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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  1898. 
BLACKTHORN  WINTER. 
How  rarely  now  do  we  escape  this  above-named  spring  visitation  ! 
Yet  is  it  for  us  as  gardeners  a  time  of  the  greatest  interest  and  concern. 
Plums,  Pears,  and  Cherries  in  full  bloom,  Gooseberries  and  Currants 
fully  open  and  leafy,  yet  tender  ;  and  upon  the  safe  passing  through 
by  these  fruits  at  this  critical  stage  hinge  all  our  hopes  of  getting  a 
good  crop  of  their  products.  Just  lately,  how  bitterly  cold  has  the 
wind  been  !  how  intensely  cold,  and  keen  the  frosts  at  night  !  If  the 
bloom  has  managed  to  pull  safe  through  such  a  time,  then  has  it  been 
harily  indeed.  Naturally,  it  has  been  a  period  of  intense  anxiety  to  fruit 
growers.  Men  who  embark  in  hardy  fruit  culture  need  be  made  of  iron  to  be 
able  to  pass  through  such  periods  of  anxious  care  as  these  Blackthorn  winters 
invariably  are.  The  chief  hope  that  much  of  the  bloom  may  have  escaped 
harm  lies  first  in  its  exceeding  abundance,  so  much  of  it  being  easily 
spared,  and  also  in  exceeding  dryness  of  the  soil  and  air.  The  soil  is 
indeed  exceptionally  dry,  and  because  so  arid  there  has  been  little 
humidity  in  the  atmosphere  at  night.  But  in  relation  to  overcoming  the 
climatal  conditions  our  springs  now  so  commonly  impose  on  horticulture, 
we  have  more  and  more  to  realise  the  very  important  part  in  production 
of  fruits  and  tender  vegetables  that  glass  houses  must  play.  'That  this 
fact  is  being  largely  recognised  is  evidenced  in  various  directions  by  the 
truly  immense  breadths  of  glass  houses  being  erected.  Some  day  perhaps, 
should  no  legal  decision  interpose,  we  may  see  fruit  culture  under  glass 
even  of  Plums,  Pears,  Cherries,  and  bushes  enormously  extended.  For 
that  reason,  if  for  no  other,  it  is  difficult  to  regard  the  appeal  to  te  made 
to  the  House  of  Lords  re  market  glass  houses  assessment  with  other  than 
profound  concern.  The  decision  then  given  may  kill  or  give  new  life  to 
the  present  expansion  of  food  culture  under  glass.  If,  after  seeing  such 
a  magnificent  bloom  promise  on  our  trees  of  a  great  fruit  crop,  frosts 
materially  destroy  it,  what  a  grave  misfortune  it  would  be  indeed. — A.  D. 
Blackthorn  winter,  as  country  folk  call  the  present  season,  when 
the  above  plant  (Prunus  spinosa)  is  blooming  in  the  hedgerows,  is 
conspicuous  for  cold  easterly  winds,  frosty  nights,  and  bright  sunshine 
in  the  daytime.  All  this  means  careful  attention  in  ventilating  vineries 
and  other  houses  in  which  there  is  tender  foliage.  Leave  the  ventilators 
of  an  early  vinery  open  when  the  sun  goes  in  and  black  clouds  stop  the 
supply  of  warmth,  the  keenness  of  the  wind  is  then  felt,  and  Vines  suffer. 
Neglect,  on  the  other  hand,  to  re-open  the  ventilators  directly  the  sun 
appears  and  the  tender  leaves  are  scorched.  Ventilation  is  one  of  the 
most  important  points  in  Grape  culture  at  this  time  of  the  year,  and  more 
particularly  so  if  the  roof  of  the  house  is  low  in  the  pitch,  as  in  such  cases 
the  leaves  scorch  much  more  readily. — H. 
THE  YOUNG  GARDENERS’  DOMAIN. 
Gold  Penmen. 
With  the  view  of  affording  encouragement  to  young  gardeners  who 
strive  to  acquit  themselves  creditably  in  the  literature  of  gardening, 
marks  are  accorded  to  the  contributions  on  their  merits  in  M.S.  form  — 
not  as  they  appear  when  corrected.  Some  require  ihuch  more  preparation 
than  others,  and  those  writers  are  wise  who  preserve  a  copy  of  the 
articles  which  they  send  for  publication,  and  take  note  of  the  treatment 
to  which  they  have  been  subjected.  The  writers  who  have  obtained  the 
greatest  number  of  marks  during  the  past  six  months  are  “  Nil 
Desperandum”  and  “Semper,”  who  thus  entitle  themselves  to  the 
“Fountains.”  We  should  like  to  publish  the  letters  they  have  sent  in 
acknowledgement  of  the  articles  “  more  powerful  than  the  sword,”  but 
pressure  on  space  forbids.  They  will  not  be  the  less  satisfied  by  knowing 
they  did  not  win  easily,  and  one  more  article  from  each  of  two  con¬ 
tributors  would  have  placed  them  at  the  head  of  the  lists.  We  extend, 
not  to  the  winners  only,  but  those  losers  who  persevere,  our  best  wishes 
for  their  future  prosperity.  Educated  gardeners  who  are  equally 
practical  are  the  men  of  the  future,  and  all  the  more  accomplished 
gardeners  of  the  present,  who  occupy  the  highest  positions,  are  men  who’ 
have  striven  the  most  perseveringly  in  the  laudable  work  of  self-improve¬ 
ment.  They  may  have  had  to  work  and  wait,  but  they  have  been  equal  to 
the  requirements  when  opportunities  have  come. 
Feeesia  eepracta  alba. 
I  THINK  it  would  be  almost  impossible  to  find  a  winter-flowering 
bulbous  plant  with  more  excellent  qualities  than  Freesia  refracta  alba. 
We  have  other  bulbs,  no  doubt  superior  in  some  respects,  but  fail  in  the 
combined  qualities  which  this  plant  possesses.  In  the  adornment  of  the 
conservatory  or  greenhouse  the  white  sweet-scented  flowers  are  a  grand 
acquisition,  while  in  a  cut  state,  for  vase  or  buttonhole  work,  they  are 
invaluable.  They  retain  their  freshness  a  considerable  length  of  time — 
an  important  consideration  where  flowers  for  this  purpose  are  in  great 
request. 
A  good  time  to  pot  the  hulbs  is  about  the  middle  of  August,  using  as 
a  compost  a  fibrous  loam,  two  parts  to  one  of  well-decayed  leaf  mould, 
and  a  fair  sprinkling  of  coarse  sand  and  wood  ashes,  which  tends  to  keep 
the  soil  sweet.  The  largest  bulbs  should  be  selected.  We  find  5-inch 
pots  large  enough  for  five  bulbs.  They  are  potted  moderately  firm,  and 
are  afterwards  stood  out  of  doors  covered  with  ashes.  As  soon  as  growth 
appears  we  remove  them  to  a  cold  frame,  where  they  are  allowed  to  grow 
steadily,  staking  being  attended  to  as  it  becomes  necessary. 
I  find  Freesias  require  careful  watering,  especially  before  the  pots 
are  filled  with  roots,  when  a  little  weak  liquid  manure  benefits  them. 
This  may  be  continued  with  advantage  till  the  bulbs  are  almost  ripe.  To 
insure  good  flowers  the  following  year  the  bulbs  must  be  thoroughly 
matured  in  the  sun — in  fact,  they  will  almost  stand  baking. — Aspirant. 
The  Kitchen  Garden. 
How  beneficial  it  would  be  for  us  to  leave  the  glass  structure  for  a 
time  and  take  a  turn  at  that  important  branch  of  all  establishments — viz., 
the  kitchen  garden.  Generally  speaking  it  is  feared  this  is  too  much 
neglected  by  3  0ung  gardeners.  Perhaps  a  cursory  glance  at  the  growing 
crop  is  all  that  is  bestowed,  and  the  exclamation  follows,  “  Oh  !  it’s  only 
a  row  of  Peas  or  Beans,  or  a  plot  of  Cabbages,  as  the  case  may  be  ;  of 
what  use  are  those  things  to  us  ?  ”  Has  it  ever  occurred  to  us  of  what 
importance  in  after  life  a  knowledge  of  this  branch  may  be  ?  I  am  afraid 
to  some  of  our  craft  it  may  seem  “  lowering”  to  study’  the  kitchen  garden, 
but  calling  to  mind  a  few  of  our  prominent  men,  shall  we  not  find  them 
excellent  practitioners  in  it  1  and  hence  its  importance  to  young 
gardeners.  Where  is  the  loss  ?  None  whatever  ;  on  the  contrary,  a  great 
store  of  knowledge  if  we  will  but  gather  it. 
It  may’  not  have  been  given  to  us  all  to  take  our  turn  with  the  spade. 
Could  we  not  make  up  for  shortcomings  by  a  general  observation  of  the 
operations  in  the  kitchen  garden  ?  The  year  is  not  too  far  spent  if  we 
commence  at  once.  True,  many  seeds  will  have  been  sown,  but  we  should 
take  stock  of  the  time  of  sowing,  distances  of  rows,  and  note  the  results, 
making  an  entry  in  a  diary  kept  solely  for  the  purpose.  As  we  get  up 
to  date  we  should  take  a  turn  round  the  kitchen  garden  each  evening, 
observing  the  different  operations  of  the  day’.  By  so  doing  we  should 
obtain  a  thorough  insight  into  the  system  of  kitchen  gardening,  at  the  same 
time  learning  the  names  of  the  several  vegetables.  How  useful  it  will 
be  for  us  to  know  the  season  different  varieties  of  Cabbage,  Cauliflower, 
Broccoli,  and  Peas  came  into  use  for  the  table,  calculating  the  time  from 
the  sowing  of  the  seed,  and  entering  in  our  diaries.  As  autumn  comes 
on  we  should  note  the  different  methods  of  lifting  roots  and  storing,  also 
the  structures  they  are  stored  in. 
What  shall  we  not  learn  in  the  season  from  noting  the  different 
methods  of  preparing  the  ground  for  the  reception  of  crops,  the  site  for 
this  and  that,  why  this  piece  of  ground  is  trenched,  and  the  benefits 
derived  from  it  ?  We  could  in  this  latter  case  advantageously  study  the 
subsoil  of  our  garden.  Then  there  are  the  various  methods  of  manuring 
and  manures,  and  a  very  important  item,  the  rotation  of  crops.  We  must 
not  forget  the  forcing  of  different  vegetables.  Potatoes,  Seakale,  and 
Asparagus,  for  instance.  We  shall  learn  much  from  observing  the  ways 
of  so  doing.  My  subject  is  an  extensive  one — one  that  young  gardeners 
must  not  lightly  deal  with.  It  requires  perhaps  more  study  and 
energy  than  we  think,  but  we  may  overcome  all  obstacles  by  diligent 
perseverance,  and  should  strive  to  make  it  our  endeavour  to  hold  our  own 
against  all  comers  in  the  days  to  come. 
Yet  another  item,  and  not  a  small  one.  There  is  generally  outside 
fruit  culture  in  connection  with  the  kitchen  garden.  We  may  be  excellent 
practitioners  under  glass,  but  how  would  some  of  us  shape  if  told  to  take 
charge  of  the  outdoor  department  ?  We  should  endeavour  to  get  a  good 
insight  into  this,  it  will  be  useful  in  the  long  run. — Semper. 
Bananas,  or  Musas. 
There  are  two  ways  of  growing  Bananas — namely,  in  borders  and  in 
pots.  They  do  well  both  ways,  but  I  think  borders  are  the  best — at  least, 
better  fruit  seems  to  result  from  them.  In  making  the  borders  have  them, 
tf  possible,  about  36  inches  deep.  Provide  about  10  inches  of  drainage, 
and  if  there  are  a  couple  of  hot-water  pipes  in  the  rubble  for  bottom 
heat,  so  much  the  better.  Over  the  drainage  place  inverted  turves,  as  If 
for  a  Vine  border,  and  fill  up  with  a  compost  of  mellow  fibrous  loam,  which 
has  had  a  good  sprinkling  of  crushed  bones  and  lime  rubble  added  to  it, 
leaving  about  4  inches  for  water.  Leave  the  suckers  on  the  old  plants 
till  about  a  foot  high,  and  then  pot,  using  pots  according  to  the  amount  of 
roots  detached,  not  crowding,  and  potting  moderately  firm.  When  well 
rooted,  but  before  getting  root-bound,  plant  in  the  borders,  making  the 
soil  fairly  solid.  If  the  borders  are  occupied  until  they  are  vacant  the 
plants  must  be  repotted,  or  they’  will  receive  a  check.  Copious  supplies 
of  water  are  required  during  the  growing  period,  but  a  sodden  condition 
of  the  soil  must  be  carefully  avoided  during  the  winter  months.  With  the 
exception  of  the  one  or  two  suckers  required,  keep  off  all  unnecessary 
ones,  as  they  greatly  weaken  the  larger  plants.  Provide  new  borders  for 
every  fresh  plantation. 
Whenever  the  weather  permits  syringe  thoroughly  twice  a  day, 
maintaining  a  warm  moist  atmosphere.  Keep  the  temperature  at  a 
minimum  of  70°  by  night,  dropping  it  to  65°  in  very  sharp  weather, 
allowing  a  rise  of  5°  by  fire  and  10°  by  sun  during  the  day.  Give  air  at 
80°,  increasing  gradually,  closing  and  syringing  as  soon  as  it  falls  below  80°. 
Damp  down  regularly,  not  omitting  to  do  so  during  the  last  round  at  night. 
Feed  the  plants  slightly,  and  seldom,  until  the  fruits  are  well  set,  then 
gradually  increase  the  nutriment.  Liquid  cow  manure  I  have  found  the 
best  to  use,  with  a  change  now  and  again  with  some  well  proved  chemical 
fertiliser.  Keep  the  house  rather  dry  when  the  plants  are  in  bloom, 
tapping  them  lightly  with  the  hand  abQ;ut  midday.  The  plants  vary  in 
arriving  at  maturity,  and  I  do  not  know  that  there  is  really  any  specified 
time  during  which  a  sucker  will  produce  fruit. 
When  the  fruits  assume  a  golden  colour,  and  with  a  slight  pressure  of 
the  hand  can  be  parted  from  the  fruit-stalk,  they  should  be  taken  off  as 
they  ripen  and  laid  on  a  sunny  shelf  for  a  few  days  in  a  warm  house, 
when  they  will  develop  their  maximum  flavour.  As  soon  as  the  fruit  is 
all  gathered  throw  the  old  plants  away.  Musa  sapientum  is  the  most 
commonly  grown,  but  M.  Cavendishi  succeeds  in  a  little  less  heat.  Now, 
Y.  G.  D.  Banana  growers,  let  us  know  the  quickest  record  of  growing  and 
fruiting  the  plants. — Tim. 
