August  27,  1896. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
195 
If  it  be  the  chlorides  of  the  kainit  that  kill  the  eelworm,  why 
not  recommend  the  use  of  pure  chloride,  like  magnesium  or  sodium 
chloride,  or  what  is  better  still,  chloride  of  potash  ?  In  some  sixty 
different  experiments,  conducted  with  the  greatest  care  by  one  of 
the  most  successful  horticulturists  in  our  country,  it  was  found 
that  66  ozs.  of  chloride  of  potash  in  12  cwts.  of  infested  Cucumber 
soil  did  not  affect  the  plants  or  kill  eelworms.  The  same  quantity 
of  quicklime  and  salt  (chloride  of  sodium)  respectively  were  also 
used,  but  with  no  better  effect,  proving  beyond  a  doubt  that 
neither  free  lime  nor  chlorides  are  able  to  kill  eelworm  in  soil  or 
Cucumber  roots. 
When  a  house  is  once  infested  with  this  pest  there  does  not 
seem  to  be  any  means  of  completely  eradicating  it.  I  have  seen  all 
the  old  soil  taken  out  of  a  house,  and  the  latter  and  walls  washed 
with  a  strong  solution  of  phenyle,  the  soil  left  being  afterwards 
saturated  with  the  above  solution.  New  soil  was  then  brought  in 
and  planted  with  Cucumbers,  but  with  what  result  ?  The  roots 
were  attacked  by  the  eelworm,  some  being  one  mass  of  knots  or 
nodular  enlargements.  No  kind  of  artificial  manure,  such  as 
nitrates,  chlorides,  sulphates,  or  phosphates  seemed  to  have  any 
effect  in  destroying  this  pest. 
In  America  whole  field  crops  are  often  destroyed  by  the  root 
eelworm.  Various  remedies  have  been  tried,  but  no  practical  cheap 
one  has  yet  been  discovered.  If  chlorides  or  kainit  would  kill, 
how  easy  and  cheap  it  would  be  to  apply  this  to  the  fields,  say  at 
the  rate  of  1  ton  per  acre,  and  destroy  this  pest.  In  practice  we 
have  very  different  conditions  to  deal  with  than  placing  the  roots 
of  plants  or  eelworms  in  solution,  and  to  watch  the  effect  ;  after¬ 
wards  thinking  the  same  conditions  will  apply  to  solutions  applied 
to  growing  plants.  With  regard  to  chlorides  in  kainit  killing  sleep¬ 
ing  disease  in  Tomatoes,  I  have  used  this  as  a  constituent  of  my 
manure  all  the  season,  but  still  isolated  plants  keep  dying. 
I  shall  be  pleased  to  give  a  brief  sketch  of  the  life  history  of 
the  eelworm  if  the  Editor  will  allow. — W.  D. 
[We  shall  be  glad  to  receive  what  our  correspondent  may 
favour  with  as  suggested.] 
AUTUMN-SOWN  LETTUCE, 
[Concluded  from  page  170.) 
In  the  general  cultivation  of  autumn-sown  Lettuces  the  fore¬ 
going  methods  are  not  practised,  but  reliance  placed  on  outdoor 
sowings.  A  sheltered  border  with  south  aspect  is  generally 
chosen,  but  an  east  or  west  answers.  Hardy  varietiea  only  are 
grown,  such  as  Hammersmith  Hardy  Green,  White  Dutch  (larger 
than  the  Hammersmith),  and  Stanstead  Park,  Cabbage  varieties  ; 
and  Brown  or  Bath  (black -seeded)  Cos.  The  Hammersmith 
Hardy  Green  is  the  hardiest,  but  it  soon  runs  to  seed.  White 
Dutch  and  Stanstead  Park  are  very  much  alike,  neither  being  as 
good  as  All  the  Year  Round  for  a  gentleman’s  table.  Brown  or 
Bath  Cos  (black-seeded)  is  the  best  of  all  for  standing  the  winter, 
hearting  and  blanching  well  when  tied  up. 
Lettuces  like  good,  rich,  rather  light  soil.  The  seed  bed  cannot 
well  be  too  firm.  If  manured  and  dug  before  sowing  tread  the 
ground  as  firm  as  for  Onions.  If  land  is  at  liberty  and  can  be 
spared  sow  the  seed  where  the  plants  are  to  remain,  for  trans¬ 
planting  is  only  a  matter  of  convenience,  and  does  no  good  except 
where  the  soil  is  very  rich  and  very  loose,  then  it  checks  growth 
and  induces  a  sturdy  habit,  and  renders  the  plant  hardier  than  it 
otherwise  would  be.  In  such  case — that  of  standing  where  sown — 
draw  the  drills  9  inches  apart  for  the  Cabbage  varieties,  omitting 
every  sixth  row  ;  and  for  the  Cos  1  foot  asunder,  leaving  out  every 
fifth  row.  The  drills  may  be  half  an  inch  deep,  covering  the  seed 
with  fine  soil.  If  sown  in  a  bed  broadcast,  just  cover  with  rich 
soil.  Thick  seeding  in  either  case  is  the  best  means  of  inducing 
“  blackleg,”  as  when  the  plants  get  plenty  of  air  the  fungus  cannot 
grow.  The  best  time  to  sow  the  seed  is  from  the  15th  to  the  24th 
of  August,  the  earlier  date  for  cold  localities  and  the  later  for  the 
mild.  Dustings  of  air-slaked  lime  are  hateful  alike  to  slugs  and 
mildew. 
When  the  plants  are  large  enough  to  handle  thin  them  to 
2  inches  distance  apart.  This  will  secure  a  sturdy  plant  for  trans¬ 
planting  if  weeds  are  kept  under  by  hoeing  between  the  drills,  or 
by  hand-weeding  when  in  beds.  At  the  end  of  September  or 
beginning  of  October  transplant  the  surplus  plants  from  the  drills 
if  a  greater  breadth  of  land  be  then  vacant  and  more  be  required, 
otherwise  leave  the  Cabbage  varieties  9  inches  and  the  Cos  1  foot 
apart,  or  leave  half  the  intended  distance  asunder  to  provide  plants  for 
filling  gaps.  The  plants  from  the  seed  bed  may  be  set  9  inches 
apart  for  the  Cabbage  and  1  foot  for  the  Cos.  The  situation  must 
be  sheltered,  warm  borders  being  beat,  and  in  cold  localities  a 
double  row  should  be  planted  at  the  foot  of  a  south  wall  or  an  east 
or  west. 
These  will  usually  survive  the  severest  winters,  more  plants 
falling  a  prey  to  slugs  than  frost.  Dustings  of  soot  and  quicklime 
are  the  safest  means  of  dealing  with  these  pests.  When  the  ground 
is  firm  neither  slugs  nor  worms  do  nearly  as  much  harm  as  when  it 
is  loose  ;  besides,  the  plants  are  sturdier  and  hardier,  and  this  implies 
more  heart  ultimately.  If  surplus  plants  are  left  in  the  seed  bed 
they  may  be  useful  for  filling  up  vacancies  caused  by  weather  and 
enemies,  of  which  there  are  many,  besetting  Lettuces.  It  is  a  good 
old  plan  to  place  some  of  the  Cabbage  variety  plants  in  a  frame 
6  inches  apart,  and  afford  protection  during  the  winter.  These 
will  give  a  supply  of  useful  heads  before  those  outside  come 
into  use. 
The  plants  cannot  be  kept  too  clean.  Hoeing  during  favour¬ 
able  weather  keeps  a  loose  surface  without  interfering  with  the 
roots.  If  a  little  guano,  2  ozs.  per  square  yard,  be  supplied  early 
in  February,  or  as  soon  after  as  the  weather  is  thawed,  it  helps  the 
plants  along,  but  it  must  be  kept  from  the  hearts  and  be  lightly 
hoed  in.  When  the  plants  are  fairly  on  the  move  in  the  spring, 
^  oz.  of  nitrate  of  soda  per  square  yard  will  add  much  to  the  size 
of  the  plants.  It  must  be  finely  powdered,  and  either  applied 
when  the  plants  are  dry,  or  be  kept  from  their  centres.  About  the 
middle  of  March  is  a  good  time  to  apply  the  nitrate,  and  for  the 
Cos  it  may  be  repeated  in  about  three  weeks  after  the  first  applica¬ 
tion.  Water  will  be  necessary  in  dry  weather,  for  only  food  in 
liquid  form  is  any  use  to  plants,  the  object  being  to  make  it 
serviceable,  get  it  into  the  plants  instead  of  uselessly  remaining  in 
the  soil  to  be  washed  away  when  rain  comes,  and  there  are  no  plants 
to  lay  hold  of  it. — G.  Abbey. 
ARISTOLOCHIA  GIGAS. 
In  case  any  readers  of  the  Journal,  having  suitable  accommoda¬ 
tion,  should  wish  to  grow  this  plant,  of  which  an  illustration 
appeared  on  page  173  of  the  last  issue  as  grown  at  Sheffield,  I  give, 
verbatim,  Mr.  Harrow’s  cultural  instructions. 
“  When  the  plant  has  finished  fiowering,  select  some  pieces  of 
the  stem  with  growth  about  half  matured,  and  cut  them  into  pieces 
of  about  three  joints  and  propagate  them  in  a  case  in  a  warm  house. 
After  rooting,  which  they  do  rather  readily,  pot  them  off  into  small 
pots  3  or  4  inches  in  diameter  ;  keep  them  during  the  winter  in  a 
warm  house,  and  as  they  require  it  pot  them  into  a  size  larger  pot. 
“  In  the  months  of  April  and  May  prepare  a  place  in  a  warm 
house  having  as  light  a  position  as  possible,  and  put  one  of  the 
most  vigorous  of  the  plants  in  a  compost  of  about  three  parts  of 
good  loam  and  one  part  of  decayed  leaf  soil  and  coarse  sand  in 
equal  proportions.  Train  the  growths  beneath  the  roof,  which 
must  be  a  good  height  from  the  fioor,  or  the  flowers  will  not  have 
room  to  develop  the  tail  portion,  nor  be  seen  to  advantage. 
“  The  growing  points  of  the  stem  should  be  pinched  off  after  it 
has  becotne  well  established  to  cause  them  to  branch  out.  As 
soon  as  the  flower  buds  are  visible  apply  to  the  roots  some 
manure — liquid  cow  manure  is  beneficial — about  twice  a  week  ; 
and- when  the  form  of  the  flower  buds  can  be  discerned  (they 
generally  produce  a  large  number,  more  than  it  is  possible  for 
a  single  plant  to  bring  to  perfection),  reduce  their  number  to  a 
dozen,  leave  no  more  upon  a  single  plant,  and  the  result  will  be 
flowers  of  monstrous  size. 
“  From  one  of  our  plants  we  plucked  no  less  than  forty  buds, 
leaving  thirteen  to  develop.  When  cultivated  in  a  pot  the  result 
is  that  the  flowers  are  small  compared  to  those  produced  when 
accorded  the  above  treatment.” — J.  H. 
VEGETABLE  JUDGING  AT  THE  CRYSTAL  PALACE. 
It  seems  incomprehensible  that  whilst  all  other  judging,  whether  of 
plants,  fruits,  or  flowers,  at  the  Co-operative  Horticultural  Exhibition 
held  at  the  Crystal  Palace  should  have  been  so  satisfactory  the  judging 
of  the  vegetables  should  have  left  so  much  room  for  criticism.  It  was 
not  only  that  at  times  mere  size,  and  no  matter  how  big,  was  specially 
favoured,  but  there  was  so  much  that  was  erratic,  or  inconsistent,  a  big 
sample  being  succeeded  in  the  next  prize  by  a  comparatively  small 
sample,  or  vice  versa. 
1  coaid  but  pity  the  poor  exhibitors  who,  in  the  face  of  such  j  adging, 
must  indeed  have  wondered  which  to  exhibit,  things  big  for  mere  bulk, 
or  things  refined  for  quality.  Had  I  not  taken  an  active  part  in  the 
construction  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  code  of  judging  rules 
I  should  have  thought  the  publication  of  that  pamphlet  a  myth,  that,  in 
fact,  the  great  labours  of  its  creators  never  had  been  performed. 
Obviously  it  would  be  a  work  of  charity  to  send  to  the  gentlemen  who 
acted  as  vegetable  judges,  whoever  they  may  have  been,  each  a  copy  of 
that  code. 
There  was  a  singular  case  in  which  of  Long  Surrey  Carrots  the 
lecoad  prize  was  given  to  some  Intermediates.  In  another  case  the  first 
