374 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  24,  1902. 
'the  Custard  Marrow,  ornamental  and  useful ;  and  Pen-y-byd,  a 
very  productive  variety  of  good  flavour.  Moore’s  Cream  is 
another  good  and  free-setting  Marrow,  with  oval,  cream-coloured 
fruit  of  excellent  quality.  The  Bush  Marrow  may  be  grown  in  a 
limited  space. 
PEAS.— Good  varieties  of  Peas  to  sow  now  are  Dr.  McLean, 
Best  of  All,  Yorkshire  Hero,  Veitch’s  Perfection.  It  always  pays 
to  select  good  ground  for  Peas,  and  at  tliis  period  of  the  year  the 
drills  should  be  drawn  in  shallow  trenches,  as  by  doing  this  it  is 
possible  to  afford  the  rows  abundance  of  moisture  at  a  time  when 
extra  quantities  are  necessary  for  the  proper  sustenance  of  the 
plants  and  bringing  the  pods  to  ijerfection.  Keep  the  ground 
clean  and  open  by  hoeing  between  the  earliest  rows,  and  fix 
sticks  to  others  as  they  advance.  New,  branching,  and  twiggy 
Pea  sticks,  such  as  those  obtained  from  Beech  and  similar  trees, 
are  better  than  old  and  decaying  sticks  of  the  previous  year. 
CELERY. — It  is  important  to  prick  out  a  good  stock  of  seed¬ 
lings,  both  of  the  first  and  successional  sowings,  made  in  pans 
or  boxes  under  glass.  The  first  batch  ought  now,  however,  to  be 
established,  and  the  lights  may  be  drawn  from  the  frames  cn 
every  convenient  opportunity,  finally  fully  exposing  to  prevent  an 
undue  amount  of  growth.  Small  plants  to  be  pricked  out  now 
from  the  seed  pans  or  boxes  should  be  lifted  with  as  much  root 
as  practicable,  pricking  them  out  4in  apart  on  a  rich  bed  of  soil 
in  a  cold  frame.  A  further  sowing  also  may  be  made  now  in  a 
pan  placed  in  the  greenhouse,  the  plants  being  eventually  pricked 
out  on  a  bed  outdoors.  These  will  furnish  the  latest  crop. 
PLANTING  POTATOES. — Complete  the  planting  of  early 
sprouted  Potatoes  as  well  as  the  midseason  and, late  crops.  All 
Potatoes  should  be  planted  on  well  pulverised  ground,  so  that  the 
drills  may  be  easily  drawn  and  the  sets  readily  covered  up. 
Except  for  extra  strong  and  robust  growing  varieties  the  rows 
need  not  be  planted  wider  than  2ft  6in.  Early,  short  haulmed 
Potatoes  have  ample  room  at  a  distance  of  2ft,  the  sets  being  12iu 
asunder  in  the  rows.  The  depth  of  drills  should  be  4in  to  Gin. 
SPRING  CABBAGE. — The  ground  between  Cabbages, whether 
they  are  well  established  and  growing  freely  or  have  only  recentlj' 
been  planted,  should  be  stirred  over  with  the  hoe,  so  as  to  loosen 
the  surface,  kill  seedling  weeds,  and  promote  the  growth  of  the 
plants.  At  the  same  time  the  opportunity  may  be  seized  ef 
scattering  along  the  rows  a  little  stimulant  of  some  kind,  which 
wall  encourage  the  growth.  Vacant  places  in  the  rows  may  be 
filled  with  plants  from  the  seed  bed. 
SPINACH. — The  fir.st  sowing  of  Round  Spinach  is  now  grow¬ 
ing  freely,  and  a  little  thinning  can  be  given.  Down  each  side  of 
the  row  loosen  the  soil  well  and  afford  a  dressing  of  .soot.  A 
further  sowing  of  this  vegetable  will  be  found  useful.  A  wide, 
shallow  drill,  2in  deep,  is  suitable.  Scatter  the  seed  thinly  in  it 
and  cover  with  fine  soil.  Finer  leaves  result  from  thinning  out 
the  seedlings,  especially  if  growing  in  rich  soil. 
PARSLEY. — Being  so  much  esteemed  and  in  constant  de¬ 
mand,  a  good  bed  of  it  should  be  made.  If  not  previously  sown, 
estabhsli  a  bed  now  by  this  means,  .sowing  either  in  drills  cr 
broadcast.  To  secure  fine  plants  ample  space  is  required,  hence 
thinning  severely  must  be  adopted ;  but  it  may  be  done  gradually 
as  tile  plants  begin  to  touch  each  other.  The  autumn  sown  plants 
are  now  commencing  to  grow,  and  as  they  are  usually  too  thick,  a 
large  proportion  may  be  removed  with  advantage  to  those  left. 
Weeds  also  may  be  moved.  A  liberal  dressing  of  soot  will 
accelerate  the  growth  of  Parsley. — E.4ST  Kent. 
Meteorological  Observations  at  Chiswick. 
Taken  in  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens  at  Chiswick 
height  above  sea  level  24  feet. 
Date. 
1  I 
Direction  of 
Wind. 
Temperature  of  the 
Air. 
Rain. 
Temperatuie  of 
the  Soil. 
At  9  A.M. 
Lowest  1 
Temperature 
on  Grass.  I 
1902. 
April. 
At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
At 
1-ft. 
deep. 
At 
2-ft. 
deep. 
At 
4  ft. 
deep. 
Dry 
Bulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
cJi 
0) 
.c 
to 
5 
CC 
<o 
o 
J 
:SunIay  ...13 
Monday  ...14 
Tuesday  ..15 
Wed’sday  16 
Thursday  17 
Friday  ...18 
Saturday  19 
w.s.w. 
S.E. 
E.S.K. 
W.S.W. 
W.N.W. 
W.N.W. 
S.S.E. 
deg. 
46-9 
49-9 
48- 9 
49- 5 
49-2 
46- 7 
47- 9 
deg. 
41-7 
404 
48'0 
45-3 
47-0 
44-9 
51-0 
deg. 
57-2 
55-4 
60-2 
60T 
62'2 
60-4 
68-0 
deg. 
35- 0 
31-2 
42- 9 
43- 0 
39-4 
36- 9 
39-0 
Ins. 
002 
0-07 
deg. 
44- 6 
45- 4 
46- 6 
47- 7 
48- 5 
48-3 
47-9 
deg. 
45.0 
45-7 
45- 9 
46- 4 
47- 0 
47-5 
47-6 
deg. 
45-6 
45-7 
45- 8 
46- 0 
46-2 
46-2 
46-5 
deg. 
24-3 
23-6 
39-5 
33-2 
320 
29*3 
29-0 
Means  ... 
48-4 
45-5 
60-5 
38*2 
Total. 
0-09 
470 
46-4 
46'0 
30  T 
The  weather  has  been  fine  during  the  past  week,  AvitlTbri^t  sun 
:  shine,  high  winds,  and  little  rain. 
All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should  be  directed 
to  ‘‘  The  Editor,”  12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers,  Fleet  Street, 
London,  E.C.  It  is  requested  that  no  one  will  wiute  privately 
to  any  of  our  correspondents,  seeking  information  on  matters 
discussed  in  this  Journal,  as  doing  so  subjects  them  to  unjustifiable 
trouble  and  expense. 
DESIGNS  (Fall.). — We  advise  you  ivrite  to  Messrs.  Cannell 
and  Sons,  Swanley  ;  and  Messrs.  Toogood  and  Sons,  Southampton, 
Avho  each  publish  pamphlets,  we  believe,  costing  a  few  pence,  on 
the  subject  you  seek  for  instruction.  Let  us  know  your  success. 
VALLISNERIA  SPIRALIS  (J.  B.  W.).— This  beautiful  and 
curious  little  plant,  so  often  u.sed  in  aquaria  indoors  in  this 
country”,  is  shoivn  in  our  very'  small  figure  given  herewith.  We 
also  extract  the  following  particulars  of  the  genus  from  Lindley’s 
“Treasury  of  Botany.”  which  you  may  not  have,  thus: — “This 
genus,  so  remarkable  on  account  of  the  extremely  curious  manner 
in  which  the  process  of  fertilisation 
is  effected,  belongs  to  the  order 
Hydrocharidacese,  and  consists  of 
two  species,  one  of  ivhich  is  confined 
to  Australia,  while  the  other  is 
widely  dispersed  over  the  tropical 
and  warm  regions  of  the  earth — - 
both  of  them,  however,  inhabiting 
only  fresh-water  rivers  or  lakes. 
V.  spiralis,  the  best-known  species, 
and  one  commonly  grown  in  aquaria 
in  this  country,  is  found'^ivild  in 
many  parts  of  Southern  Europe.  It 
is  a  perennial  herb,  and  has  a  very 
short  stem,  bearing  a  tuft  of  thin 
narrow  green  grass-like  leaves, 
hardly  a  quarter  of  an  inch  broad, 
but  often  a  yard  or  more  lonr”  with 
their  apices  finely  sawtoothed :  the 
stem  also  sending  off  suckers  from 
its  sides,  ivliich  ultimately  take  root  and  iiroduce  new  plants.  The 
tivo  sexes  are  borne  on  separate  plants.  The  male  flowers  are 
extremely  minute,  v  liite,  and  of  a  globular  form,  ivithout  special 
stalks,  but  seated  upon  and  entirely  covering  a  short  general 
stalk  of  a  conical  form  ;  the  ivhole  being  enclosed  ivliile  young  in 
a  very  short-stalked  spat  he,  ivhich  splits  into  two  or  three  valves 
at  maturity,  ivlieii  also  the  little  flowers  become  severally 
detached  from  the  general  stalk,  and  rise  by  their  natural 
buoy'ancy  to  the  surface  of  the  ivater,  where  their  three-parted 
calyx  expands  and  permits  of  the  escape  of  the  pollen  from  the 
anthers.  The  stamens  vary  from  one  to  three  in  number,  and 
alternate  Avith  seA'cral  rudimentar-y  ones.  The  female  floAvers 
are  altogether  different  from  the  males.  They  have  a  cylindrical 
ovaiy,  bearing  three  small  spreading  calyx  lobes  at  the  top,  and 
contain  three  rudimentary  stamens,  and  three  large  oval  often 
split  stigmas.  Each  floAver  is  enclo.sed  in  a  tubular  spathe,  borne 
singly  at  the  end  of  a  very  long  slender  spirally-tAvisted  stalk, 
AA'hich  uncoils  more  or  less  according  to  the  depth  of  the  Avater,  so 
as  to  alloAv  the  floAAer  to  float  upon  the  surface,  AA’here  it 
expands  and  is  fertilised  by  its  stigmas  coming  in  contact  Avith  the 
pollen  of  one  or  more  of  the  very  numerous  detached  male  flowers 
floating  about.  After  this  latter  proce.ss  has  taken  place,  the 
spiral  stalk  coils  up  again,  and  by  that  means  conveys  the 
floAver  to  the  bottom  of  the  Avater,  Avhere  it  produces  a  cylindrical 
berry  vaiwing  from  half  an  inch  to  tAvo  inches  in  length,  ana 
containing  numerous  cylintlrical  seeds  marked  Avith  longitudinal 
ridges.  The  leaves  of  this  plant  form  an  exceedingly  beautiful 
object  under  the  microscope,  the  extreme  tenuity  and 
transparency  of  their  cellular  tissue  alloAAung  the  observer  to 
AA'atch  the  movement  of  the  fluid  cofiteuts  of  the  cells.” 
FUMIGATING  WITH  HYDROCYANIC  ACID  GAS  (H.E.  M.). 
— We  had  intended  to  return  to  the  subject  of  fumigating  Avith 
this  gas,  but  pressure  of  other  Avork  has  hindered  us.  No  heat 
required;  the  cyanide,  the  sulphuric  acid,  and  the  Avater  start  a 
chemical  action  AA’hich  gives  off  the  deadly  gas.  The  acid  s 
measured  into  a  glass  beaker,  marked  ounces  on  the  .side,  and  the 
cyanide  (in  a  bag)  is  dropiied  into  the  acid  and  the  Avater.  Mr. 
Johnston  does  not  state  in  his  book  the  ounces  of  either  Avater  or 
.sulphuric  acid  required,  but  the  safest  effectual  quantity  of  the 
cyanide  Avas  0.25  gramme  per  cubic  foot  of  air  space  to  be 
fumigated.  But  Ave  may  be  able  to  giA'e  you  fuller  information 
in  our  next  issue.  ,  . 
