The Children's Book of Gardening

by Mrs. Alfred Sidgwick; Mrs. Paynter

Children who live where there is a kitchen garden will not want to grow Mint, but we have known of children who were anxious to have a plant or two of this useful and fragrant herb. Those who do must be warned that it is an underground wanderer, and will come up where it is not welcome if not kept within bounds. The plants, if they are not to spread, should be taken up, divided, and replanted in fresh soil when they show in early spring. It does best in a moist situation. Each bit must have a good root, and should be set six to nine inches from the next. The tops, three to six inches long, will root easily in summer if inserted about half their length, with the lower leaves stripped off, in a cool border. In dry weather these cuttings must be watered after sunset. If you are a London child, and do not know where to get Mint plants, you could try to raise some yourself in this way, as Mint without roots is to be bought everywhere. You would, of course, have to buy it as fresh as possible.

Parsley.

Parsley seed takes some weeks to germinate, so you must not be impatient about it. Soon after its seed leaves appear, if you look closely you will see the pretty Parsley leaves coming. You should sow the seed thinly, and then thin again, first to three inches and then to six inches apart. All weeds must be kept down, as each Parsley plant should be big and healthy. When you gather do not strip a plant, but take a leaf here and there. When Parsley gets old and coarse the plants should be cut over, as then they will make new growth. Those that run to seed must be pulled up and thrown away. Your bed should give you Parsley all through the winter and spring—in fact, until your new plants are ready. One annual sowing in April is enough for a small supply.

Fruit.

We know of a lady living in a cathedral town in the South of England who has three Peach-trees (two Alexandra Noblesse and one Sea-Eagle), from which she gets more fruit than many of her neighbours who own big gardens. Even in the suburbs of London fruit ripens well, provided it is grown properly. The best Walnuts we ever ate were grown in a Surbiton garden. In the midst of a grimy city we advise you not to try fruit, as we know of no kind that would be healthy; but if you are in a country town or suburb or in the country itself, if you have a brick wall with a south aspect, and if you live in the Midlands or in some other warm corner of England, you should certainly have a tree of your favourite fruit. It is most important to get it from a first-rate grower, to prepare the ground properly, and to plant it well. November is the proper month for planting. You must get someone to dig a large hole at least two feet deep, and put in plenty of manure for the roots to find when they grow down. If your tree is to be against a wall, put the main stem up against it before you begin, and then spread out the roots carefully in the shape of a fan. Any that are growing straight down must be cut off. Those that remain will be on different levels, so you must arrange the lower ones first, and put soil amongst them, then the next, and so on, till they are all comfortably spread out and covered. The hole in which you plant a tree should be rather bigger than its roots when spread out, and about a foot deep. When finished, the uppermost roots should be four inches below the soil. If you are going to grow it as a tree, and not against a wall, you must tie it to a strong stake directly it is planted. In this case you must take care that the rope you use does not chafe the bark. A short length of old hose-pipe or a band of hay is usually put between the rope and the tree where they touch each other. If the tree is to be trained against a wall, you must first cut off all damaged or broken branches, and then spread out those that remain in the shape of a fan. For this purpose you will want some little bits of cloth, a hammer and nails. Before you do it you should look at some well-trained fruit-trees carefully, and try to find out how they are done. But if you can possibly get a skilful gardener to plant your tree for you, we strongly advise you to do so, as a newly-planted fruit-tree should be cut back more or less, according to its variety and vigour. Pruning is also an operation that requires more skill and knowledge than any child can be expected to acquire. It should be done for you by the grown-up gardener. For a year or two a young tree will not require much pruning, and will not bear much fruit. If much fruit sets it should be picked off at once, or it will weaken the tree. All shoots from the roots should be cut off at once with a sharp knife.

If your wall is covered with climbing flowers, so that you have no room against it for a Peach, a Pear, a Plum, or a Cherry, you might find a corner for a Gooseberry bush, or a Red or White Currant. In the North of England you must put your Gooseberry or your Currant in the sunniest corner you can find, or the fruit will not ripen. In the South a little shade and moisture will suit it better. Gooseberries and Currants will prosper in any ordinary good garden soil, but the places for them should be well dug and dressed with manure some time before planting. They must not be put in too deeply, or the roots will send up suckers. October is a good month to plant.

A WINDOW GARDEN.

Red Champagne, Yellow Champagne, Red Warrington, and Early Sulphur, are good Gooseberries; Raby Castle and Comet are good Red Currants; White Dutch is the best White Currant.

Gooseberries and Currants are liable to be attacked by caterpillars in May, and these will eat all the leaves and destroy your crops if not removed. Hand-picking is the best way. You can also first syringe with soft water in which you have put a little soap, and then dust with a mixture of dry soot and lime. This will look ugly for a time, but rain soon washes it away.