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IGardening Notes,

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I Gardening Notes, BY JAMES-CARTER & CO. SUMMER LETTUCE. During the hot days of summer Lettuces are always appreciated, but in order to have them fine and really good in quality they must be grown straight away with- out receiving a check. When sown in be& and afterwards transplanted, they generally receive a pretty severe check during the process of removal, and this is especially the case during very dry and Ii hot weather. In the process of trans- planting, the tap root always gets broken, which is a great drawback, as the plants have then to depend on the surface of the soil for their supply of food. A far and away better pln during hot weather I is to sow- in drills, and afterwards thin out, when this is done the plants left in the drills will at once strike deep down into moister soil, and very seldom run. to seed, as is too often the: ase with trans- planted ones, unless they can be kept thoroughly watered alnd shaded, and that is not always to be done. We know it is not always convenient to sow in the place where the plants are to remain, but in seasons of drought it is necessary to do so. By adopting this method the culti- vator 'need not fear a break in the supply if sowings are made about every three weeks Jrom April to August. At no season are Lettuces mor appreciated than in hot weather; hence comes the neces- ity of frequent sowings, timely thinning, and quick growth. To grow Lettuces to perfection during hot weather, the soil must be thoroughly good. For general crops, let the ground be rich and some- what friable, and either trenched or I deeply dug, as deeply worked soil hold a much larger supply of latent moisture, and yet affords a ready egress for super- il fluous water. On light soils, use the manure from a cowhouse, and apply it ili. a liberal manner. A good position for summer Lettuce is on a north border, here the soil is generally much moister, and the plants also get a certain amount of shade. If the soil in such a position is good, the seed sown, in drills, and then thinned, there will be little difficulty in growing Lettuce of the finest quality and largest size. Two of the very best vari eties of Cos Lettuce for summer sowing are Carters' Jumbo and Giant White. Both these are slow to seed, and the heads ar large, solid, and crisp eating. EARLY CARROTS. The sweetest and most delicious young Carrots are obtained from frames, and if the weather prove favourable it will be advisable to prepare a bed and sow the seed as early as possible during the pre- sent month. A two-light frame will pro- vidiei quite a long succession of roots, and another sowing made in a similar manner about a month or six weeks later will be ample, the supply under these conditions lasting until such time as Carrots in the open are fit to pull. Make up a hot-bed facing the south, with either well-pre- pared stable-manure, or manure and leaves mixed and put together firmly, the height at the back being 3 feet and about 2 feet 6 inches in front. If only a single bed is made, it should be about 18 inches longer and wider than the frame to be set on it. When the frame is in position, throw in a layer of the shortest Keating material, and on this place not less than 6 inches of fine and rather sandy soil, the lights being put on at once. It will be better to use the shallowest frames for this purpose, so that when filled the crop will come near to the glass. When there is no longer any danger of the bed becom- ing violently hot, sow the seed in shallow drills, formed by the aid of the edge of a short rod, and about 8 inches apart: should the soil be at all dry before sowing the seed, give a gentle watering, other- wise no water will be necessary for several weeks. The Forcing Horn and Golden Ball are excellent for this work, as they form bulbs quickly, and Early Horn and Summer Favourite :are also suitable for frame culture. As these grow larger they are of a stronger colour than those men- tioned. Cover the frames with mats and litter till the seedlings appear, when they must be uncovered whenever the weather permits, and a little air admitted from the back of the frame on mild sunny days. When the plants are in rough leaf, if at all crowded, thin out a little, the final thinning being delayed until the earliest roots are near the size of small walnuts or large enough for use. PROTECTION FROM BIRDS. A country fruit grower told us rears ago. that he found effectual protection for his garden by simply stretching twine around I it. This may peem a very foolish story, but birds, like certain animals, have very foolish fears. Our friend went on to say that in protecting the sm?ll busies Simply I a ball of grey, black, or brown Hnen thread will do the trick. I take a ball of this in my fcanrf. fj^pn e2(J cf ;.0 01i0 Cc tjje twigs of the gooseberry or currant trash, end | i then across the thread backward, from twig to twig, in perhaps a dozen different direc- tions, fasten off, and the thing is done. It is not advisable that the thread should be white; it ought rather to be fine and dark- a. thing to be felt, not seen. We have watch the birds after performing the operation. They come boldly to settle on the trees, and they- strike these, to them,' invisible snares, for such, no doubt, they seem to be, they fly off in a terrible hurry and settle on the trees around about, longing and getting hungry until they disappear and you see them no more. As regards Peas and other seeds, which we always sow in drills, and simply stretch a thread, sometimes two, along each drill at about two inches from the ground, supporting it at that height by little forked sticks. If you put it much higher tcan this the birds do not seem to care for it-it does not. touch them; this is the grand secret, something they do not very well see nor know what it means. We have seen people put a thick white string, with feathers tied to it, and perhaps two feet from the ground. Th:e birds soon understand these and care little for them; in short, I know to my cost it sometimels acts as a notice to the birds that there is something to be had worth looking for. Anyone adopting the plan recommended will never have cause to complain of the birds, however numerous they may be. Just the same method is effectual upon lawns sown with grass seed, and with regard to Cherry Trees we once tried the following plan, which was found most effectual: we opened an old umbrella and placed it just above the top of the centre of the tree, which was a large one, and the birds never ventured near while the gingham was there. Note.—If enquirers will furnish their ad- dress when writing us for information, we will gladly reply fully through the post without any charge to them. JAMES CARTER & CO., Queen's SeedsIDel High Holborn, London, W.C.

Menal Bridge District Council.

DOCTOR'S ADVICE.

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