JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
241 
Maivh  1?,  1903 
than  after,  a  great  rise  of  temperature,  taking  care  to  allow  a 
good  rise  from  sun  heat  after  closing  early  in  the  afternoon  at 
80deg  to  85deg,  allowing  the  temperature  to  fall  to  65deg  at 
night,  or  Oven  60deg  when  cold. 
SUCCESSION  HOUSES. — Disbud  and  .secure  the  growths 
as  they  advance,  stopping  them  two  joints  beyond  the  bunches 
where  the  space  is  limited,  but  where  there  is  room  allow  a 
greater  extension  of  the  shoots  before  stopping  them.  Remove 
the  laterals  from  the  joints  below  the  show  for  fruit,  except 
from  the  two  base  leaves,  stopping  those  at  the  first  leaf,  and 
to  one  afterwards  as  produced.  The  laterals  above  the  fruit 
may  be  allowed  to  make  such  growth  as  can  have  full  exposure 
to  light  without  crowding,  and  then  be  stopped,  pinching  after- 
w'ards  as  in  the  case  of  those  not  having  room  for  extension. 
Remove  all  superfluous  and  ill-formed  bunches  of  the  free-setting 
varieties  as  soon  as  those  that  are  most  promising  for  the  crop 
can  be  selected.  Maintain  the  borders  in  a  proper  .state  of 
moiiSture,  and  secure  a  genial  atmosphere  by  damping  the  house 
well  at  closing  time  as  well  as  in  the  morning  and  evening. 
A  temperature  of  GOdeg  to  65deg  at  night  is  suitable  after  the 
Vines  come  into  leaf,  allowing  65deg  to  70deg  in  dull  days,  and 
7odeg  to  80deg  with  sun  and  ventilation,  taking  care  to  ventilate 
early,  to  avoid  cold  draughts,  and  to  close  early. — Sx.  Albans. 
Kitchen  Garden. 
PLANTING  POTATOES. — The  ground  set  apart  for  the 
Potato  crop  having  been  previously  well  dug  and  recently 
broken  down  with  the  fork,  will,  providing  the  weather  is  dry, 
be  in  excellent  condition  for  planting  the  tubers  of  mid.season  and 
late  varieties.  Early  Potatoes,  too,  may  be  planted  now',  but 
it  is  customary  to  .sprout  the  tubers,  and  defer  the  planting  of 
these  until  next  month,  nothing  being  lost  in  the  matter  of 
earliness  by  so  doing.  The  tubers  should,  however,  have  been 
arranged  thinly  in  boxes  to  sprout  before  this,  .so  that  the  .shoots 
may  be  short  and  sturdy.  One  of  the  best  methods  of  planting 
Potatoes  is  to  do  so  in  drills  drawn  4in  deep.  The  distance 
between  the  drills  must  vary  according  to  the  .strength  and 
vigour  of  the  haulm  of  the  different  varieties.  Early  short 
haulmed  varieties  do  not  need  a  greater  distance  than  2ft 
between  the  drills,  the  tubers  being  a  foot  apart.  Some  of  the 
more  vigorous  midseason  varieties  will  require  27in  to  30in,  the 
tubers  having  15in  between  them.  The  still  stronger  growing 
types  may  need  3ft  between  the  rows,  the  tubers  being  placed 
18in  apart.  In  exceptional  cases,  as  for  instance,  when  winter 
green  crops  are  grown  between  the  rows,  wider  distances  iliay  be 
allowed,  if  necessary,  so  as  to  give  them  ample  room.  In  grow¬ 
ing,  too,  for  exhibition,  the  rows  must  not  be  crowded.  The 
size  of  the  tubers  of  .seed  Potatoes  should,  as  a  rule,  be  medium. 
Very  small  or  very  large  tubers  do  not,  as  a  rule,  give  good 
results.  Large  tubers  may  be  cut  into  sections,  each  having  a 
good  eye  attached.  It  is  not  de.sirable  to  plant  cut  tubers  im¬ 
mediately.  The  .surface  .should  be  dry,  and  to  aid  it  in  doing  so 
dust  w'ith  powdered  lime. 
TOMATOES. — Seedling  plants  from  early  sowings  may  be 
pricked  out  to  strengthen,  or,  if  large  enough,  placed  at  once 
in  small  pots.  Sink  the  stems  low,  as  they  will  form  roots,  and 
thereby  quickly  enlarge  the  plants.  Place  in  a  light,  w’arm  posi¬ 
tion  near  the  glass,  watering  but  moderately.  Pot  on  well- 
rooted  plants  from  small  pots  into  larger,  affording  them  a 
fairly  substantial  compost.  Early  plants  in  a  warm  house  are 
developing  strong  .stems  and  showing  flower  trusses.  Aid  the 
setting  of  the  blooms  by  gently  shaking  them  daily.  Give  a 
warm  top-dres.sing  to  the  roots  when  fruit  has  set.  If  more 
space  is  available  in  a  heated  structure,  place  out  more  strong 
plants  either  in  limited  border  space  or  in  pots.  A  further  sow’- 
ing  of  seed  may  be  made  to  provide  successional  plants  for  cul¬ 
ture  in  ordinary  greenhouses  and  cold  structures.  Seed  will 
germinate  freely  now  in  a  temperature  of  55deg. 
ONIONS  IN  BOXES. — Onions  .sown  early  and  thinly  in  boxes 
should  be  gradually  hardened  off,  still  keeping  them  growing 
steadily,  so  that  they  will  be  of  fair  size  to  plant  out  permanently 
in  April. 
AUTUMN  SOWN  ONIONS. — The  first  favourable  oppor¬ 
tunity  may  be  taken  to  plant  out  from  the  seed  rows.  A  piece 
of  rich  ground  should  be  chosen.  Plant  in  rows  1ft  apart  and 
9in  between  the  plants,  this  giving  ample  room  for  the  produc¬ 
tion  of  large  bulbs.  Make  the  holes  deep  enough  for  admitting 
the  roots  straight  down,  not,  however,  burying  the  bulb  below 
the  surface. 
CELERY  SEEDLINGS. — Seedlings  in  boxes  or  pans  require 
to  have  a  light,  airy  position  near  the  gla.ss  in  order  to  prevent 
them  drawing  and  lengthening  out  to  an  'undue  extent.  This 
is  all  the  more  necessary  if  the  seed  has  been  rather  thickly 
sown.  Make  a  further  sowing,  scattering  the  seed  thinly  and 
covering  lightly. 
ARTICHOKES. — Jerusalem  Artichoke  {ubers  should  be 
planted  out.  This  crop  pays  for  good  culture.  Select  a  rich, 
open  piece  of  ground  and  plant  in  row's  2ft  apart.  The  tubers, 
which  should  be  of  medium  size,  may  be  placed  15in  apart.  The 
white  Artichoke  is  a  good  addition  to  the  purple  variety. — - 
East  Kent. 
*  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  write  privately 
to  any  of  our  correspondents,  seeking  information  on  matters 
discussed  in  this  Journal,  as  doing  so  subjects  them  to  unjustifiable 
trouble  and  expense. 
GRAFTING  RHODODENDRONS  (F.  T.).— The  usual  plan 
is  to  have  the  seedling  .stocks  in  pots,  and  graft  them  either  at  the 
present  time  in  heated  pits  or  in  August  in  cold  frames,  or  in¬ 
arching  may  be  done  in  September  in  the  open  air. 
TRANSPLANTING  BOX  EDGING  (H.  B.).— Just  as  fresh 
grow  th  is  commencing  in  the  spring  is  a  good  time  for  replanting 
Box  edging.  This  is  usually  about  the  latter  end  of  the  present 
month  or  the  beginning  of  7\pril,  according  to  the  .season  and 
district.  You  may  cut  the  dead  wood  from  your  Roses  at  any 
time  now. 
REPOTTING  HARFSFOOT  FERN  (J.).— Two-thirds  of  turfy 
peat,  one-third  of  turfy  loam,  and  a  liberal  admixture  of  broken 
charcoal,  w'ill  form  a  .suitable  compost.  Drain  the  pots  thoroughly, 
and  see  that  the  soil  in  which  the  plant  is  now  growing  is  not 
dry  when  removed.  Tow'ards  the  end  of  the  present  .month,  or 
when  fresh  growth  is  commencing,  is  the  proper  time  for  potting.. 
PLAN  OF  AN  ITALIAN  FLOWER  GARDEN  (C.  C.).— You 
could  gain  suggestions,  doubtless,  through  the  pages  of  such  a 
publication  as  “  Country  Life,”  which  often  illustrates  the 
features  of  the  mo.st  renowned  IBritish  gardens.  Or  by  appli¬ 
cation  to  a  garden  designer,  such  a.s  Mr.  H.  E.  Milner  7,  Victoria 
Street,  London,  S.W.,  whoi  w  ould  probably  forward  a  plan  at  a 
small  cost.  We  have  nO'  prepared  plan  by  u.s. 
A  GOOD  LATE  CHRYSANTHEMUM. — The  following  letter 
is  of  intere.st: — “  I  am  sending  a  few'  of  my  late  Chrj’.santhemums 
of  the  variety  Mrs.  Barkley,  which  appears  to  be  a  good  late  sort, 
and  I  think  the  blooms  very  good  for  so  late  in  the  season.  I  have 
some  more  good  buds,  which  will  not  be  full  out  for  fourteen  days 
yet.  I  have  only  just  finished  cutting  that  useful  variety — 
Golden  Gate.  If  you  think  these  few  lines  are  any  use  to  you 
you  are  at  liberty  to  use  them. — J.  Creed,  Gardener  to  J.  D. 
Sandars,  Esq.,  North  Sand.sfield,  Gainsborough.” 
[Brightly  coloured,  well  filled,  fresh-looking  flowers,  and  un- 
u.sually  late. — Ed.] 
DISBUDDING  VINES  (J.  M.  B.).— You  pruned  your  Vines 
cm'rectly,  and  you  are  adopting  a  wise  course  by  deciding  to  have 
the  lateral  grow'ths  thinly  disposed  on  the  main  rods.  Oyer- 
crow’ding  of  the  spurs  and  laterals  is  a  fertile  source  of  small  im¬ 
perfect  foliage  and  small  fruit.  With  the  Vines  4ft  apart  and 
their  growth  vigorous  we  .should  have  the  laterals  about  18in 
apart  on  each  side  of  the  rod,  an  inch  more  or  less  not  being  im¬ 
portant.  We  should  not,  however,  disbud  the  young  Vines  at 
once  to  the  extent  indicated,  a.s  an  accident  is  ahvays  liable  to 
occur  during  the  early  stages  of  growth,  and  to  lose  a  lateral  after 
the 'final  disbudding  would  leave  a  gap  that  would  not  be  ea.sily 
filled  afterwards.  The  laterals  may  be  left  for  a  time  at  9in 
apart,  indeed,  during  the  present  season,  letting  them  make  all 
the  growth  possible  w  ithout  overcrowding,  as  this  will  encourage 
root-action.  You  may  remove  the  superfluous  laterals  at  any 
time  when  there  are  signs  of  overcrow'ding,  or  in  the  autumn. 
SEA  GULLS  IN  GARDENS  (Heather  Bell).— Although  the 
narrative  of  your  bird  i.s  interesting  the  great  pressure  upon  our 
space  prevents  us  publishing  it.  We  have  had  long  experience  of 
the  utility  of  gulls  in  gardens,  as  they  devour  worms,  slugs, 
grubs,  and  insects  with  avidity.  The  birds  also  become  very 
tame,  and  attach  themselves  to  those  who  feed  them,  for  they 
require  feeding  during  very  dry  w'eather  in  summer,  and  espe¬ 
cially  during  severe  weather  in  winter.  When  the  frost  is  very- 
intense  it  is  desirable  to  afford  them  some  shelter.  We  are  inti¬ 
mately  acquainted  with  one  of  the  few  “homes  of  the  gulls”  in 
England.  The  birds  arrive  in  early  spring,  lay  their  eggs  on  the 
margin  of  a  secluded  piece  of  water,  rear  their  young,  then 
migrate  to  the  sea,  living  on  fish  during  the  winter.  In  the 
breeding  ground  to  which  we  allude  there  are  countles,s  thousand.s 
of  these  pretty  birds  (the  black- headed  gull),  and  they  are  of 
great  benefit  to  the  district,  as  for  some  miles  around  they  are  in 
every  field  in  which  ploughing  is  being  done,  every  furrow  being 
crowded  with  them  within  a  foot  or  two  of  the  ploughman  s  heels. 
From  these  fields  they  must  take  millions  of  grubs  and  insects. 
When  kept  in  gardens  they  search  diligently  after  similar  food, 
and  do  not  in  the  slightest  degree  injure  any  crops.  Suitable 
food  for  the  birds  during  winter  is  raw  liver,  and  scraps  of  refuse 
meat  of  almost  any  kind. 
