238 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  12,  1896. 
the  lower  leaves  directly  the  fruit  are  about  half  grown  is  quite  a 
mistake,  as  they  are  required  to  assist  in  swelling  the  fruit.  Dusting 
the  leaves  with  anti-blight  powder  is  a  preventive  of  disease. — 
W.  IG  GULDEN. 
SPRING  SALADS. 
The  supply  of  salad  in  anything  proportionate  to  the  requirements 
of  a  large  establishment  demands  a  large  share  of  forethought  on  the 
part  of  those  responsible,  and  particularly  so  when  conveniences  foi 
such  are  of  a  limited  extent,  and,  as  is  often  the  case  of  an  unsuitable 
character.  Very  much  depends,  too,  on  the  state  of  the  winter,  as  a 
comparison  of  the  present  one  with  that  of  last  year  only  too  plainly 
shows.  At  the  present  time  fairly  good  Lettuce  can  be  cut  almost  daily 
from  narrow  sheltered  borders  from  a  September  sowing,  and  the  same 
may  be  said  of  Endive,  where  such  provision  was  made.  As  a  general 
rule,  however,  Endive  is  sown  too  early  in  the  autumn  to  be  available  as 
a  spring  salad,  and  the  chances  of  having  it  late  are  still  further  limited 
by  the  protection  afforded  during  the  winter  months  against  the  issues 
of  severe  frost. 
Radishes  and  Lettuce  are  undoubtedly  the  most  popular  of  all  such 
crops  available  in  the  spring,  and  among  all  classes  of  consumers,  the 
difficulty  attending  their  production  largely  depending  on  convenience 
and  the  season.  In  pits  heated  with  hot  water  sufficiently  to  keep  them 
frost-proof  both  Lettuce  and  Radishes  can  be  grown  with  comparative 
ease,  but  where  manure-heated  frames  and  pits  only  are  provided  the 
grower  is  dependent  on  the  weather  for  his  success  to  a  large  degree.  In 
these  cases  covering  with  mats,  litter,  or  similar  materials  must  be 
resorted  to  every  night  when  froBt  threatens,  and  when  this  is  severe 
and  prolonged,  as  it  was  last  year,  this  must  often  be  left  on  during  the 
day  as  well ;  and  Radishes,  which  are  so  quick  growing,  are  soon 
rendered  useless  under  such  conditions. 
In  a  heated  pit  the  case  is  different,  for  not  only  can  they  have  full 
exposure  to  light,  but,  what  is  equally  important,  some  air  as  well  during 
the  best  part  of  the  day.  On  a  mild  hotbed  Sutton’s  Early  Forcing 
Radishes  sown  at  the  end  of  January  were  being  pulled  the  last  day  of 
February,  or  in  slightly  more  than  a  month.  Last  season  in  the  same 
pit  they  were  comparatively  useless  for  want  of  air  and  light,  sown  at 
about  the  same  or  a  slightly  later  date.  There  is  an  advantage  in  choosing 
one  of  the  selected  forcing  strains  from  any  of  the  trade  lists  ;  a  few 
days’  gain  in  point  of  maturity  counting  for  much  in  some  or,  indeed, 
many  cases. 
For  frame  work  the  Early  Paris  Market,  Golden  Queen,  and  Com¬ 
modore  Nutt  Lettuces  are  favourites  with  everyone  ;  indeed,  they  are  in 
the  whole  or  in  part  quite  indispensable  for  forcing.  In  a  heated  pit  the 
seeds  are  sown  broadcast  over  the  surface  and  raked  in,  or  covered  with 
a  sprinkling  of  fine  soil.  Except  in  case  of  accidents,  which  will 
sometimes  occur,  and  which  did  with  us  last  year  by  mice  getting  in  and 
clearing  off  the  seedlings  just  as  they  put  in  an  appearance  above  the 
soil,  Lettuces  can  be  grown  in  about  six  weeks  or  so,  when  a  forcing 
Cabbage  variety  is  sown. 
Mustard  and  Cress  almost  anyone  can  grow,  and  this  must  be  sown 
with  regularity  and  fresh  soil  given  each  time  if  a  continuous  supply  is 
in  demand.  At  least  two  sets  of  boxes  or  seed  pans  must  be  kept  in  use, 
and  more  than  this  if  daily  cuttings  have  to  be  furnished,  or  there  will 
be  a  break  in  the  supply.  Watercress  can  be  had  at  any  time  by 
growing  either  from  cuttings  or  seeds  in  pots,  pans,  or  boxes,  and  is 
never  more  tender  and  delicately  flavoured  than  when  grown  in  a  light 
position  under  glass. 
Witloef  Chicory,  grown  under  similar  conditions  to  Parsnips  in 
the  summer,  lifted  as  required,  and  forced  in  a  dark  place,  makes  a  good 
and  attractive  addition  to  the  salad.  It  is,  perhaps,  the  easiest 
of  the  salad  plants  to  manage,  but  is  not  generally  appreciated  to  the 
same  extent  as  those  previously  enumerated.  The  same  roots  will  give 
two  or  three  cuttings  in  succession  if  this  is  required  of  them. 
Cucumbers  for  early  spring  work  can  be  grown  only  by  those  who 
have  well-heated  structures  at  their  command.  Those  favoured  in 
having  a  perfect  system  of  hot-water  pipes  for  bottom  and  surface 
heating  have  an  enviable  advantage  over  those  who  must  depend  on 
manure  beds  for  the  first  crop.  Tripoli,  or  autumn  sown  Onions,  late 
Celery,  Water  and  Land  Cress,  Corn  Salad,  or  Lamb’s  Lettuce, 
Rampion,  and  Tomatoes  are  other  additions  available  for  the  salad  bowl, 
all  of  which  meet  with  more  or  less  general  acceptance,  according  to 
taste.  There  is  a  general  admission,  too,  of  the  medicinal  value  of  green 
or  salad  food,  and  the  wonder  is  that  greater  effort  is  not  made  to  obtain 
it  earlier  in  the  spring,  and  in  greater  variety,  by  a  larger  class  of 
growers  and  consumers.— W.  Strugnell,  Rood  Ashton, 
The  White  Bath  and  the  Crested  Moss. 
The  additional  information  about  the  White  Bath  Moss  Rose  supplied 
by  the  Rev.  David  R.  Williamson,  on  page  167,  is  extremely  interesting, 
and  it  is  also  gratifying  to  find  we  have  been  able  to  keep  abreast,  or 
rather  ahead  of  the  French,  in  the  production  of  an  ideal  Moss  Rose. 
Toe  Crested  Moss  I  do  not  know,  at  least  not  under  that  name,  but  in 
visiting  old  gardens  I  often  meet  with  varieties  of  Moss  Roses  quite 
new  to  me,  and  I  usually  find  great  difficulty  in  unravelling  their 
nomenclature. 
Hybrid  Tea-scented  Roses. 
I  have  already  dealt  with  several  varieties  in  this  section,  but  in 
deference  to  the  wishes  of  “  Rosarian”  in  his  practical,  appreciative,  and 
entertaining  article,  I  will  now  give  a  few  notes  on  the  whole  class, 
which  he  so  truly  observes  is  a  “  much  abused  one.”  I  think,  however, 
this  is  a  matter  that  we  need  not  be  in  the  least  despondent  about,  as 
“  new  classes,”  “new  methods,”  and  indeed  anything  Jnew,  usually  meet 
with  abuse  for  a  time  by  some  individuals  who  cling  tenaciously  to  old 
favourites  and  old  ideas  of  beauty. 
Nevertheless,  I  fancy  it  requires  a  bold  man  to  seriously  question  the 
great  beauty  of  Hybrid  Teas.  True  it  may  be  that  those  who  have 
great  enthusiasm  for  the  true  Teas  like  the  hybrids  slightly  less, 
because  they  have  some  of  the  brilliancy  of  the  despised  Hybrid 
Perpetuals,  but  those  who  shower  their  affections  upon  the  latter  class 
can  scarcely  object  to  the  new  comers  on  the  score  of  attractiveness. 
The  real  cause  of  contention,  I  think,  lies  in  the  difficulty  of  classifica¬ 
tion,  but  this  bugbear  faces  us  at  so  many  points  in  the  horticultural 
world  of  to-day.  We  live  in  an  age  when  there  is  a  perfect  craze  for 
novelty,  and  anything  of  new  form  or  colour  among  flowers  is  eagerly 
sought  after.  Hybridists,  of  course,  endeavour  to  supply  the  demand, 
even  though  by  so  doing  they  violate  the  strict  code  of  rules  laid  down 
by  the  older  florists,  whose  opinions  about  keeping  each  section  distinct 
were  pretty  clearly  defined  ;  and  though  the  natural  result  is  a  greater 
variety  of  attractive  flowers,  in  which  class  distinctions  are  difficult  to 
make,  I  think  flower  lovers  are  the  gainers  rather  than  losers  thereby. 
It  is  really  only  from  an  exhibition  point  of  view  that  the  classifica¬ 
tion  of  these  hybrids  becomes  difficult.  This  to  a  great  extent  will  right 
itself  in  time,  for  as  the  race  becomes  more  numerous,  which  it  is  sure  to 
do,  it  will  naturally  form  an  important  class,  requiring  perhaps  a  sub¬ 
division,  on  the  one  side  ranging  those  which  most  resemble  the  Teas,  on 
the  other  those  which  exhibit  a  greater  likeness  to  the  Hybrid  Perpetuals. 
To  the  latter  division  such  varieties  as  Capiiaine  Christy  and  Cheshunt 
Hybrid  would  be  relegated,  while  Grace  Darling  is  a  good  example  of 
the  type  which  would  form  the  former  section  of  the  subdivision. 
Dealing  briefly  with  the  varieties  individually,  and  taking  them  in 
alphabetical  order,  I  come  to  that  fine  but  not  much  grown  sport  from 
La  France — viz.,  Augustine  Guinoisseau.  This  has  all  the  characteristics 
of  its  parent,  except  in  point  of  colour,  which  is  white.  Bardou  Job  I 
do  not  know,  but  I  have  heard  it  spoken  of  as  especially  good  for 
supplying  cut  flowers.  Camoens  is  of  a  very  attractive  rose  colour,  small 
but  pretty  in  the  bud,  and  excellent  for  cutting.  Capitaine  Christy  I 
have  already  dealt  with  under  the  heading  of  Hybrid  Perpetuals. 
Caroline  Testout  I  also  included  in  that  section,  possessing  as  it  does  so 
much  H.P.  blood  ;  it  is,  however,  a  grand  Rose  of  fine  form,  and  ought 
to  be  grown  by  everyone  who  musters  a  dozen  varieties.  I  do  not  care 
for  Cheshunt  Hybrid  ;  it  is  a  good  doer,  and  if  the  flowers  are  cut  in 
quite  a  young  state  they  are  really  beautiful ;  but  when  fully  expanded, 
the  peculiar  bluish-crimson  tint  they  assume  render  them  anything  but 
objects  of  beauty.  Grace  Darling  and  Gustave  Regis  from  a  pair  of 
exceedingly  good  varieties,  showing  much  Tea  blood.  The  first-named  I 
have  dealt  with  in  my  notes  on  Teas  ;  the  latter  is  a  fine  addition  to  this 
class,  being  a  strong  grower,  having  flowers  of  a  beautiful  deep  yellow 
colour. 
Lady  H.  Grosvenor  gives  flowers  of  a  pale  pink  colour,  grows  freely, 
and  flowers  well,  but  the  colour  is  certainly  not  bo  attractive  as  that  of 
Lady  Mary  Fitzwilliam.  Those  who  find  the  latter  a  poor  grower 
should,  if  possible,  plant  it  against  a  low  south  wall.  Langworth 
Rambler  is  a  wonderful  grower,  quite  adapted  for  covering  rough 
walls,  the  colour  of  the  flowers  being  rather  dark  crimson.  Madame 
Pernet-Ducher  is  one  of  the  gems  of  any  section  ;  although  only  semi* 
