488 
JOURNAL  OR  HORTICULTURE  AXD  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
June  P,  1904. 
stakes,  set  tlie  plants  around  them,  and  tie  the  shoots  evenly  to 
the  framework  of  the  pyramid.  With  a  little  attention  to 
watering  and  feeding,  objects  of  brilliant  beauty  may  thus  he 
obtained.  _ _ _ 
It  is  gratifying  to  note  that  the  Ranunculi  are  again  becom¬ 
ing  popular,  for  there  are  few  flowering  plants  in  May  and 
early  June  which  supply  better  material  for  cutting  than  the 
modern  kinds,  which  produce  blossoms  having  a  great  variety  of 
rich  colours.  As  pot  plants  they  are  also  particularly  showy 
and  useful.  For  floweiing  early,  they  should,  of  course,  be 
potted  in  autumn  or  early  winter,  and  plunged  in  ashes  in  the 
open  air  after  the  manner  in  which  Tulijjs  and  Hyacinths  are 
treated ;  but  I  find  that  for  late  flowering  plants  succeed  well  if 
lifted  from  the  open  air  and  are  potted  after  they  have  made  an 
inch  or  so  of  groAvth.  Those  who  will  shortly  be  considering 
their  bulb  order  should  certainly  include  in  the  list  some 
“conns”  of  these  gems  among  hardy  flowers.  — H.  D. 
Fertilisers  for  Market  Garden  Crops. 
(Concluded  from  page  456.) 
Green  Peas. 
In  tlie  case  of  Green  Peas,  as  far  as  mere  weight  is  con¬ 
cerned,  no  substantial  advantage  has  so  far  been  found  to  arise 
from  the  use  of  nitrate  of  soda,  a  good  crop  being  grown  from 
a  light  dressing  of  dung  with  a  dressing  of  phosphates  and 
potash  salts.  The  quality,  however,  of  the  Peas  has  been  im¬ 
proved  by  the  addition  of  2cwt  of  nitrate  per  acre,  both  as 
regards  colour,  texture,  and  taste. 
Globe  or  Thistle-headed  Artichokes. 
The  results  of  five  years’  cropping  on  the  same  plantation 
.showed  that  a  combination  of  concentrated  fertilisers  and  light 
dung  gives  much  better  results  than  heavy  dung.  Probakly 
the  best  dressing  is  about  12i  tons  of  town  dung,  6cwt  of  super¬ 
phosphate,  Icwt  of  sulphate  of  potash  (or  4cwt  of  kainit),  and 
from  2cwt  to  4cwt  of  nitrate  of  soda  per  acre.  This  combination 
gives  on  the  average  a  much  earlier  crop  of  heads  than  where 
dung  only  is  used.  This  is  important  to  growers  wlio  supply 
the  London  markets,  for  Artichokes  grown  in  the  early  part  of 
the  sea.son  are  more  easily  marketable. 
For.  Jermsalem  Artichokes  crop  the  same  recommendations 
may  be  followed  as  have  been  made  for  winter  Lettuces. 
Celery. 
Celery,  except  on  soils  particulai'ly  well  adapted  to  its  cul¬ 
tivation,  cannot,  probably,  be  grown  with  any  great  success 
without  the  use  of  very  much  larger  quantities  of  dung  than 
are  nece.ssary  for  other  crops.  The  dung  .should  be  placed  in 
the  trenches,  together  with  a  dressing  of  phosphatic  manure 
the  crop  may,  dining  its  growth,  be"  occasionally  top-dre.ssed 
with  nitrate  of  soda.  The  use  of  the  concentrated  fertilisers 
may  not  much  increase  the  crop,  but  will  tend  to  make  the  Celery 
more  crisp  and  tender  than  that  grown  by  the  u.se  of  dune 
alone.  ^ 
Strawberries. 
Although  the  Strawberry  plant  contains  a  good  deal  of 
potash,  the  direct  application  of  potash  salts  appears  to  be 
deleterious  rather  than  otherwise  to  the  yield.  The  best 
genei  al  tieatmeiit  is  probabl,v  a  light  annual  dressing  (about 
12  tons  per  acre)  of  town  dung,  with  from  4cwt  to  6cwt  of 
superphosphate,  and  2cwt  of  nitrate  of  soda  per  acre. 
Gooseberries. 
A  light  dressing  of  dung  (about  12  tons  per  acre)  with  6cwt 
of  superpho-sphate,  Icwt  of  sulphate  of  potash,  and  4cwt  of 
nitrate  of  soda  per  acre  has  given  much  better  results  with 
Gooseberries  than  heavier  dressings  of  town  duncr  without  con- 
centiatcd  fertilisers.  Potash  appears  to  be  a  very  essential 
ingredient  of  a  succe.ssful  Gooseberry  manure.  The  crop  of 
Gooseberries  at  Hadlow,  over  three  years,  ivas,  on  the  potash- 
die.s.sed  plots,  not  far  short  of  double  that  on  the  plots  which 
received  no  potash.  If  nitrate  of  soda  be  used  as  the  sole 
ripplfed.”'  P*-- 
Kentish  Cob  Nuts. 
riie.se  are  very  frequently  in  practice  dressed  merely  with 
wool  dmst  Lxperiments  at  Ea.st  Peckham  indicate  that  a 
diessing  of  from  4cwt  to  Gewt  of  superphosphate  and  2cwt  of 
nitiate  ot  .soda  per  acre  greatly  improves  the  appearance  and 
consequently  the  market  value,  of  the  nuts,  although  it  may 
not  increase  the  actual  yield  per  acre.  ^ 
Note  as  to  Superphosphate. 
menfbd*^i4,  »Mys,  superphosphate  has  been  recoin- 
t^^  1,0  .This  IS  on  the  assumption  that  the  soil 
stains  a  sufficiency  of  lime,  that  is  to  say, 
.-  fficieiu  caibonate  of  lime  to  cause  effervescence  when  ^a 
mineral  acid  is  poured  on  it.  On  land  poor  in  lime,  the  place 
of  superphosphate  should  be  taken  by  a  considerably  larger 
weight  ot  basic  slag,  or  of  Peruvian  guano,  or  of  fine  bonemeal, 
or  of  a  mixture  of  superphosphate  and  bonemeal,  or  of  that  form 
of  precipitated  phosphate  which  is  now  to  be  obtained  under 
the  name  of  “basic  superphosphate”;  or  at  any  rate  the  use 
of  one  or  other  of  these  manures  should  be  alternated  every 
other  year  with  that  of  superphosphate. 
Cost  of  Manuring. 
As  a  ruie,  the  concentrated  fertilisers  recommended  in  the 
foregoing  pages  will  cost  about  £3  10s.  per  acre  for  heavy  or 
medium  land,  or  about  £4  for  light  land.  If  town  dung  be 
taken  at  7s.  to  8s.  per  ton,  the  combination  of  12J  tons  of  dung 
and  the  concent  i-ated  fertilisers  will  come  to  between  £8  and  £9 
per  acre.  Sufficient  town  dung  to  give  as  good  a  yield  as  the 
mixed  dressings  would  probably  cost  £15.  Many  market 
garden  crops,  however,  can  be  well  grown  (except  on  very 
light  or  dry  land)  with  chemical  fertilisers  alone  at  a  cost  of 
£3  10s.  or  so  per  acre,  following  some  other  crop  that  has  oeen 
alread.v  dunged. — (The  Board  of  Agriculture  and  Fisheries 
4,  'Whitehall  Place,  London,  S.W.,  IMay,  1904,  Leaflet  lOG.) 
May-Floweiing  Tulips. 
Needless  to  descant  on  the  important  role  played  by  these 
brilliant  blooms  in  the  colour  schemes  of  the  sea.sons,  for, 
although  thej-  come  to  us  when  spring  and  summer  seem  to 
meet,  and  join  in  filling  Nature’s  cup  to  overflowing  with  floral 
wealth  and  beauty.  May  Tulips  hold  an  unique  po.sition.  Passing 
mention,  nevertheless,  must  be  made  of  “  Holland  in  Ireland,” 
from  ivhich  these  notes  are  taken.  Possibly  Mr.  James  Robert¬ 
son,  when  founding  his  little  Dutch  dominions  at  Rush,  on  the 
seaboard  of  County  Dublin,  scarcely  anticipated  the  unqualified 
success  which  now  attends  this  progre.ssive  Irish  industry,  for  it 
must  have  been  at  its  inception  more  or  less  experimental  ;  and 
this  in  spite  of  climatic  conditions  and  geographical  position 
sufficiently  resembling  old  Holland  to  have  induced  him  to 
compete  with  a  monopoly  held  by  the  Dutch  for  over  three 
centuries.  However,  nothing  succeeds  like  success,  and  in  its 
progressiveness,  and  as  an  economic  factor  in  the  welfare  of  the 
“  distre.ssful  ”  country,  this  bulbland  by  the  sea  is,  to-day, 
sufficientl.v  to  the  front  to  register  over  fifty  medals  and  about 
forty  certificates  and  awards  of  merit  to  its  credit. 
There  is  something  peculiarly  striking  to  strangers  about  the 
little  old-world  village  on  the  coast,  so  near  to,  in  one  sense, 
but  so  far  in  another,  from,  the  “  cardrivingest  ”  city  of  the 
Hmiiire.  Somewhere,  “  beyond  the  misty  space  of  twice  a 
thousand  years,”  Neptune  presented  it  to  Flora,  and  from 
thence  it  was  merely  seasoning  and  awaiting  the  ministrations 
of  her  high  prie.sts.  True,  it  is  not  written  in  the  records,  but 
legibl.v  graven  in  the  pure  sea  sand,  that  tho.se  ivho  run  may 
read.  The  one  object  in  life  of  Rush-ian  peasants  seems  to  be 
Potatoes  and  Tulips,  and  for,  a  couple  of  miles  it  is  Potatoes 
alone,  among, st  which  are  to  he  seen  natives  down  on  all  fours 
tickling  the  sand  with  .some  peculiar  implement  around  the 
diminutive  tops  of  the  noble  tuber.  The  method  marks  them 
as  people  of  character,  and  thej'  are,  and  good  character,  too. 
Whether  the  Arab  attitude  of  pra.ver  and  the  Ru.shian  way  of 
work,  ora  ct  lahora.  has  aught  to  do  with  it.  we  know  not.  but 
they  are  spoken  of  with  unqualified  praise,  and  certain  it  is  they 
are  more  concerned  about  Potatoes  than  politics. 
Twelve  millions  of  Tulips  flowering  in  mid-Ma.v  is,  easier  to 
imagine  than  describe  ;  yet  vi.sitors  do  not  take  in  the  lot  at  one 
gigantic  hniuie  houchc,  or  rather  coup  (VoeiJ.  “Holland  in 
Ireland  ”  is  territorially  divided  into  many  sections,  which  are 
windguarded  b.v  banks  and  hedges,  hence  the  eye  is  mercifully 
spared  a  blaze  of  twelve  million  Tulip  power.  There  are  breaks, 
too,  where  the  Daffodil  has  waxed  and  waned,  and  seven  million 
of  the  nodding  flower  rest  in  peace.  The  same  with  another 
half-dozen  millions  of  early  Tulips,  .so  a  couple  of  acres,  or 
thereabouts,  of  the  May  flowers  cn  masse  suffice  for  each  view. 
Darwins  undoubtedlv  are  the  feature  of  the  day.  Distinguish¬ 
able  by  their  pure  self  colours,  noble  bearing,  and  globular  form, 
this  section,  honoured  by  Mons.  Krelage,  of  Holland,  with  the 
name  of  the  apostle  of  evolution,  is  worthy  of  practical  recogni¬ 
tion  by  all  garden  lovers  for  their  borders.  For  this  purpose  we 
would  plant  them  in  bold  clumps,  each  clump  confined  to  one 
variety  ;  and  although  the  climate  and  sand  of  Rush  seem  so 
incomparabl.y  suited  to  their  requirements,  the  vigorous  habit 
and  robust  constitution  of  the  Darwins  lead  one  to  infer  that 
they  would  be  nearly,  if  not  equally,  happy  in  ordinary  garden 
ioil,  which  we  believe  is  the  case. 
From  oyer  eighty  varieties  seen  in  bloom,  we  noted  ten  par- 
ticularlv  distinct  and  strikiuo-,  although  it  was  difficult  to  select 
where  all  were  so  beautiful  and  good.  Those  noted  wore 
Apricot,  Clara  Butt,  Europe,  Henner,  Herschell,  Laurentia, 
iVTargaret,  IMillet,  IMoralis.  and  Sultan.  Darwin  colours  are 
difficult  to  describe,  and  it  is  doubtful  whether  any  two  note- 
