The Plain Path to Good Gardening; Or, How to Grow Vegetables, Fruits
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fyxmW Winivmii^ ^'ibux^ PURCHASED FROM FUNDS OF THE FEDERAL EXPERIMENT STATION ..[j.-Xk.f.M. RETURN TO ALBERT R. MANN LIBRARY ITHACA, N. Y. Cornell University Library SB 453.W87 The plain path to good gardening; or, How 3 1924 002 829 491 Cornell University Library The original of tliis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924002829491 ^7 1-^' PUBLISHED BY G. T, GOODWIN, 8 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON. : THE PLAIN PATH GOOD GARDENING OE, HOW TO GROW YEGETABLES, FEUITS, & FLOWERS SUCCESSFULLY. BY SAMUEL WOOD, (late gardener to sir B. p. whey, BART.,) AUTHOB OE " GABBBNING FOB THE COTTAGE.'' LONDON G. T. GOODWIN, 8, PATEENOSTEE EOW. : RNELL ?BRAH,Vy LONDON PRINTED BY J. AND W. RIDER, BARTHOLOMEW CLOSE. — PREFACE. The favourable reception of my work, " Gardening for the Cottage," both by' the press and the general public, as well as the want of a sufficiently compre- hensive book on gardening that will meet every necessity, has induced me to undertake the present work. My former book was commended for its plain and pointed remarks, a principle I have sought to main- tain even more fully, and far more comprehensively, in the present work, in which, I flatter myself, will be found all that constitutes "Good Gardening'' the easiest, surest, and best method of attaining entire success,—knowledge acquired as the result of thirty years' experience, under every variety of circuiHstances, and not always in the same climate. IV PREFACE. I may further add that I believe I have given valuable information, never before published, in reference to digging, sowing, and testing seeds ; the use of camphor, sulphur, sweet nitre, soot, and guano ; the construction of the Dutch and Italian gardens, the wilderness, &c. ;—thus, by an extended range of subjects, combined with a thorough practical treatment of them, I indulge the hope that my work will fully realize what I have sought to make it, and all that is desired by its readers. I trust there will also be found in this volume all that is calculated to promote pleasure in the charm- ing art of Gardening, all that is useful to the P'lorist, the Market and the Landscape Gardener, the Cot- tager, the Competitor for Prizes, and the Lady who wishes to be " her own Gardener." S. W. April, 1 87 1. CONTENTS. VI CONTENTS. VU PAGE PAGE Bulbs for Windows 184 Cyclamen . Large Pots 187 Myosotis . 244 Mignonette 188 Pansy . 245 Violet Tree 189 Chrysanthemum 247 Neapolitan . .190 Aster . 249 Stock 192 Choice Annuals for Beds 250 Campanula Pyramidalis 195 Choice Sunflowers for HUMEA Elegans . 198 Beds .... 255 • Achimenes . 200 Scented Plants . 257 TrOP^OLUM JaRRATTII . 202 Good Climbing Plants . 261 Orange Tree . 204 Half-hardy Climbers . 263 Camellia . 205 Wall Plants . 265 Hydrangea . 208 Under Plants for Shrub- Carnation, Picotee, and beries . 267 Pink . 210 Planting in General . 268 Auricula . 213 Uses of Sand in the Soil Primula Sinensis . 216 FOR Cuttings . 271 Geranium . 219 Difference between Peat Cactus 223 AND Bog Earth . ., 272 Oleander . 225 Charcoal .... 274 Tuberose . 226 What Mildew is . 275 Cineraria . 227 Effects of Frost . 277 Calceolaria . 229 Economical Glass for Mesembryanthemum . 231 Every One . 279 Fuchsia . , . 233 How to make the Most . 280 Phlox . .235 OF Heat of Pentstemon . 237 Cause and Effects Bouvardia . 238 Plants being Green . 282 IpoMOPsis Elegans . 240 Plants Suited for Ama- Aloysia Citriadora . 241 teur Exhibition . 282 Vlll CONTENTS. Calendar of Weekly Florists' Flowers . 313 Operations for the Perfection of a Plant 314 Year .... 287 Cut Flowers . 315 The Flower-Garden—The Manures 315 Frames—The Green- „ Best Application of 317 house—The Forcing- ,, Guano . 317 house or Pit—The Kit- How to take Impressions : chen-Garden —for each OF Plants . 318 month, from January to Glossarial Index and December. Technical Terms . 321 Diagrams. Potato Hoe 32 Cucumber Pit . 6S Ground Plan of Hothouse 74 Grape Glass 7S Turfing Irons "5 Hand-light 279 THE PLAIN PATH GOOD GARDENING. THE KITCHEN-GARDEN.—Its Management. The quality as well as the quantity of vegetables to be had from a given space devoted to this purpose depends principally upon the management of the land. It is true there are some soils that will not produce like others, still the management is everything, unless in a very unfavourable locality. If the soil is light and poor, dressings with mud, tender loam, and some sandy clay, added to rotten dung, will materially improve it : if of a stiff and livery loam, on a cold clayey subsoil, add good heavy dressings of leaf-mould, fibrous peat, cinder-ash, and chalk ; and dig deep, and trench up whilst unoccupied. For particular crops, such as carrots, early potatoes, and peas, the land should be specially prepared by additional and suitable dressing ; but in my opinion the digging in of weeds and refuse vegetable matter, such as is left on the ground from the preceding crop is an error, inasmuch as by so doing a host of enemies in embryo are deposited beneath the surface, to rise like an army at some future time ; for where do the parents of the wire-worm and the numerous other enemies of the gardener deposit their eggs but on the crops ? and from thence they 10 THE PLAIN PATH TO GOOD GARDENING. proceed to hybernate in the ground as soon as convenient, unless they happen to be favoured by the gardener turning them into the soil with the refuse of the crop. I would recommend that the land be carefully cleared of all weeds and the refuse of the last crop, and be well dressed with quicklime; the ground either ridged or rough dug, and left till wanted for another crop ; then it should be manured, if necessary, with manure suited to the purpose, turned again, and the crop put in. Where kitchen -gardens are small, as is generally the case with villas and cottages, some additional tact is necessary on the part of the gardener. This department is generally committed to a jobbing man, who may be a very indifferent hand, or if a good hand, is so badly paid that justice cannot be done. It must be a very small plot of land indeed for any man to do justice either to himself or the garden within the limits of a day or a week, and yet the proprietor cannot see that it will pay him to give more time and money to tlie garden. This is the chief reason why it does not pay, for the day's wages are too low, if the man is a good gardener, to admit of his doing by the land as he would, from the fact that he must attend six or seven such places within the week to make anything like a living. A jobbing gardener, above all men, should be a good gardener, and such a man should have the liberty to attend to his gardens whenever necessary, and not be limited to a certain day ; and a clear understanding should be agreed upon as to the requirements of the employer, or it should be made plain as to what is desirable and expected, and thus the gardener will be able to comply with tlie requirements conditionally. A plot of land containing one quarter of an acre altogether is large enough for the most dexterous man living to do justice to for three shillings per week. There is much THE KITCHEN-GARDEN.—ITS MANAGEMENT. II difference in gardening; still there is one, and only one rule for good gardening, viz., "perfection of everything." This, however, can only be understood by observation, and I venture to say that this alone will prove satisfactory, and enhst its admirers, while a want of this perfection will result in disappointment. Therefore two things above all others are the essentials for a good garden, viz., a proficient hand and liberal means. There is one error commonly committed in regard to villa gardens, viz., a wish to grow a " little of everything," which generally means not growing anything well. This is not the way to perfection, as more room is required than can be well afforded for "everything." Per- fection in gardening can only be obtained by a propor- tionate variety of well-assorted articles to match the scale of the place. For instance, if there are but twenty square rods of kitchen-garden, it is folly to attempt to supply a small villa family with every variety of herb and vegetable from such a garden ; and it would be a better economy of time and expense to limit these small spaces to a few of the earliest and best sorts, as they are of more value, and hard to be obtained ; such as a good portion of the very best early potatoes, celery, lettuce, a good bed of herbs, a few early cabbages, and a few early turnips. The potatoes are the principal, and will afford an opportunity of a successional crop of early winter stuff, such as Brussels sprouts, coleworts for Christmas, and Savoy or kale, early and good. Nothing but the choicest sorts should be cultivated on these small plots, and these should be first-class, as they are no more trouble, and a very little more expense, than growing indif- ferent and bad sorts. Often the land is good, but the crop is not of the best possible quality, nor is it put in early enough. Just so in reference to the flower-garden. There is no plausible excuse for deficiency, whether there is glass or no glass ; since there is an abundance of things to suit 12 THE PLAIN PATH TO GOOD GARDENING.