  superphosphate),  and  kainit.  Com¬ 
plete. 
Plot  6. — Receives  nitrate  of  soda  (or  sulphate  of  ammonia),  and 
basic  slag  (or  superphosphate),  and  kainit,  and 
lime. 
Plot  7. — Receives  dung  only. 
Interpretation. — The  effect  of  the  manures  is  to  be  learnt  by  com¬ 
paring  the  completely  manured  plot  4  in  A,  5  in  B  with  each  of  the 
■other  plots.  Taking  the  B  plan  as  an  example  : 
5  V.  1  shows  effect  of  artificial  manures. 
5  c.  7  shows  comparison  between  artificials  and  dung, 
5  r.  6  shows  effect  of  lime. 
5  V.  2  shows  effect  of  nitrogen. 
5  r.  3  shows  effect  of  phosphoric  acid. 
■5  V.  4  shows  effect  of  potash. 
Management.^ — Divide  the  long  side  of  the  piece  into  as  many'  equal 
parts  as  there  are  to  be  plots,  and  at  each  point  of  division  drive  a 
stout  stake  3  feet  long  till  1  foot  of  the  stake  is  out  of  the  ground. 
Repeat  on  the  other  side  of  the  plot.  When  sowing  the  manures 
stretch  a  line  across  the  piece  from  stake  to  stake  to  mark  out  the 
plots.  Only  sow  manure  when  there  is  no  wind. 
Draw  the  drills  the  long  way  of  the  piece,  so  that  each  crop  runs 
across  all  the  plots,  as  shown  in  the  diagram. 
Peas. 
Beans. 
Parsnips. 
Turnips. 
Cabbages. 
Potatoes. 
Onions. 
When  the  seeds  are  up,  stretch  the  line  from  stake  to  stake  again, 
and  scuffle  along  the  line  with  a  hoe  to  mark  plot  from  plot. 
Plot  1. 
Plot  2. 
Plot  3. 
Plot  4.^ 
Plot  5. 
Plot  6.  Plot  7. 
.  .  Dri 
„s . 
1 
! 
i 
1 
Drills . 
When  planting  out  Cabbages,  &c.,  setting  out  Turnips,  &o.,  see  that 
therq  is  an  equal  number  of  plants  in  each  plot. 
It  is  best  to  divide  the  nitrate  of  soda  for  each  plot  into  as  many- 
equal  parts  as  there  are  drills,  and  put  each  drill’s  share  on  at  the 
proper  time — i.e.,  when  the  plant  is  beginning  to  grow  a  little  above 
ground. 
The  root  crops  should  be  weighed,  tlie  whole  of  one  or  more  drills 
should  be  lifted  at  a  time,  the  roots  from  each  plot  made  into  separate 
heaps,  rubbed  to  free  from  soil,  and  weighed. 
The  stumps  should  be  left  down  at  the  end  of  the  season,  and 
the  same  manures  applied  to  the  same  plots  the  following  year,  but 
the  position  of  each  crop  should  be  shifted.  In  a  year  or  two  the 
effect  of  each  manure  will  be  plain  to  the  eye ;  in  the  first  season 
the  effect  will  probably  only  be  seen  in  the  weight. 
On  application  to  the  South-Eastern  Agricultural  College  any 
further  information  that  is  required  will  be  gladly  sent.* 
THE  YOUNG  GARDENERS’  DOMAIN. 
Carrots. 
At  present  Carrots  are  grown  more  or  less  in  every  garden,  as 
1  hey  are  always  found  useful.  For  early  sowings  a  hotbed  should  be 
formed  of  leaves  and  litter  some  time  prior  to  sowing  the  seeds,  as  it 
will  give  it  time  to  settle  and  cool  down.  About  the  middle  of 
January  is  a  very  suitable  time  to  make  the  first  sowing.  Sow  thinly 
in  rows  about  8  inches  apart  in  light  soil,  and  do  not  cover  the  seeds 
too  heavily.  Give  a  thorough  watering,  but  afterwards  be  sparing  with 
water  till  the  seedlings  appear  above  the  surface.  Protect  the  seeds 
at  night,  or  any  other  time  if  the  weather  be  severe,  by  covering  the 
frames  with  mats  or  litter.  Sowings  should  be  made  fortnightly  if 
the  supply  has  to  be  maintained. 
About  the  middle  of  February  sowings  can  be  made  on  sheltered 
south  borders  if  the  soil  is  light.  Have  the  rows  about  the  same 
distance  asunder  as  above  mentioned,  and  thin  the  seedlings  a  little 
when  they  are  large  enough  to  handle.  The  month  of  March  is  the 
time  for  the  main  crop  to  be  sown,  so  prior  to  this  the  ground  should 
have  been  thoroughly  prepared.  No  hard  and  fast  rule  can  be  made  as 
to  the  date  they  should  be  sown,  as  it  greatly  depends  on  the  weather; 
bat  always  choose  a  fine  day  when  the  ground  is  in  workable  condition, 
for  sowing  when  it  is  raining,  or  the  ground  is  wet,  will  cause  the 
seeds  to  come  up  very  irregularly.  Have  the  rows  at  a  distance  of 
12  inches  apart,  thus  giving  plenty  of  room  for  the  necessary  work 
during  the  summer  months. 
When  the  seedlings  are  up,  and  the  rows  can  be  distinctly  seen, 
it  is  good  practice  to  run  the  hoe  between  them  to  loosen  the  soil  and 
destroy  weeds.  Thin  a  little  when  the  plants  are  large  enough  to 
handle,  and  always  choose  a  dull  or  showery  day  for  this  operation. 
During  the  growing  season  it  will  prove  beneficial  to  the  plants  if  a  little 
soot  is  scattered  between  the  rows  and  hoed  in.  Before  any  frosts  set 
in  the  ioots  should  be  lilted  and  stored  in  sheds  for  winter  use,  and  if 
they  are  laid  in  sand  they  will  be  found  to  keep  in  a  good  condition. 
—  P.  R. 
The  Croton. 
With  the  advent  of  the  new  year,  those  whose  demands  for  decora¬ 
tive  plants  are  large  will  certainly  turn  their  attention  to  this  valuable 
family.  For  use  during  the  dark  winter  months  a  well  coloured  and 
finely  balanced  Croton  is  difflcnlt  to  beat.  They  are  easy  rooting 
plants,  and  are  propagated  by  cuttings  and  by  “  ringing.”  The  former 
method  is  employed  for  small  stock,  while  the  latter  process  is  that 
mostly  employed  for  large  heads. 
In  taking  cuttings  care  must  be  observed  to  obtain  the  best  coloured 
tops,  remembering  that  the  leaves  of  the  catting  form  the  foundation 
of  the  specimen  later  on.  Insert  the  cuttings  singly  into  thumbs,  and 
plunge  in  a  brisk  bottom  heat.  In  a  few  days  they  will  be  found  to 
have  emitted  roots,  and  must  then  be  gradually  hardened  to  the 
temperature  of  the  stove. 
If  “  ringing  ”  is  the  mode  employed,  run  the  knife  round  the  bark 
twice,  in  parallel  lines  about  one-sixth  of  an  inch  apart,  taking  the  bark 
out  between  the  cuts.  Have  a  handful  of  moss  ready,  and  tie  round 
the  cut,  shaking  in  a  little  silver  sand.  If  kept  moist  the  plant  will 
soon  throw  out  roots,  and  can  be  cut  off,  potted,  and  treated  afterwards 
in  the  same  manner  as  the  cuttings.  When  well  rooted  the  plants 
may  be  shifted  into  48’s,  this  size  being  found  the  moat  useful  for 
general  use.  If  larger  are  required  they  may  be  repotted  as  the  roots 
find  the  sides  of  the  old  receptacle.  For  compost,  use  two  parts  of 
good  loam  to  one  of  peat,  with  a  sprinkling  of  silver  sand,  and  a 
little  Clay’s  fertiliser.  Grow  the  plants  in  a  temperature  of  70^  Fahr., 
with  a  rise  to  85^  by  sun  heat. 
To  obtain  the  fine  markings  and  colouring  of  the  plants  they  must 
be  exposed  to  all  the  sun  and  light  obtainable ;  only  some  of  the  more 
delicate  varieties  will  need  a  slight  shade  during  the  hottest  part  of 
the  day.  Great  attention  should  be  paid  to  the  cleanliness  of  the 
*  Possibly  this  m  iy  only  apply  to  persons  in  Kent  and  Surrey,  by  he 
Ciunty  Councils  of  which  the  College  is  supporled. 
