162 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
February  20,  1902. 
it  into  a  close,  sour  cojiclition  before  the  roots  have  had  time  to 
run  through  it.  Whenever  the  root.s  seem  slow  in  coming,  and 
there  appears  to  be  a  danger  of  the  plants  not  establisliing  them¬ 
selves,  remember  that  a  moist  atmosphere  and  dry  compost  he'i  s 
in  this  direction. — H.  R.  R. 
liSelia  and  Cattleya  Roots  Turning  Black. 
Not  many  weeks  pass  but  that  I  get  complaints  frcm  some  rne 
respecting  the  roots  of  their  Orchids  turning  black  at  the  t:p5. 
often  with  a  request  that  I  will  say  at  once  what  is  che  matter 
with  them,  and  how  it  may  be  prevented.  This  is  not  easy,  as 
a  rule,  for  there  are  many  causes  that  produce  apparently  the 
same  effect.  For  instance,  with  a  newly  imported  plant  there  is 
often  a  flush  of  young  roots  from  the  lead,  and  though  they  look 
healthy  and  strong  at  first,  they  begin  to  turn  black  when  only 
an  inch  or  two  in  length.  There  is  nothing  in  the  compost  to 
cause  the  roots  to  decay;  indeed,  many  of  them  will  not  have 
touched  the  compost. 
In  these  cases  I  have  little  doubt  that  the  root.?  in  an  em- 
hryonic  condition  are  damaged  by  the  long  drying  the  p’ants  get 
after  collecting;  they  are  weakened  in  some  wa;\ ,  and  .socn  show 
it  when  they  are  emitted.  In  other  cases  I  have  no  doubt  that 
file  compost  beinq;  unsuitable  is  the  cause.  When  one  sees  roots 
pushing  from  a  healthy  bulb,  and  themselves  keeping  healthy 
untd  they  reach  the  compost,  when  they  turn  black,  then  there 
is  something  wrong  with  that  compost.  Possibly  the  .spha  inim 
has  been  collected  fi'om  a  foul  stream  and  rvas  not  washed  before 
use  :  or  there  may  be  something  wrong  with  the  peat.  But  wb.at- 
ever  it  is,  the  compost  should  be  renewed  and  care  taken  in  its 
preparation. 
Weak  and  debilitated  specimens  often  push  short  roots  that 
perish  in  the  attempt  to  establish  themselves.  Here  the  case  is 
quite  hopeless,  for  unless  a  plant  has  its  roots  at  work  foraging 
for  its  needs,  it  will  get  gradually  weaker  until  it  dies.  They 
may  have  been  saved  by  taking  them  in  tiine  and  giving  fi’esh 
new  compost,  but  there  comes  a  time  wheir  this  is  useless,  and  no 
matter  how  good  or  how  valuable  a  variety  may  be,  its  place  is 
the  stokehole,  where  it  will  have  to  go  before  long.  Tlius  the 
causes  of  a  plant  going  wrong  must  be  looked  for  in  the  plant 
itself  or  its  immediate  surroundings.  It  is  quite  useless  to  look 
for  a  specific  cure  that  is  going  to  suit  all  cases. — H.  R.  R. 
- - - 
Spinach,  and  its  Substitutes. 
The  earlie.st  supplies  of  Spiirach  in  well-appointed  kitchen 
gardeirs  will  be  obtained  from  autumn  sown  plants  which  have 
been  sown  on  woll-drained  ground,  and,  standing  through  the 
winter,  make  early  growth  in  spring,  produciirg  leaves  for  picking 
before  a  crop  can  be  secured  from  a  spring  sowing.  For  standing 
through  the  winter  the  prickly  variety  of  Spinach  is  frequently 
recommended,  but  there  is  little  or  no  difference  between  this 
and  the  round  variety.  If  anything  the  latter  is  the  hardiest. 
As  soon  as  the  winter  Spinach  commences  to  grow  proceed  with 
thinning  the  plants.  The  best  of  them  may  be  used,  the  others 
thrown  away.  Continue  the  thinning  as  the  plants  begin  to 
touch  each  other,  leaving  them  finally  din  to  Gin  apart. 
The  first  sowings  of  round  Spinach  in  spring  should  be  made 
on  the  warmest  border  in  broad,  shallow  drills,  and  rather  thickly, 
as  the  plants  from  this  sowing  will  hardly  have  time  to  develop 
to  full  size  before  required  for  cuttiirg.  In  the  next  sowing 
scatter  the  seed .  more  thiirly.  The  nlaiits  will  grow  stronger 
from  the  first,  and  throw'  out  finer  foliage.  As  soon  as  any  of 
the  plants  are  ready  for  use,  though  small,  thin  them  out,  thus 
giving  the  rest  more  space  to  extend.  Rich  and  deep  soil  pro¬ 
duces  Spinach  with  large  and  succulent  leaves.  Moist  and  shady, 
as  well  as  rich,  ground  should  be  selected  for  the  main  summer 
crops. 
A  good  position  for  Spinach  is  between  rows  of  Peas,  where 
the  ground  is  invariably  good,  and  some  shade  is  afforded.  Draw 
a  broad  drill  about  an  inch  deep,  and  distribute  the  seed  evenly, 
covering  with  the  finest  of  the  soil.  When  sowing  during  a  dry 
per'ed,  it  will  facilitate'  germiiration  if  the  drill  is  soaked  with 
water  or  liquid  manure;  also,  should  dry  weather  continue,  the 
young  seedlings  may  be  helped  forward  into  ouick  growth  by 
freciuent  overhead  waterings.  This,  however,  will  only  be  neces¬ 
sary  for  the  actual  summer  sowings,  the  moisture  in  the  ground 
in  spring,  and  especially  in  deep,  rich  soil,  being  sufficient  for 
a’1  requirernents  at  that  period.  The  best  of  the  varmties  of 
common  Spinach  are  the  Long.standing  Round  and  Victoria,  both 
these  remaining  some  time  without  running 'to  seed. 
A  good  substitute  for  summer  Spinach  where  the  soil  is  un- 
umally  light  and  dry,  is  the  New  Zealand  Spinach.  This  ic  of 
annual  growth,  and  is  rather  more  trouble  in  the  earlv  stages 
if  it  is  desired  to  gather  early  in  the'  summer,  for  the  seeds 
ought  to  be  sown  singly  in  small  pots  of  light  soil,  piac°d  in  a 
temperature  of  bodeg  to  GOdeg,  early  in  April,  hardening  off 
and  planting  out  in  May  in  rich,  light  soil.  During  Mav  se°d 
may  be  sown  outdoors.  The  plants  raised  in  pots  should  be 
p'anted  out  30in  apart,  and  receive  plenty  of  water  during 
growth.  When  sowing  the  seed  outdoors,  the  rows  may  be  3fb 
apart,  thinning  the  seedl  ngs  to  30in.  It  is  only  the  leaves  which 
are  used  foe  cook'ng,  and  they  can  only  be  had  in  summer.  The 
plant  is  not  hardy  enough  to  stand  frost.  Although  popularly 
known  as  Spinach,  it  is  quite  distinct  from  the  common  Spinach, 
which  belongs  to  the  order  Chenopodiaceae.  The  New  Zealand' 
Spinach  is  Tetragonia  expansa,  belonging  to  the  order  Ficoidese,. 
or  Ice  plant  order. 
Another  plant,  known  as  Perpetual  Spinach,  is  quite  hardy, 
and  gatherings  of  leaves  may  be  made  all  the  year  round  when. 
once  the  plants  have  become  established.  The  young  leaves  are- 
the  best.  I  his  is  known  as  Spinach  Beet,  and  belongs  to  the 
same  order  as  Beetroot  and  common  Spinach — namely,  Cheno- 
podiaceae.  The  culture  of  Perpetual  Spinach  consists  in  sowing 
the  seed  where  the  plants  are  to  stand-  in  rows  18in  apart  and 
2in  deep,  in  April.  The  seedlings  are  best  thinned  to  9in  apart 
in  the  rows. 
Some  gardens  contain  a  good  breadth  of  what  is  known  as 
Wild  Spinach,  All-good,  or  Good  King  Henry  (Chenopodium 
Bonus-Henricus).  It  is  also  known  as  Mercury,  and  is  frequently 
grown  in  cottage  and  other  gardens  in  Lincolnshire,  where  it  is 
appreciated,  because  early  pickings  of  leaves  may  be  gathered 
and  used  as  a  substitute  for  Spinach.  It  is  a  hardy  perennial,, 
and  a  bed  w  11  last  in  good  condition  several  years  if  mulched 
with  a  thin  layer  of  manure  each  autumn.  In  order  that  it 
may  prove  useful,  it  should  be  grown  in  a  rather  dry  and  sunny 
spot.  It  may  be  established  from  seed,  which  should  be  sown 
in  April.  First  well  trench  and  manure  the  ground.  Sovc  t’’'^ 
.seed  in  d^ihs  lin  deep  and  a  foot  anart.  thinn'ng  out  a'r  l  ]?av;  -g- 
the  plants  finally  at  9'n  apart. — E.  D.  S. 
