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If any reader who is in difficulty with reference to his garden, will write direct to the ad. dress given bene i-th, his queries will be an. swered, free of charge, and by return of post. —EDITOR]. Some correspondents omit to add their names, or merely end with initials. In these cases it is obviously impossible to reply.—E.K.T. THE VEGETABLE GARDEN, GENERAL. During frosty weather manure should be wheeled on to the plots where it will be required, and in mild weather trenching can be continued, It is a great mistake to bury masses of frozen soil, because they take a very long time to thaw underground, and until they are thawed, con- stitute a danger to the roots of plants. Clear away and bury deeply all vegetable refuse of every kind. Whenever weather permits, hoeing between growing crops is beneficial. ARTICHOKES. Provide additional protective material when severe frost seems imminent, heaping up fern, straw, or leaves over the centres of the plants. The extra covering must be removed during mild periods. ASPARAGUS. Established beds need a good top dressing now, a mixture of two or three inches of horse and cow dung being desirable. Sea-weed may be added with benefit. It is a good plan to cover the top dressing with a thin layer of fine soil. BEANS, BROAD. Sow for an early crop towards the end of the month in double rows three feet apart, the seeds being arranged for the plants to come alter- nately ahout seven inches asunder in double rows, which should be nine inches apart. Cover with from three to four inches of good soil. Early sowings require a warm, dry, and rich border. If the ground be not tolerably rich, some partially decayed dung can be forked in when levelling down in spring. BROCCOLI. At the approach of severe weather broccoli fit for use are raised and stored closely in a cellar. CABBAGE. Plant out from the seed beds when weather permits, filling up gaps in aabnTm plantations. CARROTS Stored crops should be ex maed with a view to destroying young growths and removing un- sound specimens., CAULIFLOWERS. Sow in boxes on a gentle hot-bed, or under a cool frame in a sunny, warm corner, using an ounce of seed to four square yards of soil in shallow drills 10 inches apart. Cover with half- an-inch of fine soil. Rigidly exterminate weeds. Prick out the plants from tbe earliest s.owing into an another frame or under hand lights as soon as they are large enough to handle. Give all the air consistent with safety, and finally plant cut about mid-May 15 inches apart. CELERY. Protect cropa with hoops or pea sticks covered with mats or suitable litter, which must be removed when the weather is favourable. Blanched erops suffer very severely from frost unless stored in safety. All roots may be stored closely together on a layer of soil in a box or barrel, through the sides of which inch holes have been bored about four inches from the bottom. The roots and some soil should be left adhering to the plants, which will require an occasional watering through the holes. Blanched roots should be trimmed closely and packed tightly in an upright position in moss and sand in a box. ENDIVES. The process of blanching by tying up the top of each plant, and then covering it with an in- verted pot, the edges of which are well pressed into the soil, and the hole finally stopped with a slate and turf to exclude lighi, and air, takes about 10 or 14 days, but as the plants do not keep well in a blanched condition, only a few should be covered at a time. If heavy frosts are expected, a portion of the crop can be removed to dark frames or to boxes in any dark place where a temperature of from 50 to 55 degrees is maintained. HORSE-RADISH. New plantations may be made at once in deeply worked, rich soils in open situations. It is a capital plan to place a thick layer of stable manure 15 inches under the surface soil. The crowns are just covered with soil when being planted. Roots that have no crowns formed oaght to be placed rather more deeply in the ground. JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES. Planting may be commenced towards the end of the month, though we advocate waiting until March before dibbling in medium sized tubers from four to six inches deep in rows 21 or three feet apart, the sets being placed from 15 to 18 inches asunder in the lines. A thoroughly worked, deep, and friable loam is best for this crop, but the plant succeeds almost anywhere. LETTUCES. Sow from mid-January until March in pans in a greenhouse or frame, or even in boxes covered with sheets of glass on a sunny border. Prick out the seedlings as early as possible into frames or boxes of light, rich soil, and finally plant them out about six inchas apart in April. Open, porous soil is an absolute essential to success. ONIONS. Most successful exhibitors of onions make a practice of sowing the seed during January in shallow boxes in a frame or greenhouse. The young plants are pricked out two inches apart in other boxes of turfy loam, with a small ad- mixture of mellow manure and sand, directly they are three inches high. When the onions are about six inches in height, move the boxes to a cool frame to harden off, preparatory to planting out about the end of April in tho- roughly trenched and manured ground. Water liberally during dry weather, and in summer give occasional dressings of salt, guano and liquid manure. EARLY PEAS. Sow for the earliest crop on a warm, shel- tered, sloping south border, on turves turned upside down in frames, or in pots, or long shal- low troughs under glass. Directly the seedlings are visible, dust them over lightly with lime and soot mixed, as a protection from slugs, and thin them to about two inches apart when they are two or three inches high. Early out-door sowings must be sheltered from keen winds, and it is well to support the plants with brushwood when they are three or four inches high. As the seedlings appear under glass, air must be given whenever possible, to promote a sturdy growth, and it will, of course, be necessary to water occasionally. Towards the end of March or in early April plant them out, with as little disturbance of the roots as possible. A warm sandy soil is necessary for early Bowings. Sparrows are a most troublesome pest of out- door crops, and from the first appearance of the seedlings it is imperatively necessary to protect them with strings, to which hanging rags, feathers, and pieces of tin are attached. Pea-guards, made by fixing wire netting on a framework of a semi-circular wire hoops, are most useful for protecting sowings. Mice fre- quently demolish ear,ly sowings before the seeds have germinated. A good preventative is to cover the seeds with a little soil and then with two inches of sharp sand. Another method consists of moistening the seed with sweet oil, and then covering it with red lead. POTATOES. Towards the end of January pack a number of sets on end in a box, placing them close to- gether and only one layer deep. The shallow box is then placed near the glass in a cool con- servatory, or in some other light position where they will be safe from frost. The ger- minating of the tubers before they are planted y saves time, and ensures early crops. RADISHES. Make a. sowing quite at the end of the month, or in February, on a warm, dry, south border, and cover with about an inch of fine earth. On light soils it is advisable to firm down the bed with tike back of a spade. January and Feb ruary sowings must be protected with about four inches of light litter during frost. Early thinning is vital, as crowded fplants produce large tops instead of roots. SPINACH. Take two or three of the largest leaves at a time from each plant, and at the first appear- ance of flower-stems cut the heads right off. E. KEMP TOOGOOD, F.R.H.S., pro Toogood and Sona The Royal Seed Establishment, Southampton.

-BAGILLT.

PRBSTiTYK.

HE'S GONE TO THE FRONT.

WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA.

DEATH OF THE MARQUIS OF LOTHIAN.

ONE OF DR. JAMESON'S RAIDERS.

THE SALE OF POISONS.

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