'April  14,  1934. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
The  Cultivation  oi  Vegetables. 
(Concluded  from  page  301.) 
'J  lie  Beetroot  is  one  of  tliose  vegetables  often  giown  too  lai'ge. 
Nine  inches  long  and  about  as  thick  as  one’s  wrist  is  (jiiite 
large  enough.  Good  Ifeet  should  be  quite  smooth,  and  free 
from  side  roots.  Great  care  should  be  taken  when  they  are 
lifted  ;  if  the  roots  are  damaged  all  the  colour  will  be  lo.st  in 
the  cooking.  The  soil  for  this  crop  should  not  he  too  rich,  or 
the  roots  will  be  coarse  and  ugly.  The  end  of  April  is  quite 
soon  enough  for  sowing.  Leeks,  well  grown,  are  always  appre¬ 
ciated.  They  require  a  rich  soil,  deep  and  well-manured,  if  they 
are  wanted  of  a  lai'ge  size,  but  they  will  thrive  in  almost  any 
soi  1.  We  grow  our  earliest  Leeks  in  trenches,  and  earth  them 
up  to  get  as  much  of  them  blanched  as  possible.  For  our  later 
crop  we  plant  deeply  in  deep  drills,  the  soil  being  levelled  down 
by  the  use  of  the  hoe.  Jfy  this  means  we  get  good,  serviceable 
roots,  large  enough  for  any  table,  and  plenty  of  them,  kor  the 
later  crop,  seeds  are  sown  in  March,  but  much  larger  roots 
can  be  obtained  if  they  are  grown  in  the  same  way  as  that 
mentioned  for  growing  large  Onions. 
Now  as  to  Cabbages.  Nothing  is  more  palatable  than  a  weli- 
grown  spring  Cabbage  when  properly  cooked.  It  may  be  termed 
a  common  vegetable,  but,  nevertheless,  it  is  a  mo.st  valuable  one. 
The  same  applies  to  ali  the  Bra.ssica  family — Brussels  Sprouts, 
Cauliflower,  Broccoli,  Savoy,  Kale,  Ac.  The  greate.st  drawback 
to  all  this  family  is  clubbing.  In  this  part  of  the  country  it  is 
very  had,  although  in  some  parts  it  is  hardly  known.  I  find 
nothing  better  than  fresh  gi'ound  as  a  preventive.  If  this  can¬ 
not  be  obtained,  fre.sh  soil  can  be  added  when  planting.  I  take 
out  a  spadeful  of  .soil  when  planting  and  replace  it  with  some 
old  potting  soil,  putting  the  plant  in  this,  and  I  find  it  to  answer 
admirably.  I  have  succeeded  in  growing  good  crops  in  this 
way.  Of  course  when  the  roots  get  through  into  the  old  .soil, 
they  often  become  clubbed,  but  by  this  time  the  plants  are 
fairly  large,  and  produce  a  good  crop.  “  Veltha  ”  claims  to 
he  a  cure  for  clul)bing;  if  it  is,  it  will  prove  a  great  boon  to 
the  gardener.  I  have  tried  “  Veltha  ”  in  our  seed  bed  of 
Brussels  Sprouts  and  Cabbages,  giving  the  ground  a  good 
sprinkling  with  it  when  sowing,  and  we  did  not  find  nearly  so 
many  plants  clubbed  as  we  had  done  previously  on  the  same 
j)iece  of  ground.  I  have  not  given  it  a  trial  in  a  geneial  way, 
as  we  grow  most  of  our  green  stuff  in  the  field,  and  are  not 
much  troubled  with  clubbing  there.  In  the  garden  it  would 
he  usele.ss  to  try  to  grow  good  ci'ops  of  Brussels  Sprouts,  Ac., 
unless  special  care  was  taken  in  the  way  I  have  mentioned  to 
pi  event  clubbing. 
Celery  is  another  vegetahh*  which  I  think  is  often  grown  too 
large.  Medium-sized  heads,  ciisp  and  well  bleached,  are  better 
in  all  ways  than  the  huge  heads  often  seen  at  our  shows.  The.se 
are  generally  pithy  and  u.seless  for  anything  except  flavouring. 
I  have  never  seen  the  Celery  crop  .so  bad  as  it  was  last  season, 
in  some  places  not  a  .sound  leaf  could  be  found.  This  was  the 
the  Celery  fly.  The  only  way  in  which  the  plants  can 
free  from  its  ravages  is  by  .spraying  them  with  qua.ssia 
and  dusting  with  soot  as  recommended  for  Onions, 
fl’his  must  be  done  early  in  the  season,  and  occasionally  when 
they  are  planted  in  the  trenches.  If  persevered  with  you  will 
not  be  trouliled  with  the  Celei'y  fly,  at  least  that  is 
e.xpei'ience.  [See  ilm.stration  on  another  page. — Ed.] 
I  often  wonder  why  moi'e  cottagers  do  not  go  in 
for  a  bed  of  Asparagus.  Is  it  becau.se  they  have  to 
wait  for  a  ,war  or  two  before  they  can  cut  it?  After 
it  comes  into  bearing  it  is  certainly  very  little 
trouble  for  years.  I  think  cottagers  would  do  well 
to  try  it.  I  am  sure  it  would  pay  them  to  grow  it. 
The  ground  for  Asparagus  should  he  well  trenched 
and  manured  before  planting.  If  the  ground  is  not 
too  damp,  and  is  Avell  drained,  the  plants  can  be 
l)ut  in  on  the  level,  l)ut  if  at  all  wet  they  must  be 
planted  on  ridges.  Three  rows  should  be  put  on  a 
ridge,  one  foot  apait  each  way.  One  oi-  two  years’ 
old  plants  can  easily  he  ol)tained,  and  they  are  vei'y 
rea.sonable  in  price,  about  2s.  (id.  to  3s.  per  100.  lii 
planting,  the  roots  should  be  laid  out  flat  on  the  soil 
and  covered  up  to  about  4iu. 
Tomatoes  foi’  the  last  two  yeais  have  been  almost 
a  total  failure  outside,  owing  to  the  unfavourable 
season,  and  nnle.ss  some  kind  of  protection  is  avail¬ 
able  it  is  usele.ss  to  try  to  grow  them  outside.  To 
be  succe.s.sfid  with  them  even  in  a  good  .sea.son,  the 
plants  should  be  weli  e.stablished  before  putting  them 
out.  The  mo.st  s'uccessful  way  is,  of  course,  under 
gla.ss.  No  vegetable  Avill  givm  better  return  for 
genei'ous  treatment  than  the  'I'omato.  Di.sease  will 
seldom  make  its  appearance  if  a  little  air  is  always 
kept  on  in  the  house.  I  have  adopted  this  air 
system  for  the  last  two  yt'ars,  and  during  that  time 
I  have  not  seen  a  hit  of  disea.se. 
For  Seakale  we  plant  a  fiesh  bed  evei'y  year 
when  the  roots  are  dug  up  for  foi'ciug.  The  long 
roots,  as  big  as  your  little  finger  and  larger,  are  ci;t 
work  of 
be  kept 
extract. 
mv 
into  lengths  of  [in  to  oin.  The  top  is  cut  stiaight  across,  and 
the  bottom  .slanting,  in  order  to  distinguish  tluMii.  They  are  tied 
up  into  fifties,  and  laid  to  one  side  till  planting.  We  grow 
about  a  thousand  plants.  In  IMarch  or  April  tbe.se  sets  are 
planted  in  well-dug  ground  made  as  solid  as  po.ssible,  one  foot 
each  way.  When  the  sets  have  commenced  to  grow  all  the 
growths  are  removed  except  one.  In  the  autumn  two  rows  are 
dug  up  and  one  is  b.dt.  This  is  left  to  be  eartbed  up,  and  is 
generally  the  best.  W’e  always  get  our  first  Seakale  at 
Christmas.  It  can  be  had  now  at  anv  time  bv  using  retarded 
roots. 
I  find  it  impossibh'  to  deal  with  every  vegetabh'  in  this  paper, 
and  have  therefoie  touched  only  on  those  which  I  consider  to  be 
the  principal  ones.  To  take  each  one  separately,  and  describe 
its  various  points  and  treatment  would  require  an  evening  for 
each  kind.  Marrows,  Spinach,  Artichokes  (both  Globe  and 
Jerusalem),  Cardoons,  Cucumbers,  Parsnips.  Turnips,  Salsafy, 
liettuce.  Endive,  Ac.,  should  each  have  their  places  in  the 
gai'den,  and  be  wt^ll  looked  after.  They  all  help  to  keep  up,  and 
make  a  change  in  the  supply.  The  importance  of  the  proper 
c^yfiy^fion  of  vegetables  cannot  be  too  strongly  iinjiressed  on 
all  who  wish  to  be  successful  in  gardening.  This'shoiild  be  their 
fir.st  .study.  A  well-managed  kitchen  garden  is  always  a  plea- 
.^1  re,  both  to  the  gardener  and  his  emplover.  — G.  Carpenter, 
The  Gardens,  West  Hall,  Bvfleet,  Surrev. 
A  Group  of  Ferns. — The  small  illustration  on  page  322 
represents  a  groiiji  of  exotic  ferns  arranged  at  a  recent  exhibi¬ 
tion  of  the  Boyal  Botanic  Society  by  IMessrs.  J.  Hill  and  Son,  of 
Dyson’s  Lane  Nursery,  Edmonton.  The.se  groups  are  generally 
set  up  with  skill  and  good  taste,  and  from  our  frequent  reports, 
it  will  have  been  gathered  that  the  sulijects  are  meritorious  in 
more  ways  than  one.  This  firm  does  a  large  trade  in  ferns  in 
which  they  are  specialists.  ’ 
Recent  Publications. The  New  PMrest,”  by  Mrs.  Willing¬ 
ham  Rawnsley.  with  twenty-five  full  page  illustrations  in 
colour;  liondon  :  Adam  and  Charles  Black,.  Ts.  (id.  *  * 
“Economic  Zoology,”  second  report,  by  Fred.  Theobalu, 
M.A.  ;  British  Natural  Hi, story  IMu.seuin,  London,  (is.  *  * 
“  Journal  of  the  Board  of  Agriculture,”  March,  1904,  Is.  *  * 
Eighth  annual  report  of  the  Experimental  Garden,  Droitwich  ; 
fourth  annual  report  of  the  County  Insti'uction  Gardens;  and 
twelfth’  annual  report  of  gardening  instruction  for  the  vear 
1903.  *  *  “  S])ring  Gardening,”  being  No.  13  of  the  rural 
handbooks;  Dan  barn  and  Ward,  Ltd.,  5,  P’arringdon  Avenue, 
E.C..  (id.  net.  *  *  “The  Estate  INlagazine,”  April  2,  (id.; 
Waterloo  Place,  Pall  IMall.  *  *  “The  Citizens’  National 
Union,”  Ijeing  an  old  age  pension  scheme  revised  and  brought 
into  line  with  the  fiscal  question  of  to-day,  by  ,Iohn  Tullis, 
Glasgow;  liondoii  :  Simpkin,  Marshall,  Hamilton,' Kent  and  Co., 
Ijtd.,  (id.  *  *  “Calendar  of  Garden  Operations,”  6d.  net. 
Group  of  Forced  Shrubs.  — IMe.ssrs.  W.  Cutbush  and  Son,  of 
Highgate,  N.,  invariably  exhibit  groups  of  choice  forced  flower¬ 
ing  shrubs  and  plants  at  the  meetings  of  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society  during  Keluuary,  March,  and  April,'  and  they  also 
appear  at  the  exhibitions  of  the  Royal  Botanic  Society  in 
Regent’s  Park.  It  wa.s  there  that  the  above  photograph'  was 
taken  by  one  of  the  girl  probationers  in  gardening,  who  also 
photographed  the  group  of  ferns. 
W.^ 
''V.f  ^ 
■  V 
Forced  shrubs  at  Royal  Botanic  Society’s  Show. 
