374 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  29,  1897. 
In  this  dibble  short,  soft  cuttings  of  Verbenas,  Iresines,  Alternantheras, 
and  such  plants  about  8  inche*  apart  each  way,  give  a  gentle  watering, 
and  keep  close  till  rooted.  Shade  from  bright  sunshine,  freshen  with 
water  occasionally,  and  cover  with  mats  during  the  night.  When 
growing  freely  pinch  out  the  points  of  the  strong  growers,  and  a  number 
of  capital  plants  will  soon  be  fit  for  transplanting  direct  to  the  flower 
beds.  This  plan  is  particularly  to  be  recommended  where  many 
thousand  plants  are  required  for  the  beds  and  borders,  and  it  obviates 
the  use  of  either  boxes  or  pots. 
Bedding:  Plants  from  Seeds, —  Ageratums,  Lobelias,  Zinnias, 
Asters,  Stocks,  Phloxes,  Gaillardias,  and  other  plants  raised  from  ee  ds 
ought  not  long  to  be  kept  thickly  together  in  pans  or  boxes,  starvelings 
rarely  recovering  properly  ;  all  should  therefore  be  temporarily  bedded 
out  in  pits  and  frames  (rough  or  otherwise),  and  if  they  do  not  have 
time  to  make  much  top  growth  they  will  form  fresh  roots,  and  will  trans¬ 
plant  all  the  more  readily.  French  and  African  Marigolds  sown  thinly 
now  in  boxes  of  light  soil  arid  placed  in  gentle  heat  will  germinate 
very  quickly,  and  be  quite  large  enough  for  the  beds  early  in  June. 
Sunflowers,  notably  the  miniature  forms,  may  yet  be  raised  thus,  these 
also  moving  out  of  seed  pans  and  boxes  without  experiencing  a  severe 
check.  Love-lies-bleeding  moves  well  out  of  seed  pans,  and  a  back  row 
of  this  annual  is  fairly  effective  in  borders.  The  showy  bedding 
Nasturtiums  may  yet  be  raised,  and  are  particularly  well  adapted  for 
poor  hot  soils.  Raise  the  plants  singly  in  small  pots.  It  is  not  too  late 
to  sow  seed  of  Ricinuses  and  Japanese  Maize,  both  being  noble  border 
plants.  Sow  the  seeds  singly  in  2J-inch  pots,  and  place  in  heat  to 
germinate. 
Violas. — These  are  most  showy  early  in  the  season,  but  by  good 
culture  they  can  be  kept  gay  throughout  most  summers.  Young  plants 
raised  and  treated  much  the  same  as  shrubby  Calceolarias  are  the  best 
for  summer  bedding,  though  much  may  be  done  in  the  way  of  dividing 
old  plants.  The  former  must  not  be  allowed  to  remain  in  frames  or 
closely  packed  anywhere,  nor  should  they  be  permitted  to  greatly  weaken 
themselves  by  flowering  now.  It  is  not  wise  to  delay  finally  planting 
them  out  till  the  more  tender  plants  arfe  ready  for  the  beds  or  borders. 
The  site  for  them  ought  to  be  specially  prepared,  being  early  manured 
and  deeply  dug,  for  they  are  moisture-loving  plants,  mildewing  badly  if 
starved  at  the  roots.  Plant  out  or  divide  and  replace  the  old  plants 
now,  at  all  events  where  possible,  and  this  whether  they  are  to  edge 
beds  or  to  form  a  groundwork  for  variegated  and  bronze  Pelargoniums. 
Iresines,  and  others.  Mulch  with  either  short  manure,  leaf  soil,  or  spent 
tan,  and  pick  off  all  the  flower  buds  as  they  form.  Thus  treated  they 
will  push  strongly  from  the  base  of  the  plants,  and  a  good  summer 
display  result. 
Dahlias. — Too  often  extra  strong  old  roots  are  planted  intact, 
whereas  sturdy  single  stems,  with  few  or  no  tubers,  give  much  the  best 
results.  The  former  pu»h  up  numerous  growths,  which  only  serve  to 
weaken  and  smother  each  other,  but  the  single  stems  branch  freely  and 
flower  early  and  profusely.  It  pays  well  to  shift  rooted  cuttings  from 
small  into  6-inch  pots,  fine  strong  plants  being  thereby  prepared  for  the 
borders.  Old  clumps  may  with  advantage  be  freely  split  up  when  the 
shoots  are  about  3  iriches  long,  one  or  two  tubers  retained  with  each 
shoot  being  ample.  Place  these  divisions  singly  into  6-inch  pots,  and 
keep  them  under  glass  till  the  fresh  soil  is  well  occupied  by  roots.  They 
will  make  good  stuff  by  the  end  of  May.  Plants  obtained  by  post  from 
a  distance  are  necessarily  small,  therefore  order  early  and  establish  them 
in  pots  prior  to  transferring  to  borders.  This  will  give  them  a  fair 
chance,  and  a  much  earlier  display  will  be  obtained.  Even  those 
obtained  in  small  pots  should  be  had  early  and  given  a  shift, 
THE  KITCHEN  GARDEN. 
Globe  Artichokes. — The  heat  and  drought  of  1896  has  left  its 
mark  on  numerous  Artichoke  plants.  So  Weakly  are  they  starting  that 
many  may  fail  to  produce  flower  heads  of  a  serviceable  size.  The 
sucker  growths  ought  to  have  been  well  thinned,  leaving  three  to  five  to 
each  old  stool,  and  a  liberal  top-dressing  of  decayed  manure,  applying 
this  next  the  roots,  given.  Now  is  the  time  to  form  fresh  plantations, 
the  aim  being  to  have  a  row  or  rows  of  strong  young  plants  to  take  the 
place  of  the  older  ones  as  these  wear  out.  Artichokes  are  gross  feeders, 
and  must  have  a  freely  enriched  deeply  dug  root  run.  Detach  side 
growths  from  the  old  plants  with  a  knife,  if  possible  with  a  few  young 
roots  attached,  and  plant  in  groups  of  three,  a  distance  of  3  feet 
separating  the  groups.  Those  taken  off  and  rooted  in  5-inch  pots  under 
glass,  planting  them  out  before  they  become  much  root-bound,  are 
usually  the  first  to  attain  to  a  productive  size. 
Borecole,  Cabbage  Broccoli,  Savoys. — If  seeds  of  these  winter 
vegetables  are  sown  now  the  plants  will  be  large  enough  for  putting  out 
by  the  time  ground  can  be  spared  for  them.  It  is  possible  to  raise  them 
too  early,  the  plants  becoming  drawn  and  spindled  before  they  can  be 
planted.  Sow  the  seeds  thinly  in  the  open,  rather  than  in  small  patches 
on  narrow  wall  borders.  Early  raised  plants  of  those  named,  also 
Broccoli  and  Brussels  Sprouts,  should  be  pricked  out  before  they  spoil 
each  other  in  the  seed  beds  or  boxes.  They  will  move  best  out  of  a 
finely  divided  soil.  Prick  them  out  4  inches  apart  each  way,  and  shelter 
from  cold  winds. 
Broccoli. — It  is  the  gross,  long-stemmed  plants  that  are  the  most 
liable  to  he  destroyed  by  frosts,  and  the  special  preparation  of  Broccoli 
for  the  winter  ought,  therefore,  to  commence  in  the  seed  bed.  Early 
sowing  is  a  mistake,  especially  in  the  more  southern  localities.  Sow 
thinly  now  in  the  open,  and  sturdy  plants  will  be  fit  for  their  final 
quarters,  quite  as  soon  as  the  ground  in  most  instances  is  ready  for  their 
reception. 
Birds  and  Small  Seeds. — In  the  neighbourhood  of  towns,  and 
also  where  there  is  much  cover,  birds  are  very  troublesome.,  and  never 
more  than  they  have  been  this  season.  Owing  to  the  cold  wet  state  of 
the  ground  the  seeds  have  been  slow  of  germination,  and  many  which 
started  made  such  poor  progress  that  the  birds  were  able  to  clear  all  off 
the  ground.  The  season  is  so  far  advanced  that  there  must  be  few  or  no 
more  failures.  Either,  therefore,  protect  with  fine  mesh  fish  netting  or 
make  the  seeds  distasteful  to  the  birds  before  sowing  it.  Broccoli, 
Borecole,  Cabbs^ge,  Turnips,  and  other  small  seeds  dear  to  birds,  should 
first  be  shaken  up  in  a  damp  cloth  (they  stick  together  if  heavily 
sprinkled  with  water)  and  be  then  rolled  in  powdered  red  lead 
sufficiently  to  coat  them  with  it.  Birds  seldom  interfere  with  seeds  thus 
treated,  and  the  red  lead  does  no  damage. 
Celery. — Before  the  seedlings  become  tall  and  weakly  the  requisite 
number  ought  to  be  pricked  out,  with  a  view  to  having  sturdy  plants,, 
each  with  a  ball  of  soil  about  the  roots.  Select  a  hard  base,  for  either 
ordinary  or  extemporised  frames  to  scand  on,  and  place  inside  a  layer  of 
decayed  manure  and  leaves  to  a  depth  of  4  inches  after  it  has  been 
trampled.  On  this  put  about  2  inches  of  fine  light  soil,  making  all 
smooth  and  level.  Prick  out  the  Celery  plants  in  straight  lines  4  inches 
apart  each  way,  sinking  them  to  the  stalks  of  the  seed  leaves.  Give 
a  gentle  watering,  cover  with  lights,  and  keep  close  and  shaded  from 
bright  sunshine  till  they  commence  to  grow  afresh,  when  they  must 
have  plenty  of  light  and  air.  If  no  glazed  coverings  are  available  shade 
from  bright  sunshine,  and  cover  with  blinds  or  mats  during  cold  nights. 
Seeds  may  be  sown  for  a  very  late  crop. 
Tomatoes. — Dull,  sunless  weather  has  favoured  the  production  of 
strong  leafy  growth,  crops  neither  setting  well  nor  swelling  satisfactorily. 
Undue  luxuriance  may  be  checked  by  the  removal  of  a  portion  of  the 
large  leaves,  but  anything  approaching  wholesale  defoliation  ought  not 
to  be  practised.  Ventilate  early,  and  on  warm  days  freely,  and  towards 
midday,  or  when  the  pollen  is  dry,  tap  the  supporting  stakes  or  wires,  as- 
the  case  may  he,  or  the  stems  with  a  padded  stick,  this  effecting  a  good 
set  of  fruit.  Plants  already  furnished  with  two  or  more  clusters  of  fruit 
should  be  fed  freely,  soot  water  answering  well  for  a  change,  or  the  later 
flowers  may  fail  to  set.  Enough  warmth  should  be  maintained  in  the 
hot-water  pipes  to  keep  the  atmosphere  dry  and  buoyant.  There  ought 
to  be  no  delay  in  shifting  plants  that  are  to  fruit  in  greenhouses  and  pits 
into  either  large  pots,  mounds,  ridges,  or  beds  of  soil. 
Open-air  Plants. — Directly  the  late-raised  plants  are  strong  enough 
for  potting  place  each  singly  in  4-inch  pots,  using  good  loamy  soil  and 
sinking  them  to  their  seed  leaves.  Keep  moderately  warm  and  shaded 
till  they  have  formed  a  few  fresh  roots,  when  all  ought  to  be  freely 
exposed  to  the  sunshine  and  air,  sturdy  plants  succeeding  best  when 
planted  out.  Late  raised  plants  not  more  than  5  inches  high  are  prefer¬ 
able  to  much  larger  plants  in  6-inch  pots,  the  latter  seldom  setting  an 
early  cluster  of  fruit. 
Seeds  to  be  Sown. — The  state  of  the  ground  has  seriously  inter¬ 
fered  with  garden  operations,  and  it  is  to  be  feared  that  much  seed  that 
has  been  sown  will  have  perished,  or  slugs  and  other  enemies  have 
destroyed  the  weakly  seedlings  almost  as  fast  as  they  come  through  the 
soil.  Where  only  a  few  plants  remain  it  will  probably  prove  the  wisest 
to  hoe  over  the  ground  and  sow  afresh  ;  but  if  blanks  occur  at  intervals 
only  sow  more  seed  where  these  occur.  This  applies  to  Carrots,  Onions, 
Parsnips,  Turnips,  Salsafy,  and  the  like  ;  also  to  Peas,  Beans,  and 
Lettuce.  Beet  and  Carrot  seeds  may  be  sown  now  in  quantity,  and  so- 
also  should  main  crop  Peas,  with  Spinach  between  ;  Kidney  Beans  sown 
on  warm  borders,  and  Vegetable  Marrows  singly  in  4-inch  pots  under 
glass.  New  Zealand  Spinach  may  either  be  raised  singly  in  small  pots 
or  the  seeds  be  sown  in  a  pan,  and  the  plantB  potted  singly  when  large 
enough. 
Nitrogen. — Five  times  as  much  nitrogen  is  lost  from  uncovered 
fields  as  from  those  that  are  kept  covered  by  Clover  and  other  mulch 
crops.  Keep  land  covered  with  some  erowing  crop.  It  is  Nature’s  way 
of  maintaining  fertility.  Vegetable  and  humus  matter,  important  as 
they  are,  are  not  sufficient.  Nitrogen  can  be  supplied  by  the  legu¬ 
minous  plants,  such  as  Clover.  They  are  the  traps  to  bring  the  nitrogen 
from  the  atmosphere,  that  most  expensive  element  when  bought  in  the 
market  .  The  bulb-shaped  roots  and  nodules  are  supposed  to  be  the 
result  of  bacterial  action.  Barnyard  manure  is  supposed  to  contain 
these  bacteria  so  essential  to  healthy  Clover.  An  advantage  in  soiling  is 
the  gain  in  the  amount  of  manure  that  will  be  made  when  feeding  stock 
in  the  stable.  They  can  be  stabled  night  and  day — except  a  few  hours 
for  exercise  and  sunshine — and  all  the  liquid  and  solid  manure  carefully 
saved.  The  stable  should  be  so  constructed  as  to  permit  the  entrance  of 
abundance  of  fresh  air.  With  plenty  of  windows  so  constructed  that 
they  can  be  readily  taken  out  entirely,  and  opening  all  doors,  good 
ventilation  can  be  secured.  During  spring  and  summer  it  is  difficult  to 
absorb  all  the  liquid  manure,  and  some  arrangement  should  be  made 
whereby  it  can  be  conveyed  to  a  cistern  near  the  stable,  and  from  there 
to  the  field.  The  liquid  manure  from  horses,  cattle,  and  sheep  contains 
about  three  times  as  much  nitrogen  and  potash  as  the  solid  excrement. 
Nitrogen  is  one  of  the  most  expensive  plant  foods,  and  all  should  be 
carefully  saved  and  applied.  The  value  and  strength  of  liquid  manure 
is  shown  by  the  fact  that  it  must  be  diluted  before  applying,  or  it  will 
kill  the  foliage  of  most  plants.  Four  parts  water  to  one  of  liquid 
manure  is  as  strong  as  it  ought  to  be  used. — (“  Rural  World.”) 
